Chapter 168: Even the Light of Fireflies Dares to Compete with the Bright Moon

In the underground palace of Sand Hidden Village, Wind Country.

Led by Xie, their party had silently bypassed numerous defenses and arrived at the entrance to the underground secret vault.

The tail that erupted inside Gaara indeed saved them a lot of trouble.

Actually Yuzhi was also pondering a question—if their current deployment were to be unleashed…

Can Sand Hidden Village stand up to it?

He glanced at Xie and Orochimaru at the front, then at the silent Mi Yan and Xiao Nan walking in the middle.

Finally he looked at Hikari; Yuzhi felt that no one could stop them wherever they went.

"But teaming up with the Akatsuki Organization for a group activity is truly novel."

Thinking that the esteemed Fifth Hokage was secretly moving with members of the Akatsuki Organization made Yuzhi both laugh and cry at the absurdity.

Nevertheless, his emotional control was excellent; after all, he had impersonated Madara Uchiha so many times that this situation was nothing to him.

"You"

While pondering, they had already entered the secret vault; a Sand Hidden ninja spotted them, and as soon as he opened his mouth, a short blade pierced his chest.

This cut off his shout before it could even echo.

"Stop!"

"This is…"

"The benefits brought by Indra's power are great, especially atop my Bloodline Elimination, so…"

Seeing Yuzhi suddenly emerge, the guards stationed here instantly formed front and rear formations and became alert.

After completing all that, Yuzhi glanced around, then turned to face the group with varied expressions.

In an instant, space twisted violently, and everything seemed unusually unreal.

Seeing Yuzhi remain silent, the leading guard snarled, "Who exactly are you, and why are you here? You'd better answer honestly, or else…"

The hidden traps dissolved instantly, and the floor reinforced by Seal Technique began to crumble.

Under the swirling black‑and‑white heat wave, the entire passage was instantly cleared; even the sturdy great door melted into a pool of crimson molten iron, spreading across the floor.

Such unique chakra immediately widened Orochimaru's eyes; not only him, but Chang Men, Xiao Nan, and Xie also showed a flash of astonishment.

"All of them," Xie said calmly. "What follows is a long corridor, filled with members of the Dark Division; encountering them there is more…"

Nevertheless, dealing with such defenses was no trouble for him; he charged forward.

Even if he didn't want it, those forces would still seep into his attacks.

The corridor exists to serve as a buffer; it is filled with various traps and hidden weapons, and stepping inside leads to endless trouble.

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at the words, and curiously asked, "Oh, what could it be—traps or even stronger ninja?"

Before they could recover, the twisted space formed special vortices around them, and in an instant they were warped into clumps of blurry flesh!

After dealing with the guard at the entrance, Yuzhi's gaze fell upon the secret vault ahead.

Thus, even though he could use Divine Might to pass through directly, he still wanted to give it a try.

Having witnessed Yuzhi's moves before, they remained unusually calm; Orochimaru, however, couldn't help licking his lips, genuinely curious about how this "real deal" would perform.

Yuzhi calmly observed everything; the sweeping flames could not trouble him at all, and the terrifying fire flared around him like obedient blossoms.

"Otherwise what?"

Yuzhi twitched the corner of his mouth, and the eternal Mangekyou Sharingan in his eyes began to rotate slowly.

Watching Yuzhi stride forward, Xie merely tilted his head, while Xiao Nan and Chang Men said little.

"Who?!"

"Alright, we can continue now; I think there shouldn't be any trouble,"

"Is the destination right after the corridor?" Before Xie could finish, Yuzhi abruptly interrupted him.

Such potent and concentrated chakra, they had once felt on Da Ye Mu, which means

"Bloodline Elimination?!"

"Leave the rest to me; it won't take long,"

Accompanied by everyone's astonishment and the deafening Boom—, the black‑and‑white flames turned into a massive dragon, fiercely charging toward the gate.

In the blink of an eye, the stark black‑and‑white fire illuminated the once dim underground storage, making it crystal clear!

Drawing his short blade, Xie calmly said, "We're about to enter the core area; though it's been a while, the situation inside will be even more troublesome."

Staring at the suddenly twisted space, the guards stationed here fell into a brief stupor.

