Uchiha Obito's face broke into a broad smile.
And across from him, Kuro Zetsu did the same.
Seeing Uchiha Obito looking so spirited after Aomi's grooming, Kuro Zetsu couldn't help but see the dashing and sunny young man who once devoted himself entirely to her, vividly recreated before her eyes.
After a parting, memories always tend to mend the imperfections of that loved one, making them seem overly beautiful and hard to let go in recollection...
Most reunions come with a hint of disappointment.
But today.
Both Obito and Kuro Zetsu found that the other was exactly the person they had been longing for in their memories!
Aomi watched with folded arms, smiling at the scene unfold, as the two gazed at each other, moving from shyness to passion, embracing warmly, and shedding tears of joy in an emotional scene.
This was a wonderful romance.
One party wasn't even human, nor had a gender, lurking in the shadows as a mastermind, while the other was both a passionate youth and a destroyer of worlds...
Yet, in this strange twist of fate and circumstances, these two still came together.
With Aomi's blessing.
After holding each other tightly for an unknown period, they reluctantly separated.
Kuro Zetsu looked at Aomi with a faint smile, filled with gratitude inside.
Indeed... her brother was someone who meant what he said, a trustworthy individual!
He truly brought Uchiha Obito back, rescuing him whole from Isshiki's clutches, and brought him to her side!
"Rin, Obito..." Aomi slowly walked over, smiling broadly at the two, his expression suddenly changing, becoming serious:
"You two are people I care about a lot... especially you, Obito. I've said, I see you as my own little brother."
Obito nodded vigorously: "Aomi, I've always seen you as my real brother!"
And beside him, Kuro Zetsu softly spoke: "Me too..."
Obito laughed heartily: "Rin, of course, my brother is your brother too!"
Kuro Zetsu glanced at Obito, her smile mysterious.
Your brotherhood with Aomi is acknowledged... but my bond with him is true, linked by blood! Kid, there's so much you don't know...
"I know, I know, you're all my brothers and sisters... So, some things I can't tell outsiders, I need to tell you in advance."
Aomi cleared his throat, shifting from his previously gentle expression to one of utmost seriousness: "This war has evolved into a battle for the life and death of the Ninja World, as the strongest of the Otsutsuki Clan invades!"
"This battle will be extremely harsh... To be honest, I don't have much confidence myself, the enemy coming might be the strongest of the Otsutsuki Clan, a race that hunts across the cosmos."
Aomi looked at Obito:
"Compared to ordinary Otsutsuki, I might be of Chunin rank, not struggling against a few of their lower level clansmen..."
"But within this vast cosmos, under the erosion of boundless time, I have no concept of what kind of powerhouses the ancient Otsutsuki Clan might have birthed."
"For the Otsutsuki Clan, Isshiki and the ones comparable to him are just like ordinary Chunin in a village; you can't deduce whether their Kage is Sarutobi Hiruzen or Senju Hashirama through their combat strength..."
"I lack intelligence."
Both Obito and Kuro Zetsu furrowed their brows tightly, pondering Aomi's words.
"To counter this formidable enemy, I've been strategizing in the Ninja World for a long time... Among these preparations is a grand formation capable of uniting the Ninja World's power, I've essentially played all my cards."
"After putting in maximum effort, whether we win or lose, it'll be left to fate."
Aomi patted Kuro Zetsu and Obito's shoulders: "And others need to join me on the battlefield because, to save this planet of Ninja World, everyone must contribute their strength for a chance to survive..."
"But you and Rin are different, Obito."
Aomi looked directly at Uchiha Obito, a hint of pride in his eyes:
"While others were still training, you used your life to fight the Otsutsuki, helping me bite off the only piece of intelligence from their hearts..."
"You are already a hero of the Ninja World."
"So, you don't have to participate in this final battle of uncertain outcomes. I've already arranged a safe route and sufficient Chakra for you..."
