Gene cloning is used to create a clone of Uchiha Itachi, implanting corresponding memories into it. This could resolve Uchiha Mikoto's sorrow. The cloned Itachi's memory remains controllable, meaning Kain can return to Uchiha Mikoto a "perfect son"—one who retains Itachi's memories from the past ten years.
Kain is deeply reluctant to completely rescue the real Itachi, so he resorts to cloning technology to fulfill Mikoto's request. However, the cloning must be kept secret. As long as there is an Itachi who knows repentance and appears to have changed, Uchiha Mikoto should be satisfied.
At that time, Uchiha Mikoto would surely believe that Kain cloned Itachi and secretly rescued him. But in truth, it's the opposite.
"That's the plan, Lady Mikoto. However, from now on, Uchiha Itachi will live in seclusion in the ninja world. You will only be able to visit him occasionally. Lady Mikoto, are you listening?"
Mikoto lies in Kain's arms, dazed. He strokes her slightly swollen abdomen while explaining the altered plan. Lost in thought, Mikoto doesn't respond until Kain calls her name twice.
"Huh? What is it, my lord?"
"What do you think of the plan I just laid out? If you agree, we'll go ahead. But from now on, you'll have to pretend Uchiha Itachi is dead. It's better to tell Sasuke only after he's grown up."
Mikoto vaguely recalls what Kain said—she had been too comfortable and exhausted earlier and drifted into a daze.
"Yes… Let's go with what you suggested, Lord Kain."
Mikoto can't think of a better plan. The warm sensation from Kain's hand on her belly gives her a strange comfort.
What she doesn't know is that Kain is secretly experimenting with the origins of life—using electromagnetic force to subtly influence her body, allowing her to absorb his essence to conceive life.
This is a forbidden application of electromagnetic manipulation, a technique passed to him by the Red Queen. Due to its complexity, it can only be used on a very small scale.
Suddenly, Mikoto glances at the clock and panics. "Oh no, so much time has passed—what about Sasuke?"
"Don't worry, Lady Mikoto," Kain replies soothingly. "Sasuke is on his way back. He didn't notice anything unusual. Do you still not trust me?"
His reassurance calms her, but upon hearing that Sasuke is returning, Mikoto still prepares to get up and compose herself.
Elsewhere, in a deep forest, Uchiha Obito explains the situation in the ninja world to Uchiha Itachi, mixing truths with lies. Backed by Kirigakure's Anbu and the massive White Zetsu network, Obito manipulates the narrative.
"The entire situation stems from the Fire Daimyo's interference. Konoha has become his accomplice. Right now, our only hope to fix everything is to collect all the tailed beasts."
"Project Tsuki no Me is the only way to correct the world. Once we gather all the tailed beasts, we can obtain the power of the Sage of Six Paths, return the world to its rightful path, and bring about eternal peace."
More importantly, Obito wants to create a dream world where Rin, the girl he loved, still lives and loves him.
"It must be difficult to collect all nine tailed beasts. That would make us enemies of the Five Great Nations. How many have you collected so far?" Itachi asked calmly.
Having already made peace with his father's death, Itachi had resolved to sacrifice anything for a greater cause.
Obito's expression darkened beneath his mask. He had once possessed two tailed beasts—Two-Tails and Seven-Tails—but they had been stolen by a mysterious figure behind the scenes. That loss, along with Rin, remained a permanent scar in his heart.
Determined, Obito began investigating.
He started with the Mist Village. But the Mist Anbu had already been killed—by her. Even the person who gave them orders was dead. Yet Obito uncovered something critical: Yagura had known nothing. In fact, many of the high-ranking Mist Shinobi had also been in the dark at the time.
When it came to the Three-Tails—an important strategic weapon—Obito became highly suspicious upon learning that so many high-level officials in Kirigakure were unaware of its status. His thoughts immediately turned to Uchiha Madara.
It was possible that Madara had orchestrated the incident with Rin and manipulated him from the beginning. However, the order to collect the Tailed Beasts likely came from someone else later on. Regardless, Uchiha Obito no longer trusted White Zetsu or Black Zetsu.
