Before Obito could sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, a new unexpected event occurred.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"Let's see where you brats can escape to now!"
A sinister and piercing male voice came from behind Obito and Rin. Although they hadn't seen the man's appearance yet, just hearing his voice sent shivers down Obito's spine.
The voice was just too unpleasant!
"Why are you here? Where's Kakashi?"
Realizing that they couldn't escape, Rin stopped and turned to face the tall, thin Iwa ninja behind them, hoping to get information about their companion's current situation.
"Your companion? Of course, he's already dead!"
Seeing his prey stop, the sullen-faced Iwa ninja didn't rush to attack. Instead, he leisurely blocked their escape route and started a conversation.
"You're lying... Kakashi is a genius from our village, he wouldn't be defeated so easily! Not to mention we have Minato-sensei too..."
Obito could not accept this news at all. No way could Kakashi, who graduated at five and became a Chunin at six, be so easily defeated by an enemy. Plus, their teacher was the renowned 'Yellow Flash,' the fastest man in the ninja world. How could such powerful figures be...
"Genius?"
"Do you think only Konoha has geniuses? The one holding off the 'Yellow Flash' is the youngest Jonin from our Iwa ninja village's explosive squad! And the one who killed that white-haired brat isn't a simple character either, possessing a rare Kekkei Genkai from our village!"
As he spoke, the Iwa ninja revealed a set of sharp white teeth and a menacing expression.
"No... This is absolutely impossible..."
Kakashi was still young after all, and he had just seen his teacher get injured. Struck speechless by the Iwa ninja's words, Obito could only continue to stubbornly deny.
"Obito! Don't be fooled by him! Sensei and Kakashi are definitely okay, just held up! You should go back to the village and call for help; I'll hold him off!"
With these words, Rin charged towards the enemy with a kunai, leaving Obito in awe. He had never seen Rin act this way before! Although she was a medic ninja, always supporting him and Kakashi from behind, she now showed a completely different side.
"Go quickly!"
Seeing Obito still standing in a daze, Rin scolded him urgently and began to fight the Iwa ninja.
However, Uchiha Obito could not abandon Rin and escape on his own.
He let out a loud shout and joined the battle.
"Rin! You go first, I'll hold him off!"
While fighting the Iwa ninja, Obito still found time to shout to Nohara Rin. He had made up his mind that even if he had to sacrifice his own life, he would ensure Rin's safe return to the village. That was the one thing he must accomplish no matter what.
"You brats, do you think being a ninja is child's play?"
Seeing the two youngsters still arguing over who should stay, the sullen-faced Iwa ninja exploded in anger.
With a roar, he drew a ninja sword from behind and slashed at the two kids.
"Rin! Watch out!"
Because of their positions, the attack was directed at Nohara Rin. Given the Iwa ninja's tall, thin figure, it was clear that Rin would be decapitated. Obito, witnessing this, felt his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.
He threw himself forward without hesitation and used his body to shield Rin from the blade.
[Too bad! I still didn't get to confess!]
Thud!
A flash of a snow-bright blade, followed by the sound of a knife parting flesh, and the warmth and scent of blood splattering on one's skin.
…
"Huh?"
Uchiha Obito, who had closed his eyes and awaited death, felt no pain or discomfort. His neck felt perfectly normal too.
He opened his eyes, bewildered.
"What is this..."
Before he could think further, he felt something heavy falling into his hands.
Looking down!
Obito was stunned!
…
"Ah!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream erupted from Obito's mouth, a scream that would sadden anyone who heard it.
Obito was holding a severed head.
It was Nohara Rin!
At this moment, Rin was not entirely dead. Her mouth was still moving mechanically, saying:
"Obito... run... run... run..."
"Rin..."
Seeing this, Uchiha Obito felt like the entire world had suddenly lost all its color, descending into pitch-blackness with no light.
She promised to always watch over him.
He still hadn't surpassed Kakashi, hadn't become the Hokage, hadn't confessed his feelings to Rin, hadn't...
How could this be... How could this... This must be... It must be a lie... A lie!
Rin... she... she...
…
"Senior, is this really okay?"
"Relax! There's no problem, it's just a genjutsu! At most, he'll need a few days to recover!"
"But… tomorrow is the Chunin Exam practical for Obito!"
At this time, in Ichiraku Ramen, Nohara Rin looked at the unconscious Obito lying on the table with a peculiar expression, and asked Tōshirō beside her.
Just now, when Obito asked how to awaken the Sharingan, Tōshirō merely looked at Obito, his eyes flashing red, and Obito passed out on the table!
When she wanted to check on Obito's condition, Tōshirō stopped her without any explanation, telling her to wait.
Not insisting on waking Obito up, Rin discovered over time — being a medic ninja — that the genjutsu Obito was under was quite complex and dangerous, potentially requiring several days in bed.
This made her expression even stranger!
Could Senior be trying to prevent Obito from participating in the Chunin Exam? Otherwise, how could this…?
Had it not been for the fact that Tōshirō was Obito's clan senior and his Sharingan was no different from what Obito usually boasted about, she would have suspected Tōshirō to be a spy infiltrated into Konoha, specializing in assassinating its geniuses.
Well, "genius" might be a bit much.