Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

Naruto, standing behind him, stared in disbelief. Was this still the same Rubik's Cube-wielding guy who always seemed a bit cynical and in complete control?

At this moment, he was like a prodigal son who had finally returned home after many years, his joy overflowing. Naruto couldn't help but feel happy for him as well, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. Gaara, standing to the side, seemed to be touched by this pure joy, thinking of his sister Temari and brother Kankuro far away in the Land of Wind. His emerald eyes looked up at the sky, revealing a hint of gentleness that was hard to detect.

Deidara curiously surveyed the somewhat shabby houses around him, a fleeting look of disappointment flashing across his eyes as if to say, "It really is rural." But remembering the mental expectations he had already made, he pursed his lips and quickly suppressed the emotion.

Obito, who was lagging behind, seemed rooted to the spot. He stared blankly at the back of the Cube running joyfully, and at the village where the Cube and Chino had lived.

This is where Mofang and Zhina lived, or you could say it's the "home" he never met.

Looking at the Rubik's Cube's face, which bore a striking resemblance to his own in his youth, and the pure and fervent joy radiating from it, he felt the happiness of "returning home," a warmth he had long lost and could only touch in his dreams.

He thought of his hometown, Konoha, which he had long since abandoned.

"Hey! Fei! What are you spacing out for?!"

Deidara keenly sensed that something was wrong with him, and irritably circled around behind him. Without warning, he raised his foot and kicked him hard in the butt!

Pfft!

Obito… or rather, Tobi, did not use that amazing Hollowfication ability. He took the kick squarely, lost his balance, and fell face-first onto the wet, muddy ground in an extremely disheveled manner, the splashing mud instantly soiling his Akatsuki robe.

"Hey! Fei! Are you alright?!"

Deidara cried out in astonishment, completely unprepared for his opponent to neither dodge nor defend.

"Where's your penetrating ninjutsu?! Have you lost your mind?!"

He instinctively reached out to pull her.

Afei waved his hand, his movements slow and sluggish. He braced himself with his hands, slowly and laboriously climbing out of the cold mud. Mud dripped from his clothes, making him look particularly disheveled. In that feigned, deliberately frivolous voice, he spoke very softly:

"Thank you... Deidara-senpai. You've been a great help."

"what?!"

Deidara jerked his hand back as if he'd been burned, his expression a mixture of shock and disgust.

"I kicked you, and you're thanking me?! Did you get your brain caught in a door?! Or did you eat clay and become stupid?!"

The way he looked at Ah Fei was as if he'd seen a ghost.

Just then, a commotion in the village interrupted their conversation.

The shouts from Rubik's Cube were like pebbles thrown into calm water, and wooden doors creaked open one after another. Villagers peeked out, looking around with curiosity, but when their eyes focused on Rubik's Cube's face—clearly mature yet still bearing the features of his childhood—their surprise instantly turned into delight!

"It's the Rubik's Cube! The Rubik's Cube is really back!"

A burly man shouted excitedly.

"Everyone come out quickly! The Rubik's Cube is back!"

Another voice echoed.

"Rubik's Cube! Long time no see! How have you been these past few years?"

Oh dear, let me see! Have you lost weight?

An old woman approached, her steps unsteady.

"Idiot! Look at his rosy complexion, does he look like he's starving? He looks like he's living a very comfortable life!"

The middle-aged man next to him laughed and joked.

"That's good, that's good... This child has had a hard life, but he's finally made it through. It's a good thing... When Zhi Nai finds out, she'll definitely..."

The old woman wiped her eyes.

"Tsk! You old fool, why are you bringing this up in front of the kids!"

The man quickly interrupted her, afraid of touching on something.

"Rubik's Cube! It's good to be back! Welcome home!"

More voices came together, filled with genuine warmth.

Standing among the enthusiastic villagers, looking at those familiar and kind faces and listening to those caring greetings, the weariness accumulated from four years of wandering and the burdens in his heart seemed to be instantly washed away by this warm current.

He blinked hard, suppressing the tears welling up in his eyes, and a radiant, reassuring smile spread across his face as he responded loudly:

"Everyone! I'm back!"

