Time moved back a little.
While Shinji and Pain were fighting, two figures had remained hidden in the shadows, watching.
One was Zetsu, who had led Nagato here. The other was a mysterious man in a black robe, a one-eyed mask, and a hood.
"Obito..."
"That isn't my name now. You should call me... Madara."
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I forgot again."
"I've heard that enough. Forget again, and I'll stuff you into a latrine."
"Sure! I've always wondered what 'taking a dump' feels like. It wouldn't hurt to go see."
"..."
Obito, who had assumed Madara's identity, looked at him, speechless.
The only reason he had secretly come this time was his curiosity about what someone capable of getting the better of Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, looked like.
Honestly, he had been somewhat disappointed at first.
The man was strong, but not strong enough to amaze him.
Then the man named Akagi Shinji had suddenly taken on another appearance and drawn Pain away.
That was what had truly caught his attention!
There was no mistaking it. That was the aura of a [Cursed Spirit].
Cursed Spirits had shaken the powers of every nation as soon as they appeared. How could Obito not have made contact with them and tested them?
He had even secretly captured and dissected more of them than he could count.
And as far as he knew, Sasori had already begun researching a new type of puppet modeled on Cursed Spirits.
Then there was Kakuzu. Though he constantly disparaged Cursed Spirits and called them bugs, he had secretly tried replacing his hearts with theirs!
The results simply seemed less than ideal, and it was too early to draw any conclusions.
Even Nagato had considered similar questions. For instance, if he erased a Cursed Spirit's consciousness and