This is the article on the character who used the alias Tobi. For the Zetsu named Tobi, head to Tobi. For other uses, see Obito Uchiha (disambiguation).

Obito Uchiha (うちはオビト, Uchiha Obito) was a member of Konohagakure's Uchiha clan. He was believed to have died during the Third Shinobi World War, his only surviving legacy being the Sharingan he gave to his teammate, Kakashi Hatake. In truth, Obito was saved from death and trained by Madara Uchiha, but the events of the war left Obito disillusioned with reality, and he inherited Madara's plan to create an ideal world. Resurfacing under the names of Tobi (トビ, Tobi) and Madara Uchiha himself, Obito subtly took control of the Akatsuki, using them as a means to advance his machinations, eventually going public and starting the Fourth Shinobi World War. However, towards the war's conclusion, Obito had a change of heart and, as atonement, sacrificed his life to save the same world he sought to replace.

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Background

Early life

Obito grew up not knowing who his parents were; in the anime, he was left in the care of his grandmother.[7] Feeling alone in the world, Obito dreamed of becoming Hokage so that the people of the village would acknowledge his existence.[8] He enrolled in the Academy to help him achieve that goal, where he developed a one-sided rivalry with Kakashi Hatake, whose natural talent and popularity he was jealous of. He also became a close friend of Rin Nohara, whom he eventually fell in love with. After finally graduating some years later, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi were placed on a team under the leadership of Minato Namikaze.[9]

In the anime, as a final qualifying test, Minato gave the team a bell test to test their cooperation skills. Obito could not accomplish this on his own but, by joining forces with Rin and Kakashi, they succeeded in taking the bells, teaching Obito the value of teamwork.[10] The team later participated in the Chūnin Exams, where Obito was defeated in the third round in a one-on-one match with Might Guy. Kakashi would go on to defeat Guy in a subsequent match, promoting him to chūnin and impressing Rin. Eager for Rin's attention, Obito trained relentlessly, eventually rising to the rank of chūnin himself. His excitement was short-lived as Kakashi soon afterwards became a jōnin, once again earning Rin's praise and Obito's resentment.[9]

During the Third Shinobi World War, Kakashi was placed in charge of the team for a mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, which would hinder Iwagakure from using Kusagakure as a relief point. Before beginning the mission, Minato and Rin gave gifts to Kakashi to celebrate his promotion to jōnin, though Obito had "forgotten", straining their already poor relationship. Minato was soon called to the front lines, leaving the team to complete the mission alone under Kakashi's command. The three were discovered by Iwa-nin along the way and Rin was captured. Kakashi elected to abandon Rin, believing it was more important to finish the mission before concerning themselves with her safety. Obito became enraged at the idea and insisted that they focus on her rescue. When Kakashi refused, Obito left on his own, remarking that Kakashi was worse than trash for abandoning his friends.[11]

Obito located the cave the Iwa-nin were using as a hideout, but was found by a camouflaged Taiseki before he could launch a rescue. Kakashi, moved by Obito's earlier words, arrived in time to save him from Taiseki's attack, but lost his left eye in the process. From his desire to help Kakashi, Obito awakened his Sharingan, allowing him to see through Taiseki's camouflage and kill him. Obito and Kakashi infiltrated the cave and released Rin from her restraints. Her captor, Kakkō, caused the cave to collapse around them. As the team ran for the exit, Kakashi was struck in his blind spot and fell. When Obito noticed that Kakashi was about to be hit by a falling boulder, Obito pushed him out of the way and became trapped in his place.

With the right side of his body crushed and no way to free himself, Obito accepted his fate and made an offering: to give Kakashi his left Sharingan as an apology for not getting him a present earlier.[12] Rin performed the transplant and, once the procedure was finished, Kakashi used his new Sharingan to kill Kakkō. Iwa reinforcements quickly began to further compress the rubble, forcing Kakashi and Rin to leave Obito behind. As the rocks tightened around him, Obito reflected that he had finally started to get along with Kakashi and that he couldn't confess to Rin that he loved her. Kakashi and Rin were rescued by Minato and, when they returned to Konoha, Obito's name was engraved on the village's Memorial Stone.[13]

Saved from Death

In actuality, Obito was rescued by White Zetsu under orders from an elderly Madara. He brought Obito to Mountains' Graveyard and tended to his injuries, removing those body parts too damaged to be healed and replacing them with limbs cultivated from the cells of Hashirama Senju. Despite his injuries, Obito's right Sharingan had survived intact. Although frightened by Madara, Obito felt indebted to him for saving his life and was willing to render any assistance he could, an offer Madara made clear he would collect upon. Obito began a long rehabilitation process, eager to recover enough for him to return to Konoha and help his friends and the village with the still-ongoing war. With the help of White Zetsu and another spiral-faced Zetsu he nicknamed Guruguru, Obito became accustomed to his replacement limbs and the abilities they granted him.[14] All the while, Madara would tell Obito about the harsh realities of the world and his plan to save it, which the young Uchiha disregarded.

During the end of his recuperation process, White Zetsu informed Obito that Kakashi and Rin were elsewhere about to be killed by Kirigakure ninja. Obito was insistent on helping them, which Guruguru offered to help with by encasing Obito with its body. Before leaving, Obito thanked Madara for all his help but said he wouldn't be returning. Madara made clear his conviction that Obito would return to him. Guruguru directed Obito to Rin and Kakashi's location, along the way informing him of Minato's absence. When they arrived they found Rin and Kakashi surrounded by Kiri-nin and Kakashi plunging his Chidori through Rin's heart.[15] Rin's death caused each of their Sharingan to mature into Mangekyō Sharingan, a process that also caused Kakashi to pass out. Enraged by what had happened, Obito used a combination of his Mangekyō Sharingan's Kamui and the Wood Release of Guruguru's body to slaughter the Kirigakure ninja. When all of them were dead, Obito cradled Rin's lifeless body, ignoring the unconscious Kakashi.[16]

Obito returned to Mountains' Graveyard, vowing to do anything for Madara if it could bring him together with Rin and Kakashi again. Madara explained his Eye of the Moon Plan, which would replace the contemporary world of violence and death with one where nobody ever needs to die. Obito was intrigued, determined to create a reality where he, Rin, and Kakashi could exist alongside each other. Madara imparted all of his knowledge and plans to Obito, taught him about abilities he would need moving forward, entrusted him with his possessions, and manifested Black Zetsu to act as a guide. Having left almost all that he had to Obito, Madara disconnected himself from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path that was keeping him alive and told Obito that until his revival, he was to act as Madara Uchiha.[16]

Moving the Plan Forward

Using Madara's name and concealing his identity, Obito moved in the shadows of the ninja world to acquire the remaining pieces of the Eye of the Moon Plan. Shortly after Madara's death, Obito and Zetsu went to Amegakure and approached the fledgling Akatsuki with an offer of support in creating the world of peace they envisioned.[17] In truth he only needed Nagato, in whom Madara had implanted his Rinnegan several years earlier and who would be needed in the final stages of the Eye of the Moon Plan. While Obito was almost able to sway Nagato, the Akatsuki leader, Yahiko, declined; Obito claims he eventually agreed without informing Akatsuki's other members.[18] In the anime, Obito learned of a conspiracy between Hanzō and Danzō Shimura to eliminate Yahiko. He intercepted and killed the members of Akatsuki that tried to rescue Yahiko and, once Yahiko was dead, encouraged Nagato in a new direction for the organisation, one focused on acquiring the tailed beasts.[19] While Nagato became the Akatsuki leader and recruited powerful missing-nin for their cause, Obito took on the alias of "Tobi", and changed his personality around members to conceal his identity.

