"Uzuki Yugao? How do you know my sister's name?!" the woman in front of him demanded, shock written all over her face.
Obito—formerly Yamato Arata, now living in the body of Uchiha Obito—paused for a moment and studied her features more carefully. Her appearance was strikingly similar to that of Yugao... but there were subtle differences.
That's right—Yugao would only be about nine years old right now. She had just graduated from the Academy and hadn't joined ANBU yet.
So this woman… was she Yugao's older sister?
"What's your name?" Obito asked quietly.
"My name is Uzuki Xiyang. I'm Yugao's sister. Who are you, and what are your intentions?" she demanded.
Obito lifted his eyes to the glowing sunset.
Uzuki... the "setting sun." She doesn't appear in Naruto's canon plot, but that doesn't mean she didn't exist. Just like Kishimoto never drew ninjas going to the bathroom, it doesn't mean they never do. A silly thought, but one A Fei would've appreciated.
Kishimoto often ties a character's fate into their name. Moonlight, wind—they fade into the night, passing without a trace. The setting sun before the "Maoyue"... it foretells a fading beauty, a tragic fate.
In Obito's mind, a picture had formed. This woman had raised her little sister alone after losing their parents. Then, during an ANBU mission, she died. Devastated, the young Yugao joined ANBU to carry on her legacy.
The wind stirred softly. Obito looked again at Xiyang—her name a sunset—fated to fade before she could truly shine. If I hadn't transmigrated... if I hadn't met her...
"I'm asking you something! Answer me!" Xiyang snapped, her voice tense.
"Would you come with me?" Obito replied calmly, his expression unreadable.
"What kind of nonsense is that? Are you trying to get me to betray Konoha?" she shouted in disbelief.
Without warning, Obito stepped forward and gently placed his hand on her cheek. Her body flinched instinctively, but she couldn't move. Caught in his Genjutsu, she was frozen in place, her eyes showing humiliation and helplessness.
"I just don't want to see a woman like you become another casualty in this cruel shinobi world."
His words were cryptic, but his gaze... his gaze was deep. It made Xiyang hesitate, unsure whether or not to believe him.
Still, her tone remained resolute:"From the moment we joined ANBU, we all wrote our suicide notes. Even if we die—we don't betray Konoha."
Obito gave a faint smile and gently tilted her chin upward."What if I said that if you refuse... I'll kill your comrades?"
Her pupils trembled. She glanced at the two ANBU lying unconscious on the ground."They're ANBU too. They've accepted death just as I have."
"And what about your nine-year-old sister?" Obito asked softly, his tone dark and dangerous.
Xiyang froze.
"You bastard!" she hissed.
"Answer me. Will you come with me?"
She struggled in silence. Her sister—her only family—had no one else. After a long moment of agony, she gave in.
"...What do you want me to do?" she asked quietly.
Obito sighed. Just as expected. No matter how strong a shinobi is, they can never fully sever their personal attachments.
Even Uchiha Itachi, who killed his entire clan for the sake of peace, couldn't lay a finger on Sasuke. Because in his heart, Sasuke mattered more than the village.
And in Xiyang's heart... Yugao mattered more than the Leaf.
Of course, Obito had no real intention of harming Yugao. He only needed to break through Xiyang's psychological defenses.
Releasing her chin, he said calmly:"You don't have to do anything in particular. Just give up Konoha and follow me."
Xiyang was silent for a beat, then replied:"Fine. I'll go with you. But if you ever ask me to do anything that harms Konoha—I'll take my own life. Even if you threaten my sister again. And... I want my teammates to live."
"Deal," Obito said. He had no plans to kill them anyway.
"Release the Genjutsu. I won't run."
Obito deactivated the illusion.
Xiyang removed her forehead protector, took out a kunai, and after hesitating only briefly, carved a long horizontal slash through the center of the metal plate. A mark of defection. She was no longer a ninja of Konoha.
"Let's go," Obito said, turning away and dragging Beisuke's corpse behind him.
"Where are we going?" Xiyang asked, walking a step behind.
"The bounty exchange."
"...Are you an Uchiha?" she asked.
"It'd be both right and wrong to say that," he answered vaguely.
So… a defected Uchiha, she thought.
"Why did you kill Beisuke? Was it really just for the bounty?" she asked again.
"Would someone like him really be worth my time otherwise?" Obito shot back.
So… he's not working with Root, Xiyang concluded.
"If you're planning to send intel with that message scroll in your sleeve… I'd recommend putting it back," Obito said without turning.
Startled, she quickly slipped the scroll back into her pouch.
He knew...? I didn't even move…
He could've used his Sharingan to dominate my mind completely. But he didn't. Why?
She stared at his back, confused. The more she thought about him, the more curious she became.
No matter what, he's dangerous. I'll stay with him for now… figure out who he is… and when the time is right—I'll kill him. Xiyang thought, her expression unreadable.
She didn't notice the faint smile curving Obito's lips.
He might not understand real-world women… but he understands the kind of women written in manga and anime. There's no way she can succeed.
Even Konan used 600 billion paper bombs and failed to kill Obito. Did she think she'd do better?
And how many times in stories had someone tried to kill the protagonist... only to fall for him instead? Uzuki Xiyang would be no different.
Not long after they left, a group of Root operatives—dressed in black cloaks and masks—arrived at the charred battlefield.
"Beisuke's chakra signature is gone. He's dead," reported the sensor-nin.
"Captain, the other two are still alive. But Uzuki Xiyang is missing," said another as he examined the unconscious ANBU.
"Kill them. Blame their deaths on Uzuki Xiyang," ordered the Root captain from a tree branch. He wore a white cloak, his tone cold.
"But sir, they're from our village—"
"Root's mission is to silently protect Konoha's foundation. We do what must be done. The only one fit to lead the village is Lord Danzo. These two are simply... necessary sacrifices."
"...Understood."
Shunk! Shunk!
The steel blades pierced the hearts of the two unconscious ANBU without hesitation.
What bitter irony. They survived Obito's flames, only to die by the hands of their own comrades.
But Obito had seen this coming from the beginning.
This is why I seek power. With power, I gain freedom. With power, I chase the future I want. With power… I rewrite destiny.