"Rin? Nohara Rin?"
Obito asked with anticipation written all over his face.
"That's right, she's called Nohara Rin."
White Zetsu nodded, confirming Obito's guess.
"Ha! I knew it!"
Obito's expression lit up as if he had just won a grand prize.
"Hurry, tell me—what did you see?"
He urged anxiously, eager to hear anything related to Nohara Rin.
"They just finished a mission and returned to the camp. That companion of yours, Nohara Rin, she's currently talking about medical ninjutsu with another teammate inside the tent."
"Kakashi?"
Obito frowned faintly.
But then he remembered, he had entrusted Rin to Kakashi. It was reasonable for Kakashi to take extra care of her.
As long as he could go back… everything could still return to how it used to be.
"No, not him. It's that guy called… Kiyo… something…"
"Kiyohara?!"
Obito's voice jumped in shock.
It was that guy Kiyohara?!
Obito still clearly remembered how Kiyohara had grabbed Rin's hand right in front of him while claiming to be "studying medical ninjutsu."
What? Since when did learning medical ninjutsu require holding hands?
Now the two of them were alone together. Obito couldn't even imagine what Kiyohara might do!
"I need to go back!"
The urgency inside Obito only grew stronger.
He raised his left hand and pounded on the massive rock in front of him, trying to break it and escape.
But every violent movement tugged at the freshly-stitched wounds on the right side of his body, causing unbearable pain.
Faintly, beneath the bandages, new granulation-filled flesh seemed to be forming—as though a new arm was slowly growing.
"Even if you return, what can you do? Obito, do you still not understand? During the time you were dead, your companions didn't stop moving forward just because you were gone."
Madara slowly opened his eyes, the scarlet Sharingan with its three tomoe staring deeply at Obito.
"Besides… it is perfectly normal for the dead to be replaced by the living."
Madara spoke slowly.
Just like how Hashirama eventually had that woman Uzumaki Mito beside him.
"Replace me? Impossible!"
Obito shook his head violently. In the dim light, shadows cast by the bandages made his expression look even darker.
Did he… no longer have a place?
"No one can replace me. Rin… Rin will definitely wait for me!"
Obito stubbornly clung to the memory of her words.
Rin had said she would always watch over him!
"Wait for you?"
Madara's expression didn't change.
"Based on Zetsu's observations, that Kiyohara fellow has good talent. His strength is growing quickly. And more importantly… he seems to understand how to get along with people."
"At this very moment, he's alone with the Rin you think about day and night. Tell me—if this continues, what do you think will happen?"
Madara had never been in love, but he still understood that when a man and a woman were alone, sparks could easily fly.
"You're lying!"
Obito burst out, his one remaining eye filled with disbelief.
"Rin isn't that kind of person! Kiyohara… Kiyohara could never compare to me! He's just a civilian, I am from the Uchiha clan!"
After shouting, Obito ignored the pain and weakness of his body and attempted to continue his rehabilitation training, wanting to force himself to recover and restore his chakra.
But his freshly-stitched body could not endure such strain.
Eventually, Obito collapsed heavily to the ground, face twisted with unwillingness.
Watching Obito's stubborn and agonized struggle, Madara shook his head slowly—but deep within his eyes flickered a faint glimmer of satisfaction.
Yes… that's it.
Suspicion. Pain. Resentment. Fury…
These negative emotions were the perfect nourishment for the darkness.
When Obito one day discovers that reality completely contradicts everything he believes in—
When everything he treasures seems lost—
Only then will Obito truly fall into the abyss of despair…
And become the perfect piece in Madara's grand plan.
"A world where only the victors exist…"
In the darkness, Madara slowly closed his eyes again.
…
The next morning, as dawn approached, Kiyohara reported to Kakashi and then left the outpost alone, heading toward a nearby town that served as a supply hub.
The town wasn't large, but because it was located in the rear and had many Leaf shinobi stationed there, it was rather lively. There were even several shops specifically serving shinobi.
Kiyohara walked the streets with practiced ease until he found a shop that purchased shinobi tools and forged new ones.
The shopkeeper was a middle-aged craftsman wearing a monocle, with rough, calloused fingers—clearly someone with years of experience.
Kiyohara did not waste time. He immediately took out three shinobi swords from his sealing scroll, along with various other spoils he no longer needed.
"Boss, give me an estimate. All cash."
The shopkeeper inspected each item carefully. When he examined the katana, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Then he quoted a fair price.
After a straightforward round of bargaining, Kiyohara successfully exchanged everything for a thick stack of bills—far exceeding what he had expected.
Then, Kiyohara took out several broken fragments of a blade.
"Chakra metal?"
The shopkeeper's expression instantly grew heated.
Chakra metal was incredibly rare. This was a major business opportunity.
"Customer, are you planning to forge a shinobi blade?"
"That's right."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Use this chakra metal as the primary material and fuse it into the blade. The most important thing is maximizing chakra conductivity—as much as possible. As for the leftover scraps and the forging cost, deduct everything from the money I just got. If it's not enough, I'll find a way to pay the rest."
The shopkeeper couldn't take his eyes off the chakra metal. He stroked it lovingly, brimming with confidence.
"No problem at all. You've come to the right person. With this treasure, I'm confident I can forge a blade with exceptional chakra conduction."
After inspecting it, he continued:
"Chakra metal is precious. It's also a rare learning opportunity for us craftsmen. So, I'll give you a lower price—flat fifty thousand ryō."
Kiyohara immediately agreed.
This shopkeeper was surprisingly honest—the price was far lower than what most places would ask.
Kiyohara guessed that because the shopkeeper was more a craftsman than a businessman, he was willing to offer such a price. After all, chakra metal was incredibly valuable experience for someone like him.
…
Waiting felt especially long.
Kiyohara wandered around the town, buying some shinobi tools and essentials, but his mind was already fixated on the sword being forged.
Finally, by the following evening—
Kiyohara returned to the shop.
The shopkeeper looked exhausted, but excitement and pride shone clearly in his eyes.
He carefully handed Kiyohara a long, cloth-wrapped sword case.
"Customer, take a look. See if you're satisfied!"
Kiyohara took a deep breath and slowly opened it.
Inside lay a beautifully crafted katana.
The blade was slender, and near the guard, faint wave-like patterns could be seen—natural markings created by the chakra metal.
The handle was wrapped in a special sweat-absorbing, anti-slip bandage, offering a superb grip.
The moment he saw it, Kiyohara's face brightened with joy.
His long-held wish to forge a shinobi blade…
had finally been fulfilled!
At that moment, the youth Kiyohara, his lingering spirit within the urn slowly drifted out and gazed at the sword in the Kiyohara's hands.
(End of Chapter)