In Kirigakure, Obito at some point took control of the Fourth Mizukage, in effect making him the de facto Mizukage. After Kisame Hoshigaki became disillusioned by the lies of the world, Obito (as "Madara") revealed himself to Kisame and promised to help make a world of truth. Kisame became his loyal servant, one of the few Kiri-nin to knowingly work for him.[20] During this time Obito discovered the circumstances of Rin's death: that Kiri had sealed the Three-Tails into her to make her a timebomb that would destroy Konoha. At Rin's insistence, Kakashi killed her to prevent this from happening.[21] Obito's manipulation of the Mizukage was eventually discovered by Ao and he was forced to abandon it.

Twelve years before the start of the series, Obito visited Rin's grave in Konoha. Kakashi was already there when he arrived and Obito, watching secretly, heard him confide to Rin's grave that Minato's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, would soon be giving birth. Knowing that Kushina was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and that the seal keeping the Nine-Tails contained within her would weaken during childbirth, Obito tracked her down on the night of October 10. He killed her Anbu bodyguards and midwives, which included the Third Hokage's wife, and took her newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki, hostage to prevent Minato from interfering. Minato was able to take Naruto from him, which distracted him long enough for Obito to escape with Kushina.[22] He extracted the Nine-Tails from her body, placed it under his control with his Sharingan, and ordered it to destroy the village.[23]

Minato soon afterwards arrived to help in the village's defence. Before Minato could contribute much or even tell anyone what had happened, Obito located him and tried to use Kamui to send him away and prevent further interference. Minato was able to escape with his Flying Thunder God Technique, but Obito pursued him. Minato did not recognise Obito as they fought, instead suspecting he was Madara Uchiha. He initially struggled to successfully strike Obito but, after several failed attacks, Minato finally hit him with a Rasengan and branded him with a Flying Thunder God seal, allowing him to teleport to Obito whenever he wanted. He then used a Contract Seal on Obito to release the Nine-Tails from his control. Wounded and deprived of his best weapon, Obito fled.[24] Minato gave his life to save the village by sealing the Nine-Tails into his son, and thus never had the chance to inform anyone of Obito's involvement. Konoha's leadership nevertheless suspected an Uchiha's involvement, and to that end placed all members of the clan under heavy scrutiny.

Years later in the anime, Obito attacked the Fire Daimyō's convoy en route to Konoha, placing everyone in a genjutsu and killing Tenma Izumo, but swiftly retreats after sensing Kakashi approaching.[25] Years later, the Uchiha, as a result of their mistreatment, began plotting a coup d'état. Obito returned to the village with the intention of exacerbating the conflict, but was discovered by Itachi Uchiha. Believing Obito was Madara, Itachi asked for his help in wiping out their clansmen, offering revenge against them for their treatment of Madara decades earlier in exchange for Obito's agreement to spare the village.[26] Obito accepted and offered Itachi a position in Akatsuki. In the anime, during the night of the massacre, he slaughtered the Konoha Military Police Force and killed Izumi Uchiha. Afterwards, he collected several Uchiha corpses in order to extract their Sharingan for his own use.[27] He also met Danzō around this time, for unknown reasons.[28] Following the attack, he cut his hair and brought Itachi into his organisation.

Personality

Because he grew up without knowing his parents, Obito's childhood was marked by dreams of being acknowledged. This motivated him to become a ninja so that he could, in turn, become Hokage and have the entire village finally recognise him. When Rin acknowledged him regardless, Obito fell in love with her and aimed to earn her love in addition to the Hokage title. But Kakashi's presence, both in the classroom and later on their team, became a wall for Obito, because of Kakashi's prodigy and that he had, without trying, gained Rin's affections. Though generally kind and of unwavering loyalty to his friends and allies, Obito nevertheless formed a one-sided rivalry with Kakashi. When not in competition with Kakashi, Obito would famously perform random good deeds around Konoha, especially for the elderly, which in turn made him notoriously late.[29] This combination of factors and Obito's naturally just heart and optimism made him easy for Madara to exploit and ultimately corrupt.[30]

After Rin's death, Obito's determination and idealism were shattered. He became more calm and focused, no longer caring about his village, his friends, or even his name, all of them being worthless parts of a miserable world that had forced Rin to die at the hands of a person she loved.[21] His sole commitment was to Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan and the new peaceful world it would create; every crime was a necessary evil, every murder was a sacrifice for the greater good and a life that would be restored in the new world. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the plan and, more often, his allies, turning on them the instant they no longer had any further use to him. Like Madara before him, Obito would gain these allies by preying on the darkness in their hearts and manipulating them, either by subtly corrupting their own goals or by appearing to share their beliefs. This was best seen in the existence of Akatsuki, its wildly-differing members working together because they believed the organisation would further their own ends; in actuality, they were mere tools that Obito used to forward his own agenda.

Despite how different his adult personality seemed, it was at its basest level very much the same as the person he was as a child. Obito viewed his actions as a station beyond Hokage; where the Hokage does what is best for the village, Obito felt he did what was best for the world.[31] Though Rin remained ever-present in his thoughts, Kakashi and Minato were also present in his dreams of a new world, and it was the hope of reuniting their team under happier circumstances that motivated him.[32] Kakashi theorised that it was this conflict between his past and present selves that drove Obito the most, especially in the events leading up to and following the outbreak of the Fourth Shinobi World War; he became increasingly hasty with his plans, first moving Akatsuki from a secretive organisation to a force that directly challenged the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and later by prematurely reviving the Ten-Tails.[33]

As Obito grappled with his thoughts, he at different times took a special interest in Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. With Sasuke, Obito began monitoring him after their first meeting, though he avoided further contact for fear of provoking Sasuke's brother, Itachi. After Itachi's death, he approached Sasuke and brought him into his confidence, later remarking that the loss of five Akatsuki members was worth it to gain Sasuke's loyalty. Although Obito stated a number of times that he saw Sasuke as nothing more than a disposable pawn, he nevertheless kept an eye on him, intervening whenever Sasuke was at risk and always happy with signs of his ever-improving Sharingan and his growing isolation from all other allies.[34] In a way, he saw in Sasuke the kind of person he was trying to be. With Naruto, however, he saw the person he once was: dreams of being Hokage and dedication to his friends.[35] Because of these similarities, Obito became fixated on Naruto, hoping to demonstrate the naivety of his beliefs and the terribleness of the world so that he would come around to Obito's point of view. When Naruto refused, Obito became increasingly angry and determined to eliminate Naruto and his dreams so that he can bury the last remains of the old Obito.

Through his inability to overpower Naruto's will, Obito came to understand that Naruto's way of thinking was right all along. Moreover, he realised the reason for his conflicting desires: he had been lying to himself about his dedication to the Eye of the Moon Plan by suppressing the former Obito deep down. The persona that projected him as someone without feelings or a heart was a mask Obito wore to escape the painful truths of reality. When Naruto and his allies defeated Obito, the lie was destroyed, causing his original personality to emerge. Obito felt guilty about his actions and declared himself unworthy of seeing Rin in the afterlife. He spent the remainder of his life opposing the Eye of the Moon Plan and Madara, wishing to keep the world as it was. Believing Naruto was vital to the world's preservation, Obito ultimately gave his life to protect Naruto and his team. His new conviction even allowed him to briefly return from death not only to assure Naruto's victory, but also to make amends with Kakashi one final time before fully departing to the afterlife.

In order to further conceal himself and his actions as Madara from the public eye, Obito adopted the name, personality and mannerisms of the aforementioned Zetsu he befriended during his recovery; Which he played up the role of a happy-go-lucky idiot who annoyed most members of Akatsuki. Deidara, in particular, was easily provoked by his vanity and lack of respect, often retaliating against him with comical violence. Kisame, on the other hand, appreciated Tobi's ability to brighten up a gloomy organisation such as theirs.[36] The anime showed that Tobi appeared to have a liking for dango,[37] and continued to act like a fool even when nobody else was around.[38] After first meeting Sasuke, Obito abandoned the Tobi persona – except for during a brief encounter with Konoha ninja. As "Tobi", Obito would deactivate his Sharingan to prevent suspicion from arousing whenever he didn't need it.[39] Even without the Tobi persona, Obito had developed a morbid sense of humour, sometimes making jokes, if perverse ones.

