After saying those words, Itachi fell silent for a while.
Her thoughts drifted back into the past. She no longer knew how many times this had happened. Somehow, looking back had become a habit.
Perhaps the past was something she could never truly escape. Or perhaps, in a way, she was still searching through those memories for a place where everything had once made sense.
"Waaah!"
A loud cry suddenly shattered the silence, dragging her out of those memories before they could fully settle. Yet that single cry was only the beginning. As though some invisible switch had been flipped, more voices soon followed.
In less than three seconds, the entire living room descended into chaos.
Several small children on the soft carpet began crying one after another. Some were newborns wrapped in tiny blankets, their little faces red from crying. Others were barely two years old, sitting unsteadily while clutching toys in their small hands.
Their hair colors were all different. One child had soft black hair, just like the old Uchiha clan.
Another had faint gray hair that looked almost like smoke beneath the light. There was also a golden-haired little boy with round cheeks, his eyes already cold and sharp despite his age.
And among them, the most eye-catching was a tiny child with pure silver hair.
The silver-haired baby sat in the middle of the carpet, staring at Itachi with wide, quiet eyes.
Unlike the others, the child did not cry. That small face remained calm, even faintly arrogant, as if silently wondering why everyone around him was making so much noise.
Itachi stared at the child in silence.
For some reason, out of all of them, that face reminded her of Sasuke the most.
"Uu…!"
The black-haired toddler beside the baby suddenly raised both hands toward Itachi. His eyes were wet, but his little face remained stubborn, as though crying first had already been humiliating enough, and asking to be held was even worse.
Then his small mouth trembled, as if he wanted to say something.
"Ma…"
The word was soft, unclear, and almost buried beneath the crying around him. But Itachi was still a shinobi. Her senses were far beyond those of an ordinary person, so she heard it clearly.
And because she heard it clearly, her emotions became even more complicated.
For a moment, she could not move. She could not respond like a mother should have. Even now, a part of her mind still refused to accept this reality.
This body.
This life.
The memories of her past life still clung to her like a shadow that refused to fade.
Yet fate seemed to enjoy tormenting her. As if wanting to devour the last traces of her dignity, the children… no, her children, reached out to her with their tiny hands.
They looked at her with innocent eyes, as though the entire world could collapse around them, but as long as she came close, everything would be fine.
And every time they looked at her like that, something inside Itachi softened.
No matter how much her mind resisted, her heart grew quieter little by little, day by day. Those small faces slowly chipped away at the walls she had built around herself.
Itachi closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she opened them again and slowly stood up.
"Don't cry."
Unfortunately, perhaps because her voice had naturally become too cold, those two words did not soothe the children at all. Instead, the moment they heard her, they cried even harder.
"…"
Itachi just stood there without saying anything more.
Then, somewhat awkwardly, she bent down and picked up the black-haired toddler first. Her movements were clumsy, far from the smooth precision she once displayed on the battlefield.
After some effort, she finally managed to calm him down. Then she moved to the others, picking them up one by one, soothing them in her own stiff and unfamiliar way.
Only after the children finally quieted down and slowly fell asleep did Itachi rise from the carpet.
She looked at them for a while, then turned and went to the kitchen to prepare food.
...
While Itachi was occupied with his own strange daily life, another person closely related to him was also doing his best.
After being kicked out of at least four different jobs, Sasuke had finally found a new one.
A kindergarten teacher.
Inside the classroom, sunlight spilled through the windows and fell across shelves full of picture books, building blocks, and scattered toys. A group of small children had gathered near the corner, laughing together while pointing at one child standing alone.
The child puffed out his cheeks, looking wronged and angry at the same time. But soon, his eyes lit up as if he had suddenly thought of something. He turned around and trotted toward a young man standing nearby with both hands tucked into his pockets.
"Sensei, he took my crayon!"
The boy raised his little hand and pointed at another child, who was standing among the laughing group while holding the stolen crayon.
Sasuke lowered his eyes toward the boy.
Then his gaze shifted to the child holding the crayon. His dark eyes narrowed slightly before he spoke in a calm voice.
"Then take it back."
The little boy, who had been looking at Sasuke with expectation, froze on the spot.
