Chapter 250: A Fourteen-Year-Old? Onoki, Strong in Old Age
With the guidance of Ōtsutsuki Shinichi, the "pathfinder," Obito safely passed through the Earth-Moon passage.
As they stepped out of the cave side by side, they were met by a dazzling light. Looking up, they saw a bright sun hanging high in the sky, forming a peculiar perspective with the cave entrance, as if a giant eye was watching them.
The sight before them was breathtaking, as if they had entered an entirely new world.
In front of them stretched an endless blue ocean, with waves gently lapping at the shore. On the distant horizon, several grand islands seemed to float in the air, blending seamlessly with the sky.
Farther away, a forest-covered continent floated on the ocean's surface, lush and green.
"So, this is the moon? It's different from what I imagined," Obito said, scanning the surroundings with a hint of surprise in his voice. "According to observations from the Shinobi world, it should be more desolate."
"This is a planet created by the Sage of Six Paths. Naturally, it's similar to the Shinobi world. What you see is merely an illusion," Ōtsutsuki Shinichi replied without going into detail. "You're seeing the moon's surface; this is the inner side. The sun above is artificial."
'A created planet? Is this the power of the Sage of Six Paths?'
Obito took a deep breath, feeling a surge of awe for the Sage's power, and inwardly set aside his previous underestimation of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
Initially, when he saw the moon under attack and Shinichi requesting aid, he had assumed the Ōtsutsuki clan wasn't very formidable. But hearing that the sun was artificially made made him reconsider underestimating them.
After all, they were the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' brother, with a deeply rooted foundation.
Ōtsutsuki Shinichi, who had been observing Obito's expression with his Byakugan, felt satisfied.
While he wanted Obito to lower his guard against the Ōtsutsuki clan, if they appeared too humble and were underestimated, it wouldn't be beneficial for their cooperation. A balance had to be maintained.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their arrival seemed to trigger something, as the inner side of the moon, which had been quiet for so long, erupted into intense combat. The sounds of massive explosions echoed, drawing their attention.
The two exchanged a glance and, without a word, headed toward the source of the explosions.
'The moon is far from the Shinobi world. If danger arises, it will be hard to get support. To increase the survival rate of the exploration team, the Land of Fire must have sent you, sensei.'
Obito's lips curled into a smile.
Here and now, compared to then and there.
I've grown stronger, sensei, but what about you?
Minato-sensei!
Soon, they arrived at the foot of a towering mountain. Looking up, they could see the former residence of the Ōtsutsuki clan, with dense clusters of buildings perched halfway up the mountain.
Dozens of puppets flew through the air, bombarding a group of ninjas with light spheres.
However, the ninjas of the exploration team were elites from various nations, and the puppets could at most leave them covered in dust without causing substantial damage.
With a flash of white light, the short ninja in the sky used Dust Release to obliterate the puppets.
"Dust Release? Onoki is here too?"
Obito frowned.
Since the founding of the United Nations two years ago, the three great nations seemed to have found a way to effectively detect White Zetsu's transformation technique, preventing White Zetsu from freely gathering intelligence as before.
Thus, the Akatsuki knew little about the lunar mission, and they were completely in the dark about the participants.
If not for Ōtsutsuki Shinichi joining the Akatsuki, they might have been kept in the dark by the nations, only realizing too late that the focus had shifted to the moon.
"No, it's not Onoki." Ōtsutsuki Shinichi, using his Byakugan, also frowned. "But he looks a lot like Onoki, about fourteen years old."
Obito: "…"
Don't tell him Onoki had another illegitimate child besides Kitsuchi.
A fourteen-year-old, meaning Onoki had him at around fifty?
That's… still strong in old age.
Thinking about the Land of Earth's struggles to find successors, Obito felt he could understand.
When it comes to choosing between face and capable successors, the latter is obviously more important.
At this moment, the twelve ninjas who had just cleared the puppets also noticed them. The two sides stared at each other from above and below, plunging the atmosphere into silence.
Black robes with red clouds, Sharingan, and Byakugan.
This was going to be troublesome.
Minato, looking down at the two, focused on their exposed eyes for a moment, his heart sinking.
Obito and Ōtsutsuki Shinichi made no effort to hide their identities or faces, making it easy for Minato to recognize them.
They had prepared to face Ōtsutsuki Shinichi on the moon, but seeing him alongside Obito, both wearing similar outfits, made the situation more complex.
Despite the weight on his heart, Minato showed no sign of distress, instead issuing a calm command.
"Tokuma, go investigate the ruins inside. We'll handle things out here."
This was the former residence of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Since they had come this far, there was no reason to abandon the exploration because of powerful enemies.
"Yes!" Hyuga Tokuma didn't hesitate and quickly moved toward the cave behind them.
After giving his instructions, Minato turned to Kitsuchi and the Land of Lightning's team leader, Darui, asking:
"Do you have any objections?"
Kitsuchi and Darui exchanged a glance and raised no objections, instead focusing warily on Obito and Ōtsutsuki Shinichi.
Rather than arguing over exploration priorities, dealing with these two formidable foes was the top priority.
Moreover, this was the former residence of the Ōtsutsuki clan, and given the close relationship between the Hyuga and Ōtsutsuki clans, Tokuma was more likely to find useful clues. That was why the Land of Fire had brought Hyuga Tokuma along.
The young ninja who had used Dust Release frowned deeply, but, constrained by his status, said nothing, quietly floating behind Kitsuchi and also focusing on Obito and Ōtsutsuki Shinichi below.
From hundreds of meters apart, the two sides seemed to enter a standoff.
Until Minato broke the silence.
"Obito, you've completely fallen, haven't you? What identity do you stand in the Shinobi world with now?"
Looking at the blond-haired man, Obito, who knew his identity, smiled faintly, hinting, "Akatsuki! Our organization is called Akatsuki!"
"Akatsuki?"
The somewhat unfamiliar name struck Minato, his expression momentarily dazed.
The Akatsuki, a group full of light, dedicated to peace.
He had investigated the Akatsuki before, but after the "Fourth Hokage's Death" incident, the organization vanished, and the whereabouts of his three senior apprentices were unknown. Even after the formation of the United Nations and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Land of Rain, he couldn't find any trace of them.
He had thought they died on that day. Now, it seemed… Obito had taken them.
Was it because Nagato had the Rinnegan?
Did Obito covet that power?
Did he want to use the Sage of Six Paths' eyes for something?
Minato lowered his eyes, hiding his emotions, and looked coldly at Obito. "You're a ninja of Konoha. Since you've strayed from the path, it's up to us to clean you up."
Obito sneered. "If you can, then come at me!"
(End of chapter)