"Back then, I was even younger than you are now. When I saw that old geezer, I thought he was the Shinigami," Obito Uchiha said. "He hid in the dark tunnels, watching over Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, searching for someone who could help him carry out that foolish plan."
Perhaps because this world never truly belonged to him, Adult Obito poured out his emotions, recounting how he had been manipulated by Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu all those years ago.
He recounted the mission at the Kannabi Bridge, Kakashi Hatake killing Rin, his own hatred for this world, and the later events—the Nine-Tails incident, the growing rift between the Uchiha and Konoha, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha desperately trying to stop it all, yet the right-wing faction pushing for Uchiha independence made their efforts nearly impossible...
Though told simply, the narrative carried Obito Uchiha's helplessness, regret, sorrow, and anguish—moving the members of Team Taka.
Sasuke Uchiha: "What exactly are you trying to say? Is this just to make me forgive Konoha?!!"
"Konoha isn't what we imagined back then—a place of boundless light, yearned-for bonds, and a beautiful future," Obito Uchiha replied. "Nor is it as we imagine it now—a place utterly consumed by scheming, conspiracy, and irredeemable corruption."
"....." Sasuke conceded this point.
As Obito spoke across from him, Sasuke recalled some of the hopeful experiences he'd once shared within the village—Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, and the genin who took the Chūnin Exams together.
"But Itachi? You expect me to just let that slide?!! Konoha gave him that order! Made him kill his own parents and clan!!"
"Whether it's the Uchiha, the Hyūga, or any other clan—even in other ninja villages—attempting a coup against one's own nation is never permitted. Even if Itachi hadn't done it, Konoha's ANBU would have. The only difference is whether someone like you, who knows nothing, could have been spared; and whether the escalating conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha would have drawn the attention of other villages, potentially triggering the Fourth Shinobi World War prematurely..."
"Your very survival to this day is something Itachi sacrificed his own moral boundaries to desperately protect. If he were still alive and knew I'd told you all this, he'd likely oppose my revealing it to you. He might even seek my life for informing you of the Uchiha clan's attempted coup."
"Your brother wished for you to remain ignorant, to hold onto the belief that the Uchiha are a clan of honor and glory—forever the Uchiha of Konoha."
Sasuke Uchiha turned his head away, pressing his lips together. His expression betrayed a longing for his elder brother. The brother he had hated for half his life, the brother he had killed with his own hands...
In the end, he survived only by walking this path, each step more arduous than the last.
If Itachi Uchiha were here, Sasuke might have shouted at him: He didn't need him to do this! He might as well have killed him too back then!
But Itachi Uchiha was dead. All his emotions had lost their outlet.
Obito Uchiha watched the agonized Sasuke. "The emergence of cause and effect isn't nearly as simple as you imagine. Was it Konoha that forced the Uchiha to rebel, or did Madara Uchiha inflict such profound pain upon Konoha that it came to fear the entire Uchiha Clan..."
"This question is like the chicken-or-egg dilemma. Everyone's perspective differs."
Obito gazed at Sasuke Uchiha, who was only seventeen years old.
"Go back, while you still have the chance to turn back. Return to your comrades. Whether you choose to rebuild the Uchiha Clan or abandon its honor to clear Itachi Uchiha's name—it's up to you."
"As I said before, the Nine-Tails incident in Konoha back then was my doing. I killed Minato-sensei and Kushina, leaving Naruto an orphan and making him the third Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails in Konoha, following Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki. It gave the Uchiha clan an excuse to be ostracized by Danzō Shimura, causing the village to misunderstand the Uchiha."
"..."
The flood of information was overwhelming. While Sasuke showed no outward reaction, his inner turmoil could only be described as a raging storm. Even Karin beside him showed a flicker of emotion upon hearing the names Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki. She hadn't forgotten what this man had just told her—that she, too, was a ninja of the Uzumaki Clan.
Belonging—for her and her mother, who were 'outsiders' wherever they went—was a longing buried deep within their hearts.
Obito Uchiha: "As for changing Konoha, you can leave it to Naruto or do it yourself. Despite being the founding clan of Konoha, not a single Uchiha has ever become Hokage."
"I once swore on the family crest of the Uchiha fan that I would become Konoha's first Uchiha Hokage when I grew up. Little did I know I'd later become the villain who nearly destroyed the ninja world. The Fourth Hokage's death and the Uchiha clan's annihilation were all, to varying degrees, connected to me."
"If I had stayed in Konoha back then, I might have replaced Kakashi as your Team 7's sensei." Obito's expression held a touch of melancholy.
"Minato-sensei is still alive. Naruto keeps running to the Hokage's office demanding S-rank missions. Itachi works in ANBU with Kakashi. Seeing how helpless I am with you little brats, they don't show a shred of sympathy. Instead, they mock me for not even being able to control three genin."
"After Shisui finishes his duties with the Uchiha Police Force, he'll pick Itachi up on his way home. And only after I've finished dealing with you little devils can I drag Kakashi out for some red bean cakes or ramen to vent."
He found himself voicing the idyllic scenes playing in his mind, grateful the impatient trio across from him hadn't interrupted. Perhaps because they'd all endured pain, they understood the longing one feels when, cornered, they envision alternative paths for their lives.
"I've said my piece. The rest isn't for me to decide—you must figure it out yourself. But..."
Adult Obito fell silent for a moment. "If I could make that choice again..."
I wish I could have remained the Obito Uchiha who always aimed to be Hokage, who always put his comrades first.
Sasuke Uchiha hadn't yet recovered from the shock when Obito, having spoken his piece, estimated the time.
"Things over there should be wrapping up soon."
With that, he abruptly hurled Sasuke Uchiha, Karin, Suigetsu, and Jūgo out of the space.
"Hey—!"
Sasuke hadn't been treated like this in ages. He wanted to protest, but the chance was already gone. In the blink of an eye, he heard the other say:
"Don't let Itachi's expectations for you go to waste. "
Then, they found themselves transported from the pitch-black, chilling void into a dense forest.
"Where are we?" Suigetsu glanced around.
Sasuke recognized the slash marks from kunai blades etched into the trunks of two massive trees, along with the deep footprints gouged into the bark...
"This is the forest of the Land of Waves."
...
On the other side, the adult Obito Uchiha from the scroll world also stepped out of his Kamui's Dimension, once again encountering the masked Obito of this world.
The masked man saw him and asked in a low voice, "Why did you do this? What is your purpose?"
Just moments ago, because Sasuke and the others had vanished, he had summoned Black Zetsu, intending to question him about Sasuke's whereabouts. But before Black Zetsu could finish speaking, he had already been sucked into Kamui's Dimension?!
And though he couldn't understand the reason, a strong will surged within him—he absolutely must not release Black Zetsu until conditions allowed, nor could he use Intangibility or enter Kamui's Dimension himself.
Faced with questions from his counterpart in this world, the adult Obito swiftly absorbed him into his Kamui's Dimension without hesitation.
"All plans have been programmed into your mind. Time is short. You'll understand once we reach the next location."
With that, he gave his other self no chance to question further. Obito Uchiha captured several White Zetsu and returned to Konoha, handing them over to the Second Hokage to perform the Edo Tensei Reincarnation on this world's Jiraiya.
Upon arrival, they discovered even Yahiko had been resurrected—a truly unexpected delight for Nagato and Konan.
Without informing the others that his space still held this world's Obito Uchiha, adult Obito rushed straight to Nagato and Konan's hiding place.
He happened to overhear Nagato and Naruto's conversation.
He couldn't deny it—Minato-sensei's son...really had a way with words.
…
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