How About We Take Another Look at the Nine-Tails?

Everything before them slowly faded away, leaving nothing but pure white.

Obito had finally emerged from hell. He lay on his back, gulping down air.

His eyes could barely focus. He stared blankly ahead, his thoughts impossible to read.

Lin stood beside him. She had produced a handkerchief from somewhere and was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

But the corners of her mouth were turned up. Was she trying not to laugh?

Uchiha Itachi had no attention to spare for Obito. Color was returning to the pure white Tsukuyomi Space—a dim, golden color.

Then he saw the setting sun, and his younger self walking with his shadow stretching behind him. That boy looked about the same age as the one who had worn cat ears earlier. He turned, waved to Itachi, and disappeared into the darkness.

Uchiha Itachi hurried after him. Lin grabbed Obito by the arm and dragged him along the ground.

Only then did Obito finally come to his senses. He called out loudly:

"Lin, couldn't you carry me..." He gave her a teasing grin and climbed to his feet, as though everything that had just happened was already behind him.

Ordinary villagers were like ants, and even the ninja were little more than crickets to it. One swat was enough to kill them, and many had died that way.

The boy went up behind his other self and held out the cat ears.

Lin did not answer directly. Instead, she glanced at Uchiha Itachi in his Akatsuki cloak, blinked, and murmured, "Because he loves me. It's that simple."

Itachi returned home and saw his father and mother. They did not look particularly upset, but they were both plainly nervous.

Lin pretended not to notice. She watched Obito cheer up and try to win her favor, a