The news of Shisui's "suicide" hit the Uchiha clan like a bomb.
The clan's hardliners seized on it immediately, their resentment toward Konoha's leadership flaring into open fury. Accusations spread through the compound, and conspiracy theories took root just as quickly. With each passing day, the atmosphere within the Uchiha compound grew heavier, darkened by suspicion, anger, and a sense of betrayal.
But without their high-level combatant, the coup that the radicals had been preparing for months was forced into delay. They were forced to delay, buying time to regroup, reassess, and determine how to proceed without Shisui's strength behind them.
On the surface, the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village returned to an uneasy calm. As if all the conflicts that had been building for years had somehow vanished with Shisui's death.
But this wasn't peace. This was the quiet before the storm.
---
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day of Kakashi and Rin's wedding.
Kakashi had lost his father years ago, and his mother had died when he was young. Rin's parents had both perished during the Third Great Ninja War. So Minato and Kushina attended as stand-in family, acting as parents for the newlyweds. It was a small ceremony. Aside from Kakashi's teammates and a handful of close friends, there weren't many guests. But that just made the atmosphere more intimate.
Kenji arrived with Honoka just as the ceremony was beginning. They found seats near the back, not wanting to intrude on the closer relationships. The venue was simple but tastefully decorated. White fabric draped across wooden beams, flowers arranged in vases throughout the room. Soft music played from somewhere they couldn't see.
Minato stood at the front, looking proud in formal robes. Kushina sat nearby, already crying happy tears even though nothing had started yet. A few other familiar faces dotted the crowd. Guy was there, somehow managing to sit still despite his usual energy. Asuma and Kurenai sat together, which made Kenji wonder when that had happened.
The ceremony itself was brief. Traditional vows, exchange of cups, the formal acknowledgments. Nothing fancy or drawn out.
When it finished, everyone offered congratulations and gifts. Then Kakashi emerged from the side room, holding Rin's hand.
He wore an understated formal suit, dark and well-tailored. His mask was gone for once, revealing his full face. Rin walked beside him in a traditional white shiromuku kimono, her hair elegantly styled with ornamental pins. Delicate makeup softened her features, giving her a graceful quality that suited the occasion perfectly.
They looked good together.
Kenji and Honoka approached to offer their congratulations.
"Kakashi, Rin, congratulations on your marriage," Kenji said with a genuine smile.
"Thank you, senpai. Thank you, Honoka," the couple replied in unison. The happiness in their eyes was impossible to miss.
"I have to admit," Kenji said after the couple moved on to talk with the other guests, "I never expected them to end up together."
It was true. In the original timeline, Kakashi had never married. He'd spent his entire life alone, carrying his trauma and Icha Icha Paradise everywhere. And Rin... She'd died young, her spirit waiting in the afterlife for Obito, eventually departing together when he finally joined her.
Here they were, married, and still moving forward. They were not trapped by the past or defined by the tragedies that should have ended them. Today, their lives were not about what they had lost, but about what they had chosen to keep.
"Is there something wrong with them being together?" Honoka asked, glancing at the newlyweds chatting with Minato and Kushina before turning to her husband with confusion in her voice. "You're acting weird today."
"Nothing's wrong," Kenji said quickly. "I just always figured Kakashi would stay single his whole life. He's got that lone wolf thing going on."
"That's such a weird assumption!" Honoka clearly couldn't understand his concern. "They grew up together as teammates. They've known each other for years. Why wouldn't they fall in love and get married? It's perfectly natural."
"You're right," Kenji conceded. "They are a good match."
"Exactly!" Honoka smiled as she watched the couple. Then she sighed softly, her expression turning wistful. "If Obito knew about this in the afterlife, he'd definitely be happy for them."
Kenji nearly lost control of his expression when she said that.
Whether Obito was happy or not, he had no idea. But he was certain that the masked man was hiding somewhere nearby at this very moment, watching the wedding with eyes full of pain and fury behind that mask.
Part of him worried Obito might act on impulse and reveal himself. He could jump out of the shadows and stab Kakashi, or shout "I object!" before kidnapping Rin. It was the kind of dramatic, destructive choice a broken man might make when reason finally gave way to obsession.
But nothing happened. The wedding concluded smoothly. Guests departed one by one, offering final congratulations as they left. By the time the last person had gone, the sun was setting and the venue was quiet.
It was as if Obito had truly died on that battlefield years ago.
