Rin: Shinji, can you turn around?

Shinji looked at the crimson Sharingan in Kakashi's left eye, unable to stop complicated emotions from rising within him.

"Copy Ninja Kakashi officially made his debut today."

His gaze shifted toward the cave entrance behind them.

"So Rin and Obito are still inside."

He glanced again at Kakashi, who was fiercely battling Firelight.

Kakashi already possessed the strength of a jonin. Now that he had the Sharingan's aid, taking down Firelight was never going to be a problem.

With a light tap of his toes, Shinji leaped several times and arrived above the hole Kakashi had smashed through.

"Who's there?"

Nohara Rin's wary voice came from below.

The instant she saw that it was Shinji, the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back and spilled over.

Shinji jumped down and immediately saw Obito, half his body pinned beneath a massive boulder.

His heart sank as well. "Obito, you..."

To be honest, when Shinji had joined this mission, he had even considered changing something.

With his own abilities, along with Obito and Kakashi's, there had been no need to fear Oishi and Firelight.

With just a little more vigilance, he could have seen through Oishi's Camouflage Technique.

And with Asuma and Kurenai added to the group, even if they truly couldn't defeat the two Iwagakure jonin, couldn't they at least have retreated safely?

To Shinji, his life was far more important than any mission.

But Pakura's sudden appearance had thrown every plan and every stroke of luck into disarray in an instant.

Rin staggered to her feet and grabbed Shinji's arm, her voice filled with near-desperate pleading.

"Shinji, please, save Obito!"

Seeing Rin on the verge of tears, Shinji ultimately let out a soft sigh and apologized.

It was cruel, but also helpless.

He looked at the heavy rock pinning Obito down, his voice full of regret.

"With my ability, I can't get him out without hurting Obito."

"I'm sorry, Rin."

Rin collapsed to her knees, burying her face deeply as her quiet sobs echoed clearly through the cramped space.

Obito coughed softly. Blood foam hung at the corner of his mouth, and his face was frighteningly pale, yet he still managed a faint laugh.

"Heh! I didn't think I'd get to see you one last time, Shinji. We're clansmen, after all. At least it's good to see you one last time."

"And sorry, Shinji. I'm afraid I won't be able to repay the favor I owe you!"

He suddenly broke into another violent coughing fit, and his already deathly pale face dimmed even further.

After a violent clap of thunder, Kakashi leaped down through the opening.

He had already dealt with Firelight.

But when he saw Obito's current condition, his voice immediately began to tremble.

"Obito!"

He immediately braced both hands against the boulder and desperately tried to push it away, but no matter how hard he exerted himself, it would not budge.

"Obito, I'll definitely get you out."

But Obito gave a weak chuckle and urged, "Don't waste your strength, Kakashi. I'm finished."

Kakashi slammed a fist against the rock and growled unwillingly, "Damn it!"

Obito shifted slightly, then turned to Rin, who was still crying, and gently comforted her.

"Rin, don't cry."

"Don't ever forget me! And besides, I don't want to keep being your little brother."

He gave a soft snort as the words Rin had said during their earlier training match flashed through his mind.

Obito wanted to say something more, but a small stone suddenly fell from above, striking the ground with a clang, clang, clang.

Like dominoes falling, the cave, already on the verge of collapse, shook violently once more. The ground beneath Obito in particular had split open with grotesque cracks.

Realizing that the cave was about to collapse completely, Obito hurriedly shouted.

"Kakashi, take Rin and go! You have to protect her!"

"Obito!"

Kakashi murmured his name, trembling all over, unable to even look directly at the scene before him.

Rin had long since been crying too hard to make a sound.

Shinji no longer hesitated and forcibly pulled the two of them as they rushed outside.

He glanced back at Obito, who was steadily being buried beneath the rubble, and a sharp glint suddenly flashed through his eyes.

Was that White Zetsu just now?

he muttered inwardly.