"Eh?"
Sasuke looked down at him and placed a hand lightly on his head.
"If something important is taken from you, crying will not return it."
The boy's eyes widened.
He did not fully understand the meaning behind those words. There was still confusion in his gaze, but he at least understood one thing. His sensei wanted him to handle it himself.
But if he had that kind of courage, he would not have come to ask for help in the first place.
His mouth trembled, and he looked as if he was about to cry.
Before that could happen, Sasuke spoke again.
"But first, ask for it properly. If he refuses, come to me again."
Sasuke's dark eyes flickered with a cold intensity.
"And if he doesn't…"
By then, the child holding the crayon had already noticed that the matter had reached the cold-looking sensei. His small body trembled, and before Sasuke could finish speaking, he immediately stretched out both hands.
"I'm sorry! I'll give it back!"
The wronged boy blinked.
Then his face brightened at once. He happily took the crayon back and hugged it to his chest as though he had recovered a treasure.
Sasuke looked away as if nothing had happened.
"Good. Realizing your mistake, apologizing, and making amends deserves a reward."
As he said that, Sasuke reached into his pocket and took out a few lollipops.
The child who had been frightened a moment ago instantly came forward. His eyes lit up as he happily accepted the candy, and before running back, he did not forget to bow his head and say his thanks.
"Thank you, Sensei!"
Sasuke looked at him.
Then, very stiffly, he smiled.
The child did not seem to notice how unnatural that smile was. He simply ran back to his friends, proudly showing them the lollipop he had received.
The small group soon gathered around him, their earlier laughter turning into curious chatter.
Sasuke watched them for a moment before turning his gaze away.
He had to focus.
This time, he could not lose his job.
With that thought in mind, Sasuke quietly scanned the classroom again, checking the corners, the windows, the toy shelves, and every possible blind spot he might have missed.
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the modern shinobi world, a camera drone floated above a seaside road, capturing the glittering blue ocean, the long bridge stretching into the distance, and the bright afternoon sun shining over the water.
Below it, Naruto Uzumaki walked backward with practiced ease, holding a small stabilizer in one hand while facing the camera with his usual bright smile.
"Yo, everyone! Long time no see!"
The moment his voice sounded, the live-stream viewer count began climbing at a terrifying speed.
[12,000 watching]
[37,000 watching]
[85,000 watching]
Comments flooded across the screen so quickly that they almost blurred together.
Naruto scratched his cheek, and his smile gradually became a little awkward.
"Sorry, guys. I know I haven't gone live for a while."
His voice softened.
"Something happened recently. One of my close friends… took his own life."
For a brief moment, even the comment section seemed to fall silent.
Naruto lowered his eyes. A trace of pain crossed his face, as though that memory had quietly surfaced again despite his best efforts to keep smiling.
"So I needed some time. I couldn't just come back here laughing like nothing happened."
The sea breeze blew past him, ruffling his blond hair and making the straps of his jacket sway lightly.
"I'm sorry for worrying everyone."
A few seconds passed.
Then, as if a bomb had been dropped into the stream, the comment section exploded.
BurgersDon'tLie: LMAO he vanished for two weeks and came back with a tragic excuse arc.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
"Hey! Don't say that! I'm being serious here!"
BurgersDon'tLie: Sure, sure. Next video title: "My Friend Died So I Ate The World's Biggest Ramen Bowl." Emotional thumbnail included.
Naruto's expression darkened at once.
"You bastard, I'll have you know this is real!"
BurgersDon'tLie: Real convenient, that's all I'm saying.
Naruto pointed straight at the camera, as if he could reach through the screen and grab the commenter by the collar.
"Come say that in front of me! I'll show you convenient! Dattebayo!"
Instead of calming down, the comment section became even more excited.
SocksCollector: Holy shit, he snapped.
ScrollMeUp: Blogger Naruto rage mode unlocked.
KunaiTooDeep: Don't anger him. Those lungs aren't just for yelling "Dattebayo," if you know what I mean.
BurgersDon'tLie: See? Using grief for engagement. Views just went up.
Naruto froze when he saw the same username talking again.
Then, almost by instinct, his eyes darted toward the viewer count.
[132,000 watching]
"Eh?"