Appearance

As a child, Obito had black eyes and short, spiky, black hair. He wore a long sleeved blue uniform and a blue jacket with an orange collar and trimmings. The jacket was fastened to the rest of the outfit by two buttons on the collar and had the Uchiha clan crest at the back. He also wore a white belt, shinobi sandals, the standard Konoha dark blue forehead protector, and a pair of goggles with orange lenses connected to ear protectors. The right half of his face was left heavily scarred after the events in Kusagakure, resembling wrinkles, while the destroyed right half of his torso and his right arm have been replaced by White Zetsu matter, which have a much lighter colour than his body. His hair grew longer during his rehabilitation, and he would repeatedly grow it out and cut it over the years.

Obito wore a variety of different masks over the years to hide his identity when he interacted with others. During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack on Konoha and for several years following he wore a mask with a black flame (coloured orange and yellow at different times in the anime). By the time Part II starts he wears an orange mask with a spiral pattern focused around his right eye, similar to Tobi's face. After this mask is destroyed by Konan, he starts wearing a white mask with a purple tint that covers the entire upper half of his head. The mask's design resembles a combination of the Sharingan and Rinnegan, consisting of a ripple pattern with three tomoe around the centre, two of which act as the mask's eye-holes. He claims that this new mask had been specifically designed for combat, making it very durable.[40] It is nevertheless destroyed by Naruto.

Obito during the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack.

Obito's Akatsuki attire.

Obito during the Fourth Shinobi World War. 1 of 3

While masquerading as the Fourth Mizukage, he wore a simple purple lined kimono, bandages all over his body, and simple sandals. When attacking Konoha with Kurama, he wore a purple lined black cloak. During the Uchiha Massacre, he grew out his hair resembling Madara's, and wore traditional blue Uchiha robes. In his first appearance as Tobi, Obito wears a black long-sleeve top that covered his neck and chin, a pair of black gloves, a pair of dark-coloured pants, a long green scarf and standard sandals and white stirrups. On his waist, he wears a thick black belt with armour-like metal plates attached to it, and similar plates on his upper arms.[41] Obito had blue (black in the manga) nail polish on his fingers and toes. He continues to wear this outfit under his Akatsuki cloak after he becomes a member and also wears a purple ring, which bears the kanji for "jewel" or "sphere" (玉, gyoku), on his left thumb. After Deidara's death, he briefly wore a hooded Akatsuki cloak. For the Fourth Shinobi World War he changes to an outfit similar to what the Uchiha wore during the Warring States Period; this attire includes a pair of black pants and gloves, with a white form-fitting shirt underneath.[42] Over this he wears a purple, high-collared, long sleeve mantle that splits down the lower half and has the Uchiha crest on the back. Around his waist he wears a simple, light-purple obi and a belt. Strapped to his back is Madara's gunbai, now purple with black trimmings and black tomoe, connected to a black chain that runs up his right sleeve.[43]

After becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Obito's hair becomes entirely white.[44] His skin turns white, ten protrusions emerge from his back – five near his shoulders and five near his hips – as well as a black assortment of ten magatama markings appearing on his back; one large one, with a black Rinnegan-like pattern within it, and nine smaller ones arranged in rows of three below it. In addition, the entire right half of his body gains a scale-like pattern across it, replacing the scars.[45] When Obito managed to gain control of the Ten-Tails, he underwent another transformation. In this new form, the scale-half of his body became less prominent and the ten protrusions on his back expanded to form the collar and coattails of a haori. He also had two horns sprouted from his forehead – the left smaller than the right – and six magatama markings appeared across his chest.[32] He reverts to his former appearance after the Ten-Tails is removed from his body, though his hair remains white.

During his imagination of his life as a Konoha shinobi while battling Naruto, Obito depicted himself wearing both Uchiha and Konoha uniforms but with a modified forehead protector with covers that stretch down the left half of his face to conceal his missing left eye.

Abilities

As a genin, Obito's abilities were average at best, struggling to match his classmates from the Academy. Determined to improve himself, he trained for several months at a time to eventually become a chūnin. Madara saw great potential in Obito and thus selected him as his disciple.[46] Madara's hopes were proven correct, as under his tutelage, Obito dramatically improved his abilities as a late bloomer, with his skills leading to others questioning if he was Madara.[47] As a teenager Obito posed a threat to the Five Great Shinobi Countries, having taken control of the Fourth Mizukage and effectively Kirigakure, as well as posing a challenge to the Fourth Hokage and nearly destroying Konoha. As an adult, he defeated Root's most skilled ninja, and simultaneously held his own against Konoha's top shinobi and Killer B. As the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Obito's power exceeded that of even Hashirama Senju, he was able to effortlessly fight three powerful Hokage with ease, overwhelm both Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha several times, and had the capability to destroy the entire Allied Shinobi Forces.

Chakra and Physical Prowess

Obito's chakra reserves were enhanced by the White Zetsu matter equipped to his body, enabling him to perform several chakra-taxing techniques without noticeable exhaustion.[48][49] He showed the ability to absorb chakra,[50] as well as transfer his own to another person.[51][52] Obito was proficient in taijutsu as he fought on par with Kakashi on several occasions, while controlling the outcome of their last fight.[53][54] His physical strength and speed were great enough to lift Konan by her throat with one hand while gravely injured,[55] and keep up with Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.[56]

Body Modifications

The right side of Obito's body was badly damaged during the mission in Kusagakure, and he even lost his right arm. To heal his body and replace the limb, Madara outfitted Obito with the same substance that the White Zetsu are made of,[57] enhancing his chakra reserves and eventually allowing him to perform Wood Release. He also gains certain physical augmentations of Hashirama Senju's DNA, such as great durability to attacks, rapid healing,[58] and the ability to survive without food or water. His artificial limb is very strong, able to withstand an attack from Kubikiribōchō and punch through boulders.[14] If this or another limb is damaged beyond repair, they are easily removed and replaced with the same material.[59]

Ninjutsu

Obito learned from Madara how to perform a variety of different types of ninjutsu: he could create barrier ninjutsu, using the Uchiha Flame Formation to protect the Demonic Statue;[60] he could sense chakra, allowing him to predict attacks and locate others from great distances, even in different dimensions[61][62] and he could perform fūinjutsu powerful enough to seal the Ten-Tails.[45]

Nature Transformation

Obito could utilise all five basic nature transformations along with Yin–Yang Release.[3] As an Uchiha, he had a natural aptitude for Fire Release techniques, and could perform the Great Fireball Technique at an early age.[63] The size and strength of his flames increased in his adulthood, and through a combination with his Mangekyō Sharingan he could perform Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance.[64] He was also seen performing Earth Release techniques on occasion, though he exclusively did so in order to burrow and move underground, letting him augment the battlefield from below or sneak up on opponents.[65]

With the White Zetsu matter used as his replacement limbs, Obito could perform Wood Release, a combination of earth and water-based chakra. Instinctively, he was able to form branches and roots to bind,[66] crush,[67] or skewer opponents. Because the White Zetsu material is partly derived from the DNA of Hashirama Senju, Obito could control the Ten-Tails when he was connected to its body.[68]

