Chapter 13: Obito's Unfortunate Adventure
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The rapid, insistent pounding on the door dragged Uchiha Kazuki from the depths of a pleasant dream.
"Who is it?" Having his rare moment of peaceful sleep so rudely interrupted left Kazuki extremely irritated. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he threw on a coat and shuffled to the door.
"Ah! Sorry, Kazuki-nii!"
Obito stood outside, visibly wilting under Kazuki's unfriendly glare. He quickly bowed apologetically, nearly folding himself in half. "I didn't mean to wake you! I thought it was almost noon and you'd be up already!"
This is why I can't stand energetic kids.
Kazuki sighed in resignation, stepped aside to make room, and gestured. "Come in, Obito. But let me get ready first, alright?"
"Y-yes, Kazuki-nii!"
Obito cautiously entered, then obediently sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, head bowed as if he'd committed some grave offense.
Kazuki nodded indifferently before turning to wash up and make himself presentable.
Left alone in the main room, Obito was initially quite composed. But within minutes, his true nature emerged like a hyperactive puppy.
He kept fidgeting, scratching his head, glancing around nervously. Occasionally he'd break into a silly, dopey grin, then immediately flush bright red with embarrassment.
He looked exactly like a teenage boy with a hopeless crush on a girl—too shy to confess, his mind filled with romantic fantasies and wishful thinking.
Poor kid. He's got it bad.
"Ahem."
Kazuki cleared his throat deliberately, interrupting the boy's daydream.
"Wah! Kazuki-nii?!" Obito jumped about a foot in the air.
"Thinking about Rin again?" Kazuki sat down across from him, tilting his head slightly with his right hand propping up his chin. He smiled knowingly. "But Obito, there's something important I need to tell you beforehand."
Obito blinked innocently. "What is it, Kazuki-nii?"
Kazuki's smile turned playful and slightly wicked. "While I can help you fulfill your wish through the dream therapy, to protect the mental and physical health of minors... anything inappropriate is absolutely forbidden."
"W-what inappropriate things?!"
Obito's face turned instantly scarlet, his eyes bulging as he practically shrieked. "I... I didn't think about anything like that! Kazuki-nii, don't say such ridiculous things!"
"Oh?" Kazuki sat up straighter, fixing Obito with an intense stare. "Really? You're absolutely certain you didn't imagine anything... questionable?"
Obito's face flushed an even deeper red, veins bulging on his forehead. His neck went rigid as he stubbornly insisted, "No! Absolutely not! Never! I'm a shinobi! How could a shinobi think about such... such improper things!"
Then came a stream of increasingly incomprehensible defensive statements.
Something about "the three shinobi prohibitions," "Uchiha clan honor," and "pure love conquers all."
This caused Kazuki to burst into genuine laughter, filling the room with his amusement.
It wasn't until Obito's face resembled a boiled tomato—practically steaming with embarrassment—that Kazuki finally managed to stop laughing. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, alright, I believe you. So then, is the payment ready, Obito?"
Sixty thousand ryo were pushed across the table with trembling hands. Obito assumed a perfect dogeza position—forehead pressed to the floor—and pleaded desperately.
"Kazuki-nii, please! I'm begging you!"
Kazuki extracted fifty thousand ryo, pushing the remaining ten thousand back. "I promised you a discount last time, remember? But considering how much you've... entertained me this morning, I'll make an exception and let you experience the full premium version."
"Really?! Thank you so much, Kazuki-nii!" Obito looked ready to perform a full prostration of gratitude.
"No need for dramatics. Just get ready, Obito."
Kazuki's eyes bled into crimson as the three-tomoe Sharingan activated. "Remember—don't resist. Relax your mind completely. I'll pull you into the genjutsu dreamscape."
"Okay! I understand, Kazuki-nii!"
Thinking his deepest wish was about to be fulfilled, Obito took several deep breaths to calm his racing heart and excited emotions.
"Genjutsu: Wish Fulfillment!"
Deep vortexes appeared within Kazuki's spinning Sharingan, hypnotic and inescapable.
Dragged into the constructed dream by the technique, Obito's gaze went vacant in the physical world—eyes unfocused, consciousness departed. Only his shallow breathing remained, like a person in a vegetative state.
"Now then, let me think... what kind of dream should I weave for him?"
Kazuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully, considering the possibilities. Then his eyes lit up with mischievous inspiration.
