Konan froze for a moment, then immediately shook her head.
"No! I will never abandon you!"
If anything, Konan had known Yahiko longer than anyone. The bond she shared with him even carried feelings beyond simple friendship.
No matter how you looked at it, there was no way she would leave Yahiko behind and escape alone.
Yahiko turned to her, his expression resolute.
"Konan… whether it's you or me, dying here would mean nothing."
"But if I die protecting you… then at least my death will have meaning."
"And besides—I promised Nagato I would protect you."
Seeing the determination in Yahiko's eyes, Konan was struck speechless.
"Have you two finished discussing?"
Uchiha Obito watched Yahiko's resolve with interest. Instead of attacking immediately, he deliberately altered his voice and said:
"I have a suggestion. If you tell me where that red-haired brat is, I might let you go."
"Not a chance!" Yahiko refused without hesitation. "Even if I die, I will never betray Nagato!"
Beneath the mask, Obito's lips curled slightly.
"You might not care about your own life… but what about hers?"
In an instant, he vanished and reappeared in front of Konan, reaching for her throat.
He was too fast—Yahiko couldn't react at all.
Konan barely managed to respond, attempting to evade with her paper technique—but Obito had already seen through her. A sharp black chakra rod suddenly extended from his hand and pierced her shoulder.
Drops of blood splattered.
The black rod contained a strange power that disrupted her chakra flow, rendering her unable to use any ninjutsu.
With a sharp crack, Obito snapped the rod, leaving a piece embedded in her body to continue suppressing her chakra.
At the same time, he pulled her close and pressed the remaining fragment against her throat.
Everything happened in an instant.
By the time Yahiko reacted—it was already too late.
"Don't move!" Obito barked, stopping Yahiko in his tracks. "Make your choice. The girl—or the red-haired brat?"
Yahiko stood frozen, his entire body trembling, his eyes filled with agony and conflict.
If it were his own life, he wouldn't hesitate.
But Konan and Nagato were both his comrades—how could he choose?
Behind the mask, Obito smiled faintly.
Yes… that's it.
Feel pain. Understand pain.
Only then can you see the true nature of this world.
A world filled with endless tragedy has no reason to exist.
If only Nagato were here… that would be even better.
"Yahiko…"
Seeing his suffering, Konan's heart ached.
This choice… could not be his to make.
A trace of resolve flashed in her eyes.
Yahiko sensed something was wrong.
"Konan, don't—!"
Before he could finish—
She threw herself forward.
Thud!
Warm blood burst from her throat, splattering across Yahiko.
His eyes widened, turning vacant.
He looked down at his trembling hands, now stained with her blood.
"Ya…hiko…"
The light faded from Konan's eyes as her body collapsed.
"I…"
"Why…?"
"Konan…"
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
Yahiko dropped to his knees, unable to breathe, his voice breaking into a raw, agonized scream.
If he had been an Uchiha, such pain might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Obito silently stepped back, his single visible eye fixed on Yahiko.
Show me… what choice you'll make.
"Why… why… why did this happen?!"
After a while, Yahiko finally regained a bit of awareness, staring at Konan's body in disbelief as he shouted in anguish.
"This is reality," Obito said, his voice filled with dark persuasion.
"To protect Konan, you'd have to betray Nagato. Refuse to betray Nagato—and Konan suffers."
"You refused to choose. You hesitated. You avoided reality."
"So she chose for you—sacrificing herself to save you."
"This is how the real world works. There's no perfect solution. To protect love, hatred is born."
Yahiko suddenly realized something.
"It was you!" he roared. "You're not Konoha ANBU—you're the masked man who tried to manipulate Nagato!"
Obito neither confirmed nor denied it.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I've shown you reality."
"Tell me—after all this, do you still believe your naïve ideals are right?"
"Do you still think people can understand each other and resolve conflict through words?"
"Or… can you understand me now? Can you resolve things with me through talk?"
"As if that's possible, you bastard!" Yahiko roared. "You killed Konan!"
"Exactly," Obito replied, almost pleased. "The shinobi of Konoha and Iwagakure feel the same way. Their comrades died at each other's hands—just like you now."
"Now that you understand their pain, why demand they do what you cannot?"
"Admit it, Yahiko—your ideals are wrong."
"This world is beyond saving. Only by creating a new one can anything change."
For some reason, Obito no longer wanted to kill Yahiko.
Instead, he wanted to drag this passionate boy to his side.
But Yahiko glared at him with hatred.
"Konan is dead. I don't care about right or wrong anymore."
"I just want to kill you."
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Water surged forward in violent streams toward Obito.
Obito simply phased through the attack, shaking his head.
"You're blinded by rage. Is that all you're capable of, Yahiko?"
Yahiko said nothing. He drew a kunai and charged forward, attacking relentlessly.
But the gap between them was overwhelming.
Obito didn't even bother using intangibility—he effortlessly dodged every strike.
Then, seizing an opening, he kicked Yahiko in the abdomen, sending him flying over ten meters.
"Cough…!"
Blood spilled from Yahiko's mouth as he struggled to stand, his strength drained by pain.
Obito approached slowly.
"You're consumed by hatred. If you were thinking clearly, you'd realize—I didn't kill Konan."
"This world did."
"People are driven by hatred. War is inevitable."
"The Akatsuki seeks peace—but that threatens those in power. They won't allow you to exist."
"Like Danzō Shimura's ambush."
"Even if Konan survived today, she'd die tomorrow or the next day for the same reason."
"To protect peace invites war. That is this world's causality."
"The world I seek will sever that cycle—a world of only winners, only love."
"Join me, Yahiko."
"Help me create a world where Konan never has to die."
But Yahiko roared back:
"What nonsense are you spouting?! You're the one who killed her!"
"This world isn't perfect—but it's not worthless either!"
"There are flowers, sunlight… people like Konan and Nagato… people like Jiraiya-sensei…"
"Don't blame the entire world just because you've suffered!"
Unlike Obito, Yahiko had grown up as a war orphan, wandering and enduring hardship.
But his life wasn't only suffering.
Meeting Konan and Nagato gave him companionship.
Meeting Jiraiya gave him guidance.
Meeting others gave him purpose.
Because he knew hardship, he cherished those moments even more.
Even after seeing the harshness of reality—
He still chose to love the world.
His burning heart would not be swallowed by darkness.
"Stubborn fool!"
For a brief moment, Obito felt shaken—almost ashamed.
Yahiko forced himself to stand, staring straight into Obito's eye.
"Brother Ren once told me…"
"A true warrior dares to face a bleak life—and confront bloodshed head-on!"
"And you? Talking about escaping into a fake world to 'break causality'—you're just a coward who can't face reality!"
"Go hide in a corner and keep lying to yourself!"
"Even if I die, I will never bow to this world—or accept your cowardly ideals!"
Yahiko's blazing will forced Obito to avert his gaze.
"Damn it… then die!"
Enraged, Obito lunged forward.
"Enough!"
Just as Obito's hand was about to grab Yahiko's throat—
A large hand suddenly caught his wrist.
"Brother Ren?!"
Yahiko's vision blurred as he stared in disbelief at the man who had appeared before him—
Uchiha Ren.
"Uchiha Ren…?!"
Obito instantly phased out of the grip and retreated, a trace of fear flashing through his heart.
His emotions had been so unstable that—
He hadn't even noticed when Uchiha Ren approached.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789