Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 103: Bonds

Uchiha Obito felt an overwhelming urge to curse.

If he had a choice, he wished that the concept of "classmates" didn't exist in this world—especially those who knew about his past.

"Obito, you've been alive all this time..."

Only Hatake Kakashi refrained from bringing up his past, focusing instead on the present. "Why didn't you return to Konoha? Rin and I have always—"

His voice suddenly faltered, as if recalling something too painful to face.

However—

Those very words—

Instantly ignited the fury within Uchiha Obito!

"You have the nerve to mention Rin?"

A painful spasm shot through Obito's heart. A mocking smirk curled at the edge of his lips as he sneered at Kakashi for even uttering that name.

"When I saw Rin die by your hand, my own survival became meaningless. Why would I ever return?"

Obito's fingers traced over his chest, as if recalling that unforgettable scene. "Your Lightning Release was truly spectacular... it pierced through Rin's heart in an instant."

"..."

Kakashi felt an unbearable pain constricting his own heart, an emotion so oppressive that he almost wanted to vomit.

"What's going on..."

Might Guy broke into a cold sweat.

Even Kurenai Yuhi dared not utter a word. She simply observed Kakashi and Obito with growing tension, seemingly aware of the tragic history between them.

"But..."

"You've changed a lot, Kakashi..."

Obito looked at him with contempt. "You used to favor Lightning Release in battle, yet now you rely on the Storm Release you once despised..."

"..."

Kakashi remained silent, unable to find the words to refute him.

Back in the final days of the Third Great Ninja War, Nohara Rin had been implanted with the Three-Tails by Kirigakure's shinobi. To prevent the beast from being unleashed upon Konoha, she had deliberately thrown herself onto Kakashi's Chidori.

Because of that—because he had used Lightning Release to kill his own comrade—Kakashi had been tormented by nightmares ever since. Over the years, he had gradually shifted towards using his father's Storm Release in combat, especially when facing Obito... as if avoiding his past mistakes.

"Hmph..."

"And yet, you haven't really changed at all."

Obito's expression grew colder, his voice dripping with scorn. "I once thought you would be like your father, Sakumo Hatake, and cherish your comrades above all else. But in the end, you were willing to kill a comrade for the sake of Konoha. You are no different from this twisted world—no different from that wretched village. There's nothing left worth reminiscing about."

This was exactly what Uchiha Madara had told him.

Madara once spoke of how Konoha's shinobi would sacrifice anything for their village. Kakashi killing Rin was just another example of that—an inevitable outcome.

But...

That was something Obito could never accept!

No matter what, he could never accept Rin's death—never accept that the kind and gentle girl who always looked out for him had died at the hands of the very person he had entrusted her to.

"Sorry..."

Kakashi felt weak all over. His body screamed for release from the agony that constricted his chest, making even speech difficult.

"Rin, back then..."

"I already know she wanted to die."

Obito's gaze was ice-cold as he stared at Kakashi. "But a man who vowed to protect his comrades ended up killing one with his own hands. This world of endless strife and bloodshed is nothing but darkness and absurdity. I see that far more clearly than you do now!"

"..."

Kakashi had no response.

Because Rin's death was a mistake he could never atone for. He had never imagined that the jutsu he had once taken pride in would one day be the very thing that killed his closest friend.

Every time he thought about that moment...

It became difficult to breathe.

"Don't worry."

"I no longer blame you for it."

Obito watched as Kakashi clutched his chest in pain, half-kneeling on the ground, and continued coldly, "Whether I kill you, spare you, or wipe out everyone here... none of it matters anymore. Even this world itself no longer deserves to exist in my eyes."

"..."

Kakashi remained silent.

Beyond the physical pain, he felt an even heavier burden—the unbearable shame of facing his old friend, the friend who had once entrusted everything to him, only for him to fail completely.

And then—

Someone stepped in to break the tension.

"It's time for us to go."