Bukijutsu

Like many Uchiha, Obito was trained in shurikenjutsu, allowing him to throw shuriken with precision for offence and defence. When Madara died, a number of weapons were left to Obito which he has used at different times over the years. Several of these weapons he keeps stored within Kamui's dimension so that he can access them anywhere and fire them at opponents; he is seen using giant shuriken and chakra receivers – fashioned into giant restraining stakes – for the latter purpose.[69][70] When he fought Minato during the attack on Konoha, he used a long chain attached to braces on his wrists that, when used in conjunction with his intangibility, enabled him to harmlessly pass through his opponent before solidifying to restrain him with the trailing chain.[71] Around the time of the Uchiha Massacre, Obito carried a sword at his waist.[26] During the Fourth Shinobi World War he wields Madara's iconic gunbai, using it both as a shield and as a sort of flail for attack.[72][73] The gunbai can generate wind to reflect attacks.[74]

Dōjutsu

Sharingan

When Obito first awakened his Sharingan, it already had two tomoe, which at that level he could use to track chakra signatures and predict movements.[75] He acquired a third tomoe after witnessing Rin's death.[76] Obito keeps his Sharingan active seemingly all the time without any noticeable drain on his chakra levels. With his Sharingan he can perform various genjutsu on targets he has eye contact with, either to create illusions,[21] acquire information,[77] or control their actions.[20] Although he is seen controlling six tailed beasts with his Sharingan, his control with multiple targets is not as complete as it is with one and it is possible for some to break free from his control.[78]

Obito has a number of Sharingan in his possession which he keeps in storage should he need them. He uses one of these Sharingan to replace the one he gave to Kakashi, although he keeps it covered with his mask most of the time. He later sacrifices this spare eye's vision in order to perform Izanagi, which allows the user to manipulate events around them. Izanagi ordinarily lasts for only the briefest of moments, but with his access to Hashirama's DNA he can maintain it for ten minutes using a single eye.[79]

Mangekyō Sharingan

Obito awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan after witnessing Rin's death; the Sharingan he gave to Kakashi awakened its Mangekyō at the same time.[76] Their Mangekyō's design is three stretched triangles evenly spaced around the pupil that each curve at the top around the eye to form a circle, making it similar to a pinwheel. Obito does not appear to suffer any adverse effects from using his Mangekyō Sharingan, such as the deteriorating eyesight or exhaustion experienced by others.

Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan allows him to perform Kamui, a space–time ninjutsu with greater versatility than Minato's.[80] Kamui serves as a gateway to another dimensional space, which he can move all or parts of his body between at will. This grants Obito two distinct abilities: teleportation and what is best described as "intangibility". For teleportation, he absorbs himself through his right eye into the special dimension, and from there he can travel anywhere in the world instantly. His intangibility is a more specialised application of the teleportation, where he sends only parts of his body to the other dimension so that he can pass through objects or, more often, objects can pass through him.[81] He can only make himself continuously intangible for about five minutes at a time before needing to rest.[82]

Kamui becomes Obito's signature fighting style to the point that he rarely resorts to more traditional forms of ninjutsu. In combat he uses his intangibility defensively, allowing opponents and their attacks to pass through him without harming him, and then as offence he teleports them to his dimension while they are disoriented so that they can no longer bother him. The chakra signatures of those he sends to the other dimension cannot be sensed from outside of it.[83] Despite how useful Kamui is, it isn't without its weaknesses. Because the two aspects of the technique are connected he can't use both at the same time; if he wants to teleport he can't be intangible, leaving him open to attack, and if he wants to be intangible he can't teleport, preventing him from escaping so long as he remains on the defensive.[82]

Because Kakashi's Mangekyō Sharingan can also use Kamui, his eye remains the only reliable counter to Obito's abilities. Although Kakashi cannot use Kamui against Obito directly,[84] he can use his own access to the other dimension to negate the advantages Obito makes use of: by teleporting attacks or allies to the other dimension at the same moment that Obito's body resides there for defence, he can be attacked successfully.[85] He regains the Sharingan he gave to Kakashi during the Fourth Shinobi World War, allowing him to use the eye to perform rapid, precise long-distance teleportation instead of the physical contact required with his other eye's teleportation. With effort, he can use his left Mangekyō to access other dimensional planes.[86]

Rinnegan

Obito took the Rinnegan from Nagato's body after he died and implanted it in his left eye socket.[87] Although he used only one eye and was not its original owner, Obito nevertheless gained a great deal of power from it. While he admitted that he could barely handle a single eye, Obito was capable of performing all of the Six Paths Techniques with the Rinnegan, though he was only ever seen performing abilities of the Outer Path: he can summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, create chakra chains to restrain targets,[88] and use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive the dead in exchange for his life.

While in possession of the Rinnegan, Obito used it to create his version of the Six Paths of Pain, composed of the six reincarnated jinchūriki with their respective tailed beasts sealed back into their bodies. He controls them each with a single chakra receiver embedded into their bodies. Each jinchūriki had the same eye-pattern as him – a right Sharingan (which granted them its predictive abilities) and a left Rinnegan – allowing him to share their vision and coordinate their movements. The effort required to not only maintain this coordination but to keep the tailed beasts under his control prevents Obito from manifesting any of the Six Paths Techniques in his Six Paths of Pain.[89]

Intelligence

From Madara, Obito learned much about the world, individual people in it, and different abilities from throughout history. As such, it is difficult to surprise him in combat because he already knows tactics ninja from certain villages are likely to use, what weaknesses to take advantage of in different opponents, and how to counter most jutsu.[90] On those infrequent occasions when he encounters something new, he calmly keeps his distance and observes carefully until he devises the best approach to neutralising it. His insight enables him to plan years in advance, accurately predicting the course of nations and knowing just how to manipulate them to his advantage.[91] If any plan of his should fail for whatever reason, he can formulate a backup plan quickly and without being inconvenienced, proving tremendous strategic and tactical ingenuity. Indeed, Obito often kept multiple back-up plans, rarely pinning his hopes on a single outcome. Obito also demonstrates high abilities in manipulation, able to see the darkness in others and twist them to his own purposes with a clever mixture of truth and lies.

Jinchūriki Transformations

Main article: Jinchūriki Forms

Obito seals the Ten-Tails into his body during the Fourth Shinobi World War. Upon becoming its jinchūriki, all of the previous damage to his body is healed and he becomes stronger, faster,[32] and nearly impervious to damage.[92] He initially lacks control of his mind after the sealing, causing him to literally swell with the Ten-Tails' chakra and react relentlessly to all threats until he can pull himself together.[45] Once he does, Obito becomes stronger than the original Ten-Tails because he is able to focus its immeasurable power, leaving so-called God of Shinobi unable to compete with him.[93] As the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Obito can fly and create chakra arms.[94][95] He can produce trees through which he can fire Tailed Beast Balls, and later create and control the Ten-Tails' tree form in preparation for performing the Infinite Tsukuyomi.[96][97] He is unable to use Kamui's intangibility while a jinchūriki, however.[98]

Truth-Seeking Ball

As the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Obito is able to use Truth-Seeking Balls, ten black orbs comprised of all five elemental nature transformations,[92] and Yin–Yang Release. The balls are his primary weapons and generally float behind him in a halo-like formation. The black chakra is highly malleable, able to be shaped into various forms for different uses, such as high speed projectiles, protective barriers, explosives, and various weapons, including a shakujō reminiscent of the Sage of the Six Paths'.[32] He can even recreate the Sage's Sword of Nunoboko, with which Obito claims he can lay waste to the world.[99] With his complete control over the Ten-Tails' power, Obito can apply Yin–Yang Release to nullify all ninjutsu the balls come in contact with.[100] Unique to Obito, he is able to increase the size of his Truth-Seeking Ball by passing them through holes in his hand.

