052 Naruto Mobile Game

"Mom!!"

Sasuke burst through the door like a madman, and only when he saw the figure standing inside did his tightly clenched heart finally relax a little.

The information conference had ended, and Sasuke had hurried home immediately. It seemed Mikoto had returned as well.

"Mom, are you okay? Nothing happened afterward, right?" Sasuke rushed over, his face full of worry.

"...No, though honestly, it was all so confusing. I was suddenly pulled in, and then suddenly sent back out." Mikoto smiled faintly, though it was clearly forced.

Sasuke didn't notice. He just let out a breath of relief—then clenched his fists in anger.

"That bastard Itachi must be up to no good. Don't worry, Mom, I'll definitely kill him with my own hands!"

Mikoto opened her mouth but closed it again helplessly.

The information conference had seemed to take place within the light curtain, but most people believed it was simply being broadcast from another space.

However, Mikoto knew that she had truly entered that light curtain—or rather, there was a real space inside it.

When the conference ended, the light curtain outside did vanish, but inside, a few of them remained.

Perhaps the host had noticed she wanted to speak with her son, so he had left first, leaving behind a two-and-a-half-minute countdown.

But really, they hadn't needed that long...

"Mother... Please don't get involved in our affairs. Someone has to cleanse the Uchiha name."

"Itachi! I may be dead, but I'm still alive. Do you want me to keep watching you brothers kill each other?!"

"This is the fate that sinners must accept willingly."

"Please, believe in Sasuke. He's no longer a child. As brothers, you should trust each other!"

"No... Sasuke's eyes still cannot see the truth."

Itachi's words were simple. He told Mikoto about the ending he had personally designed for himself.

The meaning was clear—he wanted his original plan to continue, and he asked Mikoto not to interfere with Sasuke.

But how could a mother possibly watch her two sons destroy each other? And yet, she couldn't persuade him.

Itachi didn't believe Sasuke had the ability to change anything. His conviction was unwavering. Having committed such a sin, he truly could no longer turn back.

Before leaving, seeing the tears in the eyes of the mother who had raised him, he couldn't stop himself from saying one last thing.

"Mother, now that you're here, I have nothing left to worry about. I'll leave Sasuke to you. Thank you... and I'm sorry."

Itachi, you always said the Uchiha were an arrogant and narrow-minded clan, full of selfish love.

You, who possess the Sharingan that sees through all things, could never see yourself clearly—your eyes clouded by the name of the clan.

But... born as an Uchiha yourself, aren't you the perfect embodiment of that pride?

You trusted only yourself, convinced that only you could bear everything, designing every step alone, deciding Sasuke's fate on your own.

Isn't that arrogance too?

Mikoto's heart ached, and the tears that had welled up in her eyes finally spilled over. She opened her arms and pulled her younger son into her embrace.

"Mom," Sasuke whispered softly.

Mikoto cupped Sasuke's face, gazing into those pure black eyes, seeing the emotions overflowing within them.

And in that moment, she understood.

Itachi had never truly been a child. He had matured far too early, and in Sasuke, he saw the piece of childhood he had never had.

"Itachi... you extreme and sensitive Uchiha, who never show emotion—only when one looks into those eyes as dark as obsidian can they understand your feelings."

"But you're Uchiha. The genjutsu born from your Sharingan is peerless, and no one dares meet your gaze."

...

"So very few ever know... that your eyes can actually speak."

By now, Mikoto's tears were streaming down her face. Sasuke, perhaps feeling something stir inside him, buried his head in her chest, not wanting her to see his own tears.

Itachi, you were wrong. Because you never placed Sasuke on equal ground, you were destined to fail.

There exists a kind of bond that transcends even brotherhood—one that can face the Uchiha name without fear or burden.

Mikoto brushed Sasuke's hair gently, and before her eyes, a familiar figure seemed to appear.

If anyone can change all this... it must be you—the legacy of the Fourth Hokage, the son of the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

And... Sasuke's only friend.

...

"I'm telling you, I'm telling you! That smug Sasuke is probably hiding in his mom's arms crying right now, huh? Hahaha! I'm totally gonna tease him for that!"

On Konoha's main street, three figures were walking together—Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi—while Naruto was gleefully mocking Sasuke in his imagination.

His reward, of course, was Sakura's fist to the head.

"Idiot Naruto! What's wrong with crying in your mom's arms when you're feeling down?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Naruto's grin faded. "It's a lot better than crying into a pillow."

Sakura froze. "...I'm sorry."

Kakashi sighed beside them. In this Team 7, there weren't even two parents between the four of them.

"Hey, hey, why's the mood suddenly so depressing? Guess it's time for me to tell you about my dear friend again!" Kakashi's tone turned strangely sharp.

Naruto and Sakura both shrank their necks instinctively.

Kakashi-sensei's 'dear friend'? Wasn't that Sasuke's clansman, Uchiha Obito?

They'd only found out by accident.

When the Ninja Mobile Game released the new character [Uchiha Obito · Youth], Kakashi had happened to stare blankly at the screen—and Naruto, of course, noticed.

And Naruto, being Naruto, wasn't exactly the purest soul... and had a huge mouth.

To stop his image from becoming weird around the village, Kakashi had ended up telling them the story of Obito.

At first, it was moving, sure. But once he started, he couldn't stop. He told it again and again, at every opportunity.

Especially with that tone—so calm yet so full of melancholy—like some resentful housewife from a drama. It made everyone's skin crawl.

And sure enough, Kakashi's eyes grew distant again, his voice drifting softly as he began his story once more.

"Obito... he had such a kind heart. Always helping old ladies cross the road..."

"Kakashi-sensei, SHUT UP!!" Naruto and Sakura yelled in unison.

...

"Achoo—!"

Mr. Kamui Who Can't Hide His Tears suddenly sneezed. Someone must have been talking about him.

"...That trash Kakashi!" Obito muttered darkly. Who else could it be? That useless fool was probably spouting his same old nonsense about comrades and trash again.

The Akatsuki were holding an illegal gathering—but Obito didn't attend.

Not because there wasn't space for all ten fingers on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, but because the time wasn't right.

Suddenly, his phone chimed with a "ding-dong."

Obito's eyes flickered. He raised the phone and opened his email to see a new message notification.

He tapped it open and frowned instantly.

[Player—Sharingan Hero, you are cordially invited to test the new feature of the Ninja Mobile Game. Please find the link below...]

"Who the hell would do this kind of thing?" Obito muttered. "Are they out of people? Testing? How free do they think I am?"

His finger moved down to delete the message—but then, he froze.

"The existence of the Ninja Mobile Game cannot be ignored. If it requires testing, it might affect the plan. I should check it out."

Muttering to himself, as if convincing his own mind, he stopped hesitating and clicked the link.

But the moment the page loaded, his eyes widened with confusion.

"Huh? Me?"