A Glimpse of Danger

Obito set down his chopsticks, jealousy souring his mood.

The girl he loved had asked about another boy right in front of him.

I'm seriously losing it!

Ayako shook her head. "No idea."

Shikaba clasped his hands behind his head and lazily tilted it toward Obito.

"If you want to know how Kakashi's doing, why not ask the guy beside you?"

"He's probably the closest to Kakashi in our class."

At Shikaba's words,

Rin looked at Obito in surprise and asked with a hint of hope,

"Obito-kun, do you know how Kakashi's doing?"

Obito grumbled for a moment before answering reluctantly.

"These days, he's either out on missions or training nonstop. He barely has any free time."

"He mentioned a while ago that he wanted to take the Chunin Ninja Exams. He's probably preparing for them now."

Ayako's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"The Chunin Ninja Exams! If Kakashi passes, he'll break Konoha's current record, won't he?"

Shikaba nodded.

"Yeah. He'll become the youngest Chunin in Konoha's history."

Rin's wide eyes sparkled.

"That's Kakashi for you..."

Obito pursed his lips, stung by jealousy.

Kakashi hasn't even passed yet. Look how excited you all are!

...Sure, he'll pass, but you haven't watched Naruto!

I'm going to create a world without Kakashi!

Obito irritably poked at the grilled meat and stopped joining the other three's conversation.

After chatting for a while, the three turned to their own futures.

They discussed what they planned to do after graduation.

Ayako spoke first.

"Hmm. After graduation, I'll probably become a sensory ninja."

Resting his chin on his hand, Shikaba said listlessly,

"Honestly, I don't want to be a ninja. It's too much trouble."

"But I don't seem to have any say in the matter..."

Rin's eyes curved as she smiled.

"You're so smart, Shikaba. It'd be a shame if you didn't become a ninja."

"As for me... I want to become a medical ninja. Saving lives has always been my dream."

"What about you, Obito-kun?"

When all three looked his way,

Obito hid his displeasure and said a little shyly,

"I... I want to become Naruto."

"..."

Shikaba and the others had only one response: Obito, maybe you should stop talking.

They had no idea how to answer that.

After dinner,

the four went their separate ways.

Shikaba and Ayako each headed home to their mothers.

Obito held Rin's hand as they walked side by side.

The night breeze brought a coolness with it, and moonlight scattered mottled silver across their path.

Everything felt so peaceful and beautiful, Rin most of all.

Obito wished he could walk hand in hand with her forever.

Unfortunately, it took only ten minutes to get from the barbecue restaurant to her house.

Obito reluctantly let go.

"See you when school starts, Rin."

Rin put her hands behind her back, tilted her head, and smiled.

"Mm-hmm. Be careful on your way home, Obito-kun."

Obito nodded with a goofy grin and set off for home.

"Us ordinary folks are feeling mighty happy today~"

"Sabining kills the chicken, Sabining kills the chicken~"

He hummed to himself, in a very good mood.

But just then,

an indescribable sadness welled up inside him.

A wrenching pain tore through his chest.

It hurt so badly he could barely breathe.

He dropped to his knees and clutched his chest in bewilderment.

"What's... happening to me?"

A curtain of light slowly unfurled before Obito.

Light poured down and enveloped him in an instant.

The world before his eyes abruptly changed.

When Obito could see again, he found himself somewhere that felt like the other end of the world.

"Where is this? Why am I here?"

Obito stood and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.

He seemed to be in an alley.

The buildings were strikingly low, their walls painted a deathly white. They looked nothing like those in Konoha.

"Was this street abandoned ages ago? It's so lifeless... kind of creepy."

Dark clouds covered the sky.

Fine rain fell without end.

Ripples spread across the puddles on the ground.

Obito raised an arm and saw the raindrops pass straight through his body.

There was no reflection of him in the puddles, either...

Understanding began to dawn on Obito.

He wasn't physically here.

But what on earth was he seeing?

Before he could think further,

a familiar figure entered his view.

Hatake Sakumo!

Sakumo looked terrible.

His clothes were covered in blood, and wounds marked his body.

A fist-sized hole gaped in the left side of his abdomen.

Obito rushed toward Sakumo in alarm.

"Uncle Sakumo, what happened to you?"

Sakumo whipped his head toward Obito. His eyes were vicious, like those of a beast ready to tear into its prey.

Killing intent surged from Sakumo.

Almost tangible, it crashed against Obito in wave after wave.

Obito had never seen Sakumo like this.

The terrifying pressure left him unable to breathe.

With difficulty, Obito managed to speak.

"It's me, Uncle Sakumo! I'm Obito!"

Sakumo's gaze remained icy, and White Fang pointed straight at Obito's chest.

"You could have appeared earlier or later, yet you chose this exact moment."

"Can you blame me for being suspicious of you people?"

You people?

Something occurred to Obito, and he spun to look behind him.

At some point, more than a dozen figures had appeared. They were slowly closing in around Sakumo.

The leader smiled and said,

"Don't misunderstand, Lord Sakumo. Lord Danzo sent us to help you."

Sakumo gave a quiet snort and asked calmly,

"Are you really here to help me?"

The leader gave a slight nod and said earnestly,

"Of course we're here to help you... help you on your way to the grave!"

Before he had even finished speaking, the dozen or so ninjas lunged at Sakumo.

One of them ran straight through Obito's body.

Could it be...?

A dreadful thought surfaced in Obito's mind.

He shook his head desperately.

No. It can't be!

Uncle Sakumo is so strong. He'll be fine!

Two ninjas swiftly formed Hand Seals and unleashed a combination ninjutsu in perfect sync.

"Fire Release: Fire Run Technique!"

"Wind Release: Divine Wind!"

Blazing flames erupted and, driven by the gale, became a sea of fire.

The torrent, hot enough to burn everything to ash, surged toward Sakumo like a raging river.

Watching from the side, Obito's heart leaped into his throat.

But Sakumo moved faster than the wind.

So fast that the naked eye couldn't follow him!

In the eyes of everyone present,

a streak of silver lightning flashed, cleaving the surging sea of fire in two.

An unlucky Root ninja was cleaved in two along with it.

"What a fast blade."

Admiration flashed in the leader's eyes.

"Lord White Fang's strength is truly worthy of our respect. But..."

"How much longer can you last with injuries that severe?"

Blood poured from Sakumo's wounds, quickly staining the water at his feet red.

Yet he remained as calm as ever, as though someone else were facing death.

"Long enough to kill all of you," he said evenly.

The leader clapped, his tone both admiring and regretful.

"No wonder Lord Danzo holds you in such high regard..."

"Such composure and resolve. What else should I expect from Lord Sakumo?"