"That doesn't matter," Obito said coldly. "As long as we have intelligence and the right opportunities, we can collect the tailed beasts quickly. The key to unlocking Project Tsuki no Me lies in our organization's hands."
He continued, "The Akatsuki is planning to move its base to the Land of Earth. Sand Shinobi Village is about to be merged into the Land of Fire. If we stay there, we'll definitely be discovered."
"Sand Shinobi Village… merged into the Nation of Fire?" Uchiha Itachi was visibly surprised. "When did this happen?"
"The Red Sand Scorpion defected from Sand Shinobi Village because he didn't support the merger and joined our organization. You, as a Konoha ninja, didn't know? Ah, I forgot—you're not really Konoha's ninja anymore. Konoha is too soft. They don't even let children onto the battlefield."
Obito sneered twice. If Konoha had changed earlier, maybe I wouldn't have become like this. But it was too late to change the past. The only thing that mattered now was the swift execution of Project Tsuki no Me.
With Uchiha Itachi, Sasori (the Red Sand Scorpion), Hoshigaki Kisame, Konan, Nagato, and himself, they barely had enough members to take on the mission of capturing the tailed beasts. Obito knew others were after the tailed beasts too—so they had to act quickly.
"You'll head to the Land of Earth. It's our new stronghold. Someone will meet you there. Oh, and 'Blonde Shining' is in the Land of Earth as well—maybe you'll get a chance to work together."
With that, Obito activated his Kamui and vanished, no longer concerned with Itachi.
They were already near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. For a ninja, leaving was easy—and with Kamui, they had been traveling swiftly and unseen. No matter how quickly Konoha's shinobi responded, it would be impossible to catch up now.
The Land of Fire had grown too powerful. Obito had considered all possibilities and ultimately placed his suspicions on the Land of Fire. Yet even now, he couldn't pinpoint the true culprit behind everything.
Kain, the new daimyo of the Land of Fire, had a radically different stance toward the Ninja Village compared to daimyos from other great nations. Rather than keeping his distance, he actively encouraged the integration of Konoha and the Nation of Fire.
Akatsuki had learned from Sasori that the upper ranks of Sand Shinobi Village had chosen to merge with the Land of Fire because they saw it as an irresistible force. Resistance would have only led to their destruction. This showed just how powerful Konoha and the Nation of Fire had become in only a few short years.
Should they use Impure World Reincarnation to summon Uchiha Madara and make him their enforcer?
After Danzo's death, some Root members turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen, while others disappeared. However, the Root agents with the most strategic value had already been targeted by White Zetsu. After eliminating them, Obito managed to acquire the Forbidden Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation.
Yet, Danzo had left a warning alongside the technique—summoning powerful figures using this Jutsu could backfire, as they might regain their free will. Because of this, Uchiha Obito remained hesitant to use it.
He was worried that Uchiha Madara might have the strength to break free from Impure World Reincarnation, and suspected that the Three-Tails incident was probably related to him.
From the very beginning, Obito had never truly considered Madara a partner. After the confrontation with the major nations, there were only a few people left suitable for reincarnation through the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
"Let White Zetsu go find the corpses of the previous Kage first… maybe they can be used."
While muttering to himself, Uchiha Obito suddenly noticed a familiar, intense light inside the Kamui space. Just like the previous times, as soon as he saw the light, his eyes turned blood-red, and his fists clenched tightly.
"…Rin!"
Since he had stopped collecting the tailed beasts, that mysterious light had rarely appeared. But today, Obito's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the source of the light.
When he arrived, he saw the now-familiar virtual projection device. But this time, no matter how close he got, the projection didn't activate. Obito furrowed his brows, puzzled.
He stepped forward and picked up the metal sphere. The moment his fingers touched it, a surge of electricity coursed violently through his entire body.
"Ugh—!"
"Bzzt—Bzzt—!"
Obito collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently. He couldn't even gather Chakra, and the sharp scent of something burning filled the air. His movement triggered a hidden mechanism in the device—causing the metal sphere to split open.
