Ōtsutsuki Obito's account was simply too absurd to believe.
Yet the people from the mission scroll world couldn't find any sign that he was lying, and they all exchanged bewildered looks.
Rather than continuing to dwell on Six Paths Hashirama, Ōtsutsuki Obito briefly explained the sudden appearance of the question-and-answer trials in his world, along with the Bloodline Regression reward that had led to his current identity as Ōtsutsuki Obito.
The others listened with constant clicks of amazement.
Minato Namikaze thought for a moment and said, "Up to now, the worlds we've crossed into have all been parallel worlds resembling a so-called main storyline. In other words, the alternative versions of Naruto's life that you experienced in the genjutsu before…"
"But it seems that within an infinitely expanding multiverse, there are many other parallel worlds that were either created long ago by external forces or formed on their own."
The question-and-answer parallel world Ōtsutsuki Obito described was clearly one of them.
Young Kakashi glanced at the strange-looking Ōtsutsuki Obito. "Then do you know who's behind the mission scrolls in our world? It sounds very similar to the question-and-answer system from your world."
That was exactly what Minato Namikaze wanted to ask as well.
Although he had a vague sense that the power behind the mission scrolls was somehow connected to himself, he still couldn't reason out the deeper cause.
Ōtsutsuki Obito said, "That's a long story. Even if I explained it, you probably wouldn't understand."
Young Kakashi replied, "Just say it."
The others leaned in and listened closely as well.
Ōtsutsuki Obito organized his thoughts and said, "I mentioned earlier that my Rinnegan ability is related to dimensions, right? It allows me to move freely between different dimensions."
Seeing everyone nod, he continued, "Going by what Minato-sensei said, your mission scroll world and our question-and-answer world are both parallel worlds born from the same main world. But outside of that system, there are many other worlds that have nothing to do with us at all. Those are what we call dimensions."
Naruto looked completely lost. Tilting his head, he managed to summarize it in one sentence:
"So your ability lets you travel between those dimensions?"
Ōtsutsuki Obito nodded. "That's right. I can also freely move through ordinary parallel worlds."
Tobirama Senju, who had long studied space-time ninjutsu, thought it over. "That does resemble our repeated travels between parallel worlds in some ways."
He went on, "To put it simply, the 'dimensions' you're talking about are like the difference between our world and the worlds inside books. Without someone who has your kind of ability, there would be no connection at all."
"It's like Shadow Clones. No matter how many you create, they're still just clones of one person. Even if they have physical bodies, they can never truly become another individual."
Ōtsutsuki Obito nodded vigorously. "Exactly, that's what I mean. I know it's hard to accept when I say it outright, but to some worlds, we're like characters in a book. Just like how they read Icha Icha Paradise."
The moment those words fell, everyone's expressions turned serious.
Adult Obito let out a sigh. "That explanation does make it easier to understand… but could you not use Icha Icha Paradise as an example? I have a visceral dislike for that thing."
"Oh, oh! On that point, we really are the same person. Same, same!"
Standing nearby, Adult Kakashi felt deeply offended. That was clearly Jiraiya-sama's finest work. Still, this wasn't the time to argue. Swallowing his frustration, he said nothing.
Compared to that, there was something else he cared about far more.
"Obito, has the curse seal on your heart been removed?"
As it turned out, that question hit a nerve.
Ōtsutsuki Obito, dressed in Konoha ANBU gear and standing at nearly the same height as Kakashi, shot him a vicious glare, radiating an inexplicable pressure that made Adult Kakashi uncomfortable.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's your problem?! Did I do something to you?!" Adult Obito immediately stepped in front of the Adult Kakashi from his own world, staring hard at his counterpart from another dimension with one eye.
Ōtsutsuki Obito bared his teeth. "When I crossed into another parallel world, that world's idiot Kakashi stabbed me with Raikiri…"
"..."
Tobirama Senju folded his arms across his chest. "You truly are the strangest Uchiha this old man has ever seen, no matter which world you're from. And it seems that whenever you end up near this young man named Kakashi, you inevitably become the center of everyone else's jokes. What exactly is going on here?"
Adult Kakashi wore a look of utter despair. "My apologies, Second Hokage-sama. If it weren't absolutely unavoidable, I wouldn't want this either…"
Minato smiled awkwardly.
As for how to remove the curse seal from Adult Obito's heart, he had already thought of a solution—one that could complete Young Obito's mission in his own world, and at the same time fulfill Naruto's mission in this world as well.
The timing still wasn't right. Even if only for a short while, Naruto needed to temporarily obtain the power of the Six Paths.
Adult Kakashi inevitably asked how Ōtsutsuki Obito had managed to survive after being stabbed through the heart.
The answer he received was largely the same as Minato Namikaze's speculation. Because Obito possessed Hashirama's cells, having his heart pierced wouldn't kill him immediately. As long as he was revived in time using either Six Paths power or the Rinnegan's abilities, he would survive.
