A young boy stood beside a graceful woman dressed in an elegant dark kimono.
One carried the sharp pride of the Uchiha Clan in his eyes.
The other carried warmth, gratitude… and emotions far more complicated than before.
Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Mikoto.
The moment Obito approached, both of them bowed respectfully toward him at the same time.
"Thank you… for everything you've done for us."
Mikoto's gentle voice echoed softly.
Beside her, Sasuke straightened his back proudly before speaking with far more confidence than someone his age normally should have possessed.
"My lord… about the things I said before… about repaying you…"
"I think the time has finally come… allow me to—"
"No, Sasuke. I'm not changing my mind."
The words came without hesitation.
Sasuke's expression visibly stiffened for a brief moment before he let out a faint sigh.
He had intentionally waited until the very last moment to ask again, thinking perhaps the chances of success would be higher now.
But Obito still refused him just as firmly as before.
Silence lingered briefly between them as Mikoto found herself not knowing what to say.
She could tell Sasuke truly wanted to go with Obito, but she also knew Obito was not someone who would change his mind once he had already made a decision.
But fortunately for her, Sasuke was no longer the immature brat he once was.
Understanding the situation clearly, he quickly came to another conclusion instead.
Even if Obito would not allow that…
There was still something he could do.
"Then while you're gone…"
His dark eyes met Obito's directly without the slightest trace of hesitation.
"I'll become the sword that protects this world."
"Hah…"
"When did you start sounding so reliable?"
There was a clear trace of pride in his voice as Obito stepped forward and firmly patted Sasuke's shoulder.
The action made Sasuke happy slightly, though he still tried his best to maintain a composed expression.
Then, naturally…
Obito's hand shifted upward and gently rubbed Mikoto's head.
Mikoto's beautiful face immediately flushed red from the sudden affection.
Meanwhile, beside her—
Sasuke instantly looked painfully awkward.
The proud Uchiha's expression visibly twitched as he watched his mother getting head-patted right in front of him.
"…"
But before the atmosphere could drift too far into warmth and embarrassment…
Obito turned to leave.
The sound of his footsteps slowly faded into the quiet.
Behind him, Mikoto lowered her head respectfully once again.
Her soft voice followed after him.
"We shall await your victorious return, Obito-sama."
...
Not long after leaving Mikoto and Sasuke behind, Obito found yet another group already waiting for him.
At this point, he was genuinely beginning to suspect the entire tower had coordinated this ambush beforehand.
Karin, Haku, Kimimaro, Hinata… and Chihori, who stood quietly beside them.
The moment Karin saw him approaching, her red eyes immediately lit up.
"My lord!"
Before anyone could react...
Karin rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed the front of Obito's clothes, and kissed him directly.
The sudden attack instantly stunned everyone present.
Then, pulling back, she declared loudly without the slightest shame—
"When you come back, you must take me into your harem, my lord!"
Complete silence filled the hallway.
Chihori's entire body visibly trembled from secondhand embarrassment.
"A-Ahh… this girl…"
Yet deep down, she was already cheering.
Well done, Karin-chan.
Her maternal support rose instantly despite the shame.
Meanwhile, beside them, Hinata's face had already turned completely red from hearing Karin say something so outrageous out loud.
Even Haku looked momentarily stunned.
Only Kimimaro remained perfectly calm as though none of this was strange at all.
Obito stared at Karin for a moment before letting out a helpless chuckle.
"You really don't know how to be embarrassed, do you?"
Karin proudly raised her chin.
"Of course not. If I hesitate, someone else might take my place first."
Then, unlike Karin, Chihori quietly stepped forward and bowed deeply toward him.
"Obito-sama… because of you, Karin and I were able to live with our heads held high. I will never forget that kindness. Thank you."
Her voice carried genuine gratitude.
Obito's eyes softened slightly as he gave her a small nod, accepting the gratitude without needing many words.
After a brief exchange and teasing, Obito prepared to leave.
But before Hinata could continue hesitating over whether she should confess as well—after all, she was nowhere near as bold as Karin-chan—her thoughts had already fallen into complete panic.
What do I do…? What do I do…? Even though I even asked Hanabi for advice too…
And then, right in the middle of her flustered thoughts—
Smack!
Karin suddenly slapped her on the back.
"Go."
"Wah!"
Caught completely off guard, Hinata stumbled forward several steps before nearly crashing straight into Obito's chest.
The poor Hyūga girl froze instantly.
Her face turned so red it almost looked like steam might start coming out of her head at any moment.
"K-Karin-chan…!"
Meanwhile, Karin shamelessly gave her a thumbs up from behind.
Obito looked down at Hinata silently for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.
Then he gently raised a hand and softly rubbed the top of her head.
"Next time…"
Obito's calm voice reached her ears softly.
"I hope you'll have the courage to say what you wanted to say today."
