Akatsuki base.
Hiss...
Obito, who was currently changing the medicine on his wounds, let out a sharp intake of cold air, his face contorting from the sting of the medication.
It took a long while before he finished applying the medicine to all the wounds on his body.
After re-wrapping his bandages, he stared blankly into the gloomy depths of the cave, his expression dark.
Originally, with his powerful physique implanted with White Zetsu cells, ordinary injuries wouldn't trouble him. However, this time was different. He had set foot on the battlefield where Shinji and Otsutsuki Isshiki fought. Although he had alertly fled the battlefield at the final moment, the aftershocks of the Six Paths Level battle had still reached him, leaving him severely wounded.
At that moment, his left eye began to throb with pain again.
He clutched his left eye, a look of agony on his face.
The Kamui contained in his left eye was indeed better than the right eye's Kamui for offense, but for defense, it was nowhere near as convenient as the right eye's Kamui.
If not for that, he wouldn't have sustained such heavy injuries.
Suddenly, a set of footsteps echoed from outside the secret chamber.
Obito immediately grew alert.
Soon, the door to the secret chamber was pushed open, and White Zetsu walked in.
"Phew..."
Obito breathed a secret sigh of relief.
White Zetsu reported: "Hiruko and Ranmaru have likely fallen. The whereabouts of Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, and Biwa Juzo are unknown."
"Sigh!"
Obito let out a sigh.
White Zetsu then asked: "Do you need me to send clones out to contact them?"
Obito remained silent, not answering for a long time.
At this stage, even if all the remaining members of the Dark Akatsuki were gathered together, what would be the point?
Everything was already decided!
Furthermore, Black Zetsu's betrayal made him realize that he himself was nothing more than a pawn in someone else's hand. All those schemes he had been so smug about were merely a script arranged by others long ago. He began to doubt whether his plan was truly his own will, or if he was a stringed puppet being guided step-by-step by a hidden hand behind the scenes.
Once doubt arises, confusion is inevitable.
Seeing Obito's long silence, White Zetsu muttered softly: "The others are probably all quite badly injured. Now that Hiruko and Ranmaru have fallen too, I think we should keep a low profile for a while..."
Obito nodded; he also felt he should take a rest.
At that moment, more footsteps came from outside, and it sounded like more than one person. Obito looked at White Zetsu suspiciously.
White Zetsu shrugged: "It's got nothing to do with me!"
"Idiot!"
Cursing once, Obito stared intensely at the entrance of the secret chamber.
Bang...
This time, the door was not pushed open but kicked open.
Following that, three figures walked into the chamber one after another.
One of them casually pointed at Obito in the chamber and asked: "Hey, is this the masked guy we're looking for?"
"Yes!"
Another person responded.
The one who had asked took a step forward, hands on her hips, and said: "Then what are we waiting for? You guys move? Or should I?"
Hearing this, Obito's expression darkened.
As it happened, he knew all three of the people who had broken into the chamber; he had even worked with them, but he didn't understand how these three had ended up together.
The one who spoke was none other than Delta from the original Kara organization.
Since Delta was a clone and Amado's laboratory had several spare bodies, even though the previous Delta had been finished off by White, she could be resurrected using a spare body as long as the core data was transplanted—much like mechanical prosthetics in a technological world.
Standing behind Delta was Ranmaru, a former member of the Dark Akatsuki.
The last person was Kabuto Yakushi, who served beside Orochimaru.
Because expanding the laboratory and recruiting researchers required an action squad, Amado and Orochimaru each sent one person.
The captured Ranmaru had already accepted his fate and was willing to serve Shinji. Thus, Shinji sent Ranmaru out to join Delta (sent by Amado) and Kabuto Yakushi (sent by Orochimaru) to form a temporary three-person action squad.
Facing Delta's question, Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses and smiled: "Then I'll leave it to you!"
"Hmph!"
With a light snort, the impatient Delta wasted no more words and directly made her move.
Instantly, a battle erupted in the secret chamber.
Even in a pathetic state, Obito—who possessed a Mangekyo Sharingan and Wood Release—had Kage-level strength and was not someone an ordinary person could deal with.
However, this time he was facing the trio of Delta, Ranmaru, and Kabuto Yakushi.
Although Kabuto Yakushi remained on the sidelines and only Delta and Ranmaru attacked, the two of them working together were enough to deal with Obito. Consequently, the battle ended before long.
In the wrecked base.
Delta grabbed Obito by the hair, looked at his face beneath the shattered mask, and said: "I've been annoyed with you, hiding your head and tail, for a long time!"
Looking at Obito's pathetic state, Ranmaru, standing to the side, remained expressionless.
He had joined the Akatsuki purely for revenge and self-preservation; he didn't have much of a relationship with the members.
Moreover, he felt he had done right by the Akatsuki and Nagato, so he felt no guilt facing Obito.
Kabuto Yakushi examined Obito with a playful look and then said to Delta and Ranmaru: "This Mangekyo of his is specifically requested by the higher-ups, so let me take him back first!"
Delta said dissatisfied: "Hey, are you trying to slack off?"
Kabuto Yakushi spread his hands: "My speed isn't as fast as you two. For tasks like recruiting personnel, it's more efficient for you two to handle it."
Kabuto Yakushi's speed was actually at the top tier of the shinobi world, but compared to Delta who could fly and Ranmaru who mastered Swift Release, his mobility was clearly a step behind.
Delta said: "No way. For the targets on the list, it's one-third per person!"
Seeing he couldn't slack off, Kabuto Yakushi had no choice but to agree helplessly: "Fine! Fine!"
Ranmaru pointed to the White Zetsu on the side: "How do we handle him?"
As soon as the battle started earlier, the White Zetsu, who had little combat power, had been taken down by Ranmaru.
Kabuto Yakushi smiled: "Let's keep him for now. This guy is somewhat useful; the higher-ups might have a use for him!"
Listening to their conversation, the defeated Obito felt a complex mix of emotions in his heart.
Delta of the Kara organization, Ranmaru of the Dark Akatsuki, and Kabuto Yakushi from Orochimaru's side—each of these three, taken individually, was a powerhouse famous in their own right.
Yet now, such powerhouses were merely 'A's lackeys.
'A' didn't even need to send his veteran subordinates like 'B', 'C', or 'D' to sweep the shinobi world.
The gap in strength between the two sides left him feeling despair. He no longer had the heart to resist, feeling that failing and dying like this might actually be a form of release.