All was silent.
Obito Uchiha hung silently in the air. After a long while... he gave two dry laughs.
"Haha, you made such a big production out of it, and that's it? Using some half-baked trick to muddy the waters? Sasuke, it looks like this is all you're capable of."
No reply came from the smoke swirling around Sasuke.
For some reason, Obito felt uneasy. A fine layer of sweat seeped from his forehead and clung to his lashes. As his eyelids trembled, his vision began to blur.
Suppressing that inexplicable unease, he forced out a loud declaration. "If you're out of tricks, it's my turn!"
Whoosh! A Truth-Seeking Orb floated before him. Obito breathed out a wisp of dark red sage fire, coating the orb with it, then hurled it toward the ground!
—Truth-Seeking Fire Orb!
"Hmph! Taste the wrath of the Free Emissary!"
Just then, the smoke cleared... and the face of the girl who haunted Obito's every waking thought and dream abruptly appeared before his eyes!
Whoosh!!! Almost at the same instant... the Truth-Seeking Fire Orb stopped dead before the girl.
No adjective... could accurately describe Obito's expression at that moment.
It was as though the roaring Freedom Train had suddenly ground to a halt...
Leaving only the metallic screech of wheels against rails buzzing through his mind...
"Rin...?" Obito's voice was hoarse.
Rin held her small hands behind her back and tilted her chin up slightly. Her gaze passed over the deadly weapon that could scorch her face at any moment and settled on the face in the sky, so familiar yet so changed. With a lovely smile, she spoke in a clear, ethereal voice.
"It's me. Obito, it's been a long time."
"Ha." The twitching corners of Obito's mouth twisted into a miserable smile.
Then...