---
On the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, Obito and Itachi stood side by side on a hillside overlooking the district. Below them, lights were beginning to appear in windows as families settled in for the evening. Those lights that should have represented home and safety looked cold and lifeless to the two Uchiha standing above.
"Have you made your decision, Itachi?" Obito asked in an emotionless tone. "Will you sever these meaningless ties, or continue struggling in this false world?"
Itachi was silent for a long moment. His gaze remained fixed on the compound below.
"Do it," he said finally. His voice carried no inflection or emotion.
But in his mind, he couldn't help replaying his conversation with Danzō. That bandaged man had laid out the choice in the coldest possible terms.
"Make your decision, Itachi. Stand with the Uchiha, participate in their coup, and be annihilated along with your entire family. Or stand with Konoha, and before the rebellion breaks out, we'll spare one person, your brother."
Thinking of Sasuke made his eyes harden.
"Do it," he repeated.
"I didn't expect you to make the correct choice," Obito said. Then he started laughing. "We are the same kind of people. Don't worry. We will create a perfect world. This false world isn't worth caring about, because everyone you care about will be restored in the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"No. Sasuke must live."
"Oh?" Obito turned to look at him, the visible Sharingan beneath his mask glowing in the fading light. "You're about to slaughter your own clan and parents, yet you still care about such illusory familial bonds?"
"It's not about bonds," Itachi said calmly. "I need him as a vessel for the Sharingan."
"The Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Yes."
"I see." Obito nodded slowly. "Don't worry. I have no interest in children without the Sharingan."
"I have no choice but to trust you," Itachi said quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, only cold resolve remained.
"Good." Obito sounded satisfied. Then he added, almost as an afterthought, "After this is over, you should join my organization."
"Your organization?" Itachi looked at him with mild curiosity.
"Akatsuki," Obito answered simply. Then he moved on to more immediate concerns. "When do we strike?"
"Tonight." Itachi raised his head to look at the moon rising in the sky. Moonlight fell across his face, making his expression seem even colder. "Besides the members currently on duty with the Police Force, all the other clan members who were out on missions have returned. Everyone's home."
"Perfect." Obito nodded and began assigning tasks. "You go to the Police Force headquarters and deal with all the Uchiha stationed there."
"No. I'll handle the ones in the compound myself."
"Hm?" Obito paused, then let out a low, strange laugh. "You want to personally kill your own parents? Hahaha, interesting. After the Mangekyō Sharingan, are you? Severing familial bonds really is the fastest way to obtain that power. Itachi, your capacity truly surpasses all other Uchiha."
Itachi didn't respond. He simply stood there with his Sharingan active, gazing at the lights of the compound below. Those lights that had once made him feel warmth were now obstacles he would have to extinguish with his own hands.
The two Uchiha stood in silence for another moment, each lost in their own thoughts.
Then Itachi spoke one final time.
"Let's begin."
---
At the same time, on the streets of the Uchiha compound, Homura walked home with Izumi.
"Why are we going back so early today?" Izumi complained, hopping along ahead of him. "I haven't finished my training yet!"
Her voice carried the petulant tone of a child who'd been interrupted from something important. She turned to look back at him.
"Something dangerous might happen tonight. We need to go back and protect your mother."
"Dangerous?" Izumi's light footsteps stopped immediately. She spun around to face him, nervousness replacing her earlier annoyance. "What's going to happen?"
"I'm not sure. It's just a guess." Homura kept his answer vague. "You don't need to worry about the details. Kids shouldn't get involved in adult business."
"I'm not a kid!" Izumi puffed out her cheeks indignantly, annoyed by his attitude. She turned away and resumed walking, though her steps slowed without her even realizing it.
Despite her protests, she wasn't truly afraid. Ever since she had lived with Homura years ago, he'd always protected her and her mother. She had complete faith that this time would be no different.
From his position on the hillside above the compound, Itachi's eyes caught the moment when Izumi and Homura opened their door and disappeared inside.
His gaze lingered on them for just a second. Then it returned to indifference.
"Let's do it," he said quietly.
The words fell like a death sentence.
In the next instant, both Itachi and Obito's figures vanished into the darkness.
Below, Homura closed the door behind them. But in that final moment before the door shut completely, his peripheral vision caught the direction where the two Uchiha had disappeared.
A flash of cold intent flickered through the crimson depths of his Sharingan.