"My lord…"
"You should call me Daimyo-sama now, Nohara-san."
Kain placed the gift box on the table. Inside were delicacies from other worlds—enchanted desserts, dishes made from Sea Kings, and newly translated medical books.
It had been two years since he last visited Nohara Rin, yet the seal on her body remained intact.
Despite having a strong foundation in medical ninjutsu and spending the past two years studying medical texts from other worlds, what she lacked was surgical experience under a true master.
But she had grown.
Seventeen-year-old Nohara Rin was in the prime of her youth. Her long hair draped over her shoulders like a soft shawl, and her face was tender and fair.
She looked like a delicate flower on the verge of blooming. The purple seals on her body, however, gave her beauty a strange and mysterious quality.
"My lord, can I… can I leave now? I've already…"
The moment Rin changed how she addressed him, she reached out and grabbed Kain's hand, clinging to it as if it were her last lifeline. Her grip was tight, trembling, full of desperation.
Loneliness was a cruel punishment. Even though she had access to information like Ninja Weekly, she was still just a teenage girl—locked away for years, barely holding on.
When she spoke to Kain, her voice trembled on the verge of tears.
"Nohara-san… forget it. I'll call you Rin."
"Rin, as long as you agree to my request, you can leave this place freely."
Kain gently stroked Rin's hair as he spoke.
"You're innocent. None of this was your fault. But because of Uchiha Obito, you were made into a vessel for a Tailed Beast. Even after I rescued you, I couldn't let you go.
"This world… it's cruel. Too many powerful people are trying to reshape it their own way. They don't care who gets hurt in the process. As long as they can achieve their ideal, they'll sacrifice whoever they need to—without hesitation."
I'm one of them too, Kain thought to himself.
But he didn't say it aloud.
What he had said, however, was the truth. In this cruel ninja world, value determined fate. And because Obito valued Rin, she had value too.
"Obito again… What is he doing now? What is he… planning?"
Rin's voice was weak. She had been sealed by the Mist as a Tailed Beast host because of Obito. And though Kain had saved her, she had still been confined here all these years—because of Obito.
She tried to convince herself he wasn't to blame, that she was only caught in the crossfire. But resentment bloomed in her heart regardless.
She couldn't bring herself to hate Kain—the one who saved her, the only one who ever came to visit. If he found out she resented him, she feared he'd stop coming altogether. And that… that terrified her.
"He plans to start a war," Kain said without hesitation.
"He's collecting Tailed Beasts to form the Ten Tails. Then he'll become its Jinchūriki and cast a genjutsu over the entire world—an illusion where everyone will be trapped. He plans to be with you in that illusion. After all, he's trying to create a world where you two can be together."
"He's already intensified the blood mist policies in the Mist Village, making things even more brutal. Two years ago, he attacked Konoha, trying to release the Nine Tails… but he was repelled."
"Right now, he—"
After hearing what Uchiha Obito had done, Nohara Rin wasn't moved—only deeply chilled.
Has he gone insane?
In the past, he would go out of his way to help an old lady who didn't even need help crossing the street. And now... he was doing something like this?
"Rin, I won't lie to you. If you want to leave, you must belong to me completely. I won't tolerate betrayal. If you walk out of here, you will be mine."
Kain slowly raised her chin, looking deep into Rin's helpless, fragile soul with glowing magical eyes.
"To gain something, you must lose something. The world is fair, Rin."
"I—"
Kain interrupted her softly:
"This is your only chance. If you refuse, I won't ask you again."
That made Nohara Rin freeze.
She didn't want to grow old in isolation—but the price he asked was everything. Her heart wavered, torn between freedom and submission.
Then Kain released her hand.
That small action struck her harder than any words. The memory of nights filled with crushing loneliness flooded her heart. Watching Kain turn away made it feel like her last hope was slipping through her fingers.
She couldn't bear it any longer.
Rin reached out, grabbed his hand again, and blurted out:
"My lord… I promise you. From now on, I will be… yours."
As soon as she said it, a strange relief washed over her—empty, yes—but easier to bear than the suffocating silence that had defined her life.
"Rin, you made the right choice. Just follow me."
Kain smiled as his hand traced her pale, delicate face, then slowly moved to her neck. A faint glow of magic rose from his palm.
Rin felt a slight sting on her skin—but along with it, she felt Kain's thoughts, his vision:
A unified world.
A prosperous life for civilians.
The end of the ninja caste system.
A future where even the stars are within reach.
