"Can't even commit suicide?"
Suicide?
The word echoed like a knife slicing through fog, making Uchiha Obito freeze for a second. His hand reflexively reached toward the pouch on his side, fingers curling around the cold edge of a shuriken—but a strange hesitation pulled at his limbs. Another thought surged forward, stopping him.
When?
When did it begin?
When did even death become something unreachable for him?
Across from him, still shrouded in featureless darkness, the shadowy figure of Yun stood unmoving, gaze fixed. His voice was calm, but sharp as a scalpel.
"Can this information be traded for a bargaining chip?"
Information?
The repetition of that word jarred Obito, snapping something loose in the back of his mind. His eye twitched slightly. That tone… That infuriating calmness… He had heard it before. And suddenly, the image of a red-haired teenager flashed into his memory—one he had encountered before under much different circumstances.
"Uzumaki Sora?"
Well, that certainly wasn't what Yun expected to hear.
The sudden call-out created an awkward pause. Things had been progressing exactly according to plan. Why the sudden derailment?
Obito, however, didn't wait for a reply. His lips curled into a bitter grin as he continued.
"Information for chips... and then exchange those chips for talent, for bloodline, for forbidden jutsu. That's how it works, doesn't it? You traded my intel for Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, right?"
He took a few steps forward, his cloak fluttering in the otherworldly breeze.
"There's no way that was the only thing you got. If I had succeeded two years ago... Kushina would've been dead. The Nine-Tails would've been released... and Konoha would have turned to ash."
"In that case, any deal you made with Namikaze Minato would've been completely unbalanced. So tell me—what else did you gain? How many secrets did you sell in return for that power?"
The wind stirred again, scattering phantom leaves around them. Yun remained perfectly still in his shadowed form, voice calm and deliberate.
"Because this is an information transaction... you truly believe I am Uzumaki Sora?"
Obito chuckled darkly.
"And my arm… That arm you took two years ago... Don't think I've forgotten. You must've risked everything for that. Between Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hatake Kakashi wielding Mangekyō power, even with Flying Thunder God, it must've been suicide."
"Hashirama's cells are not gentle to work with."
There was a long, oppressive silence. Yun tilted his head slightly but offered no reply. Obito's deductions were too accurate. The shadow only responded after a moment, voice colder now.
"You're asking too many questions. Unless you're offering a chip, I'm under no obligation to answer."
Yun's figure shifted slightly, the space around him seeming to pulse in time with his words.
"So, Obito. You, who are still only standing on the second floor, do you want to know what lies above?"
Overhead, the white clouds began swirling unnaturally, gathering and reshaping themselves into a single character— "Truth".
Obito narrowed his eyes and scoffed.
"Now that I've guessed your identity, do you really think I'll give you leverage?"
He raised his hand to his mask, pointing toward the single exposed Sharingan. The tomoe spun like a whirlpool of malice.
"Isn't this what you're really after?"
Yun didn't flinch.
"As of now, yes. That's about the only thing about you that still interests me."
A few more phantom leaves drifted through the air, landing softly on the fabricated memorial stone beside them. Yun knelt briefly, brushing them off the name engraved on the stone.
"Nohara Rin."
His voice was quiet now, almost gentle.
"After learning the truth... will you avenge the real Rin, or will you cling to a comfortable lie? You've drowned yourself in illusions, pretending the world wronged you, that your pain is just. But you've never once asked—who truly wronged her?"
"She believed in you. She believed that the loser Uchiha Obito could become Hokage. And you..."
He stood up again slowly.
"You buried your head in the dirt and let yourself forget what she gave you. Do you think this fake world you're building is really for her?"
Obito's face darkened beneath the mask. His hand clenched tightly over his left eye, where the Mangekyō pulsed furiously. Beneath the surface, another storm was brewing.
That eye… its new power... it was too costly.
Even now, the aftereffects of using it once were gnawing at his body. The ability granted by Fugaku's hidden Mangekyō—one that could see into the future, albeit with a massive cooldown. Ten years. Even with Hashirama cells flooding his body, he wouldn't be able to activate it again anytime soon.
Two pieces of critical information—gone.
But... he had learned something vital.
The power coursing through him now… it wasn't entirely his.
The real source?
Madara.
It always came back to him.
The hatred. The manipulation. The setup at Kannabi Bridge. The illusion of choice. All threads led back to Uchiha Madara.
Obito's grip on his own mask tightened.
Real hatred and fake purpose... Which one was he following?
He raised his head slowly and met Yun's gaze again.
"A chip."
His voice was cold and resolute.
"Tell me how to undo what Madara did to me."
That caught Yun off guard. His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed.
"You've finally guessed it, have you?"
He laughed softly, the sound more bitter than amused.
"You've been stuck on the third level of Madara's nesting doll for years."
"And now you're asking how to destroy the shell from the inside."
Yun nodded slowly.
"Fugaku's Mangekyō must've opened your eyes more than I thought."
Obito sneered.
"Funny, isn't it? If you hadn't sold my data, I never would've gotten that eye."
A pause.
"The butterfly effect. You caused it."
Yun exhaled quietly.
'Fugaku... that cautious man... he never even confirmed whether he had a Mangekyō. Even I wasn't certain. The anime and the manga never agreed. But he was always caught between his clan and his duty.'
"His eyes... One grants brief foresight. A one-to-two second glimpse into the opponent's next action. But the cooldown is like Kamui's—every five minutes, if you're lucky."
"And the other?"
"A foundation for possible futures. A dot from which a picture can be extended."
"But to use that ability?"
Yun's gaze sharpened.
"Even you, with Hashirama's regenerative powers, can only use it once every decade."
He paused.
"So… you're willing to give that up? Just for a chance to undo Madara's tampering?"
Obito said nothing, but the contract appeared in his hand as Yun spoke a single word.
"Contract."
Obito examined it carefully. He didn't move hastily. Even now, a part of him remained on guard.
"If it weren't for the power you displayed in Amegakure, I'd think this was an illusion."
He touched the parchment, and ink flared across the surface.
"Trading intelligence for ability. Yet the original owner doesn't lose the power—it's duplicated. That's the rule of this place."
Yun nodded.
"This is the power of rules."
"You want to know if the dead can be revived?"
Obito shook his head.
"I know the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu, but Rin... she wouldn't want that. She's too kind. And me? I'm already in hell."
A hush fell over the space.
Then Yun chuckled quietly.
"You really are pitiful. But I have to say... there's one phrase that suits you better than any other."
Obito's eye narrowed sharply.
"I don't need your judgment. If I destroyed Konoha two years ago, it would've been this world's own fault."
"But it didn't happen."
"And now you're here—bargaining with the same person you despise."
*****
Support me on my pat reon and gain early access to my creations.
https://www.pat reon.com/RroY28 (remove the space)
You can access up to 30 advanced chapters.