Obito's chewing suddenly froze.
The dango seemed to lose all its sweetness in an instant. It got stuck in his throat, making it difficult to swallow.
That dark, cold memory, filled with strange conversations, rushed back into his mind like a flood.
He could not stop himself from shivering.
Obito put down the dango. His eyes flickered, and he did not dare look Mikoto in the eyes.
"I... I don't know either..."
His voice became quieter, filled with confusion and lingering fear.
"When I woke up, I was in a completely dark place. It was cold and hard, like a stone box... I shouted for a long time, but nobody answered me..."
Mikoto's heart sank slightly, but her voice remained gentle.
"Don't be afraid. Take your time. What happened after that?"
"Then... then a voice appeared."
Obito tried hard to remember while organizing his thoughts.
"It was a very, very old voice. It was so hoarse that just hearing it made me uncomfortable..."
"What did he say?"
Mikoto leaned forward slightly as she continued asking.
"He... he said a lot of strange things..."
Obito frowned tightly as he tried to repeat those words that he had not understood back then and still only half understood now.
"He said... everything I treasured would eventually betray me. He said this world was already beyond saving, and that the strong deceived the weak..."
Mikoto's hand tightened around her teacup, and her knuckles turned slightly white.
Those words sounded extremely radical.
And somehow... familiar!
Although what Obito said jumped from one thing to another without much connection, she did not interrupt him. She only encouraged him with her eyes to continue.
The more Obito spoke, the more confused he became. Those words were broken and incomplete, yet they were like icy needles piercing through the world he had always believed in.
"He also said... the Uchiha's power comes from love, but only the pain and hatred of losing love can awaken its true potential. He said I was working hard on the wrong path. He also said something about only an eternal dream being true peace..."
The moment the words eternal dream came out of Obito's mouth, although they were vague, Mikoto's pupils suddenly shrank.
She suddenly remembered the ancient stone tablet beneath the Uchiha Shrine, the one that could only be read by someone who had awakened the Sharingan.
The stone tablet was said to have been left behind by the Sage of Six Paths.
It recorded astonishing secrets.
It seemed to mention...
The vague concepts of infinity and dreams...
That was forbidden knowledge that even the Uchiha Clan's senior members might not be able to fully understand.
The stronger one's eye power was, the more of the tablet they could read!
Why?
He was an outsider.
A mysterious person hiding in the shadows.
How could he know the Uchiha's secrets? How could he know something like that?
He had even used it to deceive Obito!
Only someone with a high level Sharingan should have been able to read the contents of that stone tablet. At the very least, it required the eye power of a Mangekyō Sharingan or above.
Could he be one of their own?
Within the clan, besides herself, only Chiya-nii had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
If it was not someone from inside the clan...
Could there still be other Uchiha living somewhere outside?
"What else did he say? About the eyes? About the Uchiha?"
Despite trying her best to hide it, urgency had crept into Mikoto's voice, and the seriousness was impossible to conceal.
Obito was startled by her sudden change in tone and blankly shook his head.
"N... not much... He also said I couldn't see the truth. He said the time hadn't come yet... Later... later he suddenly let me go. The wall opened by itself, and I ran out as fast as I could..."
He paused, as though remembering something, then added,
"Oh, right. His chakra... it felt strange. It was cold and oppressive, but... but it also felt a little familiar. It was somewhat like the chakra of our Uchiha Clan, but it wasn't exactly the same... I can't really explain it."
A dark environment, an old and hoarse voice, a deep understanding of the Uchiha's power...
It was even possible...
That he knew the contents of the shrine's stone tablet!
Along with that familiar, yet different chakra...
Every clue rapidly came together inside Mikoto's mind.
This was no coincidence!
This definitely was not revenge from Kirigakure or Iwagakure!
This was a terrifying enemy who knew the Uchiha extremely well and might even have deep ties to them!
He had deliberately kidnapped Obito, who had just awakened his Sharingan and still had an innocent heart, intending to corrupt him with those dark and twisted beliefs!
Perhaps his target was not just Obito.
Perhaps he wanted to use Obito to target the entire Uchiha.
Or perhaps...
His ambitions were even greater!
A chill ran up Mikoto's spine, colder than anything she had felt during that battle against the Kirigakure ninja.
The enemy was not out in the open.
He was hidden within shadows even deeper than she could currently see.
And someone who could interpret dreams...
At the very least, that person had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!
"Mikoto-nee?"
Seeing Mikoto's increasingly pale expression, Obito asked cautiously.
"Y... you... what's wrong? Did I say something wrong? That person... everything he said was a lie, right? Kakashi and Rin would never betray me either, right?"
There was a faint trace of pleading in Obito's voice. He desperately wanted someone to deny the cold despair that old man had planted inside him. He needed reassurance from someone he trusted.
Mikoto took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the storm raging inside her heart.
She could not frighten Obito.
She forced herself to smile gently again, although it looked somewhat strained.
"Of course. Everything he said was wrong."
"A heart that protects your companions can never be wrong."
"That man... is just a madman hiding in the shadows, too afraid to show himself and speaking nothing but nonsense."
She reached out and gently patted Obito on the shoulder, her voice firm.
"You did very well, Obito."
"You were not deceived by his words and firmly chose to come back. This information is extremely important. Thank you for telling me."
Feeling Mikoto's reassurance and the warmth of her hand, Obito visibly relaxed, and a smile returned to his face.
"Yes! Lady Mikoto! I knew he was lying!"
"However."
Mikoto's expression became serious.
"For now, don't tell anyone else about this person except me."
"That includes Kakashi and Rin, alright?"
"This is extremely important information. It concerns our Uchiha, and it must be investigated in secret. The fewer people who know about it, the better."
Although Obito did not understand why, seeing how serious Mikoto was, he immediately nodded with all his strength.
"I understand! Lady Mikoto! I won't tell anyone!"
"Good boy."
Mikoto smiled.
"Go and get some rest. For the time being, try not to go alone to the remote parts of the village."
"Yes!"
Watching Obito's back disappear into the glow of the setting sun, the gentle smile on Mikoto's face instantly vanished.
In its place was an unprecedented expression of gravity and coldness.
She stood up and quickly walked toward the study.
She had to record everything immediately and send the information to Chiya-nii with the highest level of secrecy!
The hand lurking in the shadows had already reached toward the younger generation of the Uchiha. It might even have touched the Uchiha's oldest secrets.
The enemy...
Who exactly was he?
Could he be the person Chiya-nii had mentioned before?
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