Uchiha Itachi's calm voice reminded Obito, prompting him to glance at Kakashi and the others one last time. "Captain Kakashi, Captain Yamato, Guy, Kurenai—you all should leave as well. This is not a battle you were meant to be part of."

"But we still haven't—"

Might Guy was unwilling to abandon the mission to rescue Anko Mitarashi.

"Guy..."

Kakashi, still weak, reached out a hand to stop him. He understood that Itachi was the key to retrieving Anko.

Besides—

Anko's rescue was no longer the only priority.

Kakashi needed to uncover the truth about Obito's past and the true motives behind Itachi's massacre of the Uchiha clan. Only then would there be any hope of retrieving Anko in the future.

To be honest...

Kakashi's mind was a mess.

At this moment, he knew he couldn't bring himself to fight Obito. But at the same time, he couldn't allow Guy and the others to get caught up in this conflict either.

"Guy..."

As Kakashi struggled to speak, a sudden fit of coughing forced blood from his lips—an outpouring of all the pain he had been holding inside.

For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could finally breathe again.

"Kakashi!"

Might Guy was startled and rushed to support him.

"..."

Kurenai also hurried over, helping to check Kakashi's condition.

"Kakashi-senpai..."

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Yamato stood at his side, keeping a cautious eye on both Obito and Itachi.

But—

They had already lost interest in staying here.

"Hmph... A failure will always be a failure..."

With a final sneer, Obito turned his back on Kakashi and left without looking back.

"..."

Itachi, however, did glance back at Kakashi briefly—though he said nothing—and then followed after Obito.

"..."

Zetsu's presence faded into the earth.

Even after Obito and Itachi had left, he remained behind to keep an eye on Konoha's shinobi.

"Kakashi..."

Might Guy looked at his friend with deep concern.

After the Third Great Ninja War, Kakashi had sunk into despair. Now, Guy finally understood why—because his former comrade had died by his own hands.

Of course—

Guy himself had suffered his own losses.

His father, Might Duy, had sacrificed himself in the final days of the war to protect them. His remains had been reduced to little more than charcoal.

"Guy, Yamato, Kurenai."

Kakashi shook his head, as if understanding Guy's unspoken attempt at comfort. He whispered, "Let's leave this place first and regroup."

"Alright!"

Guy immediately agreed.

"..."

Yamato nodded as well.

"..."

Kurenai frowned slightly, sensing that this mission had ultimately failed. But failure was not the end.

Perhaps...

Kakashi would send them away—

And take it upon himself to retrieve Anko, as well as hunt down Obito.

She looked at Kakashi, concern flickering in her eyes. In a quiet voice, she suggested, "Kakashi, don't go alone. We don't have many classmates left. If you need help, we can find reinforcements—"

"The village has no reinforcements to spare."

Even Guy scratched his head at that. Even he, with his dull awareness of politics, knew that Konoha was in dire straits.

"Uh..."

Kurenai hesitated before adding, "Actually, we do have one more classmate. He's just not in Konoha—he's a guardian ninja in the capital."

"Do we?"

Guy tried to recall.

"Don't involve Asuma."

Kakashi sighed. He didn't want to drag more people into this mess.

But...

He had to uncover the truth.

And to do that—

He needed to return to Konoha.

At the very least, he needed to report everything to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This matter was far too important—especially since both Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Itachi appeared to be part of a dangerous organization, one that seemed to have ties to another S-rank rogue ninja from Konoha—Orochimaru.

However—

It was clear that Orochimaru wouldn't have an easy time in that organization.

After all, the true leader of the group, Emiya Shigen, was bringing Anko Mitarashi back while searching for ways to manipulate both sides.

In simple terms, he was using Orochimaru's existence to pressure Anko into working for the Akatsuki while also using Anko's situation to keep Orochimaru in check—whether either of them truly fell for it didn't matter.

Because—

Anko's hatred toward Orochimaru was real.

And Orochimaru's desire to keep Anko alive was also real.

"When bonds are formed, unseen threads begin to entwine. These threads will inevitably weave themselves into a cage—one that those bound by them will never escape."

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