"Enough!"
Just as Uchiha Obito's hand was about to grab Yahiko's throat—just as Yahiko was preparing to face death—a large hand suddenly seized Obito's wrist.
"Big Brother Ren?!"
Yahiko's vision blurred for a moment. When he saw the man who had suddenly appeared, disbelief filled his face.
"Uchiha Ren…?!"
Obito instantly activated Kamui, phasing out of the grip and retreating several steps to create distance.
A chill ran down his spine.
His emotions had been so turbulent just now that he hadn't sensed when Uchiha Ren had approached him at all.
If Ren had wanted to kill him…
Obito would already be dead.
But why was Uchiha Ren here?
Among all members of the Uchiha Clan, Obito remembered Ren very clearly.
Back then, Ren often spent time with his teacher, Minato Namikaze, and was quite familiar with Team Minato as well. He would frequently say strange and puzzling things to them.
Not only did Minato hold Ren in extremely high regard, but Ren's performance on the Kirigakure battlefield had also been dazzling.
In Obito's eyes, Uchiha Ren was an unfathomable figure—someone who might not even be weaker than Minato himself.
"Big Brother Ren… Konan, she…"
After being saved, Yahiko felt no relief from surviving.
Instead, his heart was filled with pain and regret.
If Ren had arrived just a little earlier… perhaps Konan wouldn't have died.
But Yahiko wasn't blaming Ren.
He hated himself for being too weak.
Too weak to stall for more time.
"Don't worry," Ren said calmly.
"Konan is fine. She's still alive."
He gestured slightly.
Only then did Yahiko notice that Ren was holding someone in his other arm.
Konan.
She was unconscious, cradled gently in Ren's arm.
Although there was a trace of blood on her neck, a closer look showed it was merely a superficial wound.
Her breathing was steady.
She was unconscious, but clearly not in any real danger.
"Th… that's wonderful!"
Yahiko's eyes reddened as he stammered.
"That's wonderful…! Konan is alive… that's wonderful!"
The overwhelming joy of knowing Konan was alive left him so relieved that he momentarily forgot to ask what had actually happened.
"Yahiko, I saw everything that happened just now," Ren said, looking at him with open admiration.
"You did very well."
"Make sure you protect Konan properly."
As he spoke, Ren gently handed Konan over.
Yahiko hurriedly received her with both hands, holding her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world, terrified of even the slightest harm coming to her.
Only then did Ren turn to look at Obito.
His expression was complicated.
Not long ago, after sensing the disturbance here, Ren had immediately controlled Hanzo of the Salamander and rushed over.
When he arrived, he saw Obito using his infamous "Talk-no-Jutsu" on Yahiko.
Obito had even used his Sharingan genjutsu to hypnotize Yahiko, distorting his perception so that Yahiko believed Konan had died before his eyes.
At that moment, Konan had truly rushed toward the black chakra rod in Obito's hand with the intention of committing suicide.
Ren had almost intervened right then.
But perhaps Konan's actions reminded Obito of something.
At the final moment, Obito subtly shifted the black rod, turning a fatal strike into nothing more than a superficial wound.
Then he hypnotized Yahiko.
And began preaching his ideology.
Watching this unfold, Ren realized something.
Obito had seen his own past reflected in Yahiko and Konan.
Yahiko's passion mirrored the Obito of old.
Konan's sacrifice resembled Rin Nohara's final choice.
Because of that…
Obito desperately wanted Yahiko to acknowledge him.
He wanted validation.
He wanted proof that the path he had chosen wasn't wrong.
Ren had wanted to see their true thoughts as well.
So he stayed hidden and watched.
And in the end—
Yahiko completely shattered Obito's emotional defenses.
Yahiko's heart was blazing with warmth, optimism, and unwavering conviction.
You could call him naive.
You could call him childish.
But when such a person stood right in front of you…
Someone like Obito—who was already on the verge of abandoning himself—couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Because once upon a time…
He should have been like that too.
Yes.
Even now, Uchiha Obito had not completely abandoned himself.
Even in the original timeline during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito still hadn't entirely lost himself.
Otherwise, he would never have been persuaded by Naruto Uzumaki so easily.
The truth was—
Obito had merely buried his former self deep within his heart.
Whenever he encountered someone similar to who he once was…
That buried self would break through the surface again.
Realizing this made Ren's mind stir with new ideas.
Originally, Obito had been just as passionate as Yahiko.
Yet after suffering similar tragedies, Obito had walked down a far more extreme path.
Perhaps the reason was simple.
Obito possessed something Yahiko did not.
The Sharingan.
The unique bloodline of the Uchiha Clan granted them immense power when they experienced deep emotional trauma.
But it also carried a terrible price.
That same power made their emotions more extreme.
More unstable.
More likely to fall into darkness.
They loved more deeply—
So they suffered more deeply.
That was the price the Uchiha paid for their power.
If Obito had not been born an Uchiha…
Perhaps he would have made the same choice as Yahiko.
Because of this realization, Ren decided to change his original plan.
He chose to reveal himself before Obito.
He wanted to give Obito more chances to reclaim himself.
Ren looked at Obito and spoke calmly.
"It's true what they say—after three days apart, one should look at someone with new eyes."
"I never expected that the former dead-last of the Academy would grow this strong."
Obito's heart skipped a beat.
He swallowed hard.
"You are… Uchiha Ren, aren't you?" he said cautiously.
"The most dazzling figure of the current Uchiha Clan."
"I've heard of your name."
"But we've never met before, have we?"
"I am Madara Uchiha."
Obito tried to sound confident, but his tone lacked conviction.
It carried the unmistakable air of someone bluffing.
Ren chuckled softly.
"When someone wears a mask for too long… eventually it grows into their face."
"And when that happens…"
"Taking it off will tear flesh and bone."
"It's not too late to turn back."
"You're still you."
"A hero of Konoha."
Obito's gaze flickered.
He avoided Ren's eyes.
"You're speaking nonsense, brat," he said uneasily.
"I am Madara Uchiha—a traitor to Konoha."
"I'm no hero of the Leaf."
"Madara Uchiha?" Ren smiled faintly.
"Stop pretending."
"You can't fool me."
"You're clearly Uchiha—"
"I'm not O—"
"Kenji."
"???"
Obito froze.
His mind went blank.
Ren grinned.
"You're Uchiha Kenji, right?"
Obito: "..."
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