[Hiking_Bear]

Originally Posted by james0246

Again, there is a big difference between a character dying (or pretending to die) but then coming back a few chapters later, and a character dying and never being shown to return. Both "died" but only one was ever truly acknowledged as being dead...

The only difference here is that I give Kishimoto more credit than you do. I believe Kishimoto can hold onto a thought for more than a few chapters. It was 14 chapters for Kisame (what did you say was the cutoff again?). And now we've recently seen characters that died even longer ago - Nagato, Kakuzu, Itachi, Sasori. I'm not sure what you consider a "big difference", but whatever it is, it's not substantiated by the manga.

Ah, but if the Sharingan/MS turns out to be a streamlined ability (i.e. all Uchiha posses the same basic abilities (which is the currently accepted speculation)), then the similarity becomes a moot point. In the end, the similarity does not necessitate Obito's existence.

The similarity suggests a connection with Obito. That's the point - that this is a clue, not a smoking gun. Tobi's warping ability is one of the few clues we have about his identity. And it does point to Obito. If it points to someone else as well, then let's hear it.

Additionally, even if it turns out to be an Obito exclusive that still doesn't mean that Tobi is Obito. Tobi/Madara has a wall of Sharingan eyes, so it is just as likely that Obito's eye could have been taken leaving Obito's body to rot (or if Zetsu is around, be eaten).

Well that was my theory, in fact. It connects the ideas that Zetsu created Tobi and that there is a connection between Tobi and Obito.

(If the speculation that Zetsu = Tobi turns out to be true, then it is easy to hypothesize that Zetsu ate Obito and reconstructed an Uchiha body from the dead Obito...but that still means Obito is not Tobi .)

I have already hypothesized that.

Since little is known of Zetsu, it isn't really safe to make any speculation based on this strange character with a split personality. For instance, who’s to say that Zetsu isn't hundreds of years old?

If we waited until we knew everything about Zetsu, then it wouldn't be speculation at all.

Additionally, Zetsu's use of "boy" could just as easily be a carryover from when Tobi acted like a childish fool. In other words, it’s a joke that Zetsu has kept up.

Or maybe it's not.

Tobi loses an arm of his left side in Chapter 503. So, that kind of debunks this speculation...

It would be debunked if Minato cut off Tobi's right arm and it was shown to be a real arm (i.e. showing that Minato was responsible for Tobi having an artificial right arm). The left hand doesn't debunk anything, sorry.

The vast majority of the first names in the series are written in katakana, so this is a non-point. You might as well say that Nagato and Naruto are related considering that there is only a one character difference in their names.

They were related. The connection between Naruto and Nagato was established during Nagato's talk with Naruto. Jiraiya's story about Naruto was inspired by Nagato. So, thanks for pointing that out. You've just given precedence to a connection existing between Obito and Tobi.

That was a flashback...it has no bearing on the current storyline, nor Tobi revealing himself as Madara.

False? What does "No bearing on the current storyline" mean? Every new chapter that Kishimoto writes has a bearing on the storyline - flashbacks included.

Additionally, just two chapters later the question was answered : Madara.

Except it wasn't answered. It was Minato asking the question.

That being said, even if it did matter, that still doesn't necessarily indicate Obito. As I have said many times, there is ample evidence that Tobi could potentially be someone or something besides Madara, I just don't see Obito as being a frotrunner in the "Who is Tobi" debate.

Apparently, the name, Madara, doesn't answer the question of 'Who is Tobi?' unless this how you remember Chapter 502?

Minato: Are you Uchiha Madara?
Tobi: Yes. (takes mask off). Tell him what he's won

Honestly, the only reason we actually think Tobi could be someone besides Madara is because of the mask. But, when you really think about it, is that even a reason to suspect otherwise? Specifically, Kakashi has 75% of his face covered, yet no-one doubts that he is Kakashi, why can't it be the same for Tobi/Madara?

Let's be realistic. The only thing missing from Kakashi's face are two dots and a line. But more importantly, that's how we've always seen Kakashi - so basically that is his face. But Tobi's masked appearance is not how we know Madara. Madara's appearance is that of the statue seen at the valley of the End. How do people logically confirm someone's identity in real life? Photo ID. Tobi doesn't match the photo ID and so, logically, we should be suspicious.