It's Not Just a Nightmare!

The sky was clear and sunny, with bright sunlight and not a single cloud in sight.

The heavens were a pure, washed blue, a few thin clouds lazily drifting, sunlight pouring down without reserve, coating the entire training ground in a warm glow.

In the center of the practice field, several heavily worn wooden stakes stood silently, their surfaces covered in scratches from kunai and shuriken.

"Where... am I?" Obito opened his eyes in a daze, staring at this familiar environment, his mind momentarily hazy.

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his head, and a familiar voice came from behind him.

"You idiot Obito, you can't even use a shuriken properly!"

Obito turned around and saw Rin retracting her hand with a huff.

She had just knocked him on the head.

"Rin..." Obito couldn't help but let tears fall, a familiar surge of overwhelming joy rising in his heart again.

All the chaotic thoughts in his head had been knocked away by Rin's fist, leaving his mind filled entirely with her image, with no room for anything else.

"Hey, Obito, can I talk to you about something?" Rin twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, showing a rare shy expression.

"Ah!" Obito was instantly captivated, jumping up without a second thought and thumping his chest as he shouted, "Rin, no need to talk about it, whatever you want, I'll give it all to you!"

"Anything?" Rin immediately lit up with joy, her eyes sparkling, making Obito's heart feel like it was about to burst with happiness.

Obito nodded repeatedly without hesitation.

"Anything!"

"Then thank you so much, Obito." Rin spoke solemnly, bowing to him in gratitude.

"Ah, Rin, why are you being so polite with me! What's mine is yours..."

Obito grinned foolishly, rubbing his head, his eyes squinting into slits.

But before he could finish, he saw Rin blushing as she walked up to him and reached out toward his face.

"..." Obito's mind went blank with joy, his mouth hanging open, completely forgetting where he was.

Yet all he felt was a sharp pain, his vision went black—the blue sky, white clouds, green hills, and clear waters all vanished from his sight, leaving only darkness.

And then Rin's delighted voice came from beside his ear.

"Ah, Kakashi, look, this Sharingan suits you so well!"

"Since that one's gone, just transplant this one instead, don't be sad anymore!"

What made him feel even more like he'd fallen into an icy abyss was Kakashi's familiar voice following.

"Rin, why are you taking Obito's things again?"

"Ah, Obito himself said his things are my things. What's wrong with me taking my own stuff?"

"Then what about Obito?"

"Ah, why do you care so much? Who told him to be such a simp?"

In that instant, Obito felt the world spin, not just heartache—his whole being felt like it was splitting apart.

"No..." Obito let out a miserable wail, jolting awake from the nightmare, sitting up in bed, gasping for air.

He waved his hand in front of his eyes, clearly seeing the lines on his palm, and only then confirmed that it had just been a nightmare.

Was it because he'd learned from Uchiha An during the day that the eye he'd given to Kakashi had been destroyed, so he had this nightmare at night?

What you think about during the day, you dream about at night—it wasn't impossible.

But then he touched his chest, feeling the White Zetsu Cells just finishing repairing the cracks there, and suspicion surged in his heart.

Just now, his "heart" had really cracked!

If it weren't for something as absurd as White Zetsu Cells, he probably would have died on the spot.

Who dies from being scared by their own nightmare?

Was it really just a case of daytime thoughts becoming nighttime dreams, or was someone secretly trying to harm him?

Obito's eyes widened, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning rapidly as he repeatedly examined himself, but no matter how he checked, he found no trace of Genjutsu.

"Not Genjutsu?"

Obito frowned deeply, carefully calculating—if someone was trying to harm him, who could it be?

The prime suspect was definitely that damned Uchiha An; he had the greatest grudge against him, was vengeful, and had a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan—both motive and ability fit.

But his Mangekyo Dojutsu were healing and prophecy, which many people had personally verified.

So, as detestable as this guy was, he could already be ruled out.

The next candidate was Uchiha Itachi.

Although he and Itachi had worked together to carry out the Uchiha clan massacre, he now knew that Konoha had been behind it all along, and Itachi hadn't truly betrayed the village.

Now that the Akatsuki Organization was about to make a move on Konoha, it made sense for Itachi to secretly eliminate powerful enemies for the village's sake.

But there was the same problem—Itachi's Mangekyo Dojutsu were Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, which he had personally witnessed.

That said, Itachi's suspicion could also be ruled out.

Now there were only three Mangekyo in the ninja world—could this not be a Mangekyo ability?

But such an ability, so bizarre and powerful, could never be ordinary Genjutsu; it had to be at least some kind of secret technique or forbidden jutsu.

This wasn't something just anyone was qualified to possess; at the very least, it had to be a ninja from a major village.

Kirigakure was full of fools who had no idea he even existed, let alone the means to target him.

It was most likely an enemy from Konoha!

Could it be Danzo?

No one knew exactly how many secret techniques and forbidden jutsu were hidden within Root; maybe it was something that Second Hokage Senju Tobirama had cooked up in his spare time, some harmful creation.

And this underhanded method of tormenting people through nightmares fit Danzo's modus operandi perfectly.

The infamous "Darkness of the Ninja World" was no joke!

That reputation was well-earned!

How many people were on the brink of death without ever knowing Danzo's shadow lurked behind it.

If Itachi had leaked his information to Konoha, it would be perfectly reasonable for Danzo to strike at him in secret.

On one hand, he could eliminate a powerful enemy; on the other, he could avoid tarnishing the former "Village Hero—Obito's" reputation.

A two-birds-with-one-stone affair—even if Sarutobi Hiruzen found out, he wouldn't object.

The more Obito thought about it, the more he believed Danzo was behind this.

But how had he been cursed?

He hadn't had any physical contact with anyone recently.

Had a Root operative infiltrated?

Or was there already a Root spy in Amegakure?

Or was it a bloodline curse enacted through the flesh and blood he'd left behind in Konoha?

Obito tossed and turned in bed, growing more irritated the more he thought.

He'd have to go steal the "Scroll of Seals" later and see if there was a solution to this forbidden jutsu recorded on it; otherwise, suffering nightmares every night was too painful.

Especially... the content of those nightmares!

Now, whenever Obito closed his eyes, his mind couldn't help but replay that nightmare.

That feeling was far too real!

As if it had actually happened!

Though his reason told him it was a nightmare, fake, something that couldn't happen in reality.

His subconscious, however, couldn't stop dwelling on it!

"Rin, Kakashi..."

Obito murmured softly, sinking into a state of dejection.

Not far from him, Uchiha An gently wiped away the blood tears from under his right eye again and smiled silently.

He opened his right hand, and a Sharingan appeared in his palm—it was the very Mangekyo that had supposedly been "crushed."

Just a small sleight of hand.

Using Genjutsu in battle might not fool Kakashi and the others, but for deceiving people, it was overkill.

He formed his fingers into a blade, slashed a cut across his chest, and gently implanted the Mangekyo inside.

Well then, Obito, enjoy yourself!

With your eye as a medium, this Dojutsu is no longer just a nightmare, you know!

The Dojutsu ability of the Mangekyo Sharingan simply defies logic—just like Shisui's "Kotoamatsukami," which brainwashes people so thoroughly that the victim never senses anything wrong, believing it to be their own genuine thoughts.

Uchiha An's right eye Dojutsu was the same.

It didn't take effect immediately; instead, like a curse, it clung stubbornly to the afflicted person.

And this curse only activated during the target's sleep, lying dormant without a trace once they were awake!

As long as the target didn't notice when struck and failed to expel the Mangekyo's Pupil Power in time, the curse would gradually sink deeper and deeper, growing stronger and stronger!

An unending battle to the death!