After finally escaping the torment of unrequited love, Kakashi gently held Rin in his arms. As if responding to his feelings, the raging storm that had just enveloped the area came to an abrupt halt.
A warm ray of sunlight pierced through the gloomy clouds and shone down upon the lake. The turbulent waters gradually calmed, as though nature itself was acknowledging the peace Kakashi had finally found.
But just as the lake regained its stillness, the water's surface began to ripple again—violently this time.
The land beneath Kakashi's feet trembled and then slowly began to rise!
A low rumble echoed across the landscape. Before long, a massive creature emerged from the center of the lake, casting a colossal shadow over the surrounding area.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. What he had assumed to be a small island turned out to be the broad, mossy shell of a gigantic turtle-like monster. The creature's body was as large as a mountain, and three thick tails swayed rhythmically behind it, splashing torrents of water with every movement.
It was the Three Tails, Isobu.
"Little brat," the beast rumbled, twisting its long neck to glance at Kakashi with one enormous eye. Its voice was deep and sluggish, like thunder rolling lazily through a distant canyon. "You carry a familiar scent. What's the meaning of this?"
Kakashi's mind stirred. Then, with practiced ease, he transformed his chakra—first into the signature energy of One-Tail Shukaku, and then into that of Eight-Tails Gyūki.
"Is this what you're sensing, Isobu?" Kakashi asked calmly, standing tall and unflinching.
The tailed beast's lazy eyes suddenly widened in astonishment.
"Why do you have Shukaku and Gyūki's chakra? And more importantly, how do you know my name?"
For centuries, ever since the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails into nine distinct tailed beasts, humans had referred to Isobu simply as "Three Tails." He couldn't remember the last time anyone had addressed him by his real name.
Kakashi gave a wry smile and shrugged. "Well… let's just say I'm the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths and have inherited some of his memories. Do you believe me?"
He intended it as a joke. After all, he couldn't exactly say he'd learned about the tailed beasts from watching anime in another world.
But to his surprise, Isobu's reaction was completely sincere.
"I believe you!" the giant turtle said without hesitation.
Kakashi was stunned.
From Isobu's perspective, only one person had ever known his true name besides his fellow tailed beasts: the Sage of Six Paths himself. Now, this young man not only called him by name but also bore the chakra of Shukaku and Gyūki—his old companions.
Isobu wasn't the smartest among the tailed beasts, but he had his instincts. If even the mischievous Shukaku and the wise Gyūki acknowledged this human, then he had to be trustworthy.
"Ah… this is..." Kakashi was momentarily speechless. He had only been teasing. Now it felt like he was tricking an innocent and honest creature.
Was this considered taking advantage of someone's trust?
After a brief internal struggle, he decided—no, it wasn't really deception. Isobu had jumped to his own conclusion. Kakashi had just… let it happen. That's all.
Comforted by this justification, Kakashi collected himself and stepped forward. "Isobu, there's something you don't know. A terrible threat looms over this world. A powerful enemy is targeting all of the tailed beasts—including you."
He took a deep breath and continued, "This enemy's goal is clear. He wants to capture all of you and revive the Ten Tails. If he succeeds, the entire world could be plunged into chaos."
Kakashi then gently looked down at the girl in his arms.
"Lin is my most trusted companion. To stop this enemy's plan, I need your strength—and more importantly, I need you to trust her. Will you lend her your power?"
As he finished speaking, Kakashi looked into Isobu's enormous eyes with hope and sincerity. He braced himself for rejection, ready to offer more words of persuasion.
But once again, Isobu surprised him.
"Okay!" the tailed beast answered immediately.
Kakashi blinked, almost unsure if he'd heard correctly.
All the arguments he had prepared were rendered completely useless. Isobu hadn't hesitated for even a moment.
The reason? From the instant Kakashi claimed to be the Sage of Six Paths' reincarnation, Isobu's memories had stirred. He recalled the words the Sage had spoken before they parted ways—words filled with warmth and understanding.
And in his vision, Kakashi's appearance began to blur and shift, transforming into the familiar, comforting visage of the Sage himself.
In Isobu's mind, there was no doubt.
Meanwhile, far away in the Pure Land…
An elderly man with long white hair and a flowing beard reclined peacefully in a courtyard, sipping tea and observing the mortal world through spiritual sight.
It was the Sage of Six Paths himself.
Initially, he had only been glancing across the ninja world out of idle curiosity, scanning for disturbances. But the moment he sensed two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan activated simultaneously, his attention snapped into focus.
He leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
Then he saw it.
Someone down there… had claimed to be him.
Pffft!
The Sage spat out his tea in shock. "What the hell?"
"I've been reincarnated? Without even knowing it?"
He looked closer, his eyes narrowing with amusement. A young man had tricked one of the tailed beasts by pretending to be his reincarnation!
But the Sage wasn't angry. In fact, he began to chuckle softly.
"An ordinary ninja with no unique bloodline… and yet he's mastered multiple powerful abilities and remains completely aware of his actions."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"What an interesting child. Perhaps… the future of the shinobi world will change because of him."
Back in the world of the living, Kakashi remained blissfully unaware that he had attracted the attention of the legendary Sage himself.
With Isobu's agreement secured, Kakashi took the next step.
"Then please help Lin to release the tailed beast transformation," he requested.
"It's already been undone," Isobu replied, his deep voice steady.
Kakashi blinked again, startled. "Huh?"
Isobu slowly explained, "The transformation was not intentional. The darkness in her heart, driven by pain and confusion, is what triggered it. Now that you've helped her find peace, the transformation has naturally faded."
So simple… yet so profound.
"Thank you, Isobu," Kakashi said gratefully.
Then, he looked down at Rin in his arms. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing soft. She was clearly overwhelmed by the events, and the warmth of his embrace made her feel safe.
"Let's go home, Lin," Kakashi whispered.
"Mmm~" Rin murmured faintly, her voice dreamy. She nestled against him, her body light and weak, her heart racing from Kakashi's gentle gaze.
Kakashi smiled, his eyes forming soft crescents.
Holding her close, he took a steady step forward.
The surrounding scene rippled and blurred, and in the blink of an eye, they returned to the real world.
The moment he stepped back into reality, a stream of memories flooded into his mind—memories transmitted from his now-dispersed clone.
Kakashi's expression turned serious. He grasped Rin's small hand and vanished in a flash of light, reappearing instantly beside Obito using the Flying Thunder God technique.
"Ka… Kakashi!" Obito's voice cracked with emotion.
The moment he saw him, Obito rushed forward and threw his arms around Kakashi, unable to hold back his tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… it's all my fault…!"
His eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down his cheeks as he clung tightly to his friend. His face was a mixture of guilt, shame, and immense relief.
Kakashi patted Obito's back, comforting him. "Don't worry. I already know everything from the clone. It's not your fault."
As he spoke, he looked down at the strange, pale humanoid figure lying immobilized on the ground. Its chakra had been completely sealed using the Four Symbols Seal.
It was Afei—the mysterious entity who had tried to forcefully take Obito back to the cave after realizing that things were spiraling out of control.
But now, Afei had been stopped.
And the bonds between the three of them—Kakashi, Rin, and Obito—were stronger than ever.
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