"Perfect! I know exactly what script to use!"
The classic romantic tragedy formula.
She runs, he chases. She has no wings to escape.
Add a scheming best friend who secretly loves her. Throw in a perfect second male lead rival.
Oh, and since we're going for 'unforgettable love,' the tragic melodrama elements are absolutely essential.
Kazuki's smile turned almost sadistic as he mentally constructed the scenario.
Terminal illness? Check. Dramatic sacrifices? Obviously. Misunderstandings that could be cleared up with one honest conversation but somehow never are? Absolutely.
In the shinobi world, organ transplants aren't even complicated—everything's hot-swappable. So let's throw in some medical drama too.
What else...? Oh right, the classic separation, reunion, and someone dying in the other's arms scene. Can't forget that.
I'll give Obito the full treatment—every cliché romantic tragedy trope from modern storytelling. Let the kid experience what a proper tear-jerker feels like!
Perfect!
If this experience didn't make Obito cry his eyes out and truly understand the depths of tragic romance, then Kazuki had completely wasted his time and effort.
Examining the elaborate emotional scenario implanted within the dream construct, Kazuki nodded with satisfaction.
"Okay, business portion complete. Now for the personal agenda."
Giving Obito a discount?
Don't be ridiculous. I'm not that charitable.
Setting aside everything this kid would do in the future—all those unforgivable atrocities—Kazuki wasn't expending spiritual energy and chakra for pocket change.
Money itself was meaningless to him at this point.
The reason for the exorbitant price was simply to screen customers effectively.
Otherwise, if just anyone could afford the treatment fee, he'd suffer complete spiritual exhaustion within days and lose control on the spot.
One hundred thousand ryo served as a dividing line.
A-rank missions generally offered bounties exceeding that amount. So customers who could afford his services proved they possessed significant value—either in wealth, connections, or power.
Now, the crucial part.
Kazuki channeled his spiritual power carefully, opening the gate to Obito's mental body. Then he directly planted a subtle psychological suggestion deep within the boy's subconscious mind.
Over the past few years, Kazuki had repeated this exact process countless times with various clients.
Although each individual suggestion was weak—incapable of directly affecting conscious thoughts or changing core beliefs—they were insidiously persistent.
Accumulated over time, even water droplets can wear away stone.
When he eventually advanced to Sequence 4, these suggestions buried deep within dozens of minds would transform into a terrifying plague ready to erupt at his command.
An army of sleeper agents, completely unaware of the commands lurking in their subconscious.
"Haa..."
Kazuki looked down at the unconscious Obito and spoke softly, almost apologetically.
"Don't blame me for being underhanded, Obito. In the end, we're both equally shameless. Though to be completely honest... you'll eventually become far more monstrous than I could ever be."
Soon, the treatment session concluded.
Obito stumbled out of the room looking utterly shell-shocked, his expression dazed and emotionally devastated. He walked like a zombie, completely dejected.
It seemed... he'd need considerable time to emotionally recover from that experience.
Kazuki stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Was the emotional intensity too strong? Surely not—I didn't even use the really tragic scenarios..."
Regardless of Obito's current mental state, the mission was complete.
[Main Quest: Advance to Sequence 5 - Dream Walker (Incomplete)]
[Locate a spirit world harpy, establish a contract, obtain one of its tail feathers, then consume the advancement potion while experiencing intense emotions of either joy or fury]
[Reward: Creeping Hunger (Can control one soul at a time, granting access to that soul's Beyonder abilities plus the user's own pathway powers)]
[Side Quest: Qualified Psychiatrist - Part 4 (Incomplete)]
[Provide psychological treatment to at least 100 people or help them fulfill their wishes (2/100)]
[Reward: Roselle's Travel Journal]
[Side Quest: Teenage Troubles (Completed)]
[No matter how hard Obito tries, he cannot win the girl's affection, and finally decides...]
[Reward: Fate Doll (Blocks fate interference, allowing the holder to defend against curses, divination, and tracking effects)]
A small, ornate doll materialized on Kazuki's desk—intricately carved and radiating faint spiritual energy.
Kazuki picked it up carefully, examining the extraordinary item with satisfaction.
"Excellent. One step closer."
His plans were progressing exactly as intended.
Author's Note: Poor Obito just experienced every tragic romance cliché at once. He'll never be the same. Thanks for reading!
[End of Chapter 13]
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