Chapter 88 – Obito's Death
"He's back…"
Hatake Yusuke opened his eyes sharply. He could sense Kakashi, Minato, and the others returning—but there was no sign of Obito.
"…Haaah."
A heavy sigh slipped from his lips, and in the next moment, his body vanished from the room without a sound, leaving behind only silence.
— — —
Inside the Hokage's office, Minato stood before the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, delivering his mission report. But there was no triumph in his voice—only the weight of sorrow.
"The mission has been completed… Hokage-sama."
"What happened out there, Minato?"
Hiruzen's voice was calm but serious, sensing something amiss.
"…Obito… fell in battle."
The voice came not from Minato, but from Kakashi.
His voice was low, hoarse with guilt. His head hung, shadowed by his silver bangs, and silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Beneath his hair, his left eye glowed faintly red—the Sharingan he had inherited from Obito.
Rin stood beside him, wordless. Her body trembled as she wept uncontrollably.
"…I see."
Hiruzen murmured softly. "Uchiha Obito… A true hero of Konoha."
He knew who Obito was. Not from a prestigious branch of the clan like Fugaku, perhaps, but still an Uchiha—a comrade, a Konoha shinobi.
"Minato, you may return for now. The village will handle the funeral arrangements. We'll see to it that he's honored properly."
Just then, without a sound, a figure materialized in the room. No knock. No warning.
Only a chilling aura that blanketed the space.
"Kakashi. Raise your head."
The voice was sharp. Cold.
"…Brother…"
Kakashi slowly looked up. His gaze met Hatake Yusuke's.
In that instant, the dam of emotion broke.
Kakashi's entire body shook as his tears fell freely, his sobs growing louder by the second.
Yusuke's eyes held pain, affection, and grief—but his expression remained unreadable. His voice, too, carried no warmth.
"Kakashi. You're blaming yourself, aren't you?"
He stared at his little brother with steel in his gaze.
"But do you know why Obito died?"
"Because you were weak. You couldn't protect anything. And crying… is something only the weak are allowed to do."
"Yusuke…"
Rin tried to defend him, but Minato gently placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"Listen carefully."
Yusuke's voice was cold and razor-sharp.
"All the misfortunes in this world—every last one of them—are rooted in the victim's own powerlessness."
Kakashi clenched his fists. His nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood.
He couldn't deny it.
He hadn't protected anyone. He had been too weak.
"Because of your weakness… you lost your friend. And even now, you're too weak to avenge him."
"…I understand, Brother. I… will become stronger. I'll become as strong as you."
His voice trembled, but his words were clear. His tears still flowed, but the fire in his heart had been lit.
"That's it?"
Yusuke scoffed. "That's your resolve? Pathetic."
Everyone in the room stood still, unsure how to react. Yusuke's harshness only intensified.
"You should aim to surpass me! That's the resolve you need!"
"I will surpass you, Brother!"
Kakashi shouted, voice hoarse and cracked, but filled with unshakable determination.
"Even if the path ahead is covered in thorns, will you keep walking?"
"Yes! Even if it's all thorns, I'll keep going!"
"Even if you have to cross mountains of blades and oceans of fire, will you charge forward?"
"Even then, I'll charge forward!"
"Even if it costs you your life—will you still not turn back?!"
"Even if it kills me, I won't turn back!"
Kakashi's voice broke, but his will did not.
"…Hahaha."
Finally, Yusuke smiled—a soft, proud smile.
"Good. That's my little brother… The real Hatake Yusuke."
He stepped forward and pulled Kakashi into a tight embrace.
And there, in his brother's arms, Kakashi sobbed harder than ever.
Yusuke gently placed a hand behind Kakashi's neck and, with a light tap, cast a simple Genjutsu to lull him into sleep.
There was no point letting him wallow in grief for too long.
— — —
"Hokage-sama."
Yusuke gave a slight bow.
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"I'll take him home now."
With a motion of his hand, Yusuke opened an Air Door, stepping through and vanishing along with his brother.
— — —
Back at their home, Yusuke laid Kakashi gently on his bed. He knelt beside him and slowly removed his mask.
That face…
It resembled his own—perhaps seventy to eighty percent similar.
Placing a hand beside Kakashi's cheek, Yusuke summoned the Blue Flames of Revival, healing the skin around his younger brother's eye, where the Sharingan had taken root.
He stared quietly at the sleeping boy.
That face, so youthful. So full of potential.
In his past life, he'd had no family. No siblings. Just solitude.
But in this world… he had a father who loved him. And a brother he would give everything to protect.
With Sakumo often away on missions, Yusuke had poured all his love into raising Kakashi.
And now… seeing him like this…
It felt like a thousand needles stabbing into his heart.
"I'm sorry, Kakashi. This path… it's the one you chose. But I promise—I'll make sure it ends in happiness."
His voice was calm, but filled with quiet strength.
— — —
"Yusuke. Come outside for a moment,"
came a voice from the doorway.
It was Sakumo Hatake.
"…Sure."
Father and son walked out into the night. For a while, neither of them said a word.
"…How's Kakashi?"
Sakumo finally broke the silence.
"…Not great. But it's temporary. He'll come back from this."
"I thought so," Sakumo said with a sigh. He knew. Somehow, he'd always known.
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"
"…I did."
Sakumo's eyes widened. Yusuke's calm demeanor made sense now. There was no panic. No rage. Just that quiet, cold acceptance.
"You're serious?" Sakumo asked, his voice quieter now.
"…I possess power over time," Yusuke replied.
"Time…?"
"One of the highest laws of this universe. Though I've only grasped a fraction of it. At best… I can glimpse fragments of the future."
He wasn't lying.
On a mission, the system had offered him a reward—the Time Fruit, born from the power of the Ryūmyaku, the Dragon Vein.
Even Whitebeard, the so-called strongest man in the world, couldn't conquer time.
Yusuke had long believed: "Time is Supreme. Space is King. Unless Fate appears, Causality is Emperor."
That's how terrifying the nature of time truly was.
"…That's an unbelievable power,"
Sakumo murmured, clearly awestruck.
"…Father. Was I wrong?"
Yusuke asked suddenly.
"I had the power to stop all of this. And yet… I let it happen."
Sakumo looked up at the night sky before answering.
"Yusuke… you've always been mature beyond your years. What you did today... was out of love. And love takes many forms. Everyone has their own path. Even if you can see the future, that doesn't mean you're meant to control it."
"…I see."
A small smile returned to Yusuke's face.
"You always seem calm and strong... but I know you're carrying so much," Sakumo said gently.
"Haha… Don't worry, Father. This burden... it's one I chose for myself. Because I believe… that's the purpose of my existence. As a son. And as a big brother."
"…Haaah."
Sakumo sighed deeply.
"What's with the sigh, Father?"
"…Back then, Kakashi and I were both wrong. If only we'd let him listen to you…"
"…This was Kakashi's choice," Yusuke replied softly. "Even I—his brother—have no right to interfere. Maybe... I was the one who didn't see clearly back then."
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