On the other side…
At dusk, Konoha Hospital was filled with the mixed scent of disinfectant and medicinal herbs.
Medical ninja hurried through the corridors from time to time. The rumble of stretcher wheels, low murmured conversations, and the occasional suppressed cough wove together into the hospital's familiar background noise.
Nohara Rin had just finished changing the medicine for the last patient in Room Three.
She carefully tossed the used gauze into the medical waste bin, washed her hands, and straightened her nurse cap in the mirror on the wall.
The girl in the reflection had gentle brown eyes. Shoulder-length brown hair curved softly beneath her cap.
The white nurse uniform fit her well, outlining a figure that was still youthful, yet steadily maturing.
The tailed beast's chakra seemed to be affecting her development as well.
"Rin, you're done early today?"
A warm female voice came from behind her.
Rin turned and saw Doctor Miyako standing at the other end of the hallway with a stack of charts in her arms.
Miyako was around thirty, one of the medical department's pillars and one of Rin's supervising physicians.
She wore round glasses and always looked serious and meticulous, but she was gentle with juniors.
"Yes, Doctor Miyako."
Rin bowed slightly.
"All the patients assigned to me today are taken care of."
Miyako walked closer and adjusted her glasses. "It's rare to see you finish this early."
Rin's cheeks reddened slightly.
"Um… I have something to do today."
"Oh?"
Miyako gave her a knowing smile.
"Don't tell me you made plans with someone?"
"N-no!"
Rin waved her hands quickly, but her voice trailed off.
"I just… wanted to talk with Kiyohara-kun about some medical ninjutsu."
Miyako blinked.
"Kiyohara? You mean the 'Magnet Release Kiyohara' who's been making a name for himself on the battlefield lately?"
"Yes."
Rin nodded.
"Kiyohara-kun is really talented in medical ninjutsu—he learns fast. We've exchanged ideas a few times, and some of his perspectives really inspired me."
Miyako rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"That kid… I heard Tsunade-sama is going to teach him personally."
"Huh?"
Rin's eyes widened.
"Tsunade-sama? Really?"
"The medical department's been rearranging the labs these past two days—setting aside a room specifically for Kiyohara."
Miyako's tone carried a hint of amazement.
"It was an order from the Hokage himself, to coordinate with Tsunade-sama's instruction. That's incredible."
Rin stood there blankly for a second.
To learn under Tsunade—one of the legendary Sannin—was the kind of opportunity most ninja could only dream of.
"Rin?"
Miyako noticed she'd drifted.
"Ah—sorry."
Rin snapped back and smiled.
"I'm just surprised. Kiyohara-kun really is outstanding. It's wonderful that he'll get to learn under Tsunade-sama."
Miyako looked at the complicated emotions in the girl's eyes and understood at once.
Youth really is something.
She remembered how, when she was young, she'd once looked at someone's back in just the same way—watching them slowly walk out of reach.
"Go on."
Miyako said gently.
"It's getting dark. Don't keep him waiting too long."
"Yes! Thank you, Doctor Miyako!"
Rin bowed again and hurried toward the changing room.
Miyako watched her go, a quiet nostalgia rising in her chest.
…
By the time Rin changed back into casual clothes and stepped out of the hospital, the sky had fully darkened.
Lanterns and streetlights lit Konoha's roads. The war was still going, but the village maintained a fragile sense of everyday life: ninja moving briskly, civilians doing their best to keep routine afloat.
The smell of food drifted from restaurants. Children played at the mouth of an alley. Patrol members of the Konoha Police Force passed by now and then.
Everything looked so ordinary.
Rin carried a small cloth bag containing a few rolls of medical notes and some tea snacks she'd prepared on purpose.
She followed the familiar streets toward Kiyohara's home.
His house sat near the edge of the Uchiha district—quiet, with few residents, mostly solitary ninja or small households. Rin had been there a few times, so she knew the way well.
She quickened her pace and rounded the last corner.
Then she heard it: the booming clash of ninjutsu, the dull crash of collapsing masonry.
