Tick tock!
Tick tock!
Tick tock!
The sound of the clock ticking away marked the start of the countdown. Each tick resonated like a hammer striking against the hearts of Obito and Rin.
"Mmmmmmmph!"
Rin, just a young girl, couldn't endure the pressure of her impending doom. The cold metal pieces in her mouth muffled her words, reducing her voice to mere whimpers.
Tears rolled freely down her cheeks, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at Obito for reassurance.
Though guilt tugged at her, her instincts for survival and fear of death left her with no choice but to pin her hopes on Obito.
Rationally, she knew she shouldn't force him into this, but she couldn't help it—she didn't want to die.
"I'll save you, Rin!" Obito's voice came through the thick iron door, firm and unwavering.
Sorry, Obito, but I don't want to die. Feeling the strength in Obito's words, Rin closed her eyes, her heart heavy with guilt.
With a nod that seemed to take all her energy, she silently agreed. Obito's gaze lingered on Rin's tear-stained face, as if he was etching it into his memory, knowing it might be the last time he'd see her.
The whole exchange felt like it stretched on for ages, but in reality, it lasted only a few seconds.
Obito took a deep breath, then bolted through the next room's heavy iron door.
Boom.
Boom.
As the door swung open, a rush of cold air poured out, so frigid it was visible to the eye.
"Shivers—it's freezing!"
Just from looking at each other, Obito's eyebrows and hair were covered with a thin layer of frost.
The room was encased in thick walls of ice, and the air was so cold it was visible, swirling in misty currents. The temperature inside must have been at least 20 to 30 degrees below zero.
With every breath, the icy air seared his lungs, causing a deep, biting pain, as if his internal organs were freezing.
One minute!
Obito thought of Lin in the next room, gritted his teeth, and stepped straight into the frigid room.
Whoosh!!!
Inside this sub zero environment, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept through.
But that wasn't the worst of it—Jigsaw had a particularly nasty surprise ready. As soon as Obito entered, a basin of water was poured over his head.
Splash!
In temperatures so low, the water froze instantly upon contact with his body.
The bone-chilling cold sank deep into his bones, and in just a few seconds, his eyebrows and hair were covered in a thin layer of frost.
It's so cold, so unbelievably cold. Obito crossed his arms and shivered. He didn't expect to lose body heat so quickly.
His teeth were chattering, and as he took a step forward, he noticed his shoes were stuck to the floor, frozen solid. To move forward, he would have to leave them behind.
Obito's eyes grew resolute, showing no hesitation.
He ripped off his ninja shoes with force, then stepped onto the icy floor with bare feet, making his way toward the scale, one step at a time.
The bitter cold met his bare skin, ripping away a layer of flesh with every step.
Each step he took forward tore chunks of skin from the soles of his feet, leaving behind bloody patches.
And the hot blood froze almost immediately.
The sight resembled a burst of crimson blooms—stunning yet heart-wrenching.
Obito could no longer feel pain, as if completely numb, driven forward solely by his deep-seated resolve. "Wait for me, Rin," he whispered.
The journey to the weighing mechanism, a mere four or five seconds away, stretched into an agonizing ten seconds. Obito didn't hesitate. He pressed his fingers together, took a deep breath, and raised his eyelid. Then he pushed—hard.
With a sickening squelch, his eyeball was extracted.
Before the blood had a chance to flow, the freezing cold air sealed the wound in his eye socket. Relying on his memory, he placed the eyeball on the weighing mechanism.
A sharp click rang out nearby, guiding him to fumble with his hands for the second container. Grasping a kunai, he sliced open his wrist, letting his blood flow into the container.
But the freezing temperature caused the wound to freeze almost immediately. Obito had to repeatedly cut his wrist, forcing the blood to flow as quickly as possible to fill the container.
He lost track of how much blood he'd given. Dizzy and near fainting, he finally heard the sound of a mechanism unlocking.
The final step.
He plunged his hand into the acid-filled container, his skin and flesh dissolving, leaving only bone. He reached in, feeling for the key before the acid could fully corrode him.
"Wait for me, Rin," he murmured again, his body failing but his will unbroken.
As he lost blood and his vision, he used the skeletal remains of his hand to feel along the icy wall, moving slowly forward, every step fueled by determination.
He just wanted to save Rin, even if it meant risking everything.
Obito made his way through the rubble to the next room. As he stood behind the heavy iron door, he tried to keep his voice calm, not wanting to alarm Rin.
He forced a smile, hoping it would reassure her. "Rin, I'm back. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay."
But the only response he got was Rin's muffled sobbing. Her voice was full of fear and despair.
A loud alarm bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the countdown. Obito felt a sinking feeling in his chest as he threw open the iron door, shouting, "No—!!!"
He was too late.
Rin sat bound to an iron chair, her eyes wide with terror and tears streaming down her face. She stared at the clock in front of her, watching helplessly as the countdown hit zero.
There was a sickening crunch as the jaw-splitter device tore through Rin's skull. Blood, flesh, and shattered bone erupted like a gruesome fountain, painting the walls in a macabre mix of red and white.
The sound of her bones breaking was a visceral tearing noise, like fabric being ripped apart, but more horrible and gut-wrenching.
"Rin! Rin!" Obito gripped the iron door and peered through the window, desperate to see what had happened, but all he found was a haunting silence. There was no response, no sign of life—only the grotesque aftermath of the brutal trap.
"Aaahhhh—!!!" Obito screamed in agony, feeling his world collapse around him. He had given everything to save her, but it wasn't enough. He was just a few seconds too late.
The pain was unbearable. It was one thing to lose someone you love, but to watch it happen right in front of you, to know you could have stopped it if you'd only been a little faster—there was nothing worse.
The regret tore through him like a thousand knives. He blamed himself entirely; it was his fault that Rin was dead.
Uchiha Obito's mind shattered under the weight of his grief.
In the distance, the familiar sound of a bicycle bell rang, its cheerful jingle a stark contrast to the devastation around him.
Jigsaw rode up on a bicycle. Uchiha Obito lay on the ground, his eyes empty, muttering repeatedly, "Kill me, kill me, kill me."
"Most people don't understand the value of life," Jigsaw replied calmly, his scarlet eyes fixed on Obito's crumpled form. "But you won't ever learn that, will you?"
"The game is over," he added.
Deep within the Forest of Death, at a high tower, Uchiha Sogetsu sat cross-legged. Before him were the candidates for the Chunin Exam.
His eyes flickered to Obito, who looked twisted with pain. A smile appeared on Sogetsu's lips. "Don't worry, Obito, good times are coming," he said. "Your desensitization training has just begun."
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