Outside Kirigakure.
On a small island surrounded by the sea on all sides.
The three Uchiha ninjas sat on the ground, enjoying a hotpot while chatting. The atmosphere was relaxed and carefree.
The sea breeze brushed against their faces, and the sunlight shone warmly upon them, bringing faint smiles to their lips.
But as Obito finished recounting his recent encounters with all sorts of bizarre, supernatural events, the smiles on Shisui and Itachi's faces faded.
Itachi's expression darkened, his lips parting slightly as he murmured,
"I always thought Uchiha Madara was the final enemy... I never expected there to be even more forces behind him."
Shisui let out a soft sigh, looking a bit downcast as he said,
"With my current strength, I can't be of much help to you, Obito."
He patted Itachi's shoulder and spoke with a serious expression.
"Itachi, you're the only one in the clan who has kept up with Obito's pace."
"From now on, protecting his back is your responsibility."
Itachi's gaze flickered slightly. He didn't say anything, only nodding silently.
Seeing his younger cousin's disheartened expression, Obito burst into laughter and said,
"Shisui, there's no need to be so discouraged. Your dear cousin is here to give you a power-up!"
Shisui blinked in confusion. "A power-up? What do you mean?"
Obito didn't explain. Instead, he took out a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Shisui.
"Catch!"
Shisui caught the bottle and peered inside through the transparent glass. What he saw inside shocked him—a pair of Sharingan eyes!
He looked at Obito in disbelief. "This is..."
Obito nodded and gestured toward the bottle. "These are Uchiha Setsuna's Mangekyō Sharingan."
"If you absorb their power, you'll awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
Shisui stared at the eyes within the bottle, his expression complicated.
"Obito, shouldn't we let Itachi take them instead? I..."
Before he could finish, Itachi shook his head and said, "Shisui, these eyes won't do much for me. They won't make any significant difference."
Though his words sounded harsh, they were simply the truth.
After all, centuries ago, the so-called "Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan" didn't even exist.
Indra used his Mangekyō Sharingan for a lifetime, and its durability never wore down.
It was only later, as the Uchiha bloodline weakened and their chakra reserves declined, that even the Mangekyō Sharingan became a rarity. That was when the concept of the "Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan" emerged—achieved by absorbing the ocular power of a blood relative to purify and strengthen one's own Mangekyō.
But for Itachi, who had already gained the "Yin Power" of the Sage of Six Paths, his next level of ocular power required at least a dozen pairs of Mangekyō to even make a difference...
"Uh..."
Shisui looked at Obito with a pleading expression.
Obito shrugged and met his cousin's gaze. "Itachi is telling the truth, Shisui. Stop hesitating."
"You were once the genius of the Uchiha clan. Are you really willing to let us leave you behind?"
Shisui lowered his gaze, staring at the small bottle in his hand without speaking.
Of course I don't want to be left behind... but...
Seeing Shisui's hesitation, Obito sighed helplessly. "No more doubts, Shisui. Setsuna's ocular abilities are similar to yours."
"Right now, you need to get stronger, and you're the best candidate to inherit these eyes."
Shisui clenched his teeth and made up his mind. "I understand, Obito!"
To awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the donor and recipient needed to be blood-related.
And the closer the relation, the higher the success rate.
But for Shisui, who had access to modification abilities, this wasn't an issue at all.
Seeing that his cousin had accepted the power-up, Obito placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder and grinned.
"Now for the second upgrade."
Saying that, he infused Shisui's body with roughly five units of Ten-Tails chakra.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to give more, but rather that Shisui's body couldn't handle any more than that.
Feeling the pure chakra surging inside him, Shisui asked in surprise, "Obito, this is...?"
Obito smiled. "This is the power of the Ten-Tails—or you could call it the power of the Sage of Six Paths. Someday, it might help you awaken the Rinnegan."
[Note: The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is not a requirement for awakening the Rinnegan. The real key is the power of the Six Paths. Without it, even the Eternal Mangekyō can't evolve into the Rinnegan.]
After granting Shisui these power-ups, Obito added one last reminder.
"Oh, and Shisui, make sure to talk to Mei Terumī."
"From now on, Kirigakure and Konoha should deepen their cooperation."
Shisui nodded and smiled. "Actually, after hearing about how you single-handedly fended off forty thousand enemies, Mei had already been considering this."
The thought of his cousin soon becoming Hokage made Shisui's blood boil with excitement.
"Obito, I always believed you could change the Uchiha clan... change Konoha!"
"And now, you've done it! The Uchiha have finally produced a Hokage!"
Obito laughed heartily at those words, and even Itachi couldn't help but smile.
Their laughter echoed across the island, startling flocks of birds into the sky.
"Hahahahahaha!"
After a while, Obito glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, Itachi and I are heading back."
"When the ceremony happens, I'll come to Kirigakure to pick you up."
Shisui gave them both a big hug before reluctantly bidding them farewell.
"See you, everyone."
...
Konoha.
Obito led Itachi to Rin's doorstep and then abandoned him there without a second thought.
Open the door, step inside, shut the door.
He left Itachi standing outside in disbelief.
"Rin-chan~~!" Obito called out playfully.
Seeing the girl he had dreamed about for so long, his heart instantly melted.
"Obito-kun..."
Rin glanced past Obito toward the door, her expression puzzled. "I could've sworn I just saw Itachi outside...?"
"Aren't you going to invite him in for a bit?"
Obito wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her inside as he spoke.
"You must be imagining things, Rin-chan."
"If Itachi were outside, do you think I wouldn't let him in?"
"You know how much we Uchiha dote on our clan members."
(Outside, still standing there: "...")
Rin tilted her head thoughtfully before nodding. "That makes sense... Obito-kun, hold me."
Obito scooped her up in a princess carry, cradling her soft and fragrant form in his arms.
Rin nuzzled into his chest, giggling. "Just thinking about how we'll be together every day from now on makes me so happy."
Looking at Rin, whose smile was sweet and scent was intoxicating, Obito smiled from the bottom of his heart.
"Yeah, and soon, we'll be a family of three!"
"We'll have a cute little baby to live with us!"
As the door slowly closed, they whispered sweet words to each other.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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