Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

In a mountain valley far from the battlefield, the night had not yet fully faded. The stars in the sky had dimmed, and the moon had dipped behind the western ridge, leaving only a thin silver sliver.

The valley was incredibly quiet. There was no wind, no chirping of insects—only a deathly silence.

Space suddenly distorted, and a vortex appeared in the air.

The vortex expanded outward from its center, like an invisible hand stirring the surface of water.

Uchiha Obito stumbled out of the vortex. His footing was unsteady, and he slipped on the loose gravel, nearly falling over.

He clutched the stump of his severed left arm. It was hastily wrapped with a few layers of bandages, but blood had already soaked through, dripping down his fingers. His clothes were stained with blood. Though his right arm was intact, his movements were stiff, making him look utterly wretched.

He panted heavily, his chest heaving violently. Every breath was accompanied by a sharp, agonizing pain from his severed arm.

Obito turned around and glanced back.

It was the direction of the battlefield. Even though he knew he couldn't see anything from this distance and that Uchiha Taiga wouldn't pursue him, he still couldn't help but look, unable to shake off his lingering dread.

He stared in that direction for several seconds. Only after confirming that no golden flash of light was chasing him did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

He sat down against a tree, resting his back against the trunk. The pain from his severed arm twisted his face into a grimace.

He ground his teeth audibly, veins bulging on his forehead. Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto his collar and the ground.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Obito raised his right hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, then looked down at his severed arm. His left arm had been cleanly sliced off at the shoulder. The exposed bone and muscle at the stump looked gruesome under the moonlight.

He hadn't properly treated the wound, merely wrapping it haphazardly with bandages. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the pain hadn't lessened at all.

He clenched his remaining hand into a fist and slammed it fiercely into the ground.

With a dull thud, his fist smashed a small crater into the earth, sending gravel and dirt flying. The skin on his knuckles tore, and blood seeped from between his fingers, but he didn't stop. He punched the ground again, and again.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Obito growled, his voice hoarse and filled with rage.

The hatred in his heart overflowed. His mind was consumed by a single thought: he had to kill Uchiha Taiga.

That guy—the one who had made him uneasy from the very first time they met—had now become an insurmountable mountain.

He hated Uchiha Taiga. He hated his overwhelming strength and calm demeanor. He hated how pathetic he looked in front of him. But most of all, he hated his own weakness.

He had faced him twice, and failed twice. Both times, he had lost an arm.

This was an outcome Obito absolutely refused to accept!

But as for how to actually kill that monster, Obito didn't have the slightest clue.

He had exhausted every method at his disposal. Kamui, Izanagi, White Zetsu, Black Zetsu, Uchiha Madara... all of them had failed.

Obito's mind was a chaotic mess. Countless ideas surged forward, only to be rejected one by one. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and furious he became. Finally, he slammed his fist into the ground one last time, burying his arm deep into the dirt.

He leaned against the tree trunk, panting for a while until his breathing finally steadied. Looking up at the sky, he noticed the eastern horizon turning a pale white. Dawn was approaching. He knew he couldn't stay here much longer. Even though Taiga hadn't pursued him, what if he changed his mind? He couldn't take that risk.

Gritting his teeth, Obito endured the searing pain from his severed arm and stood up. The Mangekyo Sharingan in his right eye spun once more.

Space distorted, and a vortex appeared before him, swallowing his body and vanishing from the mountain valley.

The night quickly passed.

Inside an underground space in the Land of Rivers, near the border of the Land of Rain.

The space wasn't large. It was a naturally formed cave that had been manually excavated and expanded, with tool marks still visible on the walls. Several lamps were embedded in the stone, their burning wicks casting a dim yellow light that left the cave half-shrouded in shadows.

A spatial vortex appeared once again, and Obito stepped out. His footing was steadier than before, and the bandages on his severed arm had been replaced. The bleeding had stopped, but his face remained deathly pale, and his lips were tinged purple.

He still looked somewhat disheveled, but he was in much better shape than the previous night.

This was one of his many safehouses scattered across the ninja world. Located at the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, it was remote and well-hidden.

Only after arriving here could he consider himself completely safe.

Wasting no time, Obito walked straight to the center of the cave. There sat a stone table with a scroll resting on top.

He picked up the scroll with his right hand, unrolled it, and spread it out on the ground.

