Danger in the Shadows

"Huh? Is it a time capsule?!"

Lin's bright eyes lit up instantly.

"Um!!"

Obito nodded, his face suddenly turning bright red, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I overheard Lin and Hong talking about this during class, and then I thought, why don't I try it myself?"

As he spoke, a hint of sadness crept into his voice:

"After all, once we graduate from the Ninja Academy, it might be difficult for us to get together like this again."

... Just like Kakashi.

Hearing Obito's words, a faint tear welled up in Rin's eyes:

"I never expected you to think of these things, Obito. You've really grown."

"Hehehe, I'm not that good."

Hearing Rin's praise, Obito's face broke into a silly, lecherous grin that was completely at odds with the proud image of the Uchiha Clan.

Rin looked at Obito with a smile, then, as if suddenly remembering something, murmured with some confusion:

"But we still have a long time before graduation, isn't it too early to prepare for this?"

She paused, then slowly shifted her gaze from Obito to Koko, who had been silent since earlier.

Lin stared at Kou, her eyes widening slightly.

"Could it be... you, you're going to apply for early graduation like Kakashi?!"

Kou did not respond to Lin's question.

He simply turned his head expressionlessly, staring coldly at Obito, who was guiltily shrinking back, and then reached out and lifted him up.

"I think I told you, these are all things that haven't been finalized yet, so don't spread this around!"

You jerk, I can't talk to you about anything!

Obito looked at Kotori's small face, which was radiating intense killing intent, and guiltily looked away.

"I... I was just in a hurry! After all, you're much stronger Kakashi, you'll definitely graduate easily!"

You'll definitely be very busy after graduation, so I thought I'd leave something as a memento...

We'll come here every year then, so we can get together a bit more often.

"Are you kidding me?! Let's put aside the fact that we live next door, but you act like you're about to die Tenten you don't see Lin. You're telling me you won't see her Tenten after graduation?!"

I think you're just using this as an excuse to increase Lin's affection level and unlock special CGs!

Here we go again, what weird things are you saying!

I have seriously considered whether we'll still be able to be together Tenten like we are now!

"You don't need to worry about that. Anyway, you're not smart enough to figure it out."

In short, our future will definitely be the same as it is now, just know that!

Lin looked at her two friends and couldn't help but laugh...

--

Let's go back to the present.

Kou stood under the tree, looking up at the sky that was sparsely covered by branches and leaves.

The morning sunlight filtered through the branches he had looked up to in his youth, falling on his artificial profile.

The morning sunlight was warm, but it couldn't dispel the deep melancholy in his eyes.

"Sixteen years have passed already... In the end, everything has changed."

Lin is no longer here.

The man who always hid in the shadows, using a mask to isolate himself from the world, was no longer the Uchiha Obito who would risk injury to save an injured fledgling.

Even the bird perched on his shoulder now is no longer the same one it was back then.

The last time I came here was probably five years ago.

Kou slowly turned his gaze from the sky to the gray-blue bird perched on his shoulder, its head tilted and its small, round, black bean-like eyes quietly watching him.

I watched it hatch from its eggshell back then.

Now, like itself, it is no longer young, and the luster of its feathers has dimmed somewhat compared to my memory.

Kou sighed softly, glanced at the iron box in his hand, and prepared to open the somewhat rusty lid:

"Although it's not really relevant now, it's still a 'relic' from the past, so it wouldn't hurt to take a look at it."

However, just before Kou was about to open the iron box, a roar that echoed throughout the entire Ninja Academy boomed from not far away:

"Huh?! Did Konoha come to Konoha last night?!"

Hearing Uncle Dai's voice coming from afar, the hand that was knocking froze in mid-air.

Hearing Kakashi's voice, clearly trying to comfort Uncle Dai, coming from the Training Ground in the distance, he silently stuffed the metal box into his pocket, then stood up and started walking towards the Training Ground.

"It seems Uncle Dai has finished talking with Kakashi. We should head back as soon as possible, lest they notice anything amiss."

"As for what Obito and Rin wrote in this iron box back then... it doesn't matter when we see it."

He murmured to himself, then took one last look at the bird on his shoulder before disappearing into the dappled light and shadow of the forest.

The bird that had been perched on his shoulder fluttered its wings and landed back on the high branch of the old pine tree.

Inside the nest, several fledglings, their feathers not yet fully grown, were chirping and chattering, their tender yellow beaks open, emitting urgent and innocent cries towards it...

That's its home.

--

Meanwhile, in the Mist Village, Mizukage's Office.

Despite it being daytime, this office, which symbolized the highest authority in Mist Village, appeared rather dimly lit.

The heavy curtains blocked out most of the sunlight, with only a few extremely thin rays stubbornly squeezing in through the gaps in the fabric.

The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, stood quietly beside his desk, staring blankly ahead.

And in the Mizukage seat that should have belonged to him, sat a figure dressed in Black Cloak with Red Clouds and wearing an orange Spiral Mask.

Obito looked around the empty office, which was empty except for him and Yagura, and couldn't help but feel a little bored.

In the past, at this time, he could summon that guy Koko to his side at any time to bicker, or chat with Kisame for a bit.

It seems like it's been a long time since I've had such a quiet, almost boring day.

"Ha, me now, actually feeling lonely? That's ridiculous."

Obito muttered to himself with a self-deprecating laugh, then prepared to pick up the latest issue of the Notebook Association Weekly from his desk to kill time during this long and boring "work period."

However, just before his fingertips were about to touch the cover of the weekly magazine, he suddenly sensed something and his hand stopped in mid-air.

Obito paused for a moment, then placed his hands back on the armrests of his swivel chair, gazing with interest at the deepest part of the office, a shadow so dark that even light couldn't reach it.

"Hmph, what a rare guest! You're such a busy person, yet you actually have time to come here?"

"Don't worry, I've already sent that guy away to carry out a mission."

There are only the two of us here.

"Ah, the plans are proceeding smoothly. Whether it's Nagato's side or Kō's side, they're all under my control."

You just need to do your part well.

"Hmph, I don't need you to tell me. My purpose has never changed from beginning to end."

After a moment, the Mizukage's Office fell silent again.

Obito coldly withdrew his gaze from the shadows, a lingering chill still lingering in his voice:

"Finally some peace and quiet, those troublesome guys."

He leaned back in his swivel chair, instinctively turning his gaze towards Konoha.

Obito remained silent for a moment, then slowly reached into the sleeve of his Black Cloak with Red Clouds, and pulled out an old piece of paper that had been repeatedly folded but had been kept in extremely good condition.

He held the crumpled piece of paper in his palm, and with his single eye protruding from the mask, he quietly gazed at the words on it, which had long been yellowed by the passage of time.

Many years ago, Kou wrote down his hopes for the future on this piece of paper.

Back then, I didn't actually put that piece of paper into that tin box...

Perhaps I haven't changed at all from beginning to end.

Whether in the past or present, I am a liar.

"In this respect, we are quite similar."

Obito gently stroked the slightly faded ink stains with his hand, the light in his eyes dimming slightly.

He carefully folded the paper again, put it back in his sleeve, and then looked back towards the direction of Konoha through the heavy curtain.

"I won't keep you waiting long, knock."

"You, Rin, Kakashi, Minato-sensei, and everyone in the Ninja World... In that world, everyone can find true happiness."

Obito turned his gaze away from Konoha, staring at his palm and clenching his fist tightly.

"Knock, I will create a world... where you can laugh from the bottom of your heart!!"