As the illusion faded, a ring of glowing, mysterious runes appeared on Rin's neck. When connected, they resembled a beautiful necklace etched into her skin.
It was the Magic Pattern Curse Seal—a mark that would allow her to move freely in the ninja world. But it also bound her.
Along with it, she'd need tools to hide her identity—whether an enhanced Polyjuice-style potion or an electrostatic camouflage veil—anything to prevent recognition.
"Rin, come. Sit down. There's still some time before you leave. Tell me about your past—and I need your help pushing Uchiha Obito to act."
Rin had just promised to give him everything. Her heart was still hollow—perfect for Kain to mold.
Four years of solitude had eroded her memories, leaving room only for him. That void would now be filled with Kain's presence, his voice, his will. So that when the time came, she would obey him without hesitation.
Kain had once thought obito could be his tool. But obito, born a failure, only seemed to be in control. In truth, he controlled nothing.
Now, with Kain in charge, Uchiha Obito was nothing more than a disposable black glove. He would gather the Tailed Beasts, draw the wrath of the ninja world onto himself, and then die—like a fool.
Kain would allow Rin to thank Obito.
But only once.
Only a single word.
In the Rain Country, Konoha Shinobi Camp
Uchiha Fugaku had summoned the Konoha Shinobi. This time, not many ninjas came with him—just seven squads.
Logically speaking, even with Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui included, that only made a total of thirty people. That was hardly enough to easily deal with Rain Shinobi Village. Although the enemy no longer had Hanzo to lead them, Rain Village still possessed thousands of ninja.
Even if they were just wild boars, killing that many would take serious effort.
"We've given Rain Shinobi Village enough time. Their stubbornness is their own fault, so don't hold back."
Inside a makeshift command tent, Uchiha Fugaku spoke sternly to the assembled ninja.
"We attack the Land of Rain this afternoon."
"This battle isn't like those in the past.
The era of traditional ninja warfare is over.
Our job is reconnaissance, monitoring, and clearing a path for those outside. Let them handle the bulk of the fighting."
He paused, then added,
"But if powerful ninjas appear in Rain Village—potential elite candidates—then it becomes our responsibility."
"Understood."
The squads responded in unison.
Fugaku then handed over command to Uchiha Shisui.
"From here on, Shisui will take command. Back in Konoha, he worked closely with the biomechanical warriors and understands them better than the rest of us."
He wasn't lying.
Before the operation, Nawaki had personally brought Shisui in to study the biomechanical soldiers and given him command equipment. Nawaki held no prejudice against the Uchiha clan. In fact, had Shisui ever expressed interest in becoming Hokage, Nawaki would have supported him without hesitation—as the Sixth Hokage Candidate.
"Move out!"
At Shisui's command, the Konoha ninjas and the biomechanical warriors began moving swiftly, following the formation they had planned earlier.
The biomechanical units required little guidance. Though they couldn't climb trees or walk on water like trained ninja, their speed and agility rivaled that of Chūnin, even while loaded with weapons and ammunition.
Far away, White Zetsu observed all of this—and immediately relayed the information to Uchiha Obito.
"Heh… fighting and killing—so long as we live in this world, it's unavoidable."
"This world is distorted… it needs correction."
With that, Obito entered his Kamui space. White Zetsu, watching from the side, was envious. His Mayfly Technique was useful for stealth, but when it came to movement and speed, it couldn't compare to time-space ninjutsu.
But just as Obito entered Kamui, something unusual happened.
Far in the distance, he saw a bright light. He frowned.
This is my space. How can there be something like that here?
Curious and cautious, Obito used Kamui to move closer. What he found looked like a flashlight-like device—except the light it emitted was unusually intense. As he stepped closer, a disk embedded in the ground activated, and a virtual projection sprang to life.
The moment Obito saw the image, he froze.
"Lin...? Is that you? Lin, it's really you."
Though her appearance had changed, older and more mature than the twelve-year-old girl he remembered, there was no mistaking it. It was Nohara Rin—alive and grown up.
In the projection, Rin's voice trembled as she spoke:
"Obito, please... you have to collect the Tailed Beasts. Come and save me. Obito, collect them... save me..."
Before she could finish, an arm reached in and dragged her away. The projection vanished.
"LIN!!"
Obito's heart was flooded with worry and fury. A thousand questions raced through his mind.
Didn't Rin die at Kakashi's hands?
Then how is she alive? Why is she asking him for help? Why would collecting the Tailed Beasts be the key to saving her?
What the hell is going on!?
…
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