Under the grief-stricken and angry gazes of Naruto, Minato, and others, the scene on the Sky Screen continued.
Uzumaki Kushina was restrained in mid-air by chains in a cross shape, her expression blank and her gaze vacant.
A masked figure in a black robe stood before her, his pupils suddenly spinning, revealing the Uchiha clan's iconic three-tomoe Sharingan.
The screen seemed to pierce through Kushina's body, delving deep into her consciousness.
There, the colossal Nine-Tails was bound by layers of sealing chains, roaring in fury.
But the next second, its eyes were instantly overlapped by the pattern of the Sharingan.
The sealing chains that bound it snapped apart one by one, and immense Chakra continuously surging out from Kushina's body, eventually condensed into the complete form of the Nine-Tails.
This scene seamlessly connected with the earlier scene of the Nine-Tails appearing in Konoha.
As the Nine-Tails' chakra was completely released, Kushina collapsed limply to the ground like a broken puppet. Her breathing was faint, her life slipping away moment by moment, yet she still hadn't died.
Even the masked Obito seemed somewhat surprised. He glanced at the fallen Kushina and said with a hint of surprise: "Oh? Still not dead... As expected of the Uzumaki clan."
[From the fact that he controlled the Nine-Tails with only a three-tomoe Sharingan, it's clear that Mr. Simp's potential is indeed terrifying. No wonder he awakened two tomoe from the start, and upon further stimulation, gained the Mangekyō. In terms of awakening speed, aside from the Sage of Six Paths and Indra, he is definitely the fastest in the Shinobi World.]
[Moreover, when it comes to using a three-tomoe Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails, only Uchiha Madara and Mr. Simp have accomplished it. No wonder no one suspected his identity as "Uchiha Madara."]
[Of course, although Edgelord awakened his Mangekyō a bit slower, he could still see the Nine-Tails within Naruto's consciousness space with his three-tomoe. His ocular powers were also considerable, and most likely, after awakening his Mangekyō and reverting to the three-tomoe stage, he should be equally capable of controlling the Nine-Tails and manifesting the Susano'o.]
---
[Land of Rain, Amegakure]
Konan turned to Nagato. "It's confirmed now. This guy is certainly not Uchiha Madara. Nagato, be careful. This person may have ulterior motives."
Nagato nodded, his face devoid of any expression.
"I've always been wary of him. As he is now, he's not yet the future second Six Paths-level powerhouse. And he's certainly weaker than me; otherwise, he wouldn't be cooperating with us."
"Before these eyes, unless it's a real Six Paths-level being, others are nothing but vulnerable."
Having said that, Nagato's tone softened considerably.
"Konan, don't worry. Once the Sky Screen reveals the path to becoming a Six Paths-level being, with the Rinnegan, I will be the second one to achieve it."
"Mm, I believe in you."
---
[Konoha Year One]
Madara looked somewhat surprised. "This brat... why is he impersonating me and ruining my reputation? What's his purpose?"
From not far away, Tobirama interjected, "Isn't it obvious? It's clearly because in the future, you've done so many evil deeds and have a bad reputation that anyone can just use your name to commit atrocities and intimidate others."
Madara turned to look at Tobirama. "What did just you say?"
Tobirama's expression remained unchanged. "I'm just stating the facts."
Hashirama quickly mediated, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Madara, who do you think this guy really is?"
"I don't know. But for an Uchiha to be able to control the Nine-Tails with a three-tomoe Sharingan, his talent is indeed good. However, compared to me, he's certainly much inferior."
Tobirama: "...."
---
[Konoha Year 52, Uchiha Clan Grounds]
The Uchiha listened to the Sky Screen's description, their expressions collectively frozen in shock.
They hadn't expected this guy to possess such terrifying talent.
Awakening the Mangekyō directly after two tomoe? Had the Uchiha clan ever produced such an extraordinary figure? Why had they never heard of him?
Logically speaking, even if an Uchiha was wandering outside the village, once they displayed such talent, it would be impossible for them to remain completely unknown in the Shinobi World.
Fugaku and Shisui exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads slightly—signaling that they themselves could not achieve such a feat.
No kidding. To control the Nine-Tails and manifest the Susano'o with a three-tomoe Sharingan—just how powerful would one's ocular power need to be?
If it weren't for the Sky Screen saying it, they would even think someone was joking with them.
Fugaku pulled Sasuke closer to his side, feeling somewhat conflicted.
Lately, he had been keeping Sasuke by his side, personally training him. But he had discovered that Sasuke's talent seemed far inferior to Itachi's.
For a C-rank Fire Release Jutsu like the Great Fireball, Itachi had learned it just by watching. Sasuke, however—Fugaku had taught him for a while before he finally mastered it.
Could it be... that his teaching methods were simply not suited to Sasuke?
Fugaku was puzzled. He also wondered, after the Uchiha clan was annihilated, who would guide Sasuke to become stronger?
That said, this "Mr. Simp" guy was truly detestable!
---
[Konoha Year 60, Training Ground]
Sasuke looked at the Sky Screen, feeling somewhat surprised.
At this point, they had not yet undertaken the Land of Waves mission, nor had he seen Naruto erupt with the Nine-Tails' chakra.
He had simply assumed that the villagers bullied Naruto and called him a demon fox out of pure malice. But he hadn't expected that the Nine-Tails really did exist inside Naruto's consciousness.
It was a mountain-sized monster on the screen. How could something so enormous be sealed inside Naruto?
However, what the Sky Screen said was really strange. Who would be stupid enough to awaken the Mangekyō and then switch back to using a three-tomoe Sharingan?
Naruto noticed Sasuke's odd look. Forgetting his grief for a moment, he quickly wiped his face: "Sasuke, why are you staring at me?"
Sasuke turned his head away, "Nothing."
Naruto: "??"
Sakura said softly from the side, "Sasuke-kun is probably thinking about that Nine-Tails inside you."
Naruto's expression brightened with understanding: "Oh, that! I don't really know how it works either."
And deep inside Naruto's body, the Nine-Tails stared at the Sky Screen and let out a long roar—but unfortunately, its body remained firmly locked behind the gate.
---
[Hokage Office]
Hiruzen stared at the Sky Screen and took a deep drag from his pipe. Wispy smoke curled upward, dispersing in the sunlight.
"To control the Nine-Tails with a three-tomoe Sharingan… this guy's ocular power is truly terrifying."
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, "No matter how terrifying, he's just a coward hiding behind a mask. If he's got the guts, let him take off that mask and fight us face to face."
Hiruzen smiled bitterly, "Tsunade, don't be careless. Every Mangekyō Sharingan has its own unique ability that is not to be underestimated. That said, he clearly lacks the strength to fight head on—otherwise, he wouldn't be roaming around in hiding."
---
Meanwhile, in another timeline, Minato voiced his own speculation.
"However… there's another possibility. He might very well be someone we know. So he wears that mask because he's afraid of being recognized."
*****
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