Thinking to himself, Yuzhi suddenly formed hand seals, and terrifying chakra burst forth in an instant.

But the next moment, his whole body stiffened slightly.

"Yes," Xie said upon seeing Yuzhi, his expression still slightly respectful. "Beyond the corridor lies the secret vault; those who stay in the corridor can seal the vault."

"I didn't expect Divine Might to be amplified that much,"

The Dark Division could naturally block the corridor, thereby trapping the enemy here, without affecting the actual secret vault.

Looking at the Seal Technique sigils shimmering on the vault door, Yuzhi gently shook his head.

Not to mention that he is already proficient in Seal Technique, and the Sand Hidden's current seal technique is rather lacking.

Yuzhi muttered to himself quietly: He couldn't wield the "Chakra Origin Power," but the "Indra" power was deep within his chakra.

However, after hearing all this, Yuzhi remained unusually calm; if he didn't know the path, he wouldn't need to walk it, just use Divine Might to enter.

The hidden poison gas in the corridor turned green and blue under the scorching flames, but the next moment it dissolved into the air.

"Probably none left."

Xie nodded vaguely, and Orochimaru lightly licked his tongue again.

"Bloodline Elimination?"

Space Technique combined with Bloodline Elimination—this truly isn't something ordinary people can achieve!

Nagato and Konan's expressions were also somewhat subdued at this moment, clearly feeling that this guy had never truly acted seriously before.

They had seen the power of Dust Release before; they could anticipate how terrifying the power would be when fire‑type Blood‑Trace Elimination is combined with Space Technique!

Hikari blinked, thinking to himself that he was behind again, but having just witnessed the so‑called Blood‑Trace Elimination's power, it seemed not bad at all.

"Since there are no more problems, let's act a bit faster."

Yuzhi nodded, then spoke.

"Capture what we want, then go out to deal with that One‑Tail, and don't forget we still have to take that guy away."

——

"Is this the truth behind the original Nine‑Tails Incident?"

While Yuzhi and the others were operating in the secret vault, Obito was controlling the One‑Tail in a frenzied rampage.

Obito was not as 'kind‑hearted' as Yuzhi; he directly forced the tailed beast into madness, causing it to continuously wreak terrifying destruction.

All of this made Itachi Uchiha, standing nearby, clench his fists, and the scenes involuntarily reminded him of that night with the Nine‑Tails.

It stirred his inner resentment and murderous intent, yet he could still keep his emotions in check for the moment.

Having stayed beside Danzo for so many years without ever being exposed shows that his ability to conceal himself is rather outstanding.

Meanwhile, You Nu Long Ma remained completely calm; he knew far more than Itachi Uchiha.

Moreover, whatever problems Leaf Village had mattered little to him; Danzo was his only sun!

"Hm? That's really strange."

Obito, who was controlling the One‑Tail, now seemed a bit puzzled, because he noticed something off about this One‑Tail.

The One‑Tail possessed a jinchuriki, and according to his intel, the jinchuriki was the Fourth Hokage's son, just a kid.

But the problem was, while he was making the One‑Tail wreak havoc, he hadn't detected the kid's whereabouts.

What puzzled him even more was that he found traces of the Uchiha Eye Technique on this One‑Tail.

"What on earth is going on?"

Obito frowned slightly, and his expression caught Hei Jue's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"It seems something's off; this One‑Tail appears to have been controlled before."

Obito hesitated briefly, but finally gave an answer that made Hei Jue pause as well.

In an instant, Hei Jue's complexion changed dramatically!

"We should leave this place immediately and stop worrying about the One‑Tail's chakra!"

"Could it…"

Obito also realized at that moment, his face turning black in an instant.

But before he could act, he suddenly felt a special chakra reverberating continuously.

He whirled his head and saw space twisting into a bizarre spiral, a black‑and‑white flame forming a massive dragon that surged through the warped space straight at the One‑Tail!

"Is this… Kamui?"

Obito no longer paid attention to the terrifying flame; just by seeing the twisted space, he knew exactly who he was up against!

When he looked farther and saw a silhouette appear in the distance, his breathing suddenly quickened.