Stats

These stats reflect Obito's abilities at the time of his "death":

Databook Ninjutsu Taijutsu Genjutsu Intelligence Strength Speed Stamina Hand seals Total Second 3 2 1.5 1 2 3 2.5 3 18

Part II

Kazekage Rescue Mission

Main article: Kazekage Rescue Mission As Tobi, he assisted Zetsu with locating Sasori's body. Once he found it and took Sasori's ring, he expressed his belief that he would now be able to join Akatsuki. They next tracked down Deidara's disembodied arm with its ring still attached. Tobi initially believed Deidara had also died, only for Deidara to appear before them shortly afterwards. Tobi was somewhat relieved to see him, but was concerned for both his well-being and capability with rather offensive jokes, provoking Deidara to strangle him with his legs.

Three-Tails' Appearance

Main article: Three-Tails' Appearance

Tobi was indeed accepted into Akatsuki as Sasori's replacement, partnered with Deidara. He was assigned to capture the Three-Tails. In the anime, Deidara treated Tobi to some dango before the mission, a ploy to get him to remove his mask. He turned away while he ate, preventing Deidara from seeing anything. They split up after eating and Tobi eventually found Konoha shinobi using the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier, which he deduced was meant to seal the Three-Tails. He informed Deidara of his discovery and they approached and killed the two Anbu put in charge of the sealing.

When they located the Three-Tails, Tobi tried to convince Deidara to fight it in his place. When the Three-Tails chased Tobi, Deidara used his Explosive Clay on it while it's distracted. The rest of the battle went unseen. After they defeated the Three-Tails, Tobi claimed responsibility for the beast's capture, saying his technique was flawless and that it made sense to assign him to the mission. Deidara retorted that it was actually his clay that defeated the Three-Tails. Tobi, unconvinced, fell asleep during Deidara's argument. Deidara "woke him up" by detonating a clay bomb next to him.

When they got the Three-Tails to an Akatsuki base, the Akatsuki members convened and sealed it. When they were done, they also sealed the Two-Tails (the Two-Tails is sealed before the Three-Tails' capture in the anime).

Itachi Pursuit Mission

Main article: Itachi Pursuit Mission When Akatsuki assembled to extract the Four-Tails, they were informed that their former member, Orochimaru, had been killed by Sasuke Uchiha. Deidara was angry that Sasuke killed Orochimaru before he had his own chance to and so, after the Four-Tails was sealed, resolved to kill Sasuke instead. Tobi accompanied him. When they located Sasuke, Tobi approached him first and was immediately attacked. He briefly pretended to be killed and then complimented Sasuke's speed. Having served the role of a distraction well, Tobi sat back as Deidara attacked Sasuke, occasionally offering assistance by planting Deidara's explosives around the area. Deidara became increasingly desperate during their battle, forcing Tobi to retreat to a safe distance to escape the effects of his C4. Ultimately, Deidara resorted to using C0, killing himself and catching Tobi in the blast. Zetsu reported Tobi's and Deidara's deaths to Akatsuki.

Shortly afterwards, Tobi met with Pain and Konan in Amegakure. He expressed his satisfaction with Sasuke's development, adding that, because Itachi's death was imminent, they would be able to approach him soon. He also remarked on Naruto Uzumaki and how impressed he was by his performance against Kakuzu. He instructed Pain to capture Naruto for the Nine-Tails sealed within him, but warned him not to underestimate Naruto. He departed, remarking that his, Madara Uchiha's plans, would soon be complete. Tobi continued to keep tabs on Sasuke as he moved into confrontation with Itachi.

Fated Battle Between Brothers

Main article: Fated Battle Between Brothers

When a group of Konoha ninja were about to interfere with Sasuke and Itachi's fight, Tobi intercepted them, keeping them busy until Zetsu reported Sasuke's victory. Because the Konoha ninja heard Zetsu's report, Tobi quickly teleported to Sasuke's location and escaped with his unconscious body. He treated Sasuke's injuries and waited for him to wake up. When he does, Tobi introduced himself as Madara Uchiha and exposed his right Sharingan to prove his identity. This triggered an Amaterasu in Sasuke's left eye against Tobi. Tobi retreated into the darkness while he put out the flames, returning with his mask back on to muse about how far Itachi would go to protect Sasuke. Sasuke was confused, so Tobi divulged the Uchiha's history – though he denied his involvement in the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack – and the truth surrounding Itachi's role in the Uchiha Clan Downfall. Sasuke was overwhelmed with grief for having killed Itachi and resolved to avenge him by destroying Konoha.

Naruto Jinraiden: The Day the Wolf Howled

Main article: Naruto Jinraiden: The Day the Wolf Howled In the novel, Tobi buries Itachi's body after taking his eyes. He speaks to Sasuke when he wakes up about the so-called "justice" of the ninja villages, which is built upon an endless cycle of deaths and loss. He contrasts this with hatred, which he claims to be both focused and finite. When Sasuke's eyes start to bother him, Tobi offers him Itachi's eye drops and the receipt for the prescription, which sends Sasuke to the Howling Wolf Village.

Six-Tails Unleashed

Main article: Six-Tails Unleashed In the anime, Tobi and the other members of Akatsuki gather to seal the Six-Tails.

Pain's Assault

Main article: Pain's Assault

Because they had a shared interest in destroying Konoha, Tobi convinced Sasuke and his team, Taka, to start working with Akatsuki. Before Akatsuki could offer its assistance, Tobi assigned Taka the task of capturing the Eight-Tails, one of the two remaining tailed beasts. After Taka left, Tobi met with Kisame, consoling him over Itachi's death and revealing his face, allowing Kisame to recognise him as the former Mizukage. Tobi also met with Zetsu and they discussed how much easier their plans would be now that Itachi was dead. Zetsu questioned Akatsuki's recent actions, specifically the loss of five members, but Tobi insisted it had all been worth it to gain Sasuke's loyalty.

Taka later delivered the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Killer B, to Tobi. The remaining members of Akatsuki began the sealing process, but quickly found that it was only one of the Eight-Tails' tentacles disguised as B. Tobi was irritated that Sasuke failed in his mission, but still sealed the tentacle into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path so that it would have at least a fragment of the beast's chakra.

Five Kage Summit

Main article: Five Kage Summit Zetsu reports to Tobi the outcome of Pain's mission to capture Naruto: although Konoha has been destroyed, Naruto was not captured. What's more, Pain (Nagato) gave his life to perform the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique and revive the villagers he killed. Upset by yet more setbacks, Tobi assigns Kisame to capture B and tracks down Sasuke and Taka on their way to attack Konoha. He informs them that they are too late since the village is already gone and adds that they still owe Akatsuki for their failure to catch the Eight-Tails. While they are speaking, Zetsu reports that Danzō is to be the next Hokage and that he will be attending the Kage Summit in the Land of Iron.

Tobi sees a compromise: Danzō was a conspirator in the Uchiha's assassination, and if Sasuke were to kill him during the Kage Summit that would serve Tobi's purposes. Sasuke agrees to the arrangement and is escorted to the Land of Iron by Zetsu. Once he and Taka get there, however, Tobi instructs Zetsu to reveal their presence to the assembled Kage. While Taka is placed against the Kage's combined might, Tobi meets with Naruto - who is also in the Land of Iron - in an effort to understand Nagato's change of heart. Kakashi Hatake and Yamato confront him, but Tobi doesn't want to fight, instead telling them about the Sage of the Six Paths, the truth of the Uchiha clan, and Sasuke's descent into darkness. They doubt the validity of what he tells them, but he is unconcerned and leaves shortly afterwards.

As Sasuke is about to be killed by the Kage, Tobi rescues him. He sends Sasuke away, sending Karin with him so she can heal his injuries. Though disappointed that Sasuke was not more of a match for the Kage, Tobi is nevertheless happy by the development of Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan. Telling the Kage and those in attendance that he is Madara Uchiha, he explains the Eye of the Moon Plan to them and concludes by asking for their support by giving him Killer B and Naruto. The Kage refuse, so Tobi declares war on them all before disappearing.