Chapter 65 Confrontation with Obito

Chapter 65 Confrontation with Obito

Rubik's Cube politely declined the villagers' enthusiastic invitation to dinner and led the group to the edge of the village.

There, a small wooden house, its color faded to white by the sea breeze but still sturdy, stood quietly, with several pots of wildflowers, clearly watered recently, placed in front of it.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, the scene inside made Rubik's Cube pause slightly in surprise. There was no cobwebs or dust as expected; the tables and chairs were spotless, and the bedding on the bed even carried the fluffy scent of sunshine. A faint, familiar woody fragrance filled the air.

Clearly, the neighbors had been quietly watching over the place, firmly believing that he would return one day. A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and the faces of those taciturn but kind-hearted uncles and aunts appeared before him, filling him with gratitude.

"Wow! Is this where Rubik's Cube Brother lived when he was a child?"

As soon as Naruto entered the house, he looked around curiously, but soon he couldn't suppress his desire to explore the outside world.

"Brother Rubik's Cube, can I go outside for a walk? I want to see what the place where you grew up is like!"

"Go ahead,"

The Rubik's Cube smiled gently.

"Don't go too far, come back before dark."

Naruto cheered and dashed out like a gust of wind. Gaara glanced silently at the Rubik's Cube and the gloomy "Tobi" in the room, a hint of wariness flashing in his emerald eyes. He then turned around and followed Naruto at a distance, like a silent guardian.

Deidara, looking rather bored, leaned against the doorframe and stretched.

"Hmm~ There's nothing much to see in this rural area. Hey, Fei, are you staying here? I'm going out to 'gather material'."

His so-called research involved wandering around the village to see if he could extract any bits of information about the mission from the simple villagers.

The wooden door closed gently, shutting out the sea breeze and noise from outside. In an instant, only the Rubik's Cube and the figure wearing the orange swirling mask remained inside.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the faint sound of waves lapping against the shore and the two people's almost inaudible breathing remaining.

Obito did not remove his mask. He stood in the shadows, like a cold statue, his deep, hoarse voice, carrying an undisguised sinister intent, breaking the silence:

"You brought them to the Land of Water...what exactly do you want to do?"

The Rubik's Cube seemed oblivious to the chill in his question. He walked to the bedside and began tidying the already impeccably made bedding without turning his head, his tone calm to the point of casualness:

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you this question, Mr. Terrorist from the Akatsuki?"

He paused, a sharp inquiry creeping into his voice.

"And why...have you come here?"

"you do not need to know!"

Obito's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable resolve, like a cold, iron law.

"You only need to do one thing now—hand over the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails and the One-Tails!"

He took a step closer, and an invisible sense of oppression spread out:

"Then, you're not allowed to go back to Konoha! Come back to Amegakure with me! That's where you belong! Until my 'Eye of the Moon' plan is completed, you'll stay there and behave yourself!"

This is not a discussion, but a blatant order, a notification from the strong to the weak.

The Rubik's Cube finally stopped tidying the bedding. He slowly turned around, and in his deep eyes, the crimson three-tomoe stares began to spin silently, like a blood-red vortex rising from a deep pool, coldly locking onto the only hole in the mask:

"you……"

His voice was deep, carrying an almost tangible chill.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

In an instant, the temperature inside the cabin seemed to plummet to freezing! Invisible chakra collided violently between the two, producing a faint crackling sound, which even seemed to block out the sound of the stream outside the window.

Between father and son, there is a mask, a complicated past, no warmth or bond, only a tense standoff.

The Rubik's Cube broke the suffocating silence first, a cold smile curving its lips, its words like a sharp scalpel:

"Heh... If you were so eager to kidnap Naruto and Gaara, you should have done it the first time you met them, when they were off guard! Instead of barking like a dog here, right in front of me!"

He took a step forward, his crimson Sharingan seeming to pierce through the thin mask and stare directly into the other's chaotic soul.

"You have your plans, and I have my goals. Do you think you have enough power to control me? Naïve. The last person who thought he could defeat me was Orochimaru. Why don't you think about what he's like now?"

Obito fell into a brief silence before finally speaking slowly.

"I must have the Nine-Tails and the One-Tail! They are the keys to a new world! Anyone who dares to stand in my way... even you! I will show no mercy!"