Because he saw 'himself' standing together with the members of the Akatsuki Organization.

"Has it already gotten out of control to this extent?"

The Fourth Hokage, who was dealing with the rampaging One‑Tail, looked at the surrounding devastation and angrily spoke.

"Gaara is truly useless; he's so disappointing!"

The accompanying Qian Dai heard this and let out a sigh.

With Gaara's rampaging One‑Tail Shukaku appearing, it unmistakably signaled that this trial had completely failed.

The dilemma before the Sand Village now, besides quickly killing Gaara and, in a few years, recapturing and resealing the One‑Tail Shukaku, also requires guarding against other villages' prying eyes.

Each time Gaara goes berserk, it brings massive casualties and material loss to the village, making the already weakened Sand Village even harder to sustain, and tonight is likely no exception.

Even though she felt helpless about this outcome, whether it's the Sand Village's plight or Gaara's fate, there's nothing that can be done.

For the sake of the village, they must make some compromises!

"Act quickly; we also need to block the news."

Hai Lao Zang also showed some helplessness as he spoke slowly, but as soon as he finished, everyone involuntarily widened their eyes.

At that moment, space twisted into a bizarre spiral, a black‑and‑white flame forming a massive dragon that surged through the warped space straight at the One‑Tail!

Roar.

The moment the bizarre flame struck the One‑Tail, a One‑Tail not far away let out a fierce shout!

The raging flame intertwined with the bizarre space, tightly sealing all of the One‑Tail's movement paths.

The One‑Tail's body, strangled by space and eroded by flame, kept collapsing!

A wail echoed across the sky as the One‑Tail frantically struggled, tearing apart everything around it.

Unfortunately, no matter how it struggled, it could not escape; under the dual assault of space and flame, the massive form of One‑Tail Shukaku began to collapse completely.

The wailing gradually ceased, and the huge One‑Tail, like a small mountain, turned into flowing sand and vanished from the Sand Village's sight!

"What's happening?"

Including the Fourth Hokage, everyone from the Sand Village was extremely shocked.

The scene before them far exceeded their imagination; they could not comprehend what was happening!

The earlier attack was indeed beyond imagination, and aside from the incomprehensible power of the space technique, that flame alone was enough to make their hearts race.

Such flame is certainly not something they can easily touch; its death‑laden aura can be clearly felt even from a distance.

"Damn, could these people…"

Suddenly, Chiyo seemed to realize something; she immediately rushed out toward the distance and also vaguely said to Rasa and the others.

But we need to ensure we don't add extra words not in source. Let's verify each translation matches source meaning exactly.

We'll go line by line

The One-Tail has already been crushed; Gaara has probably already been released, and the person who struck cannot have any good intentions.

Oh no, it's Gaara!

Rasara also reacted instantly, without a word he rushed out as well; the change in the situation was truly beyond expectation.

But since he had already guessed the opponent's intentions, he also had to make the necessary stance!

Even if he could already predict how difficult the opponent would be to deal with, he still had to do something.

The Sand Village absolutely cannot lose the One-Tail; they would rather kill Gaara and wait for the One-Tail to revive than let anyone take Gaara away!

The former they could still try to recover, but the latter would doom the Sand Village to utter weakness.

Not long after, Chiyo and Rasara, the two fastest, had already arrived at the scene, but the sight before them was quite shocking.

Gaara lay peacefully on the ground, his breathing even, appearing as if he were merely asleep.

Beside them, a group of people were discussing something; aside from two individuals, the rest wore black cloaks with red clouds.

Their expressions were calm, showing no sign of having just fought a tailed beast.

Orochimaru

The Fourth Hokage Hikari twitched slightly, and in an instant released countless puppets, while Rasara at that moment summoned endless sand and stone.

Because of the lighting they couldn't see very clearly, but they were absolutely certain it was Orochimaru!

However, these people seemed unfazed by it; a masked person even glanced at someone standing behind them and asked.

Are you interested in greeting them?

Let's go; we have more important matters.

The masked person lightly nodded, and in the next instant endless flames spread wildly once again.

In an instant, all the puppets were set ablaze, and the sand iron was simultaneously strangled and devoured by the fierce flames.

