I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

The three massive meteors hurtled downward with tremendous force, growing larger and more oppressive in Obito’s sight.

”What do I do... should I gamble? Bet that Kamui’s dimension can sever the link between Nagato and Asura Path?”

Obito took a deep breath, his face beneath the mask turning grim.

Using long-range Kamui as before wasn’t realistic, there had only been one before, but now there were three.

He couldn’t destroy all three meteors with Kamui simultaneously, he wasn’t at that level yet.

After all, he had only recently unlocked dual Kamui. His capabilities were still limited.

If only I could infuse Kamui’s power into Susanoo’s shuriken... then three shuriken could solve this crisis.

The meteors drew closer. Obito noticed their shadows growing rapidly.

They were about to hit.

In this desperate moment, Obito suddenly remembered the two Summoning Steel Talismans Nagasawa had given him before departure.

Nagasawa had shown him two peculiar talismans and said to use them if he was ever in danger, they sealed a portion of Nagasawa’s power.

”Kamui!”

Obito made his decision in an instant. His crimson Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly, and his powerful ocular energy distorted the air above.

As expected, under Kamui’s force, the first Chibaku Tensei meteor lost its power in midair.

Without wasting a single moment, Obito quickly pulled out the first talisman from his ninja pouch and poured a surge of chakra into it before throwing it toward the meteor.

The first Summoning Steel Talisman, upon activation, burst into flames and burned to ash. Then, a fiery slash shot forth and destroyed the meteor.

The second talisman worked just as effectively, obliterating the remaining meteor.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Flaming fragments of the shattered meteors crashed into the ground, carving deep blackened craters. Thankfully, this happened over a forest, had it been a town, the entire settlement would’ve been annihilated.

Obito stared in shock. He had expected the talismans to be powerful, but this exceeded all expectations, they destroyed meteors with ease.

He had prepared to gamble on Kamui if the talismans failed.

”So there’s still something like that...”

Nagato frowned. Even Super Shinra Tensei and Super Chibaku Tensei hadn’t taken Obito down.

Such large-scale jutsu weren’t something even he could spam freely. He’d need time to recharge.

Meanwhile, Konan, who had been binding Obito with paper, had already clashed with him briefly.

Though Konan wasn’t weak, she couldn’t pose a real threat to someone with dual Kamui.

Obito wasn’t interested in a drawn-out fight either. After a few quick exchanges, they both disengaged.

Putting some distance between them, Obito quickly used Kamui to eject the Asura Path from his dimension.

The Asura Path’s body lay still, its eyes lifeless, either because Nagato had retracted his chakra or the Kamui dimension had severed its signal.

Removing the hidden threat inside his space, Obito breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally absorbed the offensive Asura Path to eliminate a major threat among the Six Paths of Pain.

But he hadn’t expected Nagato to not only recover but grow stronger, forcing his true body into the battle.

That turned his previous tactic into a liability, making Kamui space unsafe.

Now that the threat was gone, Obito phased into his intangible state and said to Nagato,

”Nagato... maybe it’s too late to say this now, but I’m sorry. I did terrible things to Akatsuki.”

”But I know this much, you wanted to carry on Yahiko’s dream of peace. Can’t you see? The world is at peace now.”

Obito tried to rekindle Nagato’s original ideals.

Unlike Obito, who once pursued the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Nagato had aimed to use the Tailed Beasts to create a superweapon, to force peace through fear.

”It’s just temporary, false peace. Haven’t we seen that before?”

Nagato replied calmly.

”The peace of the great nations is built on the suffering of the small. When they want war, the battlefield is our land. And when they want peace? We are forgotten.”

”After countless wars, the great nations remain prosperous, but our lands are in ruin. Famine, corpses, chaos.”

”The Five Great Nations declare war and peace as they like. Have they ever asked what we, the small nations, want?”

”The Five Kage Summit decides the world’s peace and order? What a joke. Are the Five Great Nations the only ones that matter? Do smaller countries not count as nations?”

Nagato gave a scornful smile.

In this brutal shinobi world, being weak was a curse. For small nations and their hidden villages, it was tragedy.

The great nations waged war on your land and conscripted your people without hesitation.

”Are the people of small nations not human? Is this your so-called justice? Now that the great nations are full and content, they preach peace and justice. But are they truly just? Was it just when they tore apart our families and left us homeless? Do only they get to define what peace and justice mean?”

”It’s different now.”

Obito replied.

The shinobi world had changed. True peace wasn’t impossible anymore.

”Different how? Can you promise the great nations will never start another war?”

Nagato challenged.

Temporary peace was nothing new, everyone needed to rest eventually.

Obito was at a loss under Nagato’s relentless questioning.

If he were still the manipulative man from the past, he’d have said it quickly,

”I guarantee the great nations won’t start wars again.”

But the current Obito couldn’t say that. How could he promise something like that, unless he were Nagasawa?