Tobi intercepts Danzō while he is fleeing the Summit. He is attacked by Danzō's bodyguards, Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame, but, other than the loss of an arm to Torune's rinkaichū, Tobi easily disposes of both. With Danzō alone, Tobi teleports Sasuke and Karin to their location to fulfil his promise of letting Sasuke kill him. Tobi observes the battle and is glad when Sasuke is finally able to fully develop Susanoo. When Sasuke emerges victorious, Tobi approaches the dying Danzō to take Shisui's eye, which was implanted in Danzō's right eye-socket. Danzō activates the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing in an attempt to take Tobi and Sasuke with him, but they are able to get out of range in time. Tobi collects Danzō's body and suggests that Sasuke take some time to rest.

At his lab, Tobi discovers that Danzō destroyed Shisui's Sharingan before he died. Cursing him, Tobi gets a new arm and makes plans to retrieve Nagato's Rinnegan to prepare for war. Before he can leave, Zetsu informs him of Sasuke's fight with Naruto. Tobi interrupts them and advises Sasuke to save the fight for another time in light of Sasuke's deteriorating vision. Once back at the Mountains' Graveyard, Tobi restores Sasuke's vision at his request by implanting him with Itachi's eyes, then leaves him to recuperate.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown

As he is leaving the Mountains' Graveyard, Tobi is confronted by Kabuto Yakushi who requests to ally with Tobi in the coming war. Tobi declines and attacks him, prompting Kabuto to use the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation to revive five deceased members of Akatsuki (Sasori, Deidara, Itachi, Nagato, and Kakuzu). Kabuto offers them as pawns to be used on the battlefield, and all he asks in return is to be given Sasuke. Tobi contemplates refusal, to which Kabuto responds by reviving Madara Uchiha. Horrified that Kabuto knows that Madara is actually dead, Tobi is forced to accept an alliance, but sets the condition that Sasuke will not be turned over until after the war. Kabuto agrees and sends the summons away. Tobi escorts Kabuto into his hideout so he can assess his battle strength and reformulate his plans for war.

Tobi later infiltrates Amegakure to acquire Nagato's corpse. He is immediately confronted by Konan. Tobi tries to buy back her cooperation by informing her of his involvement in Yahiko's creation of Akatsuki, but she doesn't believe him. Konan turns into paper and engulfs Tobi, hoping to use the exploding tags mingled with her paper in order to sacrifice herself and kill him. Tobi realises what she's up to in time and warps the explosion away – saving both of their lives – but loses his right arm. Konan tries another attack, detonating a constant series of six hundred billion paper explosives.

The explosions go on for a period of ten minutes, longer than Tobi can remain intangible for. He therefore uses his left Sharingan to perform Izanagi to survive the attack. Unaware of this and thinking he's dead, Konan lowers her guard, allowing Tobi to sneak up behind her and stab her. He asks what it is about Naruto that could have caused her and Nagato to betray him in the way that they have, to which she responds that Naruto is the light that will build a bridge to peace. Tobi avows himself as the darkness that crushes Naruto's light and places her under a genjutsu to extract the location of Nagato's body before he kills her. When Tobi finds Nagato's body, he sees Nagato smiling at him, which he interprets as continued betrayal. He shuts Nagato's eyes before teleporting the body away.

After replacing his left Sharingan with one of Nagato's Rinnegan, Tobi receives a report from Kisame about the location of Naruto and Killer B. Kabuto offers to capture them for him as a sign of good faith. He ultimately fails, but does manage to bring back Yamato, who he can use to strengthen the White Zetsu Army. Tobi finds this a fair alternative.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation

When preparations are complete the thousands of Zetsu and many of Kabuto's reincarnated ninja mobilise, initiating the Fourth Shinobi World War. In the confusion, Kabuto also captures Anko Mitarashi outside the Mountains' Graveyard. Tobi suspects that Kabuto led her to their hideout and believes Kabuto plans to have Akatsuki and the Allied Shinobi Forces destroy each other. Although confident that this will not happen, Tobi orders Kabuto to kill Anko. Kabuto refuses on the grounds that he can use Anko to make the Impure World Reincarnation stronger, something that is in Tobi's best interests. Tobi remains uneasy about Kabuto and has White Zetsu plant spores on him so that his actions can be monitored.

He later learns that Naruto and B have left their confinement and joined the battle. With things moving towards their conclusion, Tobi goes to the location of the First Division where he summons the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. While the Statue decimates the Division, Tobi seeks out the Benihisago and the Kohaku no Jōhei, which contain the reincarnated Gold and Silver Brothers. Darui and Shikamaru conclude that he plans to make use of the brothers' Nine-Tails chakra as part of his plans and try to stop him. He compliments them on guessing his intentions and has the Statue attack them while he escapes with the two items. As dawn breaks on the second day of the war, Tobi stands behind his own Six Paths of Pain, comprised from the reincarnated jinchūriki.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax Tobi leads the Six Paths towards Killer B and Naruto. Naruto headbutts Tobi as soon as they meet, to which Tobi only responds by pointing out that Naruto couldn't even scratch his mask. Naruto notices his new Rinnegan and remarks that it is the same as the "other" Madara's. Realising that Kabuto has revealed his secret, Tobi quietly curses Kabuto before shedding his Madara-identity, embracing the role of "nobody".

Tobi has his Six Paths engage Naruto and a transformed Killer B. B levels the area in an attempt to force Tobi away while he seals the six jinchūriki, which Tobi counters by having the jinchūriki enter Version 2 forms. As the jinchūriki overwhelm Naruto and B, Tobi takes advantage of Naruto's distraction and nearly captures him, only to be parried by Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake. In the confusion of their appearance, the Five-Tails breaks free of Tobi's control but he promptly subdues it. He then forces the Four-Tails and Six-Tails to fully transform in an attempt to stack the odds in his favour. The Four-Tails is able to swallow Naruto, leading Tobi to believe that Naruto is out of commission. Instead, the Four-Tails manages to communicate to Naruto how Tobi is controlling it. Naruto escapes from its mouth, locates the chakra receiver embedded in the Four-Tails' flesh, and removes it.

With the Four-Tails free, Tobi quickly summons the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to reseal the beast. He has the remaining jinchūriki transform into their respective tailed beasts to try and finally bring the situation under his control. Despite the overwhelming power of the five tailed beasts, Naruto, working in full cooperation with the Nine-Tails, is able to neutralise all of them and release them from Tobi's influence. Like the Four-Tails, Tobi seals them back into the Statue. Despite the setbacks, Tobi remains confident that he will emerge victorious.

Sometime later, the revived bodies of the jinchūriki, having been kept restrained by a transformed Killer B, are released from the effects of the Impure World Reincarnation, causing them to once again become lifeless corpses. As this could only mean that Kabuto has failed, Tobi realises that time is running out. With no other option he tosses the Benihisago and the Kohaku no Jōhei into the Demonic Statue's mouth which, in addition to the Eight-Tails' tentacle from the fake Killer B, completes the set of the nine tailed beasts, initiating the Ten-Tails' revival.

While the Demonic Statue undergoes its regeneration into the Ten-Tails, Tobi protects it from Naruto, B, Guy, and Kakashi. Despite their combined efforts they are unable to get past Tobi or damage him. Tobi is even able to turn some of their own attacks against them, such as a lightning-infused kunai that Kakashi is forced to send away with Kamui. After this latter exchange, however, Kakashi notices that Tobi's mask takes damage. Unable to attribute the damage to any of their attacks, Kakashi tests a theory: Naruto attacks Tobi with a Rasengan, and when it appears to pass through Tobi, Kakashi targets the Rasengan with Kamui. Tobi's arm is then damaged. Kakashi concludes that his Kamui and Tobi's ability share the same dimension; that attacks sent to the dimension at the same moment that Tobi has transported his body parts there for safety will do damage to Tobi.