At the same time, the figures of these people vanished without a trace.

Damn it, they're gone.

Watching those people disappear without a trace before their eyes, Chiyo and Rasara's faces turned extremely grim.

With the disappearance of these people, they both realized the gravity of the situation, for it almost meant the Sand Village would lose its tailed beast!

For a moment, both of them became unusually silent.

Such a terrifying event occurring is something neither of them wishes to face!

Who are those people, any conclusion yet?

After a while, the Fourth Kazekage Rasara asked in a low voice, and he also had to thank the person who had just acted for creating such a great chaos.

Otherwise, by now the subsequent Sand Village personnel would have arrived, leaving them no time to make any amends!

Not clear, but we can consult the Leaf Village; even though Orochimaru defected, he was once a member of the Leaf Village, so they must have records.

Although Chiyo's face was extremely grim, she also knew what she needed to do now.

Especially some words need to be spoken by her.

She gave Rasara a deep look, sighed softly, and then continued speaking.

But that's for later; for now we must handle the One-Tail issue—we should announce to the village that Gaara has already been eliminated.

Mm.

Rasara nodded; as a Kage there are things he absolutely cannot take the blame for, and even if it's just their conversation, someone else must speak up.

After all, the ninja world has memory-probing techniques; even if they wouldn't lightly use them on people like them, they still need to guard against it when absolutely necessary.

Since Elder Chiyo has proposed it, let's do that; at the same time I will have the Anbu constantly search for the One-Tail's chakra.

However, the real One-Tail side—

"Ebizo and I will take charge of forming a new team to gather intelligence on those people, striving to reclaim the One-Tail."

Chiyo was very amenable, also knowing exactly what she should say now; this answer pleased Rasara greatly.

Then thank you for your hard work.

Although Rasara was in a bad mood, after all his test not only killed Yashamaru but also caused Gaara to go completely berserk, resulting in massive destruction.

Now even the person is missing; it can be said this is entirely his fault, but with Chiyo taking the blame, many things will change.

And Chiyo naturally noticed some changes in Rasara's expression; she shook her head and didn't want to say more.

She is already old, many things she no longer cares about that much; moreover, she made this decision for an important reason.

Was that person just now Scorpion?

——

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

Meanwhile, while Luosa and Chiyo were worried, Obito on the other side was already on the verge of breaking down.

In his view, Uchiha Haori had already taken everything he had in the Leaf Village, especially as Haori became Hokage, fulfilling his former dream in the Leaf.

And having been driven out by the Mist Village and lost control of the Mizukage, this feeling only grew deeper.

In his view, all that remained for him was to control the Akatsuki Organization, thereby exacting revenge on the entire world!

But now, the Akatsuki Organization he seeks to control seems to have been 'stolen' by someone?

Moreover, it happened right before his eyes, with those people taking the Akatsuki members to the Sand Village and even launching an attack on the One-Tail!

At that moment, Obito's mind became somewhat muddled.

This feeling was like watching Haori take Rin's hand and walk into a room while he could only stand outside waiting.

Isn't that just having one's most important thing taken away right before one's eyes?

Stay calm, Obito, that person is you!

Zetsu sensed the situation was turning bad, he immediately grabbed Obito's hand to advise him, though he himself felt somewhat conflicted.

What the hell is going on? Could it be that that guy wants to use Changmen and the others' hands to do something?

Or perhaps he has taken a liking to the Reincarnation Eye?

If it's the former, Heijue thinks it's fine; just bear with it, after all, these people from other worlds are really somewhat difficult to deal with.

But if it's the latter, then the situation becomes dangerous, for the Reincarnation Eye is the key to him rescuing his mother!

Heijue is not Obito; this person has a head full of strange ideas, and one could even say that Obito did all those things actually for himself.

And Heijue himself has only one goal: to rescue his mother, nothing else!

Anyone or anything that might destroy this goal of his, he absolutely cannot tolerate.

Just recalling how Obito faced that guy three years ago, he really finds it hard to speak up, that guy lost so completely!

Thinking of this, Heijue simply couldn't stay calm; after pondering for a moment, he then spoke.

