After settling all his important matters, Obito returned to the Land of Snow — to the Snow Hidden Village.
From then on, Obito's days became calm again.
Time flew like an arrow, seasons passed like a fleeting moon.
In the blink of an eye, years quietly slipped by.
On this particular day, in the Land of Fire, a train roared along its tracks.
"Kakashi-sensei, this thing called a train is amazing!"
Inside the carriage, a blond boy pressed against the window, eyes sparkling as the scenery rushed by.
Bonk!
A fist immediately cracked down on his head.
"Keep it down, Naruto!"
A pink-haired girl scolded sharply.
"Idiot."
A black-haired boy sitting next to them shot Naruto a bored glance and sighed.
"What did you say?! Sasuke!!"
Naruto exploded instantly.
Bonk!
Another fist landed.
"Don't talk to Sasuke like that!"
"Seriously… Sakura-chan is getting more and more like my mom…" Naruto muttered while clutching his head.
"Haha~, sorry, sorry."
A white-haired Konoha shinobi — Hatake Kakashi — turned and apologized to the surrounding passengers.
"Kakashi-sensei, I think this train is also a product from the Land of Snow, right?"
Seeing Naruto finally quiet down, Sakura asked.
"That's right."
Kakashi nodded, slipping his lifelong companion of a book shut.
"Trains, just like the popular televisions, game consoles, video tapes, and video recorders sold in the villages today — they all originated from the Land of Snow."
"Moreover, the train was one of the very first inventions launched by the Land of Snow. Their railway systems have already reached all five great nations."
"A game console too?! That's awesome! That Land of Snow is insane!"
Naruto's eyes widened.
He loved that cassette console at home — though if he played too much, his mom would literally beat him.
"Yes, amazing… I really want to visit the Land of Snow someday…"
Sakura said with a dreamy look.
"Land of Snow…"
Kakashi's eyes drifted slightly, touched by nostalgia as old memories resurfaced.
Sitting beside them, Uchiha Sasuke remained silent, far calmer and more mature than he had been at this age in the original timeline.
Twelve-year-old Sasuke looked more like a sixteen-year-old Sasuke — calm, composed, unreadable.
Kakashi glanced sideways at him, letting out a small sigh.
Naruto was Naruto — loud.
Sakura was Sakura — overly focused on one person.
But Sasuke… Sasuke gave him that dangerous feeling.
He still remembered that bell test.
Those eyes.
Three Tomoe Sharingan at twelve.
That power.
And the way Sasuke fought... Kakashi knew the boy was still hiding something.
Sasuke felt Kakashi's gaze but didn't care.
"That man" had told him to remain on standby in the Leaf for now.
Over the years, Sasuke's suspicion toward the mysterious man who approached him… had changed into something else entirely.
A man who possessed overwhelming strength — greater than his disgusting brother Itachi and who manipulated things from the shadows with ease.
Sasuke held a quiet, hidden respect for him.
And gratitude.
At first, Sasuke assumed the man had ulterior motives.
But after witnessing that overwhelming power with his own eyes, Sasuke understood his own insignificance.
To Sasuke, that man was free — someone who helped simply because he felt like it.
Even his other subordinates, like that strong, weird guy, were treated fairly.
Sasuke had been reluctant at first… but time had worn that away.
As long as revenge could be achieved — he didn't care.
And now, thanks to him, Sasuke had awakened the Three Tomoe.
And the man promised to guide him toward something beyond it—
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Thinking of that, a faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips.
Kakashi noticed that smile and his eyes narrowed.
Sasuke never reacted to praise.
Never showed emotion.
Never smiled like that.
'What are you hiding, Sasuke…?'
Kakashi thought, remembering the old Third Hokage's warnings.
"Kakashi-sensei, the Land of Snow… is it always snowing there?" Sakura asked curiously.
"In the past, yes. The Land of Snow used to be covered in ice and snow year-round."
"Oh? So not anymore?"
Sakura blinked.
"Now, the Land of Snow feels more like spring all year long. Honestly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to rename it the Land of Spring."
Kakashi sighed lightly.
The Land of Snow wasn't the same place he remembered.
Too much had changed.
"Humph."
A grumpy huff came from an old man nearby.
"Does Mr. Tazuna dislike the Land of Snow?" Sakura asked.
Nobody noticed that Sasuke's eyes flicked toward the old man as well, narrowing slightly.
"It's not that I hate it," Tazuna grumbled.
"It's just annoying knowing that all the ships from Gato's shipping company were bought from the Land of Snow."
"Ahh… so that's why…" Sakura's face twisted awkwardly.
Sasuke glanced at the old man, tone calm and composed:
"Gatō misusing their ships isn't the Land of Snow's fault. Blaming the craftsmen for the criminal is pointless."
Tazuna froze for a moment, realizing he couldn't argue back.
Then he clicked his tongue and glared back.
"Mind your own business, you little brat.
Kids who haven't even grown hair down there shouldn't lecture adults."
Naruto froze, then exploded into laughter, cheeks bright red as he jabbed a finger at Sasuke.
"PFFT—HAHAHAHA!"
Sakura's face went red and glanced at Sasuke carefully.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, hands tucked in his pockets as he let out a quiet sigh.
"Hmm."
He looked at Tazuna from head to toe.
Then said quietly:
"Funny.For someone telling me to mind my business…you're the one whining loud enough for the whole train."
Tazuna froze.
Sasuke continued, still expressionless:
"And judging by that belly and the amount of alcohol in your breath…the only thing growing on you is liver damage."
Naruto toppled right out of his seat, mouth hanging open as he stared at Tazuna's belly in pure shock.
Sakura covered her mouth, trying not to laugh as she thought,
'Sasuke-kun is amazing… he actually shut that poor old man down.'
Even Kakashi blinked in mild surprise, looking at Sasuke in a new light. He honestly didn't expect the kid to crack a joke like that.
Kakashi had no idea that Sasuke had been hanging around a group of elite Talk-no-Jutsu grandmasters—mysterious men with masks and weaponized sarcasm.
Move with them long enough… and of course he'd awaken the forbidden art known as—
Roast Release.
Tazuna's face turned red from embarrassment and rage.
"Y-YOU—!!"
Sasuke closed his eyes again.
"I'm just saying. If you're going to insult someone's age… make sure you don't look like a retirement-age bridge troll when you do it."
Tazuna's eyes bulged like they were about to rocket out of his skull.
His whole body trembled—half rage, half humiliation.
"You—!! Y-You damn—!!"
Before the old man could explode, Kakashi closed his book with a soft thwap and stepped in smoothly.
"Now, now… that's enough, you two."
He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, the other raised toward Tazuna in a calming gesture.
"Sasuke, that's enough. Mr. Tazuna is just having a hard time."
Then Kakashi turned to the old man, voice still gentle but firmer.
"And Mr. Tazuna-san, Sasuke is a kid.
There's no need to get so worked up over a child's words…"
Tazuna let out a sharp huff and jerked his head away, refusing to look at any of them.
"...Hmph!"
Naruto whispered, "Man, Sasuke fried him worse than mom's burnt tempura…"
Sakura elbowed him before he got punched again.
Sasuke simply closed his eyes, expression unreadable, as if the whole thing didn't concern him at all.
Kakashi sighed internally.
This mission is already giving me wrinkles…
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