The moment the topic of kissing girls came up.
Kurama openly mocked Naruto for never having kissed a girl, even dragging up the incident where he and Sasuke Uchiha had once "sealed their bond with a kiss."
The instant that kiss was mentioned, the Uchiha Clan—existing within Naruto's consciousness and sharing every one of his emotions and senses—once again felt a wave of intense mental and physical discomfort.
The three versions of Obito Uchiha all wore painfully awkward expressions. They honestly couldn't tell which was more mentally stimulating: being Naruto and kissing Sasuke, or being Obito Uchiha and listening to Kakashi Hatake read Icha Icha Paradise.
All things considered, once they got out of this illusion, which outcome was more likely? Being silenced by Big Brother Fugaku, or being silenced by Minato-sensei?
Their hearts were pounding out of control.
Shisui Uchiha gave a bitter smile, while Itachi Uchiha let out a helpless sigh.
Most of the Uchiha men inwardly spat in disgust, cursing Kurama from the tips of its ears all the way to the base of its tail.
The men found it hard to accept, but most of the women were relatively unfazed. Female ninja like Izumi Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha even wore strange, knowing auntie smiles.
The one in the worst position was undoubtedly Child Sasuke.
Even though he had experienced sixteen years of life, it had all been through the mission scroll illusion, much like the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
In reality, he was still only a seven-year-old child. Back then, that kiss alone had already completely stunned him.
He hadn't yet formed a proper understanding of the difference between boys and girls.
Inside young Sasuke's small head, he was still stuck in that foolish line of thinking where adults could probably have children just by kissing.
And now Kurama had brought it up again.
That made him remember how Naruto had been beaten black and blue trying to bring him back. How he had shouted at Orochimaru, "Don't call Sasuke your property!" How he had let that woman from Kumogakure beat him up to vent her anger. How he had knelt before the Raikage of Kumogakure, begging him to spare Sasuke's life. How he had even refused Gaara's help. How he had broken down so badly he could barely breathe…
And as Naruto Uzumaki, he understood even more clearly that that dead-last idiot had been watching him ever since they were little.
Emmm…
Putting all of this together…
That dead-last guy actually…
Likes him, right?!
He was the youngest son of the Uchiha Clan Head, while that dead-last was the son of the Fourth Hokage. Honestly, it seemed like a pretty good match.
Once that thought started, it completely spiraled out of control.
The seven-year-old Sasuke decided that after leaving this illusion, he would be just a little nicer to that dead-last. If Naruto asked him properly, teaching him some Uchiha shuriken techniques or sparring with him in taijutsu wasn't totally out of the question.
Oh right, during the next sparring session at the Ninja Academy, he should probably go a bit easier on him.
Yeah. If he asked properly…
Even if it was a bit troublesome, he absolutely couldn't disgrace the Uchiha Clan's name.
The mastermind controlling the mission scroll sensed Child Sasuke's thoughts at that very moment and nearly broke down on the spot. Cold sweat poured down as he feared this world might be heading toward some truly catastrophic ending.
Unfortunately, things never go as planned. But that was a story for later.
Unlike seven-year-old Sasuke, Sasuke from the Fourth Shinobi World War looked absolutely terrible.
That accident back then.
How many more times did he have to remember it?!!!
That idiot dead-last.
A complete and utter idiot!
And Kurama was no better!
Is this really the kind of Nine-Tails you are?
Do the other Tailed Beasts even know about this?!!
Rubbing his forehead, Sasuke sighed deeply. Every time his emotions spiraled out of control, there was about a thirty percent chance it was because of Itachi.
The remaining seventy percent was always because of Naruto.
That absolute idiot.
"Ahhh! Don't make me remember that!! Ugh—ugh—ugh—"
Fourth Shinobi World War Sasuke: …
Child Sasuke: You're dead, dead-last!!
"Hey, isn't that reaction a bit much? What did it even feel like kissing that guy named Sasuke? Is it really worth throwing up this badly…?"
Fourth Shinobi World War Sasuke: Don't argue with the dead. Don't argue with the dead. Don't argue with the dead…
So I won't hold it against the Fourth Mizukage. That just leaves one idiot left to kill!!
Young Sasuke was so furious he couldn't even speak.
Setting aside that painfully embarrassing memory, the rest of the Uchiha were probably laughing themselves to death inside.
'Our Sasuke isn't that bad, right?'
'For a moment, I honestly couldn't tell whether to pity Naruto or Sasuke…'
'Sigh, I haven't experienced what a first kiss feels like either. And because of this cursed special experience, I ended up giving my first kiss to a man too, just like Naruto.'
'I seriously suspect that if this happened to me for real, I'd awaken the Sharingan on the spot.'
'Seriously, we're still on the battlefield, and this completely killed any sense of tension.'
'I really want to know if the Captain and the Fourth Hokage would explode if they found out about this.'
…
"Alright, save the vomiting for later. Let's get back to business," said the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi. "The Four-Tails and its Jinchūriki, Rōshi, entrusted us with something to pass on to you."