「Chase after him, but for now don't reveal yourself too much. 」

「What do you mean? Shouldn't we expose these things, letting them know they're facing a fake? 」

Obito's eyes were about to burst, being made to do something he had no idea about by someone else substituting for him, this made him truly unable to bear it.

And now Heijue actually tells him not to expose himself—what the hell does that mean, wanting him to keep enduring?

「We should first figure out that guy's purpose, then make some plans. 」

Heijue actually feels uneasy too, but he still needs to restrain himself and stay calm.

「If it's just a simple impersonation, that's fine; figure out what he wants to do, and if our goals align he might even be an ally. 」

Offending such a fake so hastily is hardly wise, and I also need to test out Changmen and the others.

See whether they actually know or not that you two are fundamentally not the same person, so we can make a further judgment.

Reincarnation Eye, it absolutely must not fall into others' hands!

Hearing this explanation, Obito must calm down no matter how much he hates it, after all, that painful memory from three years ago still echoes in his heart.

In the ninja world, sometimes the size of one's fist can determine many problems.

Obito can't beat him, which also means he sometimes has to endure.

「I understand, we'll think of a way. 」

Obito took a deep breath and spoke; just thinking of the other party occasionally running over to take 'his stuff and use it' makes him feel extremely displeased.

But thinking of Lin now being part of Yuzhi's shadow guard squad, and having to go to Yuzhi's house during rotations, he suddenly feels that all this isn't so bad after all.

Of course, he also needs to constantly reassure himself.

「It's all fake, that's just a counterfeit Lin; the real Lin belonging to my world wasn't created, everything is fake. 」

Heijue watched Obito muttering something incessantly, but couldn't hear it clearly; after thinking a moment, he spoke.

「Then I'll take Itachi Uchiha and You'nv Longma away first, then I'll go find Changmen, and you look for a chance to lure that guy away? 」

「Hmm」

Obito, though his expression was still a bit dazed, also simply nodded.

The next moment, his figure slightly moved and he had already left the spot; now he only had one thought in his mind.

Although he might not be able to win, he still has to give it a try!

He really can't stand it, others casually taking over all his belongings——

「Let's part ways here for now; I think I still need to see someone. 」

In the desert, space suddenly twisted, and in the next instant Yuzhi brought Hikari and the Akatsuki Organization members appearing in this desert.

He glanced behind him, then immediately smiled and spoke, though his gaze also fell on Wo'ai luo.

This Wo'ai luo kid was brought out by him; it's really hard to say how his future will go, but at least keeping an eye on him will be much better than staying in Sand Village.

Besides, he also got hold of the One-Tail's chakra, which is also a pretty good result.

「You want to see a person, in this kind of place? 」

Changmen at this moment, although not in the Divine Majesty Space, still has a way to keep up, so Yahiko's body hasn't lost control.

「That scroll」

「I've already memorized it, you guys just hold onto it. 」

Yuzhi directly spoke, but after thinking a bit he spoke again.

「However, I'll give you a piece of advice: for now, don't do anything for a while, after all some people might be very unhappy. 」

「The person you want to see is him. 」

Xiaonan at this moment suddenly understood, and she also finally confirmed something.

This guy right here is probably truly and completely not on the same path as that idiot, so who exactly is this person?

「Hmm, it's him, some private matters need to be dealt with, but it's also not a big deal. 」

Yuzhi nodded indifferently, but he also felt a bit depressed; how could he keep running into that Obito guy in such a lousy place?

Moreover, he even bumped into him while he was acting with the Akatsuki Organization; even though Yuzhi felt some stimulation, trouble still exists.

He now must find a way to solve this trouble, otherwise future troubles will become even more.

「So, what exactly is your relationship? 」

Changmen at this moment also couldn't help but speak; this problem has been bothering him all along, even though Orochimaru and Xie are also seriously looking at Yuzhi.

「Simply put, what I and he pursue are not the same. 」

Yuzhi shrugged, he smiled indifferently.

「Moreover, my relationship with him isn't good, of course some things you'll find out later. 」

「Besides, he doesn't want me to have too much contact with you guys, after all he knows I look down on him. 」

Some things Yuzhi need not elaborate on; as for how the subsequent contact will gradually unfold, that can be known.

