Obito's Decision

Time in the deep mountains flowed in silence. Under Obito's near-cruel tempering, the strength of Sakuya and Ren grew with each passing day, the childishness in their eyes long since replaced by the wildness and vigilance of the forest. Yet, Obito knew deep down that while the mountains could grant them fangs, they could not provide them with a home or a future. The true threat originated from the human world, and the final resolution had to return there.

One dusk, Obito stood alone on the edge of the highest cliff, gazing toward the distant Konoha. The village lights were just flickering to life, resembling a warm sea of stars. He remained silent for a long time, his single eye churning with incredibly complex emotions—nostalgia, guilt, struggle, and a sliver of resolve.

In the end, he seemed to have made a decision. He summoned an inconspicuous communication crow and tied a secret letter to its leg—a letter without a signature, yet written in a hand Kakashi would recognize instantly. The content was extremely concise, yet contained explosive information:

"Kakashi, two children. The last of the Uchiha clan, Sakuya and Ren. I found them, and I trained them. They need a new identity and a future. Let them return under the name of your 'late brother's illegitimate children' and enter the Academy. This is my request, and also... a part of my path to atonement. Do not look for me. —You know who I am."

The crow merged silently into the night.

A few days later, in the Hokage's office, Kakashi held the short note. His usual lazy posture vanished; his exposed eye widened, and his fingers trembled slightly. Even after all these years, he could never mistake that handwriting.

"Obito..." he muttered, his voice hoarse. Following the immense shock came a surging tide of complex emotions. He did not make a scene, but instead used his most secret channels to verify the information. Ultimately, he privately revealed part of the truth to the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki (stating only that he had found two displaced Uchiha children, omitting the specific details about Obito). Out of absolute trust in Kakashi and concern for the Uchiha orphans, Naruto agreed to the arrangement without hesitation and assisted in perfecting this "identity."

Half a month later, Obito called the brothers before him. His expression was more serious than ever.

"Your training has come to an end," he said calmly. "It is time to leave this place."

Both Sakuya and Ren were stunned, their faces showing bewilderment and unease.

"Teacher, where are we going?" Ren asked instinctively, having grown accustomed to life in the deep mountains and his reliance on Obito.

Obito did not look at them, his gaze fixed on the sky beyond the gaps in the forest canopy: "Back to Konoha. That is where you belong."

"Konoha?!" Sakuya exclaimed, his two-tomoe Sharingan instantly filled with vigilance and resistance. "But, the people who hunted us down back then..."

"Those ants are no match for you now. Besides, returning to the sunlight is the best protection." Obito interrupted him, his tone brooks no argument. "I will arrange a reasonable identity for you. Listen, from today on, you are no longer wandering Uchiha orphans. You are the nephews of Kakashi Hatake—children left behind by his brother who left home long ago and passed away from illness, raised by distant relatives and only now brought back to Konoha."

This identity left the brothers dumbfounded.

"Kakashi Hatake? The Sixth Hokage?" Sakuya said in disbelief. "This... how could this possibly deceive anyone?"

"You don't need to worry about the details. Kakashi will handle everything." Obito turned his back to them. "Remember everything you have learned, but remember even more: in the village, keep your claws retracted. Especially you, Sakuya—unless it is a matter of life and death, you must never reveal your Sharingan. The Ninja Academy is a place to learn rules and integrate into the collective, not the battlefield where you slaughtered in the mountains."

His words paused, his voice dropping a notch: "Go. Survive, become stronger, and then... choose your own path."

After finishing his instructions, Obito's figure slowly sank into the ground like a phantom (Kamui). There were no farewells, no blessings; he vanished as abruptly and mysteriously as he had appeared, leaving the brothers filled with confusion and a sting of abandonment.

A few days later, at the gates of Konoha, Sakuya and Ren, dressed in ordinary clothes and looking somewhat restless, met Kakashi Hatake, who had come to "bring his nephews home."

Kakashi looked at the two children before him. They carried a composure and an indelible wildness inconsistent with their age, especially the older boy, whose eyes hid an eagle-like sharpness. He suppressed the myriad of waves in his heart and scratched his silver hair, trying his best to appear relaxed and gentle, though his eyes remained incredibly complex.

"Yo, let's go, Sakuya, Ren." He paused, seemingly unaccustomed to the names. "Welcome home... from now on, I'll be counting on you."

Amidst the curious and kind gazes of the villagers, Kakashi Hatake led his nominal "nephews" through the gates of Konoha. Sakuya Uchiha and Ren Uchiha, under brand-new identities, stepped into this world of ninjas—a place both familiar and strange, filled with sunlight yet hiding shadows. Their arrival was destined to stir unexpected ripples in the peaceful Ninja Academy and even all of Konoha.

Far away in the deep mountains, Obito Uchiha stood alone in the shadows, silently watching everything through the eyes of his summoning crow. This was the safest environment for growth that he had chosen for his disciples.

In the village, Sakuya Uchiha, who had put on colored contacts and was temporarily renamed "Sakuya Hatake," suddenly looked up, locking eyes with the crow that had been silently following them in the air. His lips moved slightly. Obito's pupils constricted sharply.

"Arigato, sensei."