Everyone's Dreams

Chapter 29: Their Respective Dreams

In a single sentence, the masked man's attitude was clear: he intended to kill all three of them!

"Run!"

Kagami instinctively shouted. Only he knew how impossibly powerful the person before them was. The three of them, let alone three hundred, couldn't defeat this person.

They had to escape! Even though the hope of escape was slim, this wasn't the time to worry about that. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, they had to fight for it.

After shouting, Kagami turned and fled without hesitation.

The aura of death brought by Obito was too strong, so strong that it rattled Kagami, a transmigrator. Kagami's mind was filled only with the urge to escape; he couldn't think of anything else.

"Hurry and go, you're a genius, remember to stay alive."

A figure brushed past Kagami, charging towards the masked man.

Kagami froze, turned around, and shouted angrily.

"Genji! What are you doing? Didn't you hear me? Run!"

The one who brushed past Kagami and charged at the masked man was Suzuki Genji.

At this moment, Suzuki Genji was already standing in front of the masked man. Facing Kagami's question, she spoke without looking back.

"Like I said, you hurry and go."

Kagami extended a hand towards Genji's retreating back.

"Then let's go, together! And Daisuke, you too, let's all escape together!"

Strangely, the masked man didn't attack immediately as he watched the three of them converse, but instead watched like he was witnessing a good show.

Saito Daisuke took a step forward, blocking in front of Suzuki Genji, and also in front of Kagami. With his back to Kagami and Genji, his body trembled uncontrollably. Clearly, he was afraid. Before Obito had made his move, Daisuke had been dismissive of him, but when Obito was truly about to act, that terrifying pressure, that overwhelming sense of impending death, instantly made the three of them realize how impossibly powerful the person before them was.

"Genji, Kagami, you go. I'll… I'll stall him."

Kagami rushed to Saito Daisuke's side, grabbed his hand, and pulled hard backward.

"Go, Daisuke! You're trembling with fear, don't force yourself. Come with me quickly! If you stay, there's no way to survive."

Although Saito Daisuke was trembling all over, he didn't budge against Kagami's pull. He turned his head back to Kagami, his voice shaky.

"Kagami, have you… have you ever seen a Hokage hide behind someone else?"

Kagami was furious.

"What are you talking about Hokage now? Hurry and escape with me! Besides, I've never even seen a Hokage fight."

Saito Daisuke forcefully shook off Kagami's hand, revealing a sunny smile that was completely at odds with his trembling body.

"The Hokage I want to become is one who can protect his comrades. No matter what, I won't give up on this dream. So, you two hurry and escape. I'll… I'll protect you. I said before that I'd let him know how strong Saito Daisuke is, I can't go back on my word."

He was clearly terrified, yet he said such words.

But Obito grew disgusted. He had wanted to witness a scene of parting in life and death, a spectacle of them abandoning their companions for their own lives, and through such actions, further convince himself that this world was false. But what did he see? He saw an idiot spouting dreams of being Hokage.

At this moment, he seemed to see a sliver of his past self, but this wasn't what he wanted! This was a false world!

One slash!

The eyes beneath the mask were exceptionally cold.

Saito Daisuke's right arm separated from his body, and blood sprayed out, splattering Kagami's face.

Obito pointed the blood-stained blade at Saito Daisuke, as if asking him, and perhaps, asking his past self.

"Do you still want to be Hokage now? Do you still think you can protect them now?"

Feeling the blood on his face, Kagami was completely stunned. He looked at the severed end of Saito Daisuke's right arm, where a large amount of blood was gushing out. If it wasn't bandaged in time, Daisuke would die soon.

"Wait..."

Kagami took a step forward, wanting to do something.

But Obito's cold gaze swept over him.

"Do you want to end up like him?"

Kagami stopped, his feet becoming incredibly heavy, unable to take another step forward.

Then, Obito continued to look at Saito Daisuke.

"What's my answer?"

Saito Daisuke's face was already deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down. He was enduring the pain of his severed arm. Such pain inflicted on him at such a young age made it impossible for him to even speak.

It hurts so much!

He could only stand up straight, his back to Kagami and the others. He raised his remaining left hand, gave a thumbs-up, and forced out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Run. I'll… I'll stay here..."

