The years in the mountains passed in silence. Under Obito's almost brutal training, Shuoyue and Lian grew stronger by the day, and the innocence in their eyes had long since been replaced by the wilderness and wariness of the forest. Yet Obito knew that the mountains could give them fangs, but not a home or a future. The true threat came from the human world, and the solution would ultimately have to be found there.
One evening, Obito stood alone at the edge of the highest cliff, gazing toward Konohagakure in the distance. Lights were just beginning to shine there, like a warm sea of stars. He remained silent for a long time, complicated emotions roiling in his single eye—nostalgia, guilt, inner conflict, and a trace of resolve.
At last, he seemed to reach a decision. He summoned the most inconspicuous messenger crow and tied a secret letter to its leg. It bore no signature, but Kakashi would recognize the handwriting at once. The message was brief, but contained explosive news:
"Kakashi, two children—the last surviving members of the Uchiha Clan, Shuoyue and Lian. I found them and trained them. They need a new identity and a future. Bring them back under the name of your 'deceased older brother's illegitimate sons' and enroll them in school. This is my request, and also... part of my path to atonement. Don't look for me. You know who I am."
The crow disappeared into the night without a sound.
A few days later, in the Hokage Office, Kakashi held the short letter. His usual lazy demeanor had vanished, and his one visible eye was wide with shock. His fingers even trembled slightly. No matter how many years had passed, he could never mistake that handwriting.
"Obito..." he murmured, his voice hoarse. After the overwhelming shock came a surge of complicated emotions. He told no one, instead using his most discreet channels to verify the information. Eventually, he privately revealed part of the truth to the Seventh, Naruto Uzumaki—only that he had found two Uchiha children who had been living away from the village, leaving out any specific information about Obito. Out of absolute trust in Kakashi and concern for the Uchiha orphans, Naruto agreed to the arrangement without hesitation and helped establish their new "identities."
Another half month passed before Obito called the brothers over. His expression was more serious than ever.
"Your training is over for now," he said calmly. "It's time to leave."
Shuoyue and Lian both froze, confusion and unease appearing on their faces.
"Where are we going, sensei?" Lian asked instinctively. He had grown used to life in the mountains and to relying on Obito.
Obito didn't look at them. His gaze turned to the sky beyond the gaps in the leaves. "Back to Konoha. That's where you belong."
"Konoha?!" Shuoyue cried, the two tomoe in his Sharingan instantly filled with wariness and resistance. "But the people who hunted us back then..."
"Those insects are no match for you now. And returning to the sunlight is the best protection you can have." Obito cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll arrange a convincing identity for you. Listen carefully. From today on, you're no longer wandering Uchiha orphans. You're Kakashi Hatake's nephews—the children of his older brother, who left home long ago and has since died of illness. You were raised by distant relatives and are only now being brought back to Konoha."
The brothers stared at him, stunned.
"Kakashi Hatake? The Sixth?" Shuoyue asked in disbelief. "How... how could anyone keep that secret?"
"You don't need to worry about the details. Kakashi will take care of everything." Obito turned away, his back to them. "Remember everything you've learned, but more importantly, keep your fangs sheathed in the village. Especially you, Shuoyue. Unless your life is on the line, never reveal your Sharingan. The Ninja Academy is a place to learn the rules and fit in, not a battlefield where you can fight for your life like you did in the mountains."
He paused, his voice dropping lower. "Go. Survive, grow stronger, and then... choose your own path."
After giving them all the instructions, Obito's figure slowly sank into the ground like a phantom, using Kamui. There was no goodbye or blessing. Just as mysteriously as he had appeared, he vanished completely before the brothers' eyes, leaving them bewildered and with a trace of the bitterness of being abandoned.
A few days later, at the gates of Konoha, Shuoyue and Lian—wearing ordinary clothes and looking ill at ease—met Kakashi Hatake, who had come to "bring his nephews home."
Kakashi looked at the two children before him. They carried a maturity beyond their years and a trace of wildness that would not fade, especially the older boy, whose eyes held an eagle's sharpness. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, scratched his silver hair, and tried to look relaxed and kind, though his expression remained deeply complicated.
"Hey, let's go, Shuoyue, Lian." He paused, as though unaccustomed to using those names. "Welcome home... I hope we'll get along."
Under the curious and kindly gazes of the villagers, Kakashi Hatake led his two nominal "nephews" through the gates of Konoha. Uchiha Shuoyue and Uchiha Lian had entered the ninja world under new identities—a place both familiar and strange, filled with sunlight but still hiding shadows. Their arrival was sure to send unexpected ripples through the peaceful Ninja Academy and even Konoha itself.
Far away in the mountains, Uchiha Obito stood alone in the shadows, silently watching it all through the eyes of a summoned crow. This was the safest environment he could choose for his students to grow up in.
In the village, Uchiha Shuoyue, now wearing colored contact lenses and temporarily going by "Kakashi Shuoyue," suddenly looked up and met the gaze of the crow quietly accompanying him in the sky. His lips moved. Obito's pupil abruptly contracted.
"Arigato, sensei. (Thank you, teacher.)"
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