Now that they have a strategy to use against Tobi, Naruto, B, Guy, and Kakashi begin to coordinate their efforts. One of Naruto's shadow clones attacks Tobi, but the attack appears to fail and the clone disappears. The real Naruto attacks immediately afterwards with a Tailed Beast Ball, which Tobi avoids by retreating to the other dimension. There he finds Naruto's shadow clone waiting for him, having been sent there by Kakashi's Kamui. Before he has a chance to react he is hit in the face with a Rasengan, shattering his mask. His face revealed, Kakashi and Guy recognise him as their former team-mate Obito Uchiha.

Kakashi is devastated to learn that Obito is not only alive but is now one of the world's worst criminals. Before he can find out how Obito survived, the reincarnated Madara Uchiha arrives at Obito's side. Seeing the Demonic Statue, Madara chides Obito for reviving the Ten-Tails prematurely and reviving him in the state he is in. Obito informs him of Nagato's betrayal before returning to him his gunbai and directing him to Naruto and B. While Madara goes after them, Obito fights Kakashi. He ignores Kakashi's pleas for an explanation and nearly kills him, stopped only by Naruto. When Kakashi gets over his initial shock and starts to fight seriously, Obito sends him away with Kamui. This is part of Kakashi's plan, as through a combination of efforts Naruto and Killer B nearly destroy the Demonic Statue. But the attack comes a moment too late, and from the smoke emerges the Ten-Tails. Obito and Madara take position atop the Ten-Tails' head and attach themselves to it so they can control its actions.

Because they no longer need Naruto or B, they direct the Ten-Tails to kill them. The combined Allied Shinobi Forces arrive in time to stop the attack. The Allies collaborate against the Ten-Tails and succeed in restraining it, but the Ten-Tails matures to its next form and releases itself. Though this was countered easily enough, they have the Ten-Tails destroy the Allied Shinobi Forces' Headquarters to prevent future collaborations. Madara remarks that the battle is more difficult than it should be and blames Obito's deviations from the original plan, namely not bringing Madara back to life in the correct way. Obito replies that he never trusted Madara would keep his word and that he now follows his own version of the Eye of the Moon Plan. Obito uses the beast as a medium to fire off several wooden projectiles into the assembled Alliance. Many die, including Neji Hyūga, which Obito uses to try and encourage the Alliance and, specifically, Naruto of the futility of their resistance. Naruto and the Allies refuse to be broken by their shared loss and instead unite for yet another attack, successfully separating the Ten-Tails from Madara and Obito's control. Madara and Obito join forces against the shinobi army, but now have the unrestrained Ten-Tails to contend with.

The Ten-Tails prepares to use Tenpenchii, which Kakashi attempts to stop with Kamui. Obito intercepts him and together they relocate to the other dimension. With nobody to interrupt them, Kakashi again tries to speak with him, and Obito finally starts to answer some of his questions, explicitly stating Kakashi should feel no guilt for killing Rin so many years ago. Kakashi tries to explain, but Obito saves him the trouble, saying he already knows the circumstances surrounding Rin's death and that it was Rin's idea to die, which is what led him to despair at the world that forced Rin to kill herself. Kakashi persists that what Obito is doing is wrong, but Obito continues to rebuff him. In an ensuing fight, he directs the outcome to have Kakashi stab him through the heart with a lightning-infused kunai in order to get rid of the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag Madara placed on him years ago. Obito gives Kakashi a non-fatal stab in return which causes him to fall to the ground and allows Obito to return to the real world.

Badly injured, Obito teleports to the top of the Ten-Tails. Madara senses his return and his weakened state and exerts his control over Obito to try and force him to perform the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique and bring him back to life. Before the technique can be completed the Allies try to eliminate Obito, including a reincarnated Minato, who is able to teleport to Obito's location using the same Flying Thunder God seal he branded Obito with years earlier. Minato and Obito only recognise each other after Obito has been cut down. Madara admits defeat, but not because Obito is dead: Obito, already beyond Madara's influence, was sealing the Ten-Tails into his body, a process he completed in time.

Now the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Obito begins attacking the other reincarnated Hokage, using his new abilities to overpower them and all others with ease. Attacks do not affect him and his Truth-Seeking Balls overcome every defence that is placed against him. The Allies' only advantage is Obito's lack of control; the Ten-Tails' power physically distorts his body and some inner struggle deprives of any discretion or precision in his actions. Deep within his mind, Obito fights to rein in the Ten-Tails and keep it from tearing him apart. By focusing on a picture of his old team, he is able to subjugate the Ten-Tails' power.

Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki

Main article: Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki He hones the Ten-Tails, composes himself, and begins a methodical attack against the Allied Shinobi, nullifying every jutsu they use against him. In a blind gamble, Gamakichi uses Starch Syrup Gun against Obito, which is the first attack to not be completely nullified. Naruto realises that, despite all of Obito's new powers, he remains vulnerable to senjutsu.

With the moon nearing the optimal position to perform the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Obito begins making final preparations. He traps the Alliance in a barrier and creates an enormous tree with four flowers, each flower charging a Tailed Beast Ball. The balls are fired at the shinobi forces but Naruto and Minato teleport everyone to safety. After repelling the two's senjutsu-fuelled counterattack, Obito summons the tree form of the Ten-Tails and has it absorb the chakra of nearby ninja, taking their chakra and killing many. Obito uses this rising death toll to shatter the determination of the Shinobi Alliance, offering them mercy if they stop fighting and allow themselves to enter the infinite dream. Naruto is nearly shattered, but is galvanised by Sasuke's refusal to surrender and he rallies the shinobi forces.

Naruto and Sasuke join forces, combining their own senjutsu abilities against him to increasingly greater effect. Obito, who is fighting both the shinobi alliance by controlling the tree and Naruto and Sasuke personally, becomes frustrated with their continued attacks and Naruto's denial of his way of thinking. Obito forms the Sword of Nunoboko, intending to use it to strike all of them down for good. Naruto and Sasuke realise they will only have a small window to defeat Obito so they enlist the aid of their classmates from Konoha to help them with a combined attack against Obito. They successfully overwhelm Obito and he begins to lose control of the Ten-Tails' chakra, giving the Alliance a chance to pull it from his body. During this time, Naruto enters Obito's consciousness through their linked chakras and begins to reason with him. Though he tries to resist the pull of both Naruto's words and the Shinobi Alliance's grip on his chakra, the chakra of the nine tailed beasts is removed from him and he falls to the ground, his power and transformation gone and his battle lost.

As Obito lies helpless, Kakashi finally returns from Kamui's dimension with the resolve to kill him. Minato stops him and explains it's no longer necessary, as Obito's defeat by Naruto has finally shown him that he was wrong all this time and that deep down, he was living a lie fighting for the Infinite Tsukuyomi. As the Alliance begins shifting their attention to Madara, who is fighting elsewhere, Obito decides to use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive everyone he's killed as atonement for his sins. As he is performing the technique, Black Zetsu emerges from underground and forces him to change targets, reviving Madara instead. Black Zetsu tries to take the Rinnegan Obito is using also, but realises it will not be able to get away from Kakashi and Minato. Obito explains to them what he has been forced to do and pleads with them to destroy his Rinnegan at any cost. While he struggles against Black Zetsu's control, the Demonic Statue is summoned from Obito's body, sapping what little energy he has left and enabling Black Zetsu to overpower him.

