"What about people?"
Uchiha Kai stood silently, his ninjatō held in front of him, wary of another surprise attack from Obito.
But minutes passed. The eerie quiet persisted.
"…Gone?" Kai muttered, scanning the mist-laced forest. The chakra signatures that had been flaring moments earlier had vanished. Obito—and whoever was aiding him—had indeed retreated.
Kai narrowed his eyes. Strange. He was starting to lose his rhythm… or was I starting to see through it?
His Sharingan spun slowly, still active but straining. The ache behind his eyes reminded him that his time was limited.
Dammit, he thought. Without the Uchiha's pure bloodline, I can't maintain this for long. These aren't Mangekyō eyes—not yet. I need to be careful.
Still gripping his sword, Kai approached Kakashi's collapsed form with caution. He checked the surroundings once more, then knelt beside him.
Kakashi's chest rose and fell steadily. Chakra levels: stable. No internal bleeding. Just unconscious.
Kai exhaled in relief. This still lines up—more or less—with the original flow of events. Kakashi's survival is critical. He still has a role to play…
But as he moved to check Kakashi's injuries, his eyes caught the bloodstained tear across Kakashi's left eyelid.
"...His eye..." Kai muttered. He carefully pried it open.
The familiar scarlet hue of the Sharingan stared back at him—three tomoe, fully matured.
So it's begun.
Kai frowned. Is it resonating with Obito's Mangekyō? Has it already evolved? He could feel the faint, dormant pulse of powerful chakra within it, but something was off.
He's not an Uchiha. The chakra drain must be enormous… He shook his head. This eye… isn't meant for him. But it's also a symbol—Obito's legacy, and Kakashi's burden.
Kai let the eyelid close and stood up. He wouldn't take the eye. It wasn't his.
Let it serve its purpose. For now.
Then his eyes shifted toward Rin's body.
She lay in a pool of blood, surrounded by fallen Kirigakure ANBU. A tree behind her was splattered with gore. Her chest was pierced through—by Kakashi's hand. Just as Kai remembered.
Still, the sight gave him pause. Rin had always been kind to him during academy days, even if they hadn't been close.
She didn't deserve this.
But then, he felt it—chakra. Faint, wild, unstable.
"…Tailed beast chakra?" Kai's eyes widened. So it's true. She was made the jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
He acted quickly, pulling out a sealing scroll. He couldn't let that chakra leak out—or worse, be reclaimed by Kirigakure. Whether it was for research or future contingency, it was worth preserving.
As he scribbled the necessary seals and markings with a brush, a thought came to him.
A grin crept onto his lips.
Obito… I'll prepare a gift for you. You want a new world? Then let's see how you handle a piece of the old one.
He placed his hands together and slammed them onto the scroll, sealing the remaining Three-Tails chakra along with Rin's corpse in a secure fuinjutsu.
Meanwhile – Deep Underground, in the Mountains
"…Was that really Uchiha Kai?" Obito's voice was quiet, but tense. "That gloomy bastard?"
A voice replied through the shadows, airy and indifferent.
"My other clone confirms it," White Zetsu chimed. "It was him. And he's strong—he's awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. You're not a match for him now, Obito. You only have one eye, and he's already figuring out how yours works."
Obito's hand clenched. "Mangekyō…"
The memories came rushing back. Kai's speed. His precision. The way he read Obito's movements almost instantly. That strange glimmer in his eyes…
If not for Kamui… I would have died.
White Zetsu continued. "Mangekyō Sharingan is a rare evolution. You Uchiha only awaken it after severe emotional trauma. Losing the person you love. Watching them die in front of you. Or worse—being the one to kill them."
Obito's gaze darkened. "So he's like me."
He thought back.
Uchiha Kai—aloof, talented, cold. He had gone to the front lines early. His teammates were replaced multiple times. But he never died. Did he… lose them all? Or did he…
Obito's lip curled slightly. "That explains those eyes. Eyes like that can see through my Kamui. Sooner or later, he'll become a real threat."
"But I'll deal with him," Obito added. "He's like Kakashi—another obstacle in the old world. And in the world I'll create, where Rin lives again, maybe… maybe he'll be there too."
Back at the base, Madara Uchiha sat motionless beside the Gedo Statue, the light from its mouth casting eerie shadows over his aged face.
"So, you've returned," he said without looking up. "I expected no less."
Obito approached, bloodied but composed. "Rin is dead. Kakashi is alive. Another Uchiha interfered."
"I heard," Madara replied. "Kai Uchiha, was it? An anomaly. I'll need to know more."
"I don't care about him," Obito snapped. "Tell me how to remake the world. A world where Rin lives. A world without this pain."
Madara chuckled softly, a dry, rumbling sound. "Impatient. But that's fine."
Then, his eyes glinted.
"Look into mine."
Obito raised his head. The moment their eyes locked, his consciousness was pulled into a swirling vortex—
And suddenly, he stood in a vast white void.
"…Where…?"
"My illusion space," Madara said beside him, still old in form—for now. "This is where we begin."
With a surge of chakra, Madara's aged body began to transform. Hair darkened, muscles filled out. Armor formed across his chest.
Uchiha Madara, in his prime, stood before Obito like a war god.
"Is this how you looked in your youth?" Obito asked, masking his awe with indifference.
"Yes," Madara replied with a smirk. "And this—this illusion, this dream—can become everyone's reality. With the power of the Gedo Statue, even the dead can return. We'll create a perfect world, Obito."
Obito remained silent for a moment… then stepped forward.
"Then teach me."