Two figures appeared strangely amid gently swirling spatial ripples.
One wore a bizarre patterned mask, while the other was dressed in an ordinary black robe bearing the Uchiha fan crest on its back. They were Obito Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi.
It was late morning. Bright sunlight spilled down, and the valley before them exuded an unusual tranquility, as though it could make one forget all their troubles.
"Follow me," Obito said quietly, taking the lead into the valley.
Uchiha Itachi silently followed, maintaining a measure of vigilance as he cautiously observed the surroundings.
Last night, he had contacted "Uchiha Madara" and expressed his wish to meet "Uchiha Shin." The other party had responded swiftly, finding him early that morning and bringing him here.
The valley appeared perfectly ordinary, without the slightest irregularity. Deep down, he still harbored doubts about the masked man calling himself "Uchiha Madara." Accordingly, he did not fully trust this so-called "Uchiha Shin" whom he was about to meet either.
But he had nowhere else to turn now... He had come here holding onto his last shred of hope.
At the very least, this masked man claiming to be "Uchiha Madara" was deeply mysterious. The space-time ninjutsu he had used to bring him here was something Itachi had never seen before, entirely different from the Body Flicker Technique he knew. Perhaps there would be some unexpected surprise.
A thin mist still lingered in the valley. The cool air entering his lungs left him feeling refreshed and at ease.
They soon approached the valley floor, where Itachi discovered many dilapidated buildings. Vines covered the walls, and deep green moss stained their surfaces. A heavy sense of age washed over him.
No one lived in these houses. They looked as though they had been abandoned for a long