11 hours and 30 minutes until the event begins…
— Shinobi World, Hidden Leaf Village.
Under a star-filled sky, a cool night breeze drifted along the brightly lit streets. The barbecue restaurant was bustling with chatter and laughter, no different from the daytime.
Inside one of the private rooms sat Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, gathered around a low table laden with sizzling meat.
Tsunade sat by the window—where the wind carried away cigarette ash, keeping her from choking on the smoke.
To her left, Jiraiya stared at Orochimaru with a complicated expression.
That look was an indescribable mix of excitement, nostalgia, and a dozen other emotions so tangled they'd need a pie chart to be sorted out. The intensity of it gave Orochimaru goosebumps.
Without a word, he raised his hand—Thunk!
A kunai embedded itself in the wooden wall. A few pale strands of Jiraiya's hair floated down through the air and landed in the charcoal flames, turning to ash.
"You tried to kill me!?" Jiraiya roared, emphasizing every word, looking completely unhinged.
"If I'd dodged even a split second slower, that kunai would've gone right through my skull, you bastard snake!"
"…What a pity," Orochimaru rasped in his low, hoarse voice as he calmly picked up a slice of meat with his chopsticks and placed it on the grill.
"What did you say!? You bastard Orochimaru!" Jiraiya rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.
"I said…" Orochimaru drawled, looking straight at him, "Considering the strength of a dead-last like you, I threw that kunai at exactly the speed and force you could barely dodge."
"…"
Jiraiya froze for a few seconds, glaring at Orochimaru.Then, without a word, he snatched up his chopsticks and, with the lightning-fast reflexes of a lifelong bachelor, grabbed the very piece of meat Orochimaru had just placed on the grill—and stuffed it into his mouth.
He chewed noisily, smirking right at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru stared back in silence, then slowly curled his lips into a cold sneer."…Childish fool."
"You two…" Tsunade sighed, shaking her head. "You're both decades old, yet you act like squabbling kids. Can't you be a little more mature? A little more dignified?"
Seizing the moment, she launched into a lecture—nagging with the tone of an exasperated mother scolding her children.Her words left both Jiraiya and Orochimaru sitting there blankly, half-stunned.
"With you two being this childish," Tsunade continued seriously, "how can I possibly trust you? During the event, you'll both stick with me and follow my lead."
So that was the real reason…
Both men thought the same thing silently.
"I don't mind," Jiraiya said readily, not calling her out. Teaming up with his old comrades—even if it meant going to another world—made him feel at ease.
"Good." Tsunade's gaze softened slightly; she looked pleased with his answer. "You know how to read the room, Jiraiya."
"I refuse," Orochimaru said flatly. "I—"
BOOM!
The air cracked with a sharp pop as Tsunade's bare hand clenched, the shockwave rustling Orochimaru's black hair.
"I didn't quite catch that," she said with a smile, admiring her pale, slender fingers as though she hadn't just crushed the air itself.
But anyone with half a brain could tell—this wasn't admiration.It was a threat.
"Don't forget who gave you your terminal device…"
First came physical intimidation—then verbal coercion.
"…I'll join," Orochimaru said finally, wisely assessing the consequences of resistance.
"Good." Tsunade nodded in satisfaction. "I hereby announce—the Legendary Sannin Squad is officially reformed. Our target: the rewards for 11th and 12th place."
Called it.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru thought in unison once again.
A short while later, Orochimaru asked, "Which faction are we joining?"
"The Navy," Tsunade replied simply.
Following in Grandpa's footsteps—and reaping the benefits behind him.
Orochimaru gave a small nod, said nothing more, and quietly turned his attention to grilling meat, drinking, and chatting.
Meanwhile, in another private room of the same barbecue restaurant—
Kakashi and Obito sat facing each other in heavy silence.
Although it was long known that Obito had been manipulated, simply saying he was used could never erase his sins.
What's done cannot be undone.
Because of that, neither Minato-sensei nor Kushina-sensei had forgiven him.And Obito never expected forgiveness. He rarely even set foot in Konoha anymore—unwilling to be an eyesore to others.
The only person from the village he still spoke to regularly was Kakashi.
"Kakashi…" Obito extended his right hand, palm open. "Lend me my eye for a few days. I'll return it when I'm done."
The moment he said it, he felt something was off about how that sounded—awkward, even weird.
"You're aiming for first or second place?" Kakashi asked without agreeing immediately.
"Yeah." Obito's voice was muffled and heavy. He wanted to atone—for his past, for the innocent people who'd died because of him. Only the innocent.
After a pause, Kakashi asked, "Do you want it now?"
"Yeah," Obito replied again, still in that same dull tone. "I brought a replacement for you."
He withdrew his right hand, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a glass jar the size of a soda can. Inside floated an eyeball.
"Three tomoe. Not as good as mine, but decent enough," Obito explained—making sure to brag a little in the process.
Since Obito had come prepared, Kakashi didn't hesitate."Alright then. I'll go find a medical-nin to handle the swap."
"No need. I've got plenty of experience swapping eyes—done in seconds," Obito said, pressing Kakashi's shoulder to keep him seated.
"You?" Kakashi gave him a skeptical look.
"Eye replacement's all about practice," Obito said casually.As he spoke, he lifted Kakashi's forehead protector, pressed his fingers in, and plucked the Sharingan out with practiced precision.
He opened the jar, took out the replacement eye, and slipped it neatly into Kakashi's bleeding socket.
With a single swipe of his hand, he reconnected the optic nerves.
"There. See? No problem."
Obito looked at him expectantly.
Kakashi blinked—the world came into focus perfectly, no issues at all.
Obito tossed the removed eye back into the jar, screwed on the lid, and sat back down to grab his chopsticks and eat.
Watching him, Kakashi frowned slightly. "You're not putting it back in?"
"Nah. I'll have Rin help me later," Obito said with a grin.
Nohara Rin—recently revived by Obito—was now living in Amegakure.
Kakashi instantly understood what he was implying. He was speechless for a moment, then asked quietly,
"How's Rin doing lately?"
"Why do you ask?" Obito's expression instantly turned guarded, as if protecting a treasure.
"Can't I check in on an old teammate?" Kakashi sighed, exasperated.
"She's doing fine," Obito replied after realizing he'd overreacted. His tone softened, and he began to share, "She's been growing flowers lately…"
One spoke, the other listened.The air between them slowly warmed—peaceful, almost gentle.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)