The night was as dark as ink, so thick and black it seemed ready to drip. It pressed heavily down upon the earth. Rolling black clouds, like savage beasts baring their claws, covered the entire sky and mercilessly swallowed the last trace of moonlight.
A solitary figure walked through the darkness toward the Memorial Stone, one step at a time. His pace was slow and heavy, as though he bore the weight of several worlds.
When he finally stood before the Memorial Stone, he gazed at the familiar names carved upon it. The sorrow in his eyes gradually turned hollow, until at last they sank into utter stillness.
The autumn wind was bleak, carrying the lingering chill of the autumn rain as it swept freely over the visitor. Yet he stood as motionless as a statue, without even furrowing his brow. Perhaps his heart had already died, and so nothing in this world could move him anymore.
He slowly dragged his feet forward, each step so difficult that he seemed liable to collapse at any moment. At last, he stopped before a tombstone. The muscles in his face twitched faintly, as if he were trying to force a smile. But in the end, he gave up helplessly. Only the faintest lift of his lips remained, revealing a bitterness beyond words.
After a long while, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice. "Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei... I came to see you..." Before the words had even faded, tears began sliding down his cheeks.
Just then, the moon suddenly broke free of the ink-dark clouds, struggling to cast a faint ray of moonlight below.
The moonlight flowed softly over the tombstones, illuminating the radiant smiles of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. At last, it fell upon the visitor's face. Silver hair fluttered in the wind, and his numb expression was partly hidden behind his Forehead Protector, which covered one eye. Endless sorrow and loneliness showed in his face.
In all of Konoha, the only person who could call those two that was likely Hatake Kakashi, the last survivor of Team Minato.
That morning, after listlessly attending the funeral, Hatake Kakashi had gone home and lain down in a room that hadn't been destroyed.
As if everything in the real world were no more than an illusion, he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. As time passed, a faint smile gradually appeared on his numb sleeping face, as though he had seen the people he longed to meet in his dreams.
But pleasant dreams never lasted. When Hatake Kakashi awoke, he had no choice but to face the cruel reality once more.
This boy, only thirteen years old, had already endured a life of misery beyond what others could imagine.
His father's death in his childhood had been like a merciless blade, shattering the world that had once been whole. In that moment, endless darkness and pain had engulfed him, as though the entire world were collapsing.
From the moment he joined Team Minato, the warmth of friendship had swept over his wounded heart like a spring breeze, gradually healing its deep scars.
Yet fate always seemed to enjoy tormenting people. At the age of twelve, two separations by death had come one after another, casting him into the depths of despair once more.
His newly healed heart was shattered in an instant. The eyes that had once been full of hope grew dim, and his spirit gradually dried up like a parched riverbed.
Fortunately, thanks to the combined efforts of Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and the yet-unborn Naruto, the wounded boy found his smile again.
With love and care, they pieced his broken world back together bit by bit, allowing him to feel the beauty of life once more.
But fate's cruel games were not over.
Yesterday, the thirteen-year-old boy who had only just found his smile again suffered another crushing blow.
The deaths of his master and his master's wife had left the heart that had only just basked in the sunlight numb and hollow once more.
He stared at the cold tombstone and opened his mouth, only to find he no longer had the strength to make a sound.
After a long while, he could only turn away in silence and leave with heavy steps.
Shortly after he was gone, the space around the grave seemed to be kneaded by an invisible hand, gradually twisting and distorting.
As the space warped, a blurred figure silently appeared where he had stood. The newcomer gazed at the fragile-looking back of Hatake Kakashi as he walked away. A complicated feeling welled up inside him, and he couldn't help murmuring to himself, "Did I make a mistake?"
Just as Uchiha Obito was relentlessly questioning himself deep down, his gaze suddenly fell upon another tombstone, and his resolve hardened at once.
He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "No, I wasn't wrong. This world, full of evil, is the one at fault! I can change it. That's right—once I have the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Kakashi's father, Rin, and my master and his wife will all come back to me."
At that moment, Uchiha Obito had become so obsessed that he firmly believed everything he did was right.
Just then, Uchiha Obito suddenly roared, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
His wary gaze swept toward the woods nearby. A flash of cold light streaked past, and a trident-shaped Kunai shot toward Uchiha Obito's head like lightning.
Seeing this familiar scene, Uchiha Obito's eyes quickly darted to the weapon. Sure enough, he spotted the four small characters "Sword of Shinobi Love" engraved on it. In an instant, his hair stood on end, and his whole body tensed.
Scenes from his battle with Namikaze Minato the day before resurfaced in his mind.
The feeling of being utterly overwhelmed washed over him again like a tide.
The Kunai sliced through the air like lightning and embedded itself in a nearby tombstone with a crisp sound. The figure who had shouted moments before, however, had vanished without a trace.
Uchiha Chen sensed the spatial fluctuations gradually fading. He slowly emerged from the woods with a smile, pulled the Kunai from the tombstone, then watched Uchiha Obito flee in disarray and chuckled softly.
The Kunai spun deftly in his hand, as if dancing. The corners of his mouth lifted as he teased, "This thing really works. One little stunt, and he ran for the hills. What a shame—this chance probably won't come again."
After all, once word of Namikaze Minato's death spread, Uchiha Obito would immediately realize he'd been fooled.
Who knew how awful his expression would be then?
"I can't wait." His face once again filled with anticipation.
When he came back to himself, Uchiha Chen walked over to the tombs of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. He licked his dry lips, grinned excitedly, and said, "Kushina, I'm here to take you home!"
As he spoke, the Sharingan in his eyes turned slightly.
Then his body gradually sank into the ground, like a phantom.
When the earth had completely swallowed his head, the last trace of his voice drifted up. "My dear Kushina, you have to repay a life-saving debt with your hand in marriage, you know? Hehehe..."
His wicked voice echoed over the silent graveyard, stirring up a chorus of insects.
By then, Uchiha Chen was already deep underground, beginning the next step of his plan...