For half a second, his anger cracked.
Then he shook his head violently, as though trying to throw the number out of his mind.
"No, no, no! That's not the point!"
At that moment, another comment appeared.
ShadowMaster: That's enough. It might actually be true. Sorry for your loss, Naruto-san.
Naruto's eyes immediately brightened.
"See? Thank you, ShadowMaster! At least someone understands!"
ShadowMaster: Losing a close friend is painful. I respect you for coming back and speaking honestly.
Naruto's expression softened at once.
"Man… you're a good guy."
ShadowMaster: By the way, I'm also a travel blogger. My channel is ShadowMaster Travels. It would really mean a lot if you gave me a shout-out during this emotional moment.
Naruto blinked.
"Oh, you're a blogger too?"
ShadowMaster: Yes. It's a small channel, and it's hard to get any views these days.
Naruto nodded with complete seriousness, as though he had just heard the struggle of a fellow shinobi on the battlefield.
"That's rough. Everyone, go check out ShadowMaster Travels! He seems like a really understanding person!"
For half a second, the live chat went silent.
Then it exploded again.
ForbiddenJutsuEnjoyer: HE GOT FARMED.
BigSummoningEnergy: Naruto just got pickpocketed live.
ThirstyByakugan: ShadowMaster used Condolence Style: Self-Promotion Jutsu.
ShadowMaster: Thank you, Naruto-san. Please like, subscribe, and turn on notifications.
Naruto stared at the comments.
Slowly, even his brain began to realize that something was wrong.
The smile on his face faded little by little.
"Wait…"
He turned toward the camera.
"Did he trick me?"
ShadowMaster: No.
Naruto relaxed instantly.
"Oh. Okay."
BurgersDon'tLie: He said no, so it must be true.
OldManTeuchiOfficial: Naruto, never trust a man who advertises during grief.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Teuchi-ojisan?! You're watching too?"
OldManTeuchiOfficial: Of course. And don't forget to eat at Ichiraku on time.
Naruto immediately straightened his back like a student receiving an order from his teacher.
"Yes, sir!"
Another comment shot past the screen.
NinjaSucks: Hey, when are you going to fight an entire whale, twelve sharks underwater, blindfolded, with no chakra, holding your breath, and one hand tied behind your back? And don't forget—if you fail the challenge, you have to livestream as a girl from now on.
"…"
Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly.
He had, in fact, said something like that before.
At the time, he had only been irritated after getting trolled and underestimated. In a moment of heat, he had agreed to some completely outrageous challenge without thinking it through. Under normal circumstances, he probably would have shouted about never going back on his word and somehow tried to make it happen.
But then Shikamaru's incident had happened.
The faint smile on Naruto's face wavered.
For a moment, the bright seaside road, the blue ocean, the floating camera drone, and the endless stream of comments all seemed to grow distant.
The news of Shikamaru taking his own life still weighed heavily on him. Even worse, his last words had been repeating in Naruto's mind again and again, like an echo that refused to disappear.
[Everything is fake. We are all in a dream… a dream. We have to wake up. I can't take it anymore. We are being fooled. Why won't anyone believe me?]
Naruto's fingers tightened around the stabilizer.
The cheerful mask he had forced onto his face almost slipped but then the stream notification rang again.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
More comments began flooding in, some joking, some complaining, some asking why he had suddenly gone quiet.
Naruto looked at them for a moment.
Then he drew in a breath and forced his usual smile back onto his face.
He could not disappoint his viewers.
...
On the other side, somewhere far beyond the modern shinobi world, a long time had already passed since Obito devoured the Ninja World.
After that, together with White Zetsu and Tobi, he had ventured into the deeper reaches of the universe. According to the memories he had taken from Isshiki and the other Ōtsutsuki, the clan did not gather in one place.
Different members were assigned to different sectors of the universe, each one responsible for nurturing and harvesting worlds under their control.
Among them, there were four main clans.
And behind those four clans stood four beings known as "gods."
Obito's goal was simple.
He would hunt them all.
However, as expected, his actions did not go unnoticed forever. The disturbance he had caused among the Ōtsutsuki soon reached the wrong ears, and before long, a team was sent to investigate the source of the problem.
