Hey everyone! New chapter here! Hope you like it. If you want to support me...
(A bit short because I wanted to explain the flashback, but the next chapter will be longer!)
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Many Years Later...
The mission report landed with a heavy thud on Kakashi's desk. The Sixth Hokage glanced up as the setting sun bathed Konoha's buildings in crimson light.
"Gone again?" he murmured, tracing the "CLASSIFIED" stamp on the document.
Shikamaru—now Intelligence Division Head—leaned back with a solemn expression:
"Eight sightings in five years. Always remote areas, always... observing."
The attached photograph showed a grainy image of a figure in an orange mask standing among trees.
Encounter in the Woods
Wind whispered through leaves as a reconnaissance team stumbled upon him.
"Uchiha Obito!" a young chūnin shouted, kunai trembling in his hands.
The figure turned slowly. His new attire—layers of black and slate gray—bore no village insignia. A Sharingan glowed beneath his shattered mask, now only covering half his face.
"The trees I planted have grown well," he remarked, touching a trunk marked with spiral wood carvings.
Dawn Confrontation
Kakashi intercepted him at sunrise, their reflections rippling in still water.
"Five years without a word," Kakashi lifted a branch carved with Team 7's symbol, "until you started leaving... clues."
Obito crossed his arms, his voice deeper now:
"I needed to confirm the world wasn't in danger. I discovered critical intel."
A sealed scroll flew toward Kakashi, who caught it mid-air.
"Ōtsutsuki intelligence."
Kakashi didn't open it immediately:
"Why return now?"
Wind whipped Obito's cloak as he pointed to the horizon:
"Because what's coming will make Kaguya seem like a joke. It's time."
"You've grown stronger," Kakashi observed. "Still obsessed with power?"
Obito held his gaze:
"You still don't understand, Kakashi. These Ōtsutsuki wield abilities beyond us... though I came close."
"Sasuke's investigating too. Maybe you'd trust his word over mine."
"I trust you, Obito," Kakashi said firmly. "Never doubt that."
Unfurling the scroll, Kakashi's eye narrowed:
"Who is this Isshiki Ōtsutsuki? Why's he so dangerous?"
"Kaguya's partner," Obito explained. "They came for the chakra fruit. I spent five years infiltrating their ranks."
"If they were allies, why didn't they destroy the world then?"
"Kaguya betrayed him," Obito's brow furrowed. "He's weakened now, but a direct assault would be reckless."
"Even with Naruto and Sasuke, it won't be enough."
"No, Kakashi. We don't attack. We wait." Obito's voice softened. "I need rest."
Understanding, Kakashi nodded:
"Fine. But tell me... how did you meet Isshiki?"
Flashback: The Meeting
The air reeked of ash and scorched metal. Obito Uchiha—his mask freshly cracked—looked up as space distorted. Before him materialized Jigen, his hunched silhouette casting unnatural shadows.
"How interesting... The last Uchiha," Jigen's voice echoed unnaturally. "The man who played Madara... only to end up a repentant dog."
Obito activated his Sharingan—but his left eye didn't respond. Kamui was blocked.
"Don't waste my time," he growled as wood branches sprouted from his right arm. "Fight or leave."
Jigen smiled, revealing jagged teeth as two strange black seals hovered above his palm:
"I know your story, Obito Uchiha. The red-haired girl... Rin, was it?"
The wood branches writhed violently.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF HER?!" Obito roared.
"Help me... and I'll grant your wish."
Present Day
"That's how we met," Obito concluded.
Visibly shaken, Kakashi asked:
"Obito... are you still trying to bring Rin back?"
"No, Kakashi. I abandoned that dream long ago." His voice was steel. "I followed him because he blocked my vision—something I believed impossible. And I had no choice: his power dwarfed mine."
"Did you learn how he blocks dōjutsu? If we fight him, you and Sasuke would be crippled."
"It was a scientific ninja tool," Obito revealed. "Not his innate ability. I've already counteracted it."
"But he's still vulnerable without visual techniques."
"He retains one powerful dōjutsu," Obito admitted. "I'll explain when we see Naruto. I heard he's becoming Hokage soon."