"You… you mean Izanagi?!"
Obito's voice trembled.
Under Uchiha Madara's tutelage, he had learned many of the Uchiha clan's forbidden techniques—including the very kinjutsu Madara once used to fake his death before Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
In fact, inside his left eye socket even now rested a spare three-tomoe Sharingan—reserved solely for casting Izanagi.
So when Jin mentioned Madara's staged death, Obito immediately understood.
Jin nodded.
"You're right. Before Rin's death, I implanted Izanagi into her using a Transcription Seal. I sacrificed one of my own three-tomoe Sharingan to do it."
"That day… Rin did not truly die."
"After you left, she regained consciousness."
Obito's breathing hitched.
"But for certain reasons," Jin continued, "I did not make this public. Not even Kakashi knows she's alive."
Obito swallowed hard.
"…Then why tell me now?"
"I hadn't planned to."
Jin's gaze deepened.
"In the future I once observed, you committed acts so vile they defied description. I intended to reveal Rin at that moment—let her be the blade that pierced you."
Obito froze.
"But because I interfered, Yahiko didn't die in Hanzo and Danzo's scheme. That changed the course of events."
"One thread tugged—everything shifted."
"You were meant to replace Hanzo and Danzo as Yahiko's killer."
"But you hesitated."
"You chose differently."
"And in that single hesitation… you stepped onto the brightest path within the darkest future."
"That choice was yours."
Jin's voice softened.
"I realized then… I had been arrogant."
"I believed I could calculate every outcome. Guide everyone toward the brightest future."
"But causes and consequences bloom from your own choices."
"So I stepped forward."
"I told you the truth."
"What you do next—"
"That's your decision."
Obito fell silent.
He could feel it.
Jin wasn't lying.
He truly had handed the choice back to him.
And Obito understood something else.
If he chose darkness again—
Jin would kill him without hesitation.
The man who knew all his secrets absolutely had that power.
After a long while, Obito asked quietly:
"…Why did you watch me fall?"
Jin considered.
"First—Madara."
"His strength was unfathomable. Though dying, with the Rinnegan he had already stepped into the realm of the Six Paths."
"I wasn't confident I could defeat him."
"And he had no time left. Even if convinced he was wrong, he couldn't walk another path."
"My foresight depends on seeing enough 'threads.'"
"If not for you, I wouldn't even have known Madara lived—or discovered Black Zetsu."
"If I had snatched you away prematurely, Madara would have retreated into the shadows again. The situation would only grow worse."
"That's one reason I concealed Rin's survival."
"Madara would never allow you to retain such a powerful bond with this world."
"Only if Rin 'died' could she truly live."
Obito nodded slowly.
He understood Madara well enough to know Jin wasn't exaggerating.
But then Jin added—
"And that wasn't the main reason."
Obito blinked.
"There's more?"
"Yes."
"From a purely practical standpoint, Madara's path was the one best suited to unlock your potential."
"Your talent is… peculiar."
"With conventional training, you would have capped at elite jōnin."
"But your ceiling?"
"Far higher."
"You had the potential to reach the level of the Six Paths."
"And only Madara could awaken that in you."
"Not everyone is chosen as his successor."
"So I gambled."
"If you could inherit his power—yet preserve your original heart—"
"It would benefit you."
"It would benefit Konoha."
"It would benefit the world."
Jin's tone turned earnest.
"The world belongs to us."
"But ultimately… it belongs to you."
"You are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning—radiant, unstoppable."
"My expectations for you were never just 'Hokage.'"
"I hoped that when my generation and Minato's step aside…"
"You would become the sun that continues to illuminate the world."
Obito felt his entire body go numb.
He had never imagined—
Never once—
That Jin's expectations of him ran that deep.
A sun.
To illuminate the world.
His long-stagnant blood seemed to ignite again.
Yes—
The world was dark.
But he could become light.
He could be the sun.
Obito closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
When he opened them again—
The gloom was gone.
His gaze was clear.
Resolute.
He removed the spiral mask from his face and smiled.
"Jin-sensei…"
"Will you tell me more about your plan?"
Jin smiled back—warm, genuine.
"Of course."
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