Or, if possible, eliminate it.
On an unknown planet whose chakra fruit had already been harvested, the land stretched endlessly in barren silence. The soil was cracked. The sky was dim. No wind blew across the dead world, and not a single living thing remained.
At the center of that lifeless wasteland, Obito stood with one foot pressing down on an Ōtsutsuki's head.
The man beneath his foot was battered and bloodied, but his pale eyes still burned with hatred.
Obito looked down at him coldly.
"Tell me. Who ordered you to come here?"
The Ōtsutsuki spat out a mouthful of blood and forced a twisted smile.
"You traitor… I won't tell you anything…"
He coughed.
In the next instant, Obito's foot pressed down.
Crash!
The head beneath his foot burst apart, and silence returned to the dead planet.
Obito lowered his gaze, absorbed the remaining data, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"It seems we've been noticed."
"Oh, yeah?" White Zetsu walked over from the distance, casually tossing another head aside before cleaning his hand as if he had only touched dirt. "Wasn't that only a matter of time?"
Not far away, another Ōtsutsuki struggled to lift his head from the ground. His body was covered in wounds, but his eyes were filled with fury.
"You will pay for this, unknown traitor!"
Obito turned toward him.
"Why are you so angry at me?"
His voice was calm, almost confused.
"I'm simply returning the fist that was aimed at me."
The Ōtsutsuki's expression twisted.
Obito looked at him for a moment longer, then spoke again.
"Don't tell me you people never imagined that someone might actually resist."
He really did find it baffling.
But at the same time, he understood.
For millions of years, the Ōtsutsuki clan had plundered worlds, harvested chakra fruits, and stood at the top of the food chain. To them, every planet was nothing more than a garden, and every living being inside it was no different from livestock or fruit waiting to be picked.
To humans, chickens and fruits were never asked whether they wished to be eaten.
So naturally, when one of those fruits suddenly stood up, spoke, and slapped its owner across the face, the owner would be shocked.
Then furious.
The wounded Ōtsutsuki stared at Obito and suddenly laughed.
"I admit you are strong. But above us stand beings far beyond anything you can imagine. Their power is something you cannot even begin to fathom."
His name was Ōtsutsuki Rokushiki.
Even beaten and broken, he looked at Obito with pity.
"You alone cannot win."
White Zetsu's eyes turned cold.
"Captain, let me cut—"
Obito raised one hand and stopped him.
White Zetsu fell silent.
Obito walked toward Rokushiki without hurry. His footsteps were quiet against the cracked ground, but with every step, Rokushiki felt the air around him grow colder.
After a brief silence, Obito spoke.
"Does it matter?"
Rokushiki's smile froze.
Obito stopped in front of him and looked down, his expression calm enough to make one's blood run cold.
"Whether I win or not doesn't matter."
At that moment, Rokushiki finally saw it.
The look in Obito's eyes was not arrogance. It was not rage. It was not even hatred.
It was hunger.
This man was not looking at the Ōtsutsuki as enemies.
He was looking at them as prey.
"What matters is that as long as I'm alive, I will keep hunting."
Obito's voice remained steady.
"I can wait decades if that is what it takes to find a single opening. I can cross stars, hide in shadows, and live this life just to devour one more of you."
Rokushiki's body stiffened.
This guy…
No.
This bastard…
This monster.
Obito's lips curved slightly.
"Who made all of you so wonderful? So valuable? So worth it all?"
He leaned closer, making it easier for Rokushiki to hear his words more clearly.
"I can't even imagine what I'll do when there isn't a single one of you left for me to eat."
Rokushiki's pupils trembled.
Only then did he understand.
All this time, the Ōtsutsuki had been watching the universe as their nursery.
But now, that nursery had given birth to something else.
Another contender for the position of apex predator.
And with that final realization, darkness swallowed him.
Obito absorbed the data without another word.
A while later, White Zetsu stepped forward and asked expressionlessly, "Where to next, Captain?"
His voice had changed compared to the past. Years of drifting through the silent universe had made even his strange personality colder and quieter.
The three of them usually moved separately to scout a wider area. Although Obito understood his own strength, he was not foolish enough to be reckless. After seeing the memories he had taken from the Ōtsutsuki, he knew very well that charging forward blindly was no different from seeking death.