The sound of fighting.
Fighting—from the direction of Kiyohara's house.
A civilian ran over and told Rin there was a fight up ahead.
Rin's heart tightened. A spy attack?
It wasn't unheard of in a ninja village.
That was why Konoha's inspections at the gates had grown stricter.
"Go find the Police Force."
Rin told the civilian.
"I'll go take a look."
She drew a scalpel.
Without a kunai on her right now, it was the best substitute she had.
She dropped the cloth bag and broke into a sprint.
Her brown hair flew behind her; her casual clothes snapped in the wind.
Kiyohara-kun could be in danger.
She rounded the final bend—and Kiyohara's courtyard came into view.
Or rather, what used to be a courtyard.
Most of the wall had collapsed. The ground was pocked with craters.
Two figures were moving inside the ruins—colliding, separating, colliding again.
One of them was Kiyohara.
Rin recognized him instantly.
His right sleeve was torn, blood faintly visible, but his movements were still sharp, and his hand seals were so fast she could barely follow them.
The other figure…
Rin had never seen anyone like that.
A black, oversized cloak. A strange yellow, tiger-like patterned mask, with only one eye visible.
At times he fought Kiyohara like a solid body. At other times he turned ghostlike, letting Kiyohara's attacks pass right through him.
"Kiyohara-kun!"
Rin shouted—and her hands were already forming seals.
Medical ninja weren't built for frontal combat, but she wasn't helpless either.
Back in the Academy her grades had always been excellent; she'd simply specialized in medical work afterward.
Soft green chakra gathered in her palms.
Not an attack—an interference support technique.
A quick-activation binding jutsu used to restrain an opponent: Medical Binding Technique.
It wasn't powerful, but it was fast and covered a wide area.
Green chakra threads shot toward the masked man.
Obito heard the voice.
Rin's voice.
His movement stalled for the briefest instant.
Only a fraction of a second—but in a high-speed fight, that was enough.
Kiyohara seized the opening.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!
Sand iron hovering in the air exploded outward into countless tiny spikes, raining down to cover every angle around Obito.
Obito was forced into full intangibility.
The spikes passed through him and drilled dense holes into the ground behind.
And in that same moment, Rin's Medical Binding Technique arrived.
The green chakra threads wrapped in—unable to touch Obito while intangible, but the instant he re-solidified, it affected him.
Obito felt his body jerk, his movement slowed by half a beat.
Kiyohara didn't let it go.
He reached into his ninja pouch with his left hand and drew three kunai, while his right hand kept controlling the sand iron.
Electric arcs crawled over the kunai, crackling sharply.
Lightning Release: Lightning Chain Lock!
As the kunai flew, electricity leapt between them and formed a triangular net that sealed off Obito's retreat.
This was a C-rank Lightning Release technique Kiyohara had gotten from Uchiha Kiyohara—similar to the principle behind Kakashi's lightning transmission techniques.
A pincer trap.
Behind the mask, Obito's Mangekyō spun wildly.
He could see the worry on Rin's face.
But it wasn't for him.
It was for Kiyohara.
In this fake world, Rin was fighting for someone else.
His heart clenched—an ache far worse than any jutsu wound.
"Enough!"
Obito roared.
Space warped.
Centered on the right eyehole of his mask, a spiral ripple spread out.
His body twisted, shrank, and was drawn into an invisible singular point.
"Don't you run!"
Kiyohara clasped his hands and poured out more sand iron, trying to form a cage.
Obito glanced at Rin one last time—then vanished completely into the vortex.
Only a single sentence drifted on the night wind:
"We'll meet again."
…
Rin stared blankly at the spot where the masked man disappeared.
Just like that… gone?
Body Flicker?
Rin shook her head and forced the thought away.
"Kiyohara-kun!"
She snapped back and rushed to him.
Kiyohara stood still, his Sharingan still active, scanning the area.
Once he confirmed Obito wasn't nearby, he slowly shut it off.
Obito's Kamui really was outrageous.
Even among Mangekyō abilities, it was in a league of its own—still dangerous even years later.
