Chapter 72: Unmasking Shadows

Because Shin's strike was fast, Uchiha Obito barely had time to phase out, leaving him in a cold sweat. As he tried to steady his breathing, he forced out, "Well then, child, do you believe now that I'm Uchiha Madara ?"

"Just a space-time jutsu. You're not the only one who knows it. If you were Uchiha Madara, why keep the mask on?" Shin glanced at his hand with a trace of disappointment, then added indifferently, "It seems my strike didn't affect you."

Even with his dark-dark fruit, Shin couldn't disrupt Obito's Kamui intangibility.

Of course, Shin already had a contingency plan to handle Obito—the other Kamui eye.

Obito clung to the faint hope that Shin might not know of Kakashi's Sharingan. But unbeknownst to him, Shin was fully aware of this secret and well-prepared. For now, he held back, finding Obito's survival useful.

"Everyone has their own secrets. It's not wise to pry too deeply. Besides, you wear a mask too," Obito muttered, his voice low and irritated.

Shin scoffed, taking off his own mask to reveal his youthful face. "I wear a mask out of habit. I don't hide my identity like some people do."

Uchiha Obito: "…"

'This guy is really annoying,' Obito fumed silently.

Shin's act of removing his mask had cornered Obito. If he reciprocated, his identity would be revealed instantly. Yet keeping it on would suggest he had something to hide. After a tense silence, Obito remained masked, saying nothing more. He activated Kamui, phasing out and vanishing underground.

"Hmm, so quick to escape," Shin mused, with a smirk on his lips.

Obito materialized in an underground base and was soon joined by Black and White Zetsu emerging from the ground.

"What's the deal with this ninja?" Obito demanded, looking at Black Zetsu with clenched teeth.

However, even Zetsu, whose network was unmatched in the shinobi world, came up empty.

"We've searched everywhere, but no trace of him exists. It's as if he never existed in the ninja world before," Black Zetsu replied.

"Impossible!" Obito frowned. "Anyone with his level of skill would have some background. A shinobi doesn't reach Kage-level strength without training."

Obito's words rang true; he himself had received Konoha's systematic training, along with guidance from Madara Uchiha, to achieve his current strength.

Shin's performance in Konoha—defeating multiple elite ninjas and escaping unscathed—proved he was no mere upstart.

"That makes sense," Black Zetsu acknowledged. "Still, with the number of hidden shinobi and underground bases worldwide, it's possible he was trained secretly."

Ninjas were known for their clandestine nature, frequently establishing hidden bases. A skilled user of Earth Release could set up an underground hideout in moments.

When White Zetsu operated near other villages, it wasn't uncommon to stumble upon underground bases. In fact, there were instances when Zetsu's infiltrations led him straight into other shinobi's lairs.

"Something still feels off..." Obito muttered, contemplating. "Usually, a shinobi's career leaves traces. But this Kurogami seems to have never had a weak period..."

"The world is vast. There are places even Zetsu's reach can't penetrate—like those three legendary sage regions," Black Zetsu replied, trying to reassure him. "Luckily, this Kurogami is now part of the Akatsuki. He shouldn't pose too much of a threat in the future."

Obito sighed. "I had hoped to leverage my Uchiha Madara identity to retrieve the Sharingan from him."

"Not just the pair of Mangekyō Sharingan from Fugaku Uchiha, but Kakashi Hatake's Kamui Sharingan—it's my biggest weakness."

"I didn't expect him to be so provocative. Perhaps Nagato is instigating this attack; I may need to recruit more powerful allies. The Akatsuki can't fully become Nagato's loyal pawns."

Meanwhile, in Konoha's Archives:

Jiraiya studied a photograph closely and was finally convinced of Shin's identity.

"Yes, it must be him—the Kurogami is indeed a former Konoha shinobi," Jiraiya muttered.

The image was of Shin at age ten, right after graduating from the academy. He wore a stern expression, and his features were unremarkable, though his demeanor was mature beyond his years. His teachers' comments noted his maturity, yet his academic record was only slightly above average. His only remarkable trait was an early interest in medical ninjutsu, having self-taught basic techniques like hemostasis.

His mission record showed a history of low-profile assignments until, shortly before deployment, he vanished without a trace. After a prolonged absence, he was declared deceased.

After a journey to another world, Shin's appearance had matured significantly, especially in height, but Jiraiya could still recognize traces of his younger self.

However, Jiraiya felt increasingly concerned as he examined Shin's background.

With both parents deceased, ten classmates dead, and even his teacher and mission team members lost, Shin had few remaining bonds with Konoha. If he genuinely chose to abandon the village, there was little to tie him back.

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