A head-on battle was not possible yet.
Not against the true monsters hidden behind the clan.
Obito looked toward the dead horizon.
"We'll begin with that 'successor' candidate."
Tobi, who had just arrived and was about to show off, suddenly froze. His single visible eye shrank.
Even White Zetsu turned his head slightly, surprise flickering across his usually blank face.
Both of them knew exactly who Obito was talking about.
Obito glanced at them and said calmly.
"Don't worry. I won't be reckless. I already have a plan."
"For now, we only need to investigate and infiltrate. We need a better lead, and we need to find out what is truly special about that candidate."
White Zetsu thought for a moment before speaking.
"Leave it to us. But for this one, it would be better if we split up. Tobi and I should go this time."
For such an important matter, it was indeed better for them to move first. Their abilities were better suited for infiltration, and if something went wrong, Obito could still remain hidden.
Obito did not reject the suggestion.
"Very well."
He raised his hand and placed it on White Zetsu and Tobi.
"As for your identities…"
A faint ripple passed over them.
In the next moment, their appearances changed completely, becoming identical to the Ōtsutsuki they had just killed.
Obito looked them over once.
"This should be enough for the beginning. The rest is up to you. We'll stay in contact."
Tobi immediately puffed up with confidence.
"Captain, don't worry! This time, I definitely won't mess around, dattebayo!"
"…"
Obito and White Zetsu both fell silent.
It would have been fine if you hadn't said that.
The same thought appeared in their minds at almost the same time.
They exchanged a glance, and from that single look, both could clearly see the complete lack of trust they had in Tobi's words.
Tobi, completely unaware of their suspicion, was still happily looking over his new appearance. Then he tugged at the white veil hanging in front of his face and grumbled.
"Man… why did I have to turn into this guy? He dresses like a girl."
White Zetsu looked at him coldly.
"Stop complaining and move."
Ignoring Tobi's complaints, Obito was just about to leave when his steps suddenly stopped. For an instant, his eyes flickered strangely, and his body went still, as if some invisible signal had brushed against his mind from somewhere far away.
Yet the change lasted only a moment.
Before anyone could notice anything unusual, his expression had already returned to normal, calm and unreadable as ever. Obito said nothing.
A spatial ripple swallowed his figure, and he disappeared from the barren planet.
White Zetsu followed soon after.
Tobi was the last to leave, still pulling at the white veil in front of his face as he muttered complaints about Ōtsutsuki fashion.
Then he vanished as well.
Once again, only silence remained on the dead world.
...
[Then walk, Obito Uchiha.]
[Struggle as far as your will can carry you. Step into the path of the unknown, into a future even my eyes cannot fully see.]
[Wander through the darkness and tear open the path no one was meant to walk.]
[Devour worlds. Defy fate. Bare your fangs against the heavens themselves.]
[Show me that you are the one I have waited for.]
[Become that fragile light of false hope, burning brightly enough to make even the universe believe you might reach the end. Rise higher. Grow stronger. Turn every enemy before you into nourishment, and carve your name into the silence between the stars.]
[But remember this.]
[The brighter that light burns, the deeper the shadow waiting behind it becomes.]
[One day, eventually, a time will come when everything you have done becomes meaningless...]
[The victories you gathered, the lives you consumed, the will that carried you forward, even the power you believed would lead you beyond all things—everything will fall silent before the inevitable.]
[And when that time comes, you will finally understand.]
[When that moment arrives, you will have no choice but to accept the fate I have bestowed upon you.]
[Obito Uchiha.]
In a white space filled with countless blue spheres that resembled open eyes, a voice echoed with a calm, prophetic weight.
There was a man there.
No...
It could no longer be called a man.
It was an entity without flesh, without bones, and without a proper physical form. Its existence seemed to be made from countless Jōgan-like eyes, scattered throughout that higher dimension as though the space itself was watching.
From beyond the world, from a realm no ordinary being could ever reach, that entity silently observed Obito.
He was none other than the most mysterious and powerful god of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the being who had achieved Omnipotence and transcended into a higher dimension.
Ōtsutsuki Shibai.
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