No wonder he'd been able to stir up chaos for so long in canon.
"Are you okay?"
Rin had already reached him, green healing chakra blooming again.
She checked him quickly, her gaze settling on his right arm.
A long slash had split his sleeve; a shallow but wide cut was bleeding.
"I'm fine. Just a surface cut."
Kiyohara shook his head.
This was a calculated opening he'd left—trying to lure the masked man in.
Obito had still slipped away with intangibility.
But his intangibility window had to be close to its limit.
"His attacks might be poisoned."
Rin said seriously.
She guided Kiyohara under the one remaining intact eave and made him sit.
Then she took disinfectant and bandages from her small pouch.
A medical ninja's habit—she carried basic supplies even off-duty.
Green chakra covered the wound to disinfect and stimulate regeneration.
Kiyohara watched her focused profile.
Moonlight fell across her face; her long lashes cast a delicate shadow.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed tight.
"Thanks, Rin."
Kiyohara said.
Rin paused for a beat, then continued.
"Don't thank me… I barely helped. That masked man was too strong, and his ability was weird…"
She lifted her head.
"Kiyohara-kun—who was he? Why would he attack you?"
"I don't know."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
He did know it was Obito, but—
"Probably an infiltrator from another village."
Rin nodded.
It wasn't rare: outsiders slipping in, or someone inside betraying the village.
Just then, several figures landed with sharp whooshes.
"Report!"
"We detected chakra spikes here!"
"Clear signs of combat!"
Two groups arrived almost at the same time.
One group wore animal masks—Anbu—dropping into a triangular formation and immediately sweeping the surroundings.
The other group wore the Uchiha clan crest—Konoha Police Force—four ninja, led by a man in his thirties with typical Uchiha black hair and sharp eyes.
Both groups saw each other instantly.
The atmosphere tightened.
Anbu answered directly to the Hokage and handled secret missions, assassination, intelligence, and protection.
The Police Force maintained village order and was largely staffed by Uchiha.
Their jurisdictions overlapped—and friction between them had a long history.
"Kiyohara."
The Anbu squad leader spoke first.
"What happened? We registered severe chakra fluctuations."
"A hostile attacked."
Kiyohara summarized.
"A mysterious man in an orange spiral mask. He had Sharingan-like eyes and an ability that let attacks pass through him. He disappeared into a vortex."
"A Sharingan user who vanished…"
The Uchiha officer—Tetsuyama—frowned.
No one in the clan matched that profile.
"I'll report this to Yashiro-sama immediately."
Tetsuyama said. (Uchiha Yashiro was Fugaku's right-hand man, often handling affairs when Fugaku was unavailable.)
"Anbu will also investigate."
The Anbu leader turned to Kiyohara and started issuing orders for a scene sweep.
"I'm fine."
Kiyohara added.
"Rin treated the cut already."
Rin nodded to confirm the bandage was secure.
After a few more questions and instructions, both groups split into search patterns.
"Kiyohara-kun…"
Rin suddenly asked, voice soft.
"I heard… Tsunade-sama is going to teach you medical ninjutsu?"
Kiyohara blinked.
"News travels fast."
Rin nodded.
"Congratulations. Learning under Tsunade-sama is such a rare chance."
"Rin—your talent in medical ninjutsu is among the best I've seen."
Kiyohara replied.
"Even if I learn from Tsunade-sama, there'll still be things I need to learn from you."
Rin's eyes brightened.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara said seriously.
"Medical ninjutsu isn't just memorizing techniques—it's understanding life. You've always been ahead of me there."
That wasn't empty flattery.
Rin's dedication wasn't about using healing as a tool—she treated it as a way to save lives.
That difference in mindset mattered.
Rin's cheeks warmed.
"You're praising me too much…"
"Just the truth."
Kiyohara finished his tea.
Rin nodded firmly.
"I understand."
Their eyes met for a moment—then Rin hurriedly looked away, face red.
"I… I should go!"
She stood up and awkwardly smoothed her clothes.
