[Konoha, Year 45]
The sunlight was just right, a gentle breeze blowing.
The young Uchiha Obito rested his head on his hands, leaning against a tree trunk, his two-tomoe Sharingan beneath his goggles fixed on the Sky Screen.
A hint of irritation creping into his voice.
"Why is it only this little clip?"
"I wanted to see who won—me or Kakashi?!"
He kicked at the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust.
As if answering young Obito's anticipation, the screen flickered off and on, revealing a new scene.
People across the various timelines of the Shinobi World looked up, waiting to see what would play next.
Just then, a figure glowing with golden light appeared on the screen. His hair spiked upward into two horn-like shapes, with six tomoe markings at his collar, his whole body radiating a powerful aura.
When the people of the Shinobi World got a clear look, they recognized him as the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode Naruto from the earlier analysis of the battle power comparison between Naruto and Sasuke.
"It's that savior guy!"
"The future Seventh Hokage!"
"So cool!"
Exclamations rang out one after another from across the various timelines.
---
"It's not over yet—Tailed Beast Ball!"
On the screen, Naruto transformed into a massive golden Nine-Tails form, gathering a pitch-black Tailed Beast Ball in his mouth.
And his opponent was actually Obito wearing a white mask. However, unlike earlier, his clothes were intact, and his mask was still whole.
He stood opposite Naruto, dressed in a neat black robe, his white mask undamaged, his posture calm.
But people across all timelines knew—this was the same Obito who had fought Kakashi. They were just seeing what happened before that particular fight.
"A little late. How futile," Obito said casually, as if that Tailed Beast Ball—capable of destroying an entire village—was nothing to him.nb
And sure enough.
The Tailed Beast Ball passed silently through Obito's body, striking the mountain behind him and causing massive destruction—rocks flying, dust billowing—but leaving Obito completely unharmed.
"It's that ability again!" Someone exclaimed.
"Space-time ninjutsu!"
"That's just cheating! You can't even hit him—how are you supposed to fight that?"
Discussions erupted across the various timelines.
---
On the screen, the scene shifted.
Obito appeared in the Kamui dimension.
And just as he evaded the attack—
"Vrrrrrr! Vrrrrrr!!"
A sound rang out above him in the Kamui dimension—something spinning at high speed, stirring the air in the entire space.
Naruto in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, holding a Rasengan in his right hand, had appeared in the Kamui dimension!
"You're—!!"
Obito's Rinnegan in his left eye contracted sharply, trembling slightly with shock.
"Uzumaki Naruto!!!"
In response, Naruto closed in fast, the blue Rasengan in hand.
'I see, so that Kamui just now wasn't transporting the Rasengan—but the Shadow Clone itself!'
'He beat me to it. Damn you, Kakashi!'
Before Obito could finish his thought, Naruto was right in front of him, Rasengan in hand.
'…Not good!'
And then—
He slammed the Rasengan hard into Obito's face.
"Who… are you?!!" Naruto's high-pitched voice rang out.
With a violent flash of white light, Obito's white mask shattered upon impact. And to avoid the follow-up attack, Obito had no choice but to phase out of the Kamui dimension once more.
Mask fragments scattered through the air, revealing half a hideous face beneath—scarred, uneven skin, marked with white traces of Hashirama's cells.
It looked grotesque.
The scene then cut to outside the Kamui dimension.
In the dim world outside, only Kakashi and Guy could be seen—both with expressions of utter shock.
Clearly, they had recognized the face beneath the white mask: Uchiha Obito, the man they had believed dead for years.
And the people watching across the various timelines felt a bit smug. They already knew that this mysterious figure was Uchiha Obito.
Still, Obito was truly no simple character. Without the Sky Screen, almost no one would have uncovered his identity.
As according to the revealed future, his identity wouldn't have been exposed until the Fourth Great Ninja War—when Naruto finally shattered his mask.
The man sure knew how to hide.
[It has to be said—Kakashi's intelligence is indeed impressive. Not long after fighting the masked Obito, he figured out the connection between the Kamui dimension and his own left eye. And by sending Naruto into the Kamui dimension, he uncovered Obito's identity.]
[Guy, who was always bad at remembering faces, finally recognized Obito after more than a decade. And Kakashi's expression here was also very interesting—seeing Obito was like seeing a ghost.]
[Of course, we also have to give Obito credit. Years ago, he took a Rasengan from Minato to the back. And now over a decade later, he took one to the face from Naruto. And he walked away both times without much damage—you have to admit, Hashirama's cells really are something.]
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Land of Waves, Tazuna's house]
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Kakashi—but he felt no warmth. His visible right eye was slightly unfocused, its pupil empty.
His left eye actually connected to Obito's Kamui dimension! And in the future, he would even send Naruto's Shadow Clone into that dimension?!
What did that mean?
He... as long as he could find a way to use his left eye's Mangekyō ability, he would be able to find Obito.
He wouldn't have to wait for the Fourth Great Ninja War.
He wouldn't have to wait for Naruto to grow up.
He could find that missing guy himself.
Unless Obito stopped returning to the Kamui dimension just to avoid him.
---
[A cliff somewhere in the Shinobi World]
Obito's face beneath his mask was grim.
He knew it wouldn't be long before a persistent pest came sticking to him.
That guy Kakashi—once he knew he could reach Obito through the Kamui dimension—would obsessively search for a way to use his Mangekyō and chase him like a mad dog.
*****
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