……

Soon after, Deidara and Naruto returned.

Naruto, with a big bag full of fresh fish and vegetables that the villagers had insisted on giving him, beamed with a bright smile and loudly proclaimed that he was going to show everyone his "Naruto's Special Seafood Ramen".

Aside from the simple-minded Naruto, the atmosphere inside the room always carried a subtle sense of stagnation.

The group sat around the kotatsu, chatting idly, deliberately avoiding certain sensitive topics, creating a polite yet distant atmosphere.

Deidara occasionally cracked a joke, while Obito maintained his facade of silence. Naruto enthusiastically shared his observations of the village, Gaara listened quietly, and the Rubik's Cube played the role of a gentle master.

As night deepened, everyone went to rest. Naruto, clutching his sleeping bag, quickly fell asleep on his makeshift bed on the floor, his breathing even and steady. Gaara, however, leaned against the wall; Shukaku's presence kept him awake, his blue eyes warily watching for any movement in the next room in the dim light. The Rubik's Cube had offered to help him perfect the seal, but he calmly refused.

"No need. This is perfect, I can keep an eye on those two 'guests' next door."

Rubik's Cube didn't persist; he lay down alone on the bed his mother used to sleep in. The bedding was soft, imbued with the kindness of the neighbors. He closed his eyes, as if he could still feel his mother's lingering presence.

Next door, the room where Rubik's Cube used to be.

Deidara unceremoniously occupied the small bed that originally belonged to "Childhood Rubik's Cube," crossed his legs, and put his hands behind his head.

Obito leaned silently against the shadows by the window, his gaze, seemingly tangible, fixed on Deidara's feet resting on the old bed frame through the holes in his mask.

That was where his son had rested when he was young. An indescribable emotion welled up inside him, but he remained silent, like a cold, unyielding rock.

Deidara seemed completely unfazed by the silent scrutiny. Staring at the bare ceiling, he muttered his report to himself, his voice unusually clear in the silence:

"Well... although the villagers don't know much and their questions are quite annoying, piecing together some fragmented information is enough."

His tone carried a hint of smugness, typical of an intelligence operative.

“Something really happened in the Land of Water. The boss’s intelligence network was right.”

He turned his head to look at Obito in the shadows:

"The Hidden Mist ninjas who used to patrol this sea area or occasionally show their faces in the town have disappeared for a long time, as if they were all pulled back to the village at once."

Furthermore, the 'Blood Mist' ANBU, which specializes in hunting down families with bloodline limits and rogue ninjas, has also basically disappeared.

"Tsk, this kind of upheaval only means one thing: a dramatic shift has occurred in the power structure of Kirigakure's upper echelons! The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, who implemented the 'Bloody Mist Policy'... has most likely been ousted!"

Deidara sat up, his eyes gleaming with the analytical glint of someone hunting for prey:

"More importantly, I've learned that the daimyo of the Land of Water will be personally inspecting the territories of the lords in the vicinity soon."

It's said that this lord is related to the daimyo in some way, but that's irrelevant. The key is the daimyo's guard! Based on my understanding of the nature of those noble lords and the high-ranking officials of the ninja villages..."

A knowing smile curved his lips.

"During this sensitive period, the person responsible for the daimyo's personal protection must be a trusted confidant currently in power in Kirigakure, and possibly even... a strong contender for the next Mizukage!"

His voice was low, tinged with excitement:

"As long as we find the right opportunity, we can take down that head guard! Hmm!"

He made a grasping gesture.

"It's incredibly easy to pry the exact whereabouts of Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, and information about the elusive Six-Tails Jinchuriki out of him! This is far more efficient than us searching aimlessly in the vast ocean like headless flies!"

Deidara, as expected of someone who had once been involved in the high-ranking circles of the Land of Earth, presented a clear and logical analysis, demonstrating his insight as a former elite of Iwagakure and his keen sense of high-level politics.

In the shadows, Obito remained silent. The eye behind the hole in his mask seemed to flicker slightly when Deidara mentioned "the next Mizukage contender."

The sound of waves crashing against the shore was like a whisper lurking in the darkness. A crucial part of the plan had surfaced.

Chapter 66 Son, would you like to learn about the Eye of the Moon Project?