The Valley of the End was unusually quiet, save for the thunder of the waterfall.
Obito's gaze passed over the clusters of small hills and settled blankly on the blond boy's face. Clearly, he had yet to fully recover from the shock.
"Stop, Obito!!"
A sharp pang struck Minato's heart as he looked at Obito's weathered face.
"Don't keep going down the wrong path.
What you've done... has gone too far!"
Hearing those familiar words and seeing that all-too-familiar look, Obito slowly came back to his senses. A stiff smile rose to his lips.
"...You're still alive, Minato-sensei?"
"To think something like this could happen."
The shock lingered on Obito's face for only an instant before his expression quickly returned to normal.
He shifted his gaze from "Naruto's" face to Kou, his tone carrying something between admiration and wariness.
"This... was your doing? You can even accomplish something like this. I suppose that's just what I should expect of you, Kou."
"Hmph!"
Kou snorted coldly. Rather than answer Obito, he demanded in a low voice:
"What happened to your left eye? Kakashi and the others—what did you do to them?!"
"Relax. I haven't taken their lives."
"...Though, to be precise, I wasn't able to."
Obito paused. His Mangekyō Sharingan lingered on Naruto's face for several seconds, as though he could see a more familiar figure through that young body.
"I never thought I'd be reunited with you before completing the Eye of the Moon Plan. Heh, fate truly is cruel..."
The corner of his mouth twitched, and a trace of coldness entered his voice.
"In that case, to remove the obstacles to my plan, I'm afraid I'll have to do it a second time.
Kill you all over again!"
"Naruto" froze, then slowly lowered his head. His blond hair fell