One part released a high-voltage nano-chain lock that immediately bound Obito, continuously electrocuting him. The pain was unbearable. He drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness, body twitching from the current.
At the same time, a holographic projection began playing in the air. From it, the familiar voice of Nohara Rin echoed, cutting through the pain and reaching Obito's ears.
"Obito… is he still doing this kind of thing? It's disgusting. He's beyond saving."
Disgusting...?
Rin, I'm doing all of this for you! To create a world where you can live!
Obito's mouth trembled under the electric current. He couldn't speak, but his consciousness remained intact—roaring in agony within his mind.
"My lord, I'm willing… as long as it's what my lord wishes."
Stop! Don't say that, Rin! Don't touch her! STOP!!
Obito's eyes widened with rage. Blood vessels burst around his pupils. His fury and sorrow burned hotter than fire, and his hatred threatened to consume the world.
That man… the daimyo… it's him! He did this! It was all him!!
Seeing Rin's peaceful and compliant face in the projection filled Obito with utter despair.
After this, I'll kill every last one of you—the people of the Land of Fire, and everyone in Konoha. This cursed world deserves nothing but destruction!
Although he was unable to speak, his expression turned utterly feral. Hatred, nothing but hatred, filled his eyes. In that moment, the sheer force of his emotions shattered his body's limits. His Three Tomoe Sharingan surged violently—and evolved into a Mangekyō Sharingan with four-pointed shuriken-like blades.
But the chakra fueling that evolution lasted only a moment. It vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving him with nothing but pain and despair.
The virtual projection faded, but the voice continued.
And Obito, though physically broken, remained cruelly conscious. The electricity tearing through his body left him paralyzed, unable to even gather chakra—yet still awake to hear everything.
He heard the happy voice of the woman he loved most.
And all he could do was suffer.
A few days later
"This is hell."
"This is hell."
Uchiha Obito repeated the words endlessly. His eyes, once filled with rage and hatred, had now faded into lifeless emptiness. The agony in his heart had long since numbed him. Eventually, he forgot everything—what people call "the death of the heart."
All he could remember was this place—this unending, living hell.
Pass out. Don't wake up again…
In the end, that was the only thought left in Uchiha Obito's mind.
It would be better to faint... or die outright. Just don't wake up again.
But even that wish proved impossible to grant. The electric current kept surging through his body. The Hashirama cells within him continued to supply life force, keeping him painfully alive and conscious.
Time lost all meaning. After what could've been days—or longer—a sudden distortion appeared in the Kamui space. A machine was pushed in, followed by the arrival of a figure.
It was Kain.
Upon entering, Kain surveyed Obito's condition—and found him utterly broken. His spirit shattered beyond recognition, in a state even the finest masters of soul-based magic couldn't repair.
"…Looks like I might've gone a little too far," Kain muttered, sounding vaguely amused. "Hold on, Obito. Once the trial is over, you'll be free."
He said it as if to reassure him, though Obito couldn't hear him now.
Still, to be cautious, Kain applied a layer of sealing techniques on Obito's body, then gently closed the man's bloodshot eyes.
But what came next caught him by surprise.
"…A Mangekyō?" Kain murmured as he noticed the strange shape in Obito's closed eyes. "So my Sharingan really can evolve into a Mangekyō… Obito, you've got more in you than I thought. Do you have any last wishes? I might just grant one."
To his surprise, Obito's mouth moved slightly—murmuring something inaudible.
Curious, Kain used Legilimency to read his thoughts.
All he found was a repetitive echo:
"Let me die… let me pass out… just make it stop…"
Kain raised a brow. He was almost tempted to fulfill the request. But then he remembered—Obito still had some value.
Suppressing the brief flicker of pity, Kain decided to let him endure a bit longer.
"I'll read his memories first," he said to himself, "then have Nawaki heal him up a bit."
There were still threats lurking in the ninja world—Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, Uchiha Itachi, the Akatsuki Organization, and others.
Once those were dealt with, Rock Shinobi Village and Cloud Shinobi Village would pose no significant danger.
Their only real ability… was wasting the Land of Fire's ammunition and logistics.
…
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