From beginning to end, his Sharingan had remained active. At the very instant the cave collapsed, he had clearly caught a trace of extraordinarily strange Chakra.

He knew full well that White Zetsu had most likely been behind it. After all, only he would come here at a time like this.

After a while.

Kakashi and Nohara Rin stood where they were in a daze. Even when Shinji called their names, their reactions were half a beat slow.

He couldn't exactly tell them that Obito was actually still alive. Even if he did, no one would believe him.

Shinji said helplessly, "Let's go. Don't forget that Asuma and Kurenai are still waiting for us. It's too dangerous here."

Kakashi and Rin exchanged a look, then nodded silently.

The three continued on their way, intending to meet up with Asuma and Kurenai first.

But after only a few steps, Shinji and Kakashi stopped at the same time.

"An ambush!" they cried in unison.

In the next moment, more than twenty Iwagakure ninja appeared from all around them. Smiling maliciously, they quietly surrounded the three of them.

Kakashi stepped forward, his spirits abruptly rising as he said firmly, "I promised Obito that I would protect Rin."

He turned to Shinji. "Shinji, help me protect her."

Before he had even finished speaking, Chidori had already gathered in his right hand, and he charged straight ahead.

Shinji raised a hand to stop him, but it was already too late.

His head throbbed. Did they really have to fight head-on like this? Wouldn't a tactical retreat have been better?

Kakashi's mind was now filled with Obito's death. Watching his friend fall before his very eyes had already dealt him a devastating mental blow.

Shinji looked at the worried Rin and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Rin, stay by my side. I'll protect you."

Rin nodded lightly and tightened her grip on her Kunai. It was as though she had matured considerably in an instant, and her tone was exceptionally resolute. "I'll fight too. I won't become a burden to you."

Most of the more than twenty ninja who had appeared were Chunin-level, and a few were even merely Genin.

Working together, the three of them ultimately defeated every one of those ninja.

But Kakashi had repeatedly used Chidori and had long since overdrawn his body. After using Chidori to take down the last enemy, he could no longer hold on and collapsed stiffly to the ground.

Just then, space trembled faintly.

Minato suddenly appeared with Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi.

Shinji finally relaxed. Boss, you're finally back.

He hurried forward. "Lord Minato!"

Minato nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. Seeing the unconscious Kakashi and the dejected Rin, but no sign of Obito, an extremely ominous premonition immediately rose in his heart.

His voice tightened slightly. "Obito? Where is Obito?"

The silver moon hung high overhead.

Nohara Rin stood alone in the open grassland, her hands clasped behind her back as she gazed blankly at the lone moon on the horizon.

"Thinking about Obito?"

Rin's body stiffened slightly. She turned around and saw Shinji slowly approaching, surprise flashing through her eyes. "Shinji, why are you here?"

Shinji smiled softly, his tone gentle. "I was a little worried about how you were doing."

He raised a hand and pointed toward the tents. "Kakashi is fine. He just used up too much Chakra. He'll be alright after some rest."

Rin nodded lightly, forcing out a faint smile. "That's good."

As soon as she spoke, she turned back toward the moon, her gaze growing vacant again, as if she wanted to stare straight through that cold, round moon.

After a moment of silence, Shinji lowered his voice further. "If you want to cry, then cry. You can use my shoulder. Obito definitely wouldn't want to see you forcing yourself to hold on like this."

He reached out and gently patted Rin's back.

Rin slowly lowered her head, her slender shoulders beginning to tremble faintly. She sniffed and said softly, "Shinji, could you turn around?"

Shinji said nothing more and quietly turned around.

The next second, a soft sensation pressed gently against his back.

Nohara Rin tightly hugged him from behind, burying her face deeply in his back as her hands clenched tightly.

The sobs she had suppressed for so long finally began to sound softly through the silent, starry night, wrenching at the heart.

"Shinji, has Obito really gone?"