Obito noticed that Itachi took a deep breath before asking quietly,
"The legendary Uchiha Madara… why are you watching me?"
"Because you're special, of course."
Obito's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Special…?"
Itachi was momentarily stunned.
"Today's Uchiha clan, from the patriarch all the way down to the children...are hopelessly blind and foolish," Obito said calmly.
"But among that entire group of idiots, a talent like you stands out."
"What a high evaluation," Itachi replied, a trace of helplessness in his tone.
"In the Uchiha clan, there are many who surpass me."
"Oh?"
Obito raised his brows, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"You're talking about Uchiha Shisui, aren't you?"
"You know him?" Itachi was caught off guard, then admitted,
"Shisui truly is superior to me."
Obito chuckled.
"Heh. The shinobi path is divided into two, technique and heart."
"In terms of skill, Uchiha Shisui is indeed outstanding. He deserves to be called a prodigy."
"But when it comes to heart...his vision, his ideology, his grasp of the bigger picture, he's a fool. A big fool."
(Of course you're trash too, Obito sneered inwardly.)
Itachi's brows furrowed, clear displeasure written across his face.
Seeing that expression, Obito didn't press further. Instead, he waved the matter off.
"Well… anyway, today I only came to check on your growth."
"Now that you know who I am, you should also understand the hatred I carry, for the Uchiha clan, and for Konoha itself."
Obito's tone lowered, heavy with meaning.
"You're the exception though, Itachi."
He smirked beneath the mask.
"I look forward to our next meeting."
As though performing a stage play, he finished his lines perfectly. Then the space before Itachi distorted, swallowing Obito's figure until he vanished into the forest, leaving only silence in his wake.
"Revenge on the Uchiha… and on Konoha…"
Itachi stared at the spot where Obito had vanished, his brows knitting tightly.
Sasuke…
Meanwhile, Obito had already slipped away. His form shifted, transforming back into that of an ordinary Konoha shinobi.
As usual, he went to place flowers at Rin's memorial, his face hidden under the guise of a loyal villager.
Afterward, he strolled casually through Konoha, quietly observing. From a distance, he watched Kushina and her young son Naruto.
His gaze lingered, but he made no move to approach her. He had no intention of meeting Kushina, not now.
"Hm?"
Passing by the Hyūga compound, Obito noticed Hyūga Hiashi walking with a striking woman who had just returned home. She leaned against him gently, and Obito's eyes narrowed.
"So… Hinata's mother is pregnant again."
His lips tugged upward.
"Then the one in her belly should be… Hanabi."
He didn't dwell on it further. After one last circuit around the village, Obito disappeared from Konoha once again.
Time flowed swiftly. Days blurred into nights, and before long, more than a year had passed.
In that time, the railways and trains spearheaded by the Land of Snow, alongside the Lands of Earth and Water, had been completed and put into operation.
Within two and a half years, their railway network sprawled across their territories, accelerating trade and prosperity.
Only the Fire Country remained behind...its project was still under construction, requiring more time to finish.
Within Konoha itself, tension between the Uchiha clan and the village only grew sharper.
Half a year ago, Uchiha Itachi had joined the Anbu, serving as a silent double agent caught between two sides.
Elsewhere in the shinobi world, Orochimaru began delving into secrets surrounding the Akatsuki.
Far away, in the snowy training grounds of the Land of Snow, Obito faced four small figures in combat.
"Kimimaro, mind your teammates' positioning."
"Haku, strike harder. Don't worry about me, you can't hurt me."
"And Hinata… your Gentle Fist still lacks precision."
"Karin, provide support faster!"
The clash ended soon after, Obito effortlessly tossing the four of them aside with practiced ease.
"Alright, that's enough. Take a break."
"Yes, Madara-sama!" the children chorused, running to rest with flushed faces.
Obito turned, finding White Zetsu leaning casually nearby, watching him train the young ones.
"What is it?" Obito asked.
White Zetsu's grin widened.
"Uchiha Shisui just repelled a squad from Kirigakure. He's on his way back to Konoha."