Regarding the use of the Akatsuki Organization, Yuzhi has already figured out a way to handle it, and how could he possibly abandon such a heavy‑burdened existence?

And Obito?

Besides being truly hard to kill, this guy now naturally carries the scapegoat trait; since he's hard to kill, let's make him take the full blame.

Otherwise, wouldn't Yuzhi just be a pretender of Obito?

"Some things, just think about them yourselves, compare them properly, and you'll know, won't you?"

Around Yuzhi and Hikari, the distorted space manifested again.

"After all, many things become clear only after comparison, and each of you was once a candidate for the Shadow, or now a ruler of a country or village.

I believe you aren't that foolish; indeed, you wouldn't easily trust anyone, so after thinking, wouldn't some problems be solved effortlessly?"

Yuzhi's words plunged Changmen and the others into silence; even Orochimaru, who wasn't very familiar with the man before them, had to admit something.

This guy seems truly different from that idiot they met before.

Not to mention anything else, that resurrection technique alone isn't something ordinary people can casually grant to others!

Watching the figure vanish before them, Changmen and the others fell silent; for a moment no one spoke, all were pondering something.

Boom, boom, boom—

At that moment, rumbling sounds kept coming from afar, slightly interrupting their thoughts.

But before they could act, a pitch‑black silhouette suddenly emerged from the ground.

"What are you doing here?"

Heijue glanced at everyone present, deliberately feigning confusion as he asked.

"Wasn't that idiot who calls himself Madara Uchiha the one who told us to go after the One Tail?"

At this moment, Konan's expression turned icy again; she stared at Heijue indifferently and asked directly.

"He said he would deal with the tail, then left us here; why hasn't anyone returned?"

"One Tail."

Heijue was left somewhat baffled by Konan's remark, but when he saw Gaara, who was asleep on a puppet controlled by Scorpion, his eyes instantly lit up.

Damn, is this to capture a jinchuriki?

"What a waste, clearly wielding such great power yet causing such a commotion."

At this moment, Changmen also spoke up appropriately, his tone equally cold.

"And what's the use of capturing the One Tail now? If we're exposed, it'll only make things more troublesome!"

"What a hassle, what exactly are you doing?"

Orochimaru licked his lips with his snake‑like tongue, making his decision at that moment, and Scorpion nodded then.

"Disturbing our experiment just to catch this guy, and causing such a ruckus—shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

Before them stood four: a dead man, a puppet, one who never showed expression, and another whose thoughts no one could discern.

These four asked together, even Heijue was bewildered.

Is this really just to capture a jinchuriki?

Could it be that those people are truly after a tailed beast?

Heijue was a bit confused, but at least this outcome was better—

In the desert, Obito, who was moving swiftly, suddenly felt a surge of chakra guidance.

This dragon‑vein chakra power instantly made him realize something, prompting him to change direction and head straight for the chakra source.

Hum—

But as he crossed space, a black rod shot toward him; the rod merely passed through his body, like an illusion, causing no real harm.

"Who did I say it was? Turns out it's you little rat who kept following."

Yuzhi, leisurely waiting, looked at the Obito before him, a mocking smile appearing on his face.

"How annoying, the last time I came across you, and now I run into you again.

I don't really know how long it's been for you, but you give me the impression you've made no progress at all."

Facing Yuzhi's words, Obito stayed silent, yet the content made his heart flutter slightly.

According to this guy, the time between the last meeting and now isn't long, and the time he traversed is uncertain?

"Who exactly are you, and what do you intend to do?"

Although he got a somewhat relieving answer, Obito still couldn't hold back.

Even though he knew the person before him might be his counterpart from another world, he didn't think himself so vile!

"Since you asked sincerely, I shall mercifully tell you."

Yuzhi shrugged lightly, looking at Obito with a playful air.

"My purpose here is simple: one is the tailed beast, the other is a technique I need.

As for you, I have no time to bother with you; after all, to me you're worthless."

Yuzhi deliberately mentioned 'a technique'; he looted the hidden sand vault, and any such matter Heijue would investigate would surely uncover it.

Meanwhile, Changmen would inevitably conceal all this, certainly not spouting nonsense, which amounts to deliberately misleading Obito.