"By the way, Obito,"
Minato turned to Ōtsutsuki Obito from the parallel world.
"In the previous world, we encountered Sasuke Uchiha from another parallel universe, during the Fourth Shinobi World War."
Kannabi Bridge Minato gave a brief overview of what had happened.
"His return was delayed. If possible, I hope you can go over and check on them, see whether they're safe and if they need help."
The entire world had been trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi for over a month before returning.
Wouldn't that be disastrous?!!
Ōtsutsuki Obito didn't hesitate for even a second. He immediately activated his ancestral form, transforming into an appearance similar to Kaguya and other Ōtsutsuki.
Purple Rinnegan gleamed in his eyes. His skin turned pale like White Zetsu's, short horns emerged from his forehead, and he donned Ōtsutsuki clan robes. The sheer scale of his chakra, combined with his Kaguya-like appearance, shocked everyone present.
"Yomotsu Hirasaka," he said calmly.
A black spatial rift opened behind him.
Ōtsutsuki Obito leaned backward and vanished into it, crossing directly into the parallel world where Fourth Shinobi World War Sasuke was.
...
At that time, the only surviving members of Konoha Team 7 were desperately trying to figure out how to awaken everyone else. Kakashi had even obtained Orochimaru's research materials and begun studying the Edo Tensei.
The moment Ōtsutsuki Obito appeared floating in the air, Fourth Shinobi World War Sasuke attacked without hesitation.
Having learned his lesson, Ōtsutsuki Obito absolutely refused to joke again about being some lovestruck high school girl with a crush on someone.
"Wait, wait!! I'm here to help!!"
Naruto, still missing one arm, stared in disbelief.
"Obito?!! Is that really you?!"
"The real thing."
Ōtsutsuki Obito stopped Kakashi, who was frozen in shock, while sensing the situation around him. These people had been trapped within the God Tree for far too long. Their life force remained, but their consciousness had already begun to merge with the tree.
"This is troublesome…"
Naruto panicked and rushed in front of him.
"Do you have any solution?! Obito!" He was so anxious his words tripped over each other. "Sasuke awakened the Rinnegan too, but it's completely useless for this kind of thing, dattebayo!"
Hearing the words "completely useless," Sasuke felt as though he'd been smashed by a giant boulder. He nearly sank into the same gloomy state the First Hokage was famous for.
"Idiot! Don't trust people so easily!"
Using the Rinnegan granted by the Sage of Six Paths, Sasuke activated Amenotejikara, swapping places with Naruto. He glared fiercely at Ōtsutsuki Obito.
Obito raised both hands in surrender.
"Can't you have at least a little basic trust between clan members, Sasuke? We're both Uchiha, the clan of love, you know?"
Sasuke didn't even bother replying. The tension was razor-sharp.
Naruto and Kakashi hurried over to mediate.
Obito sighed.
"In your situation, the simplest solution would be to use the Rinnegan to rewind time to more than a month ago and undo the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"There's really a method like that?!"
Naruto was overjoyed. Sasuke, Kakashi, and Sakura all stared at him in disbelief. They never imagined an Obito from another world could possess such an ability.
Under the intense stares of the four, Ōtsutsuki Obito looked visibly uncomfortable.
He scratched his cheek and said, "My Rinnegan ability is dimensional traversal. It falls under spatial power within space-time techniques. It has absolutely nothing to do with time."
"Then what use are you…?"
That comment hit Ōtsutsuki Obito right in the pride.
"Oh? Then your Rinnegan works. Why don't you do it?"
That counterattack was just as brutal.
Seeing things about to explode, one-armed Naruto hurriedly wedged himself between the two.
"Can you guys talk about something practical already?!! Obito, if you say that, then you must know someone who can use a time-based Rinnegan, right?"
Ōtsutsuki Obito raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, Minato-sensei's son really is sharp," he said, glancing at Sasuke. "Looks like all the good genes from Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san went to Itachi."
"Are you asking to die?!!"
"Hey, hey, hey! No Amaterasu!"
Watching this version of Obito banter and argue with Sasuke so naturally, Kakashi couldn't help feeling a deep sense of envy.
"Alright, Obito, enough fooling around," Kakashi said. "If you know where that person is, please help us bring them here."
That was easier said than done.
To be honest, they couldn't think of anyone who possessed a Rinnegan capable of manipulating time. All they could hope was that whoever it was would be reasonable—and definitely not another Madara Uchiha.
...
– – – – –
This old man's Ōtsutsuki universe is about to be established!
Public Information: Ōtsutsuki Obito (Dimension), Rikudō Hashirama (Devour), Rikudō Madara (Limbo), Rikudō Sasuke (Weapons).
*Limbo: the boundary between heaven and hell, a realm of restraint and control.
And also: xxxxx (Time), xxxxx (Order), xx ( ), xxxxx (Harmony)…
***
…
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (100 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***