Even if he was strong enough to decapitate enemies with a single strike, Naraku was not a true god.
He would get tired, feel pain, and the bloodline limit sickness tormented his body and spirit incessantly. Only the audience could see his furrowed brow when his back was turned to others, and hear his slightly pained gasps.
Obito worried that Naraku might need to rest, but the latter shook his head, refusing.
Naraku knew in his heart that in this life-or-death crisis, time was life, and he couldn't delay everyone's escape for his own sake.
"[Naraku has to endure such high-intensity combat as soon as he returns, relying entirely on himself... My heart aches for him, boo hoo hoo]"
"[Why is the Healing Seal gone? Without it, how much pain must Naraku be in using his Sharingan?]"
"[Maybe it was destroyed during his rampage and he hasn't had time to reapply it yet]"
"[What to do? Without the seal and constantly using his Sharingan, Naraku won't be able to hold on]"
"[Please, someone save him!]"
"[I don't know how Naraku survived at the bottom of the cliff, sick as he is. Just thinking about it is painful]"
"[Baby Naraku, I beg you, please care about yourself... boo hoo hoo hoo]"
In the close-up, Naraku's eyes were already a bit unfocused, causing him to react a split second slower when enemies approached from behind, almost failing to save Shisui.
Seeing Shisui's crimson eyes, he widened his own in disbelief, only snapping back to reality after dealing with two enemies, then understanding the reason for Shisui's awakened Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power).
-- Is it because of me...?
-- Shisui is still so young, will he get sick... -- It's my fault again... Naraku continuously blamed himself, his expression bitter and guilty, enduring the throbbing pain in his chest, and silently returned to the front of the group.
Shisui seemed to sense something, looking at Naraku's retreating back, wanting to speak but holding back.
"[Naraku is always pushing himself, boo hoo hoo]"
"[It's over... Naraku now thinks everything is his fault...]"
"[Shisui is very young, but you're still a child too, Naraku]"
"[It's not your fault, Baby Naraku, it's not your fault, ah ah ah ah ah (crying profusely.jpg)]"
"[That phrase, 'It's all your fault,' has become a curse, deeply etched into Naraku's soul]"
"[How long will Naraku be tormented by guilt?]"
Now, there were probably three more floors until they could return to the surface.
Naraku was counting the floors when he suddenly heard rumbling sounds all around him. The entire base was shaking, and the amplitude quickly became so great that it was impossible to stand steadily.
The moment the ceiling cracked, revealing the collapsing scene above, Naraku immediately turned and lunged backward.
A big close-up focused on his eyes; the Three Tomoe instantly transformed into the Mangekyo.
"Get down!"
The screen suddenly went completely dark, with only the continuous roar of the collapsing building, which gradually subsided after a full half minute.
But after the commotion ended, when the screen lit up again, it played the ending theme.
Ending in darkness like this left the audience's hearts lodged in their throats, unable to settle down.
"[The base collapsed!]"
"[So the explosion at the end of the last episode really was Danzo attempting to destroy the evidence]"
"[You can't use the Mangekyo, ah ah]"
"[Naraku won't get hurt, will he... Why does Old Thief always like to torment him, boo hoo hoo!]"
"[This constant cliffhanger is killing me... (vomits blood)]"
"[I want to see what happens next now! Now! (frantic)]"
— —
Naraku sighed again: It feels so good not to have to wait for updates~
— —
The next episode's opening continued the previous darkness; only the children's hurried breathing intertwined in the confined space could be heard.
The screen gradually showed an image, but the color tone was gray, and the clarity was not high, indicating that this was an exclusive God's-eye view for the audience; the characters within still couldn't see each other clearly.
Everyone called out to each other, and a slight cough was interspersed among them. Shisui, in the center of the frame, keenly noticed something was wrong, his expression instantly tensing, and he asked Naraku with a trembling voice.
He waited a second, then received Naraku's normal reply, and a hand reached in from off-screen to gently pat his head.
Shisui's face relaxed a little, then he heard Naraku clear his throat and tell everyone there was still a way out.
Although Naraku's figure never appeared in the frame, his voice was as steady as before, and the audience's hanging hearts slightly eased.
The children responded one by one to Naraku's instructions, except for Obito, who stood with his arms crossed, complaining that Naraku was treating him like a child.
Naraku let out a small breath, seemingly finding Obito's tsundere remark a bit amusing, and smiled very briefly.
At this moment, his profile appeared in the frame, but his long hair fell over his face, so the audience could only see him bending down, kneeling on the ground, and covering his mouth with his left hand.
"[Naraku is really so gentle, boo hoo hoo hoo]"
"[Shisui's panicked look makes my heart melt]"
"[Naraku, a powerful, reliable, and kind older brother]"
"[Why won't they show me his full face, ah ah ah ah! Did something happen??]"
"[Naraku comforting Obito feels a bit doting, hhhhhh]"
"[Good, good, Naraku seems fine!]"