Immediately afterward, the six Tailed Beasts present each handed over a portion of their chakra to Naruto Uzumaki.
Along with it, they entrusted him with their names.
Because of this groundwork, during the later stages of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto Uzumaki would be able to use his own chakra in a tug-of-war to rescue the remaining Tailed Beasts.
When the true Fourth Shinobi World War fully erupted, the secret behind Obito Uchiha's space-time Mangekyō Sharingan was uncovered by Kakashi and the Nine-Tails. At that moment, Obito Uchiha's identity was finally exposed.
"If you're still alive, then why haven't you returned to Konoha all this time?!"
"Because you stood by and watched Rin die!"
Those words left the Obito Uchiha of three different eras, now aware of the truth, feeling utterly ashamed.
The Fourth Shinobi World War had already begun, yet the version of himself in that world still didn't know that everything had been a conspiracy orchestrated by Black Zetsu and Madara Uchiha.
He had blamed Kakashi for nothing.
Now that they knew the truth, standing beside Kakashi as Naruto Uzumaki, they could clearly see the guilt and grief in his eyes.
"Don't you blame me, Obito?"
"What's the point of blaming you? I know everything. Rin chose to die by your hand because she loved you."
Young, rebellious, and adult Obito Uchiha: …
The subtle emotions of the three were impossible to put into words.
Fortunately, Rin and Kakashi couldn't experience this illusion. Otherwise, they really would have needed to grab a handful of dirt and bury themselves on the spot.
After that, the battle against the Ten-Tails truly opened everyone's eyes.
They had once thought the Nine-Tails was already a natural disaster, but when the chakra of all the Tailed Beasts gathered together, the Ten-Tails revealed what these monsters were truly meant to be.
Its casual attacks alone were enough to alter natural phenomena.
Earthquakes.
Thunder.
Tornadoes.
Tsunamis.
If they weren't Naruto Uzumaki at this moment, they would probably have already given up all hope in the face of such a scene.
Of course, not everyone would surrender.
At the very least, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha were still trying to simulate strategies, searching for weaknesses in the Ten-Tails.
Although Obito Uchiha wasn't the sharpest, over these past years, the more they understood Naruto, the more they realized just how similar he was to themselves.
And because they understood "Obito Uchiha," they also realized that the villain standing opposite them had noticed that similarity as well.
That was why he was desperately trying to destroy Naruto's beliefs.
On one hand, he saw himself as despicable. On the other, he felt pathetically foolish, a complete coward who couldn't face reality and instead hoped that Naruto would make the same choices he had.
But…
The more they compared themselves to Naruto Uzumaki, the more clearly they realized—
They were different.
They envied Naruto for choosing the right path.
Seeing another version of themselves in a different world, standing alongside Madara Uchiha against the Allied Shinobi Forces, becoming an enemy of the entire world, filled them with deep anguish.
"Naruto, you're just younger than me. As long as you live in this ninja world, bound by its system of survival, you, and everyone else here, will eventually become just like me!"
"I'll never become like you! How many times do I have to say it? My dream is to become Hokage!"
"Don't worry. Once you enter the Infinite Tsukuyomi, you'll get what you want and become Hokage. So stop getting in my way and sleep peacefully."
The Ten-Tails' attack suddenly veered off course. It was the Byakugan combined with the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique! Even though it lasted only two seconds, they actually managed to restrain the Ten-Tails.
Obito Uchiha and the other Uchiha didn't even have time to be surprised before "their" comrades began arriving on the battlefield one after another, becoming part of their strength, becoming part of Naruto Uzumaki's power.
"Bug-Controlling Technique!"
It was the ninja of Konoha's Aburame clan.
"Mist Concealment Technique!"
The jōnin of Kirigakure.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
The Hyūga, another great dōjutsu clan of Konoha.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
The elite of Sunagakure.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
The Sarutobi clan, standing behind the Third Hokage.
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
The ninja of Iwagakure.
"Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Konoha's strategists, the Nara clan.
Close behind came the Yamanaka clan and the Akimichi clan.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Strike!"
The dark-skinned members of the Yotsuki Clan from Kumogakure.
The Inuzuka clan of Konoha, along with scattered ninja from all sides, all took their stand behind Naruto Uzumaki.
Within Naruto Uzumaki's body, the Uchiha watched the raging Ten-Tails. To control a monster like that, the strongest force had always been the Uchiha's dōjutsu…
Sharingan…
"The entire Uchiha clan of Konohagakure joins the battle."
The words slipped out unconsciously, born from a longing to fight as a clan that was once Konoha's pride.
They wanted to stand within the Allied Shinobi Forces, to be part of the formation, trusting their comrades and fighting side by side against the enemies of the ninja world.
Not as a clan that betrayed the village.
Not as a cursed clan.
Not as a dangerous clan.
Even though they existed within Naruto Uzumaki's body, each individual Uchiha consciousness stood at his side.
They wanted to change all of this.
"So?!"
"This is the Allied Shinobi Forces' technique! The power of comrades!!"
"You don't have that, do you?!"
***
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