"By the way, you left something in my room. I'll return it to you."With a clang, Obito tossed the dagger Maoyue Sunset had used the night before onto the floor.
Maoyue Sunset looked at the knife, then up at Obito, her voice trembling:"You... why are you still alive?"
Obito replied calmly, "You're not an idiot. You knew I had an intangibility ability. You chose to strike while I was asleep, thinking that would work... But what you didn't know is, my ability activates even in my sleep."
"…I see." Maoyue Sunset's expression fell. Yet, despite her sorrow, a sliver of relief flickered in her heart.
Then, suddenly, she picked up the dagger and aimed it at her heart—intending to end it herself!
Obito's eyes narrowed. In a flash, he stepped forward and caught the blade with his bare hand.
Drip. Blood from his palm hit the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked sharply.
Maoyue Sunset stared at him and said, "Since everything's been exposed, there's no point in hiding it. I followed you just to find a chance to kill you! Since I failed, all that's left is to take my own life."
"Afraid I'd go after your sister?"
"…At first, yes. But after traveling with you, I realized—you're not the kind of man who would harm an innocent girl." She paused, then added, "So… it's for the village."
"Konoha raised me, trained me. Even knowing you're a threat to the village, I couldn't just turn a blind eye…"
"The Will of Fire, huh?" Obito murmured.
Maoyue Sunset looked up at him, her voice unsteady:"But I still don't understand what you said to me when we first met..."
Obito knew what she was referring to—when he had said:"I just don't want a woman like you to become another casualty in this cruel, tyrannical shinobi world."
"Fine. Look into my eyes." Obito's Sharingan rotated, transforming into a Mangekyō.
The scene before her eyes changed.
They were now in the Konoha cemetery. A woman who looked just like Maoyue Sunset was kneeling before a tombstone, paying her respects.
"Captain Xiyan, the Fifth Hokage is calling for us," said an Anbu member behind her.
"Understood." The woman—Maoyue Xiyan—put on her Anbu mask and vanished.
"That's... Xiyan? She joined the Anbu?" Sunset murmured in shock.
"Check what's written on the gravestone," Obito said.
She walked forward and read aloud:
Tomb of Moonlight HayateLover: Maoyue XiyanYear 61, Konoha
"Her lover died? In year 61? That's... 14 years from now!?"
"Look over there." Obito pointed to a nearby grave, freshly adorned with flowers.
Maoyue Sunset turned—and froze.
Tomb of Maoyue SunsetSister: Maoyue XiyanYear 48, Konoha
The illusion ended. They were back in the room.
"Konoha... year 48? I die?" she said in shock.
"Yes. Next year, you'll be sacrificed on an Anbu mission. After your death, your sister is driven to join the Anbu."
"How do you know this?"
"When a Sharingan reaches a certain level, it can even glimpse into the future," Obito answered, concealing the truth of his transmigration.
"So you kidnapped me... to change my future?" she asked, stunned. "You, of all people—a decisive killer—would do something like that?"
"Call it a whim. But to be honest... when I saw you really try to kill me last night, I was angry. I didn't know what to do."
He lifted her chin gently—just like the first time they met. The look in his eyes was sharp and overwhelming, far more terrifying than Orochimaru's.
"Your parents died for Konoha, leaving only you and your little sister. You joined the Anbu and died young. And your sister walked the same path. Your whole family burned like moths to flame—for some so-called 'Will of Fire.' Do you think that's worth it?"
"I…" She had no answer.
"What I despise the most is this glorified brainwashing dressed in noble ideals. Does Konoha really care about its people? Even the so-called benevolent Third Hokage… tell me."
She closed her eyes, unable to respond. As part of the Anbu, she had seen Konoha's darkness—but she'd forced herself to ignore it.
"Right and wrong don't matter." Obito continued. "Tell me, Sunset—were you happier during your days with me, or back in Konoha's Anbu, suppressing your emotions and obeying orders?"
"I… I don't know…" Her flickering gaze made the answer clear.
"You're a missing-nin now. The shackles are broken. Why won't you just follow your true heart?" He leaned in close, his breath brushing her ear.
"...!" She shuddered, her cheeks flushed.
"What is it?" he asked with amusement.
"D-don't whisper into my ears… I-I'm ticklish…" she mumbled.
Obito smirked, leaned in again, and blew a warm breath on her earlobe.
"Ah!" She whimpered. Her face turned crimson.
"So that's your weakness, huh?" Obito said playfully. He reached out and gently pinched her earlobe, caressing it slowly—punishment for last night's attempt on his life.
"Ah… s-stop… please… don't treat me like this…" Her voice cracked, tears spilling from her eyes in humiliation. "If you're going to do this, just kill me instead!"
"Kill you? That'd be letting you off too easily."
He silenced her with a kiss.
Cool, soft, and warm—her lips melted under his.
Obito never expected that after seventeen years in the real world, his first kiss would go to a woman in a fantasy world.
But... wasn't this world better?
He deepened the kiss, growing more skilled and intense.
"Mmm…" Her vision blurred. She still held the dagger in her hand. Obito's throat was right there—this was her last chance to finish the mission.
She raised the blade… and let it fall.
Clang.
The knife hit the floor.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded passionately to the kiss.
"Haa… haa…" Maoyue Sunset panted after the long kiss, her face flushed and dazed. Her body trembled with emotion.
"That was nice… but there's something even better." Obito raised his left hand and began to unbutton her collar.
She didn't resist. Her eyes closed.
"Can you promise me… not to attack the village?" she whispered.
His hand froze.
She opened her eyes, gazing up at him. "If you promise me that, I'll give you everything. Willingly."
Obito raised his hand to her cheek, wiped away a tear, and said seriously:"Sunset… no one can stop me once I've made a decision. I won't make promises I don't intend to keep. One day, I will return to Konoha—because there's something I need there."
He bent down, picked up the dagger, and added:"But you didn't try to stab me a second time. That… I appreciate."
Buzz.
The lightning chakra in Obito's right hand quietly dissipated.
Had she made another attempt on his life… he would have killed her without hesitation.
Even if he cared for her.
Obito turned and left the room.
Maoyue Sunset slid to the floor, her back against the wall. She stared at his retreating figure.
She knew—when she dropped that blade—she had lost completely.
"What happens next… I guess I don't care anymore."