”I can’t guarantee there won’t be another war someday... I can only promise that while I’m alive, I’ll fight for peace.”

Obito said after a long silence.

Konan tried to detonate dozens of explosive tags, but they had no effect.

Nagato slowly descended from the sky, landing a short distance from Obito. He looked Obito straight in the eyes,

”We may share the same dream, but our positions make us enemies now.”

Nagato didn’t believe he wasn’t fighting for peace.

His war was to make the small nations matter. To make the world understand the weight of war through pain. To force growth.

Compared to the great nations, who waged war for resources and power, wasn’t his war more just?

He knew war brought only destruction and hatred, but wasn’t his reason nobler?

Better to lead the world through pain and evolution than let it stumble in chaos.

”I wish Nagasawa-senpai could speak to you himself. Maybe only he could make you see.”

Obito gazed deeply at Nagato and began retreating.

He had obtained the intel. He couldn’t persuade Nagato. Staying longer would only endanger himself.

Nagasawa was especially good at reforming rebellious types, not just him, even Minato said Nagasawa had helped Kakashi during his darkest moments.

”If you insist on this path, then go see the people of the small nations. Ask them. Watch them. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

With that, Obito disappeared.

With Dual Kamui, if he wanted to escape, only a Six Paths-tier shinobi could stop him.

”What’s really going on?”

Konan looked at Nagato in confusion.

Though Nagato had given her a brief explanation, it wasn’t enough.

She now knew the fake Uchiha Madara had betrayed them, but why?

If Pain was Akatsuki’s public leader, the fake Madara was the true mastermind.

So... why did he rebel? Why did His Majesty revolt?

”I don’t know all the details either. I didn’t realize he’d betrayed us at first. Only after he started acting strange did I begin to suspect.”

Nagato replied.

Even he hadn’t known the fake Madara had turned. They’d discussed plans together, until things started to feel wrong.

”It must be related to Zetsu. Maybe the masked man betrayed us long ago. Remember when Zetsu said he couldn’t contact him for a while? That may have been the moment of betrayal.”

Combining Obito’s words with Zetsu’s behavior, Nagato easily deduced that the betrayal didn’t happen today.

Likely, Zetsu had used a base relocation as an excuse, and Obito betrayed them during that move.

As for why Zetsu hid the truth, Nagato had two theories,

Zetsu didn’t know about the betrayal, he just thought Obito had gone missing or was captured.

This is based on Zetsu once saying someone who knew Akatsuki’s secrets had been caught by Konoha.

Zetsu and Obito share a deeper connection.

Maybe Zetsu’s not just Obito’s underling. Maybe he has his own goals, and wanted to hide Obito’s betrayal to keep things stable.

”Zetsu?”

Konan looked around cautiously.

Zetsu had been essential to Akatsuki, his infiltration and intelligence-gathering were unparalleled.

Despite being Obito’s agent, they’d used him heavily because he was so useful.

”Should we kill him?”

Konan asked.

Unlike Kamui-using Obito, Zetsu had no real combat power. He was fast and stealthy, but if caught unaware, he could be killed.

Nagato hesitated, deep in thought.

Now that Obito had betrayed them, Akatsuki had lost a powerful ally, and Konoha gained one.

Kamui was too broken. One eye for defense, one for offense. Invincible unless countered by a godlike reflex or power.

Zetsu, however, still shared common short-term interests with Nagato. He had gone to great lengths to strengthen him.

”Don’t kill Zetsu yet. He’s still useful, but keep close watch.”

Nagato said after considering.

Losing Zetsu meant losing their window into the shinobi world.

Besides, Zetsu couldn’t cause as much damage as Obito.

Of course, that didn’t mean Nagato underestimated him, Obito had mentioned Zetsu repeatedly. Clearly, he was important.

”And don’t let Zetsu know that Obito betrayed us.”

Nagato added.

Until now, Obito and Zetsu had operated from the shadows while Nagato remained visible, knowing little about them.

Now that they were exposed and he was in the dark, he had to take advantage of this shift.

Let Zetsu think he still controlled things. Let him remain blind.

”Got it.”

Konan nodded.

”Let’s go reassure the people of Hidden Light Village. That kind of battle needs some kind of explanation.”

Nagato said, then resumed control of Deva Path.

If they were far away, maybe they could lie. But three giant meteors and massive explosions? Hard to miss.

They had to convince the villagers first, then worry about fooling Zetsu.

Zetsu, after all, was hard to fool, with his powerful intelligence network.

Thankfully, Nagato had called Konan early and stopped anyone from reaching the battlefield. The villagers knew a battle happened, but not who was fighting.

That gave them room to spin the story.

If the idea of a ”masked man” took root, Zetsu might suspect Obito.

Once the plan is close to completion... I’ll take him out.

Nagato thought.

It was exhausting always having to watch your own allies.