Obito later manages to reassert control of his body just before Black Zetsu can transfer the Rinnegan and the Nine-Tails' Yin-half (taken from Minato) to Madara, who has already regained the Rinnegan Obito hid away and become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki. Madara tries to convince Obito of the error he is making and lets his guard down while he gives Obito another chance. Obito opts instead to stab Madara, and in the process steals fragments of the One-Tail and Eight-Tails' chakra, embracing his identity as Obito Uchiha for the first time in years. Because Obito has all of the pieces that Madara still needs for his plans, his escape becomes paramount. Kakashi uses Kamui on him while he also uses it on himself, allowing him to flee to the other dimension before Madara can stop him.

In the other dimension, Obito finds Sakura and Naruto, the former performing emergency life support on the latter because of the removal of the Nine-Tails' Yang-half from his body. Although she is sceptical of Obito, she allows him to seal the Nine-Tails' Yin-half and the other tailed beasts' chakra he has into Naruto since it's the only chance of saving him. When Naruto recovers, Obito sends him back to the real world to fight. He then asks Sakura to destroy his Rinnegan. Before she can go through with it Madara arrives, having stolen Kakashi's Sharingan so that he could confront Obito. Obito teleports Sakura away so that Madara couldn't kill her. Because Obito is out of options, Madara gets one last thing off his chest: he orchestrated Rin's death all those years ago in order to gain Obito's cooperation. With that said, Black Zetsu takes control of Obito's body.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes

Main article: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Strikes

Obito awakens later to find circumstances greatly changed: the Rinnegan is gone, replaced by his original left eye; Black Zetsu is completely gone from his body; the Infinite Tsukuyomi has been cast and the world trapped in a dream; Madara is gone, replaced by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki; only Naruto and Sasuke, with help from Kakashi and Sakura, remain to resist Kaguya; they are now all stuck in a network of Kaguya's Dimensions, lost within which somewhere is Sasuke. After taking all this in, Obito expresses his belief that he can use his two Mangekyō Sharingan to locate Sasuke. Naruto creates an opportunity for Obito and Sakura to infiltrate Kaguya's core dimension and then draws her away while they work. Through a process of trial-and-error – the stress this causes to his body being healed by Sakura – Obito searches through Kaguya's dimensions with Kamui and eventually finds Sasuke.

Obito returns Sasuke and Sakura to the dimension where Naruto and Kakashi are. He watches as Naruto and Sasuke fight Kaguya, their combined powers the only ones capable of stopping her. Aware of this, Kaguya relocates them to a dimension with powerful gravity and pins Naruto and Sasuke down while she attacks with All-Killing Ash Bones. Obito and Kakashi, empowered by a shared memory of their past friendship, place themselves in front of Naruto and Sasuke as shields. Because his odyssey began by saving Kakashi from death by a boulder, Obito decides he must now end things by saving Kakashi's life again: he uses his left eye to teleport the attack aimed at Kakashi away, allowing the attack directed at him to connect. Obito's body begins to crumble and there is nothing anyone can do to save him. He warns Kakashi that he will not be around to save him a third time and places his faith for a better world in Naruto before dying with a smile.

Obito finds himself in the limbo between life and the afterlife. There, he sees Rin waiting for him. Obito apologises for taking so long to join her and also for many of the things he did while she waited for him. Rin assures him that it was okay because he tried his very hardest and that she was always watching him. Though he is eager to start spending time with her, he is worried that Kakashi might do something stupid like die and ruin things between them again. Therefore, he uses Kamui and has his spirit return to the living plane and inhabits Kakashi, imbuing him temporarily with the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. Kakashi uses them and the resulting Susanoo to provide backup for Naruto and Sasuke, giving them the opening they need to defeat Kaguya. With all scores settled, Obito apologises to Kakashi one final time for everything and the two part fully reconciled with Obito now free to join Rin in the afterlife.

Legacy

Following Obito's apparent death, Kakashi was left greatly changed by the experience. The Sharingan that Obito gave to Kakashi helped him gain fame throughout the ninja world and earned him the nickname of "Copy Ninja Kakashi" (コピー忍者のカカシ, Kopī Ninja no Kakashi) for over a thousand jutsu he copied with the Sharingan. Obito's philosophy about the importance of team-mates also guided Kakashi during all his future missions and, once Kakashi was old enough to begin training his own students, became the single most important lesson he wanted them to learn and demonstrate. On a more personal level, Obito's death remained ever in his thoughts and he would often spend his time visiting the Memorial Stone where Obito's name is engraved to reflect on events.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack that Obito was responsible for would end up directing the course of Naruto and Sasuke's lives. Naruto's parents died that night, leaving him an orphan. Like Obito before him, Naruto came to dream of gaining Konoha's acknowledgment by becoming Hokage and pursued that goal against all odds. The suspicion that an Uchiha was behind the attack would ultimately lead to the clan's downfall. Sasuke, the only Uchiha to be spared from death, dedicated his life to taking vengeance against those behind the death of his family at any cost. Despite the dark path he took in his life, Obito's actions eventually led the Five Great Shinobi Countries aligning with one another to form the Allied Shinobi Forces, and later the Shinobi Union, ultimately fulfilling his promise of ending all wars and bringing peace to the world to Rin.

In Other Media

Movies

Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie

Main article: Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie Tobi appears before Naruto and Sakura and traps them in the Limited Tsukuyomi, sending them to an alternate reality with the intention of eventually allowing him to extract the Nine-Tails. From their original world, Tobi collaborates with a masked man known as Menma. He sends Menma after Naruto, but that world's Akatsuki arrives to aid Naruto and Sakura. This creates Tobi's opening: he takes control of Menma's body (who is the Naruto of that world) while Naruto is tired from the fight and begins extracting the Nine-Tails. Sakura interrupts him, giving Naruto a chance to retaliate and defeat him. Tobi emerges from Menma's body and tries to attack once more, but is stopped by that world's Minato and Kushina. Giving it up as a lost cause, Tobi ends the Limited Tsukuyomi, letting Naruto and Sakura return to the original world.

Video Games

Obito Uchiha is a playable character in the following video games:

The above-listed games refer to Obito with his true-personality. In some games, such as Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, the Tobi personality appears as his Awakening Mode. Because of the many outfits he has had throughout the series, he is playable in different costumes in different games, some of which come with their own movesets:

Trivia

Quotes

(To Kakashi) " Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash! If I'm going to be called trash either way, I'd rather break the rules! And if that somehow makes me anything less than a real shinobi, then I'll crush all of the so-called "real" shinobi! " [101]

" (To Kakashi) " I'm about to… die… but I'll become your eye… and see the future with you. " [102]

" (To Pain and Konan) " The true power of the Sharingan… this is Madara Uchiha's power! " ( 写輪眼の本当の力が… このうちはマダラの力が! , "Sharingan no hontō no chikara ga… kono Uchiha Madara no chikara ga!" ) [103]

" ( , ) (Thinking to himself about Sasuke) " The moment people come to know love, they run the risk of carrying hate. " [104]

" (To Naruto and Killer B) " I'm no one… I don't want to be anyone. All I care about is completing the Eye of the Moon Plan. This world is completely worthless… there is nothing left in it but misery. " [105]

" (Thinking to himself) " You remind me of myself… Naruto… yeah… just like when I was young… but, that'll all change with time…" [106]

(To Kakashi) " Look! There is nothing in my heart! I don't even feel pain!! You don't have to feel guilty, Kakashi. This windhole was opened by this hell of a world. " [107]

" (To Madara) " Now I finally realised that faking one's name and letting others do everything for you is different than entrusting something to one's comrades. I'm not you. The current me is the one who wanted to become Hokage: Obito Uchiha! " [108]

" (Last words, to Naruto) "You'll probably have to suffer again from now on… but don't change, keep going your way. You told me that you never change your words… that's your ninja way. Right? Naruto, become Hokage… at all costs."[109]

References