Naruto: Starting from the time when the Six Paths of Pain was Kira Yoshikage

Chapter 88: Darkening makes you three times stronger, but doesn't increase your IQ.

You've grown taller, Madara (Ban)!"

A casual remark struck Obito like a bolt from the blue. His body froze instantly, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head. He broke out in a cold sweat, his clothes soaked through the back. His mind went blank, a sudden buzzing sound filling his ears. He didn't know how to respond, and could only stand there dumbfounded, one eye peeking out from under his mask filled with shock and fear.

Obito never expected that Nagato would see through his disguise as Madara so quickly and suddenly.

Keep in mind that they've only met a handful of times.

Obito's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

He tried his best to imitate Madara's voice and personality, and even mastered ninjutsu to a high degree, almost to the point of 99%. However, he never expected to overlook his own height.

The legendary ninja Uchiha Madara is now over ninety years old. It's already a great blessing that his body hasn't shrunk or become shorter. How could he possibly grow taller?

Those who grow taller are unlikely to have freckles.

Ultimately, Obito's wisdom was only at a level of two.

How to put it, Xian Er's data is ridiculously low.

For example: Yamanaka Ino (Kenroku), Haruno Sakura (Kenshichi), Nara Shikamaru (Kenkan)... even Rock Lee has a Kenroku. Sasuke, who's always called Sasuke the Second, also has a Kenroku when he first appeared, twice as many as Obito. That tells you how ridiculous this is.

Throughout the entire Naruto storyline, Obito, as the second-in-command behind the scenes, only engaged in schemes that exploited information gaps unknown to others. His so-called plans were merely petty tricks.

His greatest achievements were probably releasing the Nine-Tails and crippling Kirigakure, all thanks to the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

If Nagato had the resources he possessed, he wouldn't have been able to instigate the Fourth Shinobi World War at all; he would have already provoked the Five Great Shinobi Villages to fight each other long before that.

In short, Obito was definitely not a smart guy.

Now that Nagato controls the information gap, it's normal for Obito to be easily swayed by a few words.

From the very beginning, Obito was at a disadvantage, as everything about him was known to Nagato.

He only thought he was in control because Nagato couldn't do anything to Obito; in reality, he was just playing with a fool.

"I bet your next sentence will be..."

Nagato's voice, like an icicle, pierced Obito's chaotic thoughts unexpectedly. Nagato spoke again, saying, "What do you know?!"

The voice carried an inexplicable sense of oppression; though not loud, it made Obito's eardrums ache. It was as if a string in his brain had snapped, and almost instinctively, he blurted out, "What do you know?!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Obito froze, then roared in a low voice, "What are you going to do?"

Obito's voice carried a fury he himself was unaware of, like a wild beast whose tail had been stepped on. He growled in a low voice, his chest heaving violently, and his chakra pulsating wildly due to his loss of emotional control.

The moment Nagato exposed him, he was first shocked and terrified. Then, the conversation made him feel like he was dressed as a woman and suddenly his clothes were ripped off and he was exposed in public.

Shame, like vines, tightly coiled around his heart, mixed with resentful humiliation, almost suffocating him.

Before this, he had always regarded Nagato as a pitiful puppet controlled by Madara. Every time he faced Nagato, he exuded a sense of superiority—he was the inheritor of Madara's will, the mastermind who controlled everything, and Nagato was nothing more than a pawn in his hands.

But now, that illusory sense of superiority has been shattered by Nagato, scattered all over the ground, much like his broken self-esteem at this moment.

Although Obito turned to the dark side, he was essentially still a wise man for a short time. Perhaps his strength increased three times due to the dark side, but his intelligence doesn't suddenly skyrocket because of the dark side, at least not in the short term.

Obito hasn't reached the point in the late game where he no longer cares about Madara's identity.

He still wants to continue using this pseudonym to deceive people.

"Madara (Ban), I told you... there's no need to rush."

Nagato's voice rang out again, carrying a subtle hint of reassurance. He had no immediate intention of breaking with Obito, so he didn't intend to completely expose the other's pretense, still calling out the name "Madara": "We are partners, we have the same goal, don't we?"

Obito's body trembled slightly, and his tense nerves relaxed a little.

As long as the final identity isn't revealed, everyone can pretend to be ignorant, right?

Obito called himself Madara, and Nagato called him Madara, so he was still Madara.

This is the art of language.

Obito took a deep breath, trying to suppress his surging emotions. He slowly raised his head and looked at Nagato again. A cold light rekindled in his eyes behind the mask, but deep inside, a trace of lingering fear remained.

Nagato saw through Obito's expression with his sage-like eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He had achieved part of his goal; he wanted Obito to realize one thing... their cooperation was no longer led by him, Obito, but by him, Nagato.

Obito has now clearly come to terms with part of the situation. He wasn't truly afraid of Nagato just now; it was a temporary panic caused by having his secrets exposed. He'll recover once he calms down. Like now... he's more wary of Nagato, and deep down, he's resentful.

The best approach is a real fight. After all, the ninja world is a place where strength speaks volumes. As long as your fists are big enough, it doesn't matter if you're not smart enough.

However, Obito was quite emotional at this time, and fighting at this point could easily lead to a breakup.

Obito also has what Nagato wants...

"I'm not interested in what you want to do to Konoha, and I'm not interested in Danzo either..." Nagato brought the topic back to its original point, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty, and he hit the nail on the head in one sentence.

Obito's brows furrowed beneath his white tiger-striped mask as he asked in a deep voice, "Then what do you want?"

"Ninjutsu..." Almost the instant Obito finished speaking, Nagato responded, "I've heard that Konoha has a scroll containing all of the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques—the Scroll of Sealing Techniques. I intend to take it with me..."

The real situation is definitely not just about a mere Book of Seals, although that thing is also very precious.

"What do you need that for?" Obito's gaze met Nagato's again, sharp as a blade, his crimson Sharingan gleaming faintly beneath his mask. "With eyes like that... you probably don't need it, do you?"

From Obito's perspective, Nagato's Rinnegan was a power surpassing all other ninjutsu. Compared to the power of the Sage's Eye, the Second Hokage's so-called forbidden techniques were nothing more than petty tricks. Obito himself didn't even realize this. His tone carried an undisguised contempt, an arrogance etched into the Uchiha clan's very bones. Those who possessed the Sharingan saw everything as trash.

Especially after Obito learned from Madara that the Sharingan could evolve into the Rinnegan, his arrogance reached its peak.