"Are you curious… about where I come from?"
Looking down at Kikyo resting quietly in his arms, her expression gentle and unguarded, Uchiha Kasage lifted his gaze toward the sky, faintly visible through the rapidly passing trees. Breaking the silence, he spoke softly.
Kikyo trembled slightly at his words, surprise flickering across her face.
After a moment, she nodded slowly.
"You're… not from this land, are you?" she said gently. "Not just your abilities—even your habits are completely different from anyone here."
Tilting her head slightly, curiosity shone in her eyes.
"Are you from another country?"
"Another country… you could say that." A complicated look passed through Kasage's eyes. "I come from the Land of Fire."
He paused briefly.
"But more precisely… I'm not from this world."
"I'm from the Land of Fire… in another world."
"…Another world?" Kikyo's eyes widened in shock.
She instinctively tried to sit up—but Kasage's arms tightened slightly, keeping her in place.
She could only look up at him, disbelief clear in her voice.
"You mean… like the underworld?"
"…Not quite." Kasage scratched his head lightly, looking slightly troubled. "It's completely different from this world."
"To be honest… even I don't fully understand it myself."
"I came here… by accident."
"Then how did you arrive here?" Kikyo asked, her curiosity fully awakened now. Without realizing it, her hand lightly gripped his sleeve.
"Do you remember the Kamui space I showed you before?" Kasage asked, a faint smile appearing as he looked down at her.
"I remember," Kikyo nodded immediately. "That strange, empty place… filled with stone platforms."
"It left a deep impression on me."
"My arrival here is likely connected to that space," Kasage explained.
"As I told you before, I once had a premonition of my own death. So I prepared in advance… creating scrolls for the Impure World Reincarnation."
His tone grew slightly quieter.
"I made several of them… and hid one inside the Kamui dimension."
Kikyo's eyes sharpened with understanding.
"So… you were revived in this world using that scroll?"
"Exactly." Kasage nodded. "But for reasons I still don't fully understand, that scroll somehow ended up in this world."
"And that… is how I was brought back here."
He paused before continuing, sharing his speculation.
"The Kamui dimension exists because of the Sharingan's eye technique—Kamui. My guess is… when its original owner died, the dimension collapsed."
"And the scroll inside it… was thrown into this world by chance."
Kikyo stared at him, clearly astonished.
"…Your origins are even more mysterious than Kagome's," she murmured.
Kasage chuckled softly and pulled her slightly closer.
"I think so too."
His voice lowered, gentle but sincere.
"So meeting you… really is something extraordinary."
"I crossed two worlds… just to meet you."
His hand moved softly through her hair.
"So don't say you're alone."
"I left my entire world behind… and came here alone."
Kikyo's heart trembled.
A warmth spread quietly within her chest.
She looked into his eyes—those once-sharp pupils now softened, reflecting only her.
After a moment, she nodded gently.
Then, as if remembering something, she asked curiously,
"…Who is Obito? You mentioned him before… can he also use Kamui?"
"Obito?" Kasage blinked, slightly caught off guard.
After thinking for a moment, he answered,
"Uchiha Obito. A member of my clan."
His tone turned flat.
"…And a complete madman."
He exhaled lightly.
"Kamui was originally his ability. My own eye technique is called 'Ame-no-Tsurugi'—it allows me to copy other ocular abilities."
"So Kamui… is something I took from him."
"A madman…?" Kikyo frowned slightly. "What did he do?"
Kasage's expression didn't change.
"He, along with another one—Uchiha Itachi—wiped out the entire Uchiha clan."
His voice remained calm.
"I was eight years old at the time."
"I survived… along with one other."
Kikyo froze.
"…I'm sorry," she said softly, guilt immediately filling her expression.
She gently took his hand, her voice tinged with regret.
"I didn't know…"
Kasage tightened his grip slightly, reassuring her.
"You don't need to apologize."
His tone softened.
"It has nothing to do with you."
He gave a faint, almost self-deprecating smile.
"In that world… things like that aren't even unusual."
Kikyo looked at him quietly for a moment, then asked softly,
"…Can you tell me more about your world?"
Her eyes shone with curiosity.
Kasage rested his chin lightly against her head, breathing in her faint scent before speaking.
"In my world… there are no yokai."
"Only humans—and ninjas."
"Ninjas possess a power called chakra."
He continued calmly,
"There are also nine extremely powerful beings known as 'tailed beasts.' But they've long been captured and sealed by powerful shinobi."
He paused briefly.
"There are… a few strange things. Like dragon veins that can manipulate space and time… or occasional beings from other worlds."
"But overall… nothing compares to the strength of ninjas."
Kikyo listened carefully.
"…A world without yokai…" she whispered.
A faint longing appeared in her eyes.
"Are people… happier there?"
Kasage let out a quiet, almost mocking breath.
"Happier?"
He shook his head slightly.
"On the contrary… without yokai, humans become far more terrifying once they gain power."
His tone turned colder.
"Honestly… I think this world is better."
"The only real problem here is the Shikon Jewel… and someone like Naraku trying to obtain it."
He gave a faint smirk.
"That's nothing compared to what I've seen."
Turning his head slightly, he looked at Kikyo.
"Do you know what the madmen in my world are trying to do?"
Before she could answer, he continued,
"Two of them planned to cast a technique using the moon… something called the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi.'"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"It would trap the entire world in an endless illusion."
"Everyone… bound to trees, living forever in a false dream."
Kikyo's breath caught slightly.
"That's why all the ninjas formed an alliance to stop them."
Kasage's voice remained calm.
"…And I died in that war."
A brief silence followed.
Then, unexpectedly, he let out a soft laugh.
"So compared to people like that…"
"…Naraku almost seems reasonable."
He smirked faintly.
"You could even call him a 'good guy.'"