A tailed beast, and a technique?

Sure enough, Obito's mind raced upon hearing that; he understood the tailed beast, but what technique?

Where is that technique, and what kind of technique could entice his counterpart from another world to mobilize forces, even pulling the entire Akatsuki Organization?

But Yuzhi overestimated Obito; these questions merely flashed through his mind, and he ultimately lingered on the line 'you are worthless to me.'

Those words broke Obito completely; they're the same person, only time differs, perhaps even worlds differ, yet how can you…

"How could you ever not be worthless to me, you…"

Obito roared, but before he could finish, Yuzhi on the other side spoke.

"What? I have everything you have, and I also have what you lack; to me, you're just a sewer rat, clueless about what you should do."

「I have talent yet keep wasting it, have ability yet keep squandering it, I truly find it hard to imagine that another me would be such a failure. 」

「You」

Obito heard those words, his fist hardened completely; amid the roar of his chakra, countless trees erupted from the sand, and he glared at Yuzhi, shouting loudly.

「You think you are who, you. 」

「Who I am is irrelevant; what matters is that you don't deserve to use that name, because I am the Uchiha Obito! 」

As he spoke, endless trees instantly sprang up, rushing madly toward Obito.

The trees summoned by Yuzhi were far sturdier than Obito's, and their terrifying branches quickly wrapped around and strangled everything of Obito.

Not even a hint of resistance; those trees of Obito were already completely extinguished, with absolutely no resistance at all!

「Do you understand? This is the gap between us; you are nowhere near worthy of becoming me, and you are not me. 」

Yuzhi stood proudly atop a massive tree, silver moonlight flashing behind him, his crimson eyes indifferently gazing at the Obito below.

「Is this the power that 'I' should possess? 」

Obito had already become ethereal; watching the overlapping yet wildly strangled trees, his whole body was somewhat numb.

Why is the gap so large? Is such a gap truly reasonable?

Yet at that moment Yuzhi gently shook his head, and the words that followed drove Obito completely mad.

「Alright, the game should end now; Lin is still waiting for me at home, and I can't keep her waiting any longer. 」

「Damned Lin, Lin! 」

Obito roared angrily; these were certainly not the words he wanted to hear.

Lin of this world has already been taken by Yuzhi, but in another world has Lin already walked together with 'himself'?

Why?

Why!

Why is only the me of this world so miserable?

Unfortunately, Yuzhi paid little heed to his thoughts; his hands swiftly formed seals, and he spoke softly.

「Talking nonsense with you is a waste of my time; I'd rather eliminate you so my name won't be disgraced. 」

「Why! Do you really think you've already won? 」

Obito roared while looking at Yuzhi, his eyes wildly surging with power, and in an instant space itself began to warp.

Yuzhi, however, calmly shook his head at the sight, looking disdainfully at Obito before teasingly asking.

「Do you know what Leaf Village is? 」

The next moment, Yuzhi's chakra surged, and the black‑and‑white flame transformed into a massive dragon.

「Fire Release: Explosive Wind Dance! 」

The flame dragon roared, and this blood‑stained power erupted completely at this moment.

With the aid of spatial power, the raging flame surged straight at Obito, colliding with the tangled branches in an instant.

Accompanied by a massive roar, the flame dragon instantly shattered into clusters of dangerous fire, as if fire rain fell from the sky at that moment.

These flames ignited a vast area of trees; in a heartbeat, the forest below turned into a sea of fire!

The flames surged madly toward Obito, piercing Wood Release, piercing space, and striking Obito directly.

「Ah! 」

Obito was already dodging quickly enough, but the flames' power far exceeded expectations; likewise, with Indra's Power assisting, Yuzhi's Divine Might far surpassed Obito's!

Obito let out a wail in an instant, his body uncontrollably beginning to burn continuously.

「I know you still have Izanagi; this trick is better used to fool yourself. 」

Yuzhi crossed his hands over his chest, looking indifferently at Obito as he spoke softly.

「From now on you are no longer Uchiha Obito; you are unworthy, and you, sewer rat, must remember one sentence」

「The glow of fireflies, dare you contend with the bright moon? 」