Suzuki Genji's expression was extremely grim as she stared intently at the masked man.

Kagami looked at the back in front of him, his mouth agape, not knowing what to say.

Obito's gaze grew even colder as he raised his blade.

"That's not the answer I wanted."

With that, he thrust his blade towards Saito Daisuke's chest.

"Stop!"

Kagami and Genji shouted in unison, rushing forward together.

It was like moths to a flame, and the only outcome would be one more death. Yet, while moths might not save each other, humans do.

A slender hand pushed Kagami aside a moment before the blade pierced her chest.

Kagami's hand was a step too late. As Genji and Kagami charged forward, they also reached out, trying to push the other away. But this time, Kagami lost; he was a step slower than Genji.

Blood trickled down her lips. Suzuki Genji offered a faint smile. She had never been one for many words, but now, it seemed she finally wanted to say more. However, as she opened her mouth, blood surged out, making it impossible to speak properly. After several attempts to say something, she finally felt her time was running out. So, Genji, true to her usual style, kept her words brief.

"Run, and be well."

That was her dream. Now, she could no longer achieve it. She smiled faintly, as if entrusting that not-quite-a-dream dream to Kagami, because their dreams were the same.

Obito let out a cold snort and forcefully pushed the blade forward, driving Genji's body and the blade piercing her chest further through Daisuke's chest behind her.

Genji struggled with all her might but couldn't resist Obito's immense strength. She was pushed backward by the blade, her feet dragging a bloody trail on the ground.

Obito withdrew the blade, not sparing another glance at Daisuke and Genji. He pointed the blood-soaked sword at Kagami.

"It's your turn. Before I kill you, I'll ask you one last question. If they both die, and you're the only one left alive, will you be happy? If you say yes, I'll let you go."

Obito stared coldly at Kagami, hoping to see him say "Yes." He wanted to use Kagami to prove that the so-called bonds of companionship were just lies, that this was a false world, and only the world he was creating would be real.

Kagami let out a cold laugh. At this moment, he was utterly despairing. Looking at the two corpses beside him, Kagami knew all too well that he would soon become the third. Even if Obito said he would let him go, would he be happy?

Kagami looked at Obito.

"Only a beast would be happy. I'm sorry, I'm not a beast."

Within his pitch-black pupils, the blood of Genji and Daisuke was reflected, a unique red that seemed to stain Kagami's eyes, growing redder and redder. Slowly, a single tomoe formed, a blood-red, one-tomoe eye.

Obito looked at the blood-red eyes and raised his blade.

"That's not the answer I wanted. Go join your companions."

Kagami drew a kunai, intending to counterattack, but Obito's eyes under his mask flashed red, and Kagami found himself unable to move.

The genjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan was not something Kagami's mere one-tomoe Sharingan could resist.

With a single slash, Kagami's body was ripped open by a massive gash, blood gushing out continuously, quickly soaking his clothes.

Kagami gritted his teeth, refusing to utter a single cry. If Daisuke could endure his severed arm, how could he not? He couldn't disgrace himself.

Besides, this was the ninja world. Shouting wouldn't bring help. Those who could find them would do so through chakra sensing. Those who couldn't be found wouldn't be helped even if they screamed their lungs out.

Obito sheathed his blade.

"I've reconsidered. I won't kill you directly. You'll watch your companions' corpses here and bleed to death. This wound is enough to kill you. Next, before you die, you will savor despair. Experience the despair of this false world."

Cold sweat streamed down Kagami's face. The wound left him incredibly weak, unable to move.

Crack

Kagami collapsed to the ground. He turned to look at the two figures lying beside him. His vision blurred. He weakly reached out, first taking Daisuke's hand, then placing Genji's hand in Daisuke's. He then placed his own hand on Genji's.

Around them was a pool of blood. After Kagami's arrangement, all three hands were now stained with blood.

Finally, a faint smile touched Kagami's lips.

"Be well."

That was his dream too. With that, Kagami's vision completely darkened soon after. He could see nothing. He was plunged into utter darkness.

At the very end, Kagami thought he heard an angry shout.

"Where is Kakashi?! Is he dead?!"