Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

"Oh! Look, there's a boat over there! We need to hurry, or we'll lose our spot! After crossing this river, it's just a short walk to the village! Naruto, Gaara, cough! (Let's go!)"

He imitated Naruto's catchphrase and led the way, jogging towards the dock.

Rubik's Cube stepped forward to negotiate with the boatman.

"Hey buddy, it's not that I don't want to take your jobs."

The boatman waved his hand with a troubled expression.

"There are already two guests on the ship, but they haven't returned yet because of some business."

The Rubik's Cube peered into the cabin, and there were clearly plenty of empty seats inside.

How many guests are there?

"Just...just the two of you."

"Only two people? I remember the rule here is that the boat won't leave until it's full, right? Why can't we take them with us?"

The Rubik's Cube was somewhat puzzled.

"Huh? You're a local?"

The boatman's expression relaxed a little, then he lowered his voice and spoke in a tone of admonition.

"Brother, take my advice and get out of here! Those two on the boat are ninja masters! Arguing with them? You might lose your life!"

"Ninja?"

Rubik's Cube frowned slightly, a hint of disgust for the Hidden Mist ninja flashing across his face. But seeing the boatman's fearful expression, he abandoned the idea of ​​arguing directly.

"Okay, then let's wait for the next one."

Rubik's Cube walked back and said to Naruto and Gaara.

"But the sun is almost setting, are you sure it's okay?"

Naruto looked at the setting sun with some worry.

"Things will work themselves out when they reach the bridge."

Rubik's Cube pretended to be relaxed.

"At worst, we can just wade across? My friend and I should be fine, we can take turns carrying you for part of the way?"

"What?! That would be too embarrassing! I don't want to!"

Naruto immediately jumped up in protest.

"Ah…"

Gaara, standing to the side, imagined that scene, and the corners of his mouth twitched up slightly.

Just then, two figures dressed in black robes with red cloud patterns walked toward the dock, cursing and swearing.

"Hey! Boss, we're back! Honestly, the Land of Water is even poorer than the Land of Earth, we can't even find a decent restaurant! Hmm!"

Deidara complained.

"Hey! Fei! Don't hang the dumpling on your mask! It's dirty! Hmm!"

Deidara looked at his companion with disdain.

"Because the masked baby is hungry too~ I'm feeding it! Ah Fei is a great dad, right... uh..."

Afei, who was joking around, stopped abruptly. The only eye visible under the mask froze instantly, staring intently at the familiar black-haired, spiky-haired boy in front of him.

At that moment, he felt as if the earth beneath his feet was mocking him, and he wished he could sink into it immediately.

Rubik's Cube naturally heard the "Great dad" comment, and he rolled his eyes without any attempt to hide it.

"Pah—spit!"

He spat precisely onto the ground between the two of them, the sound loud and full of undisguised contempt.

Ah Fei stood frozen in place, as if petrified.

"Hey, Afei?"

Deidara noticed his companion's unusual behavior and followed his gaze.

"What's wrong? Is there someone you know up ahead?"

'No... how did we end up here?! Could it be that Rin from the Pure Land wants me to fulfill my responsibilities as a father? ...No, what's the use of thinking about this now? In my current state, what responsibilities can I possibly fulfill? ...Infinite Tsukuyomi is the answer...'

Wait! Who are those two next to him?! One-Tailed Fox and Nine-Tailed Fox?! How did this kid end up with them?! ...One-Tailed Fox and Nine-Tailed Fox...a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! But...'

Just as Obito's rationality was frantically tug-of-war, his CPU about to burn out, the action-oriented Deidara had already strode up to the Demon's Face.

After exchanging a few words, Deidara jogged back cheerfully, completely unaware of Tobi's stiff, statue-like state.

"Snapped!"

Deidara patted Tobi's shoulder hard and laughed:

"Oh, it really is the guy you know! Hmm! I chatted with him, and they also wanted to take a boat there. Plus, he's a local and has a place to stay in a nearby village! We don't know the way, so following them would give us a place to stay temporarily. I suggested we walk together for a while! He had no objections! It's settled then! Hmm!"

"Huh?! Wait, Deidara!!"

A hoarse, deep voice, completely different from Ah Fei's usual feigned madness, and full of oppressive force, suddenly burst out from under the mask.

Deidara, who was basking in the satisfaction of "solving the problem," was startled by the unfamiliar voice and turned his head in confusion:

"Ok?"

Deidara looked at Fei with a puzzled expression.

"Who was speaking just now? Was that you, Afei?"

"N-no, no! Ugh, Deidara-senpai~"

Afei instantly switched back to his exaggerated and funny voice, gesturing wildly as he tried to cover it up.

"What sound? You must have misheard! Deidara-senpai is getting old and might be hallucinating, hahaha..."

"You bastard! You should just die! Hmm!"

Deidara, enraged, made a move to dig out clay again.

"Uh……"

Feeling the icy gaze that seemed to see through everything cast upon him from the other side of the Rubik's Cube, Obito's face beneath the mask twisted in agony. For the second time, he deeply felt the overwhelming malice that the Land of Water held for him.

Finally, he and Deidara slowly boarded the ship. The father and son, who had just met not long ago, looked at each other and were speechless for a moment.