"It's late. My family will worry."
"I'll walk you."
Kiyohara stood as well.
"No—your arm—"
"Just a scratch."
Kiyohara insisted.
"And it might still be unsafe outside."
In the end, Rin didn't refuse.
They left the shattered house behind and walked toward Rin's home.
…
On a rooftop near Konoha's outskirts, Obito stood in the rain, watching.
From there he could see much of the village—lights scattered like stars, the brightest cluster around the Hokage Rock and administration district.
His Mangekyō rotated slowly behind the mask.
He watched Rin treat Kiyohara's arm.
Watched Kiyohara escort her home.
"Obito, are you okay?"
White Zetsu's voice echoed in his mind.
"That was close—you almost got hit by those iron sand bullets. That Kiyohara is really something. He pushed you harder than I expected."
"Shut up."
Obito said coldly.
He kept watching.
He saw Rin say goodbye at her doorstep.
Saw Kiyohara turn away.
Saw Rin linger, watching his back until he vanished from sight—then finally go inside.
Obito's hand rested on the railing.
Something cold touched his wrist.
He looked down.
A drop of water.
Tears?
Obito froze.
"No… just rain."
He raised his head.
Clouds had swallowed the moon.
The rain grew heavier, sliding along the mask and dripping from the chin.
His cloak soaked through and grew heavy, but he didn't move.
Rainwater slipped through the mask's eyehole and into his eye.
Just rain.
"As if there could be any other outcome now."
Obito spread his hand, as if feeling the rain.
His resolve hardened further.
He needed time—time to refine his power.
"Obito, we should go."
White Zetsu urged.
"Even with the Mayfly technique, Konoha's sensory systems are strong. Staying too long could get you detected."
"And that Kiyohara—he basically had you pinned. Your 'intangibility' probably can't hold much longer, can it?"
White Zetsu could feel Obito's strain while possessing him.
Space-time techniques consumed far more chakra than ordinary ninjutsu.
Kamui was no exception.
And to pull someone in, Obito had to grab them—then maintain the transfer time.
Kiyohara kept attacking first, which meant Obito couldn't fully leverage his ability.
When intangible, Obito couldn't counterattack either.
"Why didn't you use my power back there?"
White Zetsu asked.
He could boost Obito's chakra and physical ability.
"We'll talk about it later."
Obito said flatly.
White Zetsu might be useful—but Obito hadn't forgotten they served Madara.
After the illusion-world lessons, Obito knew Madara was no simple old man.
And Obito felt something new, faintly wrong, near his heart.
Even while accepting Madara's teachings, he wasn't stupid enough to trust everything blindly.
He had his own thoughts.
…
At the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen's first reaction upon hearing the report was: Danzo acted again.
"Danzo is getting reckless."
Hiruzen frowned.
Compared to a random space-time intruder attacking Kiyohara, Danzo was still the likelier culprit.
Though he couldn't dismiss the other possibility entirely.
"At least Tsunade agreed to teach Kiyohara."
Hiruzen thought grimly.
"Continue investigating."
"Yes."
Anbu vanished.
"Sharingan…"
Hiruzen's brows knit.
Had Danzo acquired more Sharingan? Or was it an outsider's transplant?
The possibility that an Uchiha had attacked Kiyohara wasn't zero, either.
But Anbu had never obtained reports of space-time techniques within the clan.
…
The next day, Kiyohara started arranging a move.
He'd planned to relocate after mastering gold dust with Magnet Release—since the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, would eventually appear at Kikyo Pass and he could learn by observation.
But now his walls and courtyard were half-collapsed.
Fortunately, his minimalist lifestyle meant there wasn't much to pack.
He sealed his belongings into several large sealing scrolls and slung a bundle over his shoulder.
"Kiyohara, your house…"
Yuhi Kurenai arrived, blinking.
How did it turn into this after just a few days?
Did he mess up training and blow something up?
"I'm moving."
Kiyohara said.
"Something happened last night."
He planned to buy a new place immediately.
And later that afternoon, he still had to visit Tsunade's home.