Hinata lowered her head shyly and nodded quickly, nearly unable to meet his eyes anymore.
"…Yes."
Haku stepped forward next and bowed gently.
"My lord, please return safely."
His voice was soft, but sincere.
"We'll all be waiting for you."
Then Kimimaro spoke.
"My lord may leave in peace."
His calm eyes did not waver.
"With me here, no outsider will ever destroy the peace you created."
Obito knew he was not boasting.
Through his abilities, Kimimaro had long surpassed the limits of ordinary humans.
The Shikotsumyaku flowing through his body had evolved to a terrifying level, each bone carrying properties comparable to Kaguya's All-Killing Ash Bones.
A genuine Six Paths-level existence.
And Kimimaro was not the only one.
Using his abilities to replicate and transfer data between bodies, Obito had continuously strengthened the people around him over the years.
Especially those closest to him.
The women beside him had all received special treatment.
Even Isshiki Ōtsutsuki's power had been divided and replicated into multiple complete copies before being implanted into them.
At this point, every single one of them possessed strength standing at the level of Isshiki himself.
Enough to effortlessly crush even prime Naruto and Sasuke together.
That was the reason Obito could leave this world behind so calmly.
Because the people he cared about were no longer weak.
They had already become monsters capable of protecting themselves… and the peace he created.
...
"Yo, brother-in-law!"
The voice sounded childish and teasing, but Obito knew exactly who it belonged to.
Nawaki… who had long since returned to this world because of Obito.
The moment Nawaki saw him, he grinned brightly and raised a hand.
Veins instantly bulged across Tsunade's forehead.
BAM!
"Aghhh!"
Nawaki clutched his head in pain after getting punched directly by Tsunade.
"What the hell was that for, nee-san?!"
He groaned while rubbing the massive bump forming on his head.
"I was just telling the truth! Only a brother-in-law would tolerate your violent personality!"
Tsunade's eye twitched violently.
"You little—!"
Seeing Nawaki somehow continue provoking death right to Tsunade's face, even Obito silently admired his courage.
Unfortunately…
That courage only earned him another beating.
Shizune could only sigh helplessly beside them.
The noisy atmosphere relaxed slightly afterward.
Then Obito looked toward Shizune.
"Take care of her for me."
Tsunade immediately snapped.
"Hah?!"
She pointed at herself in disbelief.
"Why are you talking like I'm some kid who can't take care of herself?!"
Silence.
Then all three of them slowly looked at her.
The odd looks instantly made Tsunade stiffen.
"…W-What are those looks for?!"
Her face quickly became slightly red from embarrassment.
Even Nawaki quietly moved a step farther away.
Meanwhile, Shizune smiled softly before bowing her head slightly toward Obito.
"Please take care of yourself too, Obito-sama."
Obito smiled faintly and gently patted her head.
Shizune's expression immediately brightened in happiness.
Seeing that reaction, Obito suddenly thought to himself
He had really put a lot of points into head-patting skills over the years.
Judging from the reactions, it seemed surprisingly effective.
Shizune quickly nudged Tsunade lightly.
"Tsunade-sama… you should say something too."
Tsunade immediately looked away.
"Hmph."
Then, after a brief pause, she suddenly shouted loudly without turning around
"That guy may be unreliable sometimes…"
"But nothing's going to happen to him anyway!"
The moment those words echoed through the corridor, Obito chuckled under his breath.
The others smiled as well.
Because everyone there understood.
That was simply Tsunade's way of sending him off.
Realizing everyone had understood her immediately, Tsunade's face turned even redder.
"Tch…"
Embarrassed, she quickly turned around and walked off first.
"What a tsundere…"
The three of them spoke in unison before exchanging amused smiles with one another.
...
"That should be the last of them, right?" Obito mused, noting that Izumi Uchiha and Kurenai Yuhi were still missing from the send-off. He had a pretty good idea why.
His hunch was more or less correct.
The night before, the two had traded precious hours of sleep for one more bout of fucking—figuring that was better than dragging out a tear-soaked goodbye come morning.
No wonder. Obito stroked his chin, the realization sparking quiet amusement in him.
Walking alone down the corridor, accompanied only by the echo of his own footsteps, Obito slipped into thought.
A few paces ahead, the hallway ended, bright sunlight spilling in from the open doorway…
Once he crossed that threshold, everything would be uncertain. No matter how thoroughly he had prepared, a single misstep could make it impossible to return.
His reverie shattered when he spotted a lone figure beside the exit.
She leaned against the wall where darkness met the light, crimson hair fluttering in the breeze while a beam of sun stretched almost to her feet.
Though she heard his approach, she kept her narrowed blue eyes fixed on the world beyond.
Only when he was about to step past her into the glow did she seize his wrist, voice low and teeth clenched.
"You little… shit. Planning to leave without saying anything?"
Uzumaki Kushina.
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