Aomi tapped Obito's forehead, speaking softly:
"The Chakra I've infused into you is enough to let you and Rin find a safe Otherworld to hide in..."
"You don't have to sacrifice any further for me; in this final battle, we don't lack the Chakra of a pair, or even two pairs, of Mangekyo Sharingan... you've already done well."
Obito was completely dumbfounded.
He hadn't expected Aomi to be so pessimistic about the battle's future... he initially thought Aomi was invincible, just waiting for the enemies to deliver themselves!
Moreover.
Aomi, at such a critical moment, had specially opened a back door for him and Rin, allowing them to avoid the war and hide in the rear...
And Kuro Zetsu beside him was also shocked.
This time, Kuro Zetsu truly felt the brotherly care from Aomi, the warmth only a family could offer!
Fighting desperately on the front lines, yet letting her brother and sister retreat first...
At this moment, Kuro Zetsu only felt truly unworthy! She used to think Aomi was a black-hearted man with sadistic tastes...
But when the true test came, Aomi was so reliable and heart-wrenching.
The fear, unease, and all sorts of negative emotions Aomi brought to Kuro Zetsu in the past were all understood at this moment—
This was just the interaction of Aomi, her family member, under great pressure, letting her relax a bit!
"Alright, Obito, Kuro Zetsu, you should set off... remember, three years later, if you don't feel any exotic temporal fluctuations from the Ninja World, then try to return..." Aomi instructed them carefully.
"Don't think about playing the hero; I've said it, saving the Ninja World doesn't miss your Chakra..."
Aomi slightly smiled: "Though I'm a bit pessimistic, I still believe I will win!"
"More words can wait till we meet again next time...!"
Before Obito and Kuro Zetsu could say anything, Aomi gently pushed them into the Otherworld.
And the last thing this peculiar couple saw was Aomi waving gently at them with a warm smile.
"Phew, this way, Kuro Zetsu and Obito will also join that formation, genuinely becoming a part of Susanoo..."
After sending these two away, Aomi looked at the azure sky, softly muttering:
"How could I not need your Chakra? Not to mention a pair of precious Eternal Mangekyo, even the Chakra or lifespan of a Genin, an ordinary person, might be the crucial key that tips the balance..."
"Is this perhaps the power of bonds?"
Aomi slightly closed his eyes, connecting with the Chakra inside Senju Tobirama, checking the development progress of the 'Cyan Water Jutsu' to avoid any structural unreliability.
He did not deceive Kuro Zetsu and Obito.
Concerning the imminent Akeshiki and the possibly more powerful Spiritual Technique hidden behind, Aomi indeed didn't have ten out of ten certainty, and was fully thinking of ways to cope...
The matter of winning isn't an arbitrary victory declaration casually dismissed by Aomi.
It's about ensuring the creatures of the Ninja World are guaranteed to win this life-or-death game!
---
In the Otherworld.
Obito, whose joy at seeing Kuro Zetsu had already dissipated, stood stunned, feeling the Chakra Aomi had infused between his eyebrows...
He had thought Aomi simply wanted him to look somewhat dashing when meeting Uchiha Rin... not knowing it was actually Aomi's pre-prepared Noah's Ark ticket!
"No..."
Obito reflected on the bits and pieces of time spent with Aomi: "No, I can't leave Aomi alone in the Ninja World, the Otsutsuki Clan is far more powerful than I imagined!"
"Whether my Chakra is useful or not, I absolutely cannot allow Aomi to fight the entire Ninja World alone while I hide behind him living peacefully..."
Obito looked at Uchiha Rin's face, closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly opened them, speaking in a deep voice:
"Rin... You possess my Kamui power, hide first... wait for me, after I help Aomi defeat those damn Otsutsuki, I will definitely come for you!"
"No, Obito..."
Kuro Zetsu gently shook her head, the Kamui Mangekyo's pattern appearing in her beautiful eyes, speaking in a deep voice:
"I will go with you! We will help Aomi defeat the enemies together!"