The scroll wasn't large, but it was covered in intricate runes and curse marks. It was a sealing scroll.

He bit his right index finger, smearing his blood over the runes on the scroll. He formed hand signs with his single hand. His movements were somewhat sluggish, but he executed each step with meticulous care.

*Poof!* A cloud of white smoke erupted.

As the smoke cleared, a coffin appeared on the ground.

The coffin was made of stone, its surface rough and devoid of any patterns or decorations. The lid was tightly shut.

Obito stepped forward and pushed the lid open with his right hand. The heavy stone slowly slid aside, revealing the person lying inside.

It was the corpse of Uchiha Madara.

Obito stood before the coffin, staring down at that familiar face. He remained silent for a moment before turning and walking deeper into the cave.

Deep within the cave was a small alcove housing a massive incubation tank. The tank was filled with a pale green liquid, and floating inside was a white, humanoid creature—a White Zetsu.

He walked up to the tank, opened it, and dragged the White Zetsu out of the fluid.

The White Zetsu's eyes were vacant, like a lifeless corpse. It was completely unresponsive, devoid of any expression or reaction.

Obito dragged it over to the coffin, set it on the ground, and positioned it to sit cross-legged.

Obito formed hand signs once more. The ritual array for the Reanimation Jutsu spread across the floor, runes and curse marks expanding from the coffin to envelop both the White Zetsu and the casket.

His movements were much slower than before. His fingers trembled slightly as he formed the signs, and beads of sweat continuously dripped from his forehead.

Fleeing through the night, combined with his severe injuries, had taken a massive toll on him.

His chakra was nearly depleted, but his most pressing priority was to summon Uchiha Madara once again.

He had finally accepted reality: there was absolutely no way he could defeat Uchiha Taiga alone. He needed Uchiha Madara's power.

"Reanimation Jutsu!"

With a low shout, chakra surged from his body and poured into the ritual array.

The runes lit up, emitting an eerie blue glow. Dust and ash rose from the ground, swarming over the White Zetsu's body.

The White Zetsu's body began to change. Its form gradually shifted, its features sharpening until the blurry visage transformed into a cold, imposing face.

The ritual lasted for a few moments before the light gradually faded and the dust settled.

A figure stood up from within the ritual array.

It was Uchiha Madara.

Madara's eyes were closed, and his face bore several fine cracks—the hallmark of a reanimated body.

He stood there motionless, as if feeling out his new body and confirming his current state.

Then, he opened his eyes.

Within his eye sockets rested the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. The crimson irises and black tomoe gleamed with a demonic light in the dim, yellow illumination.

He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers, before raising his head to look at Uchiha Obito. His brow furrowed slightly.

Madara's gaze lingered on Obito for a moment before he spoke.

"Did that brat do this to you?"

Obito's expression was gloomy, and he didn't reply.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and averted his gaze, staring at the cave wall to avoid meeting Madara's eyes.

Madara scoffed coldly and withdrew his gaze. He stretched his body, rolling his neck and swinging his arms in a few simple motions.

His frown deepened.

The physical quality of this White Zetsu body was far inferior to the previous one. Whether it was chakra capacity or physical durability, it fell woefully short.

If he were to face Uchiha Taiga in his current state, he would have absolutely no chance of winning.

His speed, strength, and reflexes would all be severely compromised.

Then, he suddenly sensed something.

Something seemed to be missing from his body. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but there was a distinct emptiness, as if a part of him had been extracted.

Frowning deeply, he closed his eyes to focus on the sensation for a moment. When he opened them again, his expression darkened.

This sense of the unknown made him deeply uncomfortable.

Seeing Madara fall silent, Obito finally spoke up in a low voice.

"That guy has become a massive threat. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn't listen. Now even Black Zetsu has been taken by him. Our plans will definitely be exposed. What do we do now?"

His tone carried a hint of resentment and frustration.

Madara snapped out of his thoughts, his face turning grim.

He shot Obito a cold, piercing glare.

"You have completely failed. From now on, you will simply assist with my plan."

Obito clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white as he gritted his teeth.

'Damn it!'

In the end, he swallowed his retort, knowing that now was not the time to argue.

He needed Madara's power, just as Madara needed his. They were currently tied to the same sinking ship.

Madara turned around and walked toward the cave exit.

"Go. Find Nagato. I need those eyes."

Obito stared at his back, remaining silent for a moment before giving a nod.