"…I see."
Obito's step faltered slightly at the news.
Lately, the Mist had sent several teams to stir trouble within the Land of Fire, and Shisui had been tasked with eliminating them.
By Obito's calculations… yes. The timing was just about right.
His eyes glimmered faintly, a trace of expectation flashing across it.
"Got it. You can go."
"Yes!" White Zetsu saluted and sank into the ground and vanished.
Obito returned to the training ground. By evening, after the day's sparring ended, he dismissed the others but stopped one child before she left.
"Hinata."
The little girl froze, clutching her hands nervously in front of her chest.
"Madara… Madara-sama…" she whispered, head bowed, voice timid.
"Hinata, do you miss your family?"
"I…" Hinata blinked, stunned by the sudden question.
"…No."
"Be honest."
"Ah...yes!" Startled, she lowered her gaze further, voice small.
"Yes… a little."
"Do you want to go back and see them?" Obito asked calmly.
"I… no, I…" Hinata's head dipped lower, as though afraid even to answer. She dared not meet his gaze.
"Your mother gave birth to another daughter nine months ago." Obito's voice was flat, almost indifferent.
"In other words, you now have a sister."
Hinata's eyes widened. Her head snapped up, staring at him in shock.
"If you want," Obito said, lips curling faintly beneath the mask, "I can take you to see her."
The spark of longing in Hinata's eyes was immediate, undeniable.
"Hm! I… I want to!" she admitted, her timid voice quivering with hope.
"But," Obito added with a smile once more, "you can only watch quietly. After that, you must return here."
"…Yes."
Hinata nodded, her excitement tempered by obedience, yet her small face couldn't hide the faint light shining in her pale eyes.
---
That evening, in Konoha Village
On the edge of a cliff where a great waterfall thundered down into the river below, two figures stood side by side.
"You're back, Shisui."
"Yes. I finally drove off the Mist's shinobi," Uchiha Shisui replied.
He and Uchiha Itachi gazed at the river before them. It was the same place they had once played together as children, now filled with the weight of far heavier thoughts.
"I want to hear your thoughts, Itachi," Shisui said quietly.
"…About what?"
Shisui turned, his expression serious.
"How serious do you think Lord Fugaku is?"
"Serious about what?" Itachi asked, though the answer was already beginning to form in his mind.
"About a coup d'état."
Itachi froze for a moment.
Shisui's gaze darkened as he continued.
"The Uchiha's dissatisfaction with the village grows day by day. If things continue as they are, I fear the clan's patience will soon reach its breaking point."
Itachi's voice was calm, steady, but cold.
"As long as the village doesn't change, neither will the Uchiha. And if the Uchiha won't change, then the village has no reason to either."
"The distrust between both sides will only continue to deepen, until there's no return."
Shisui sighed, turning back toward the crashing waterfall.
"…I want to dispel that distrust. If the Uchiha launch a coup, it will only lead both sides to ruin."
"I also oppose a coup," Itachi admitted. "But… to prevent it, we may be forced to take measures outside the norm."
"I know."
Shisui looked at him directly, his tone grave.
"But you mustn't act rashly."
"Why?" Itachi asked, confused.
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
"Because not everyone in the Police Force trusts you. In fact… some of them have ordered me to keep an eye on you."
Itachi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, though his face remained composed.
"So leave this to me. With my dōjutsu… with Kotoamatsukami, I can guide them."
The two of them stood in silence as the sun sank low, its golden light bleeding into the river below.
After a time, they both departed, their silhouettes vanishing from the cliff's edge.
Moments later, the air shimmered and Obito stepped out from the distortion of space.
He stood where Shisui and Itachi had just been, the roar of the waterfall filling his ears.
Staring down at the rushing river, the corner of his mouth curled into a sly smile.
"Heh. Now this is getting interesting… Looks like harvest season has come again."
His Sharingan gleamed beneath the mask.
"Uchiha Shisui… let's see if your eyes can grant me the true Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
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