As the screen's broadcast ended, the various timelines of the Shinobi World returned to normal.
The content shown this time was not too extensive—aside from the Nine-Tails' rampage, it mainly covered some stories from the early life of the so-called "savior" Uzumaki Naruto. From the current perspective, it seemed to hold little value for the other Hidden Villages.
For Konoha, however, it was a different story.
---
[Konoha, Year 60]
After exchanging a few words with Jiraiya, Kakashi dismissed Team 7 for free time and decisively ended the day's activities.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were somewhat puzzled, but seeing Kakashi's unusual silence, they said nothing. They could all sense that something was off with their supervising Jonin.
Still, the hierarchy between shinobis was strict. Even though Kakashi was usually chill, that didn't mean they could casually pry into his thoughts.
Only after Kakashi had walked far away did the three of them start discussing.
"What's wrong with Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto scratched his head.
Sasuke glanced at him. "Idiot, don't ask."
Sakura whispered, "Maybe it's because of what the Sky Screen showed…"
The three exchanged a look and tacitly dropped the subject.
Jiraiya shook his head, watching Kakashi's retreating figure.
He, too, could tell that Kakashi's mood was off, but he didn't think much of it.
After all, this was Kakashi—a man whose fate was more dramatic than any novel. Jiraiya was confident he'd pull himself together soon enough.
Under the blazing sun, Kakashi's shadow stretched long behind him.
Soon, he walked through the bustling streets, past the Konoha villagers chattering excitedly about the Sky Screen. His face betrayed no emotion.
The villagers were still fuming about the Nine-Tails' rampage, talking about the Fourth Hokage's son, saying things like "So Naruto wasn't the demon fox after all."
But Kakashi paid them no heed.
Soon, he arrived at the quiet, somewhat desolate Hatake clan grounds.
The Hatake clan was a minor family in Konoha. Even though they had produced a powerful shinobi like Hatake Sakumo, their numbers remained small.
And after Sakumo's death, Kakashi's home had always been empty—just him.
He pushed open the door, and the familiar chill of loneliness washed over him.
Kakashi walked quickly to the mirror, took a deep breath, and carefully pulled down his eye patch.
His long-covered left eye slowly opened, revealing the pattern of a three tomoe Sharingan. In the mirror, the three tomoe spun slowly, as if scrutinizing Kakashi himself.
Kakashi exhaled in relief, inwardly grateful.
What the mirror showed was proof that the Sharingan Obito had left him was still at three tomoe—not in the form of a Mangekyō.
The Sky Screen had said that while Mr. Simp used a three-tomoe Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails, he did possess a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though Kakashi didn't know exactly which Mangekyō pattern shown earlier belonged to him, it certainly wasn't a simple three-tomoe.
Regardless, Kakashi didn't want to believe that the so-called "Mr. Simp" was Obito. Otherwise, there was no explanation for why Obito would attack Kushina-senpai and Konoha.
That was the same Obito who had dreamed of becoming Hokage, who had been willing to give his life for his companions.
The same Obito who, beneath Kannabi Bridge, had entrusted him with his eye and told him to keep seeing the world with it.
So then… who exactly was Mr. Simp?
Kakashi speculated silently.
According to the Sky Screen, this Uchiha was also someone Minato-sensei knew…
He closed his eyes, countless images flashing through his mind.
Obito's smiling face, Rin's gentleness, his teacher's trust.
"Not you… it definitely can't be you…"
He muttered softly, his voice echoing in the empty room.
---
[Konoha, Year 50]
The days passed by uneventfully.
Black Zetsu had been on edge the entire time, terrified that Obito might act on impulse and do something rash.
Not to speak ill behind his back, but Obito's strength in the current world was genuinely unimpressive. And now that the Sky Screen had exposed everything, everyone knew he wasn't Uchiha Madara. He could no longer use Madara's name as a banner, which was even more troublesome.
Black Zetsu was even starting to fear that Madara's plan might go wrong.
If Obito would just obediently wait until the day the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki gave birth, with his Kamui, the original plan still had a very high success rate.
White Zetsu's reconnaissance abilities hadn't been exposed, so finding the time and location of Kushina's delivery would be easy. If necessary, they could even bring Nagato along—he didn't believe they couldn't kill the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
But as long as Obito didn't do anything reckless now.
After several days of watching Obito and noticing nothing unusual, Black Zetsu relaxed his surveillance, merely leaving White Zetsu to keep an eye on him.
That was, until—
One night, White Zetsu came scrambling to Black Zetsu in a panic: "Bad news, bad news! That guy ran off somewhere while playing hide-and-seek!"
Black Zetsu was instantly furious: "What?! Weren't you supposed to be watching him?!"
White Zetsu shrugged helplessly.
"His space-time Jutsu is just that strong. How am I supposed to keep up with him~"
Black Zetsu gritted his teeth: "That reckless fool!"
His body sank into the ground as he set off to find his disobedient pawn.
---
[Konoha Village]
The moon was bright, the stars sparse. A gentle night breeze rustled through the air as the entire village lay in deep silence.
At the Memorial Site, countless grave markers stood in dense rows. Each stone bore the name of the shinobi buried there, along with the emblem of Konoha.
Moonlight poured over the silent stones, lending them an especially cold, lonely air.
Among them, one stone stood out—the one inscribed with the name "Nohara Rin."
A large bouquet of fresh flowers lay before it, and judging by their freshness, they had been placed there only a day or two ago.
Just then, a spatial distortion appeared, and a black-robed figure wearing a yellow tiger-striped mask stepped out.
Uchiha Obito.
He had held back for a while from visiting Rin, as the content of the Sky Screen had left him agitated and unsettled.
When Obito saw the fresh flowers at the Memorial Stone, he instantly flew into a rage.
"It's you again!"
He strode forward, yanked up the bouquet, and tossed it aside.
The petals scattered across the ground, blown away by the night wind.
"What right do you have to come see her?!"
He crouched down, his trembling hand stroking the cold stone.
Suddenly, a flash of cold light shot toward him from behind—
A kunai marked with the Flying Raijin formula.
Obito seemed utterly unaware, still stroking the stone.
But the moment the kunai was about to touch him, it passed straight through his body and embedded itself in the ground before the gravestone.
Thud!
The sound of metal striking the earth rang out, eerily loud in the silent night.
Obito slowly stood up.
He didn't turn around.
He simply looked at the kunai sticking out of the ground and the familiar Flying Raijin inscriptions on it.
Then, a heavy, solemn voice came from behind him.
"So it really was you… Obito."
*****
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