Just as the bullet comments finished reassuring themselves, Naraku's speech began to show abnormalities, his breathing gradually heavy, with very obvious pauses.
"I... know..."
An ethereal and melancholic flute sound played at the opportune moment, like a soft, mournful elegy, making the audience's hearts ache. One after another, they realized Naraku's situation was actually not good.
The camera finally came to the front, and the colors and clarity returned to normal, revealing many details that were previously unclear.
Naraku's eyes were half-closed, revealing part of the Mangekyo's eerie pattern. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his right hand clutched the clothes over his chest, gripping so hard that his knuckles were slightly white.
"Obito, you are everyone's older brother..."
With every word, blood spilled from his mouth, dripping down the corner of his lips onto the ground beside his kneeling knee, already forming a small pool of blood.
It turned out that before, he wasn't smiling, but struggling to hide his discomfort with gasps.
"Protect your younger siblings..."
The camera pulled back, and everything in the frame explained why he endured such pain without deactivating his Mangekyo.
A pure white Susanoo's skeletal form enveloped everyone above, firmly holding up the collapsing rocks and earth, maintaining this small space for everyone to take refuge.
Hearing Obito agree, he slowly closed his eyes and then fully opened them, looking up at the unknown thickness of the earth layer, forcefully swallowing the blood in his mouth.
He said, "Okay... Let's go."
"[Don't talk anymore! I beg you, don't talk anymore! Ah ah ah ah ah! (T_T)]"
"[My Baby Naraku... (stunned)]"
"[No, ah ah ah ah! Naraku won't die here, will he??]"
"[He and Kakashi haven't even met yet! How could he!]"
"[Naraku must be in terrible pain... How much pain must this be...]"
"[He finally returned to Konoha alive, how can he die so close to everyone]"
"[Please, I really can't bear Naraku dying again, ah ah ah ah ah!]"
The Susanoo's previously crouching body gradually rose, forcefully pushing aside the heavy rubble.
Moonlight slowly filtered in, shining on its massive, terrifying yet pure white skeleton, imprinting itself upon those tender, clear eyes, becoming an indelible memory.
After the initial shock, Shisui focused his gaze inside the Susanoo, only to see a sight he never wanted to witness a second time.
Naraku was already at his limit, and channeling his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) to control the Susanoo only made matters worse.
"Go... *cough cough*..."
Crimson liquid gushed from his mouth like a broken dam, dripping from his jaw, staining his clothes.
Even so, he was still concerned with rescuing others, not caring about himself in the slightest.
"...Hurry and go!"
"[From now on, in the eyes of these children, Susanoo will be the most reliable guardian deity]"
"[Naraku always saves others from dire situations again and again, but what about himself? Who will save him, ah (T⌓T)]"
"[Someone save Naraku, please, someone!]"
"[It breaks my heart, boo hoo hoo hoo]"
"[Didn't they all hear it! All the Uchiha heard the explosion, why hasn't anyone arrived yet, ah ah ah!]"
"[Fugaku! Tsunade! I beg either of you to come!!]"
Obito did not betray Naraku's trust, leading the children through the opening to escape the encirclement.
He sternly stopped Shisui's irrational attempt to return, even though he himself desperately wanted to turn back and fight alongside Naraku.
With the moonlight so bright, how could he not see that Naraku was already on his last legs?
But he couldn't be so reckless. As the oldest brother in the group, he had to fulfill his duty as an older brother and protect his younger siblings to get them out of the battlefield.
-- Why am I so weak?
-- I can't even fight alongside Naraku?!
Obito cried out in agony in his heart, tears glinting in the corners of his eyes.
He hated the enemies' insidious and unscrupulous tactics, was angry at his own weakness that forced him to flee, and feared Naraku's future, once again heading towards death.
-- I don't want to... -- I don't want Naraku to die again...!
As his emotions reached their peak, Chakra transformed into flames, burning every nerve in his body, and pain swept through him like a tidal wave.
After taking a heavy step forward, Obito's dark eyes instantly turned crimson, and a single tomoe gradually formed around his pupil.
"['Obito is the older brother']... boo hoo hoo hoo..."
"[This is the curse Naraku put on Obito (╥﹏╥)]"
"[Oh my god, even Obito...!]"
"[Obito, you actually considered Naraku a friend since that night, didn't you... (〒︿〒)]"
"[Naraku, look, so many people love you, please live]"
"[The Uchiha brothers are truly so heartbreaking...]"
"[If Naraku dies here, Obito will hate himself for the rest of his life]"
— —
Huh? Obito awakened his Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power)?!
Naraku's jaw almost dropped to the floor, feeling that he would soon have a strange title like "Uchiha Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) Catalyst" circulating among fans.
And, there would probably be quite a few people starting to ship Obito and him.
Is this good? This is not good.
Silently picking up his jaw, Naraku decided to give more'sweet moments' with Kakashi later to solidify their status as the "official couple."
Even if the'sweets' contained 'knives,' they were still'sweets,' weren't they?
Naraku stood with his hands on his hips, both unreasonable and self-righteous.