Chapter 64 Everyone, I'm back.

Chapter 64 Everyone, I'm back.

Inside the cramped cabin, the air seemed to freeze.

Rubik's Cube and Gaara remained calm, while Naruto looked around curiously. Only Obito, like a statue under a petrification spell, huddled in the darkest corner of the stern, trying to minimize his presence.

Deidara, a natural-born curious and talkative boy, couldn't stand the eerie silence any longer. He leaned closer to the Rubik's Cube sitting opposite him, lowering his voice, but unable to suppress the burning fire of gossip within him:

"Hey, I'm telling you, you really know that guy Afei? Hmm? How did you two meet? Tell me!"

This guy just acts crazy all day, never mentioning a word about his past. I'm so curious! Hmm!

Rubik's Cube glanced at "Afei," who was almost blending into the shadows in the corner, a playful smile playing on his lips. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone in the cabin to hear clearly:

"Yes, of course I know him. I knew him even before I was born. Hahaha."

"..."

Deidara choked, then rolled his eyes.

"Hey! This joke isn't funny at all! I'm serious! Um! Never mind, if you don't want to talk about it, fine..."

He was a little annoyed, but he couldn't help but press for more information.

"So he used to be... just as silly as this? Hmm?"

"Yes."

The Rubik's Cube answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation, and met Deidara's probing gaze with an open expression.

"He always looked just as silly as he did before, exactly the same."

He even nodded firmly, emphasizing his words.

"Uh……"

Deidara was speechless at the overly straightforward and uninspiring answer, and pouted in disappointment.

"Tch, I thought I was going to dig up some juicy tidbits. Hmm."

He sat back down dejectedly, no longer asking questions, but he still felt something was off.

In the corner, the shadow seemed to shrink even further. His current predicament was so awkward that he wished he could jump out of the boat immediately and sink into the cold, murky riverbed.

However, Naruto, driven by his boundless curiosity, couldn't sit still. He was already intrigued by this "acquaintance of the Rubik's Cube guy," and seeing him cowering in a corner like a punching bag only fueled his restlessness.

He shifted his position, moving closer to the shadow, his face filled with pure curiosity and goodwill:

"Hey! Uncle Afei? Your name is Afei, right? Brother Rubik's Cube said you've known him since you were little, so do you also know Brother Rubik's Cube's mother?"

What kind of person is she? Is she as gentle and beautiful as Brother Rubik's Cube described? And what about her father, whom Brother Rubik's Cube has never mentioned? What kind of person is he?

"boom--!"

Naruto's seemingly innocent question was like a bomb exploding in Obito's mind! Uzumaki Tomono! The image of that timid red-haired girl flashed by instantly!

The deliberately quirky and carefree "mask" he wore when he disguised himself as Tobi seemed to have been ripped open by this question, revealing the panicked and helpless true core of Uchiha Obito beneath.

"I……"

A short, distorted, almost incoherent syllable nearly burst from Obito's throat, but he bit it down hard. Beneath the mask, his pupils contracted sharply as he looked at the blond boy whose family he had caused to be destroyed.

Naruto's existence seemed to be telling him how heinous his past crimes were.

Looking at that familiar blonde hair, that face so similar to Kushina's, and those clear (foolish) eyes that were exactly the same as his when he was a boy...

He suddenly lowered his head, gripping his robe tightly at his knees, as if recalling some memories.

The atmosphere inside the cabin instantly plummeted to freezing. The Cube's gaze sharpened abruptly, fixing coldly on Obito. Gaara also slightly raised his eyes, keenly sensing the unusual, painful, and chaotic chakra fluctuations.

Deidara stared wide-eyed at Fei in the corner, who was reacting unusually violently.

What's wrong with this guy today?

Just as this suffocating silence was about to reach its peak...

"We've arrived! Guests, we've reached the shore!"

The boatman's loud shouts, like heavenly music, broke the silence in the cabin.

The boat shuddered slightly and docked at the simple pier.

"Ah! We're here! We're here!"

Naruto's attention was immediately diverted, and he jumped up first, looking excitedly at the shore.

"Brother Rubik's Cube, Gaara, let's go down quickly!"

Rubik's Cube glanced deeply at Obito, who was still deep in thought with his head bowed in the corner, but ultimately said nothing. He stood up and greeted him:

"Let's go, Naruto, Gaara."

Deidara also came to his senses, scratched his head, and shouted towards the corner:

"Hey, Fei! Stop daydreaming! Get off the boat now! Okay!"

In the shadows, Afei, like a puppet startled awake, stood up stiffly, almost simultaneously. He lowered his head and followed Deidara without a word, his steps unsteady as he stepped onto the damp land of the Land of Water.

Stepping into this tranquil fishing village nestled by the sea, Rubik's Cube felt a little lighter. The scene before him was almost exactly the same as when he left four years ago.

The low wooden houses bear the marks of sea wind erosion, fishing nets drying in the wind sway gently, and the air is filled with the familiar smell of fish and sea salt.

"Nothing has changed at all..."

He sighed softly, then a bright, almost childlike smile spread across his face as he excitedly ran towards the depths of the village, calling out several names he had known since childhood:

"Uncle Oki! Granny Agasa! Ryota-nii! I'm back—!"