Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Chapter 387 Was the discovery of White Zetsu's whereabouts really just a false alarm?

Obito, who was initially at a loss, was gradually melted by Rin's gentle smile.

The familiar aroma of rice balls and tamagoyaki lingered around his nose, slowly awakening his long-dormant sense of taste.

He finally relaxed a little and quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Although he still had many heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, at least on the surface, he began to try to enjoy this hard-won moment of peace.

Obito slowly reached out, picked up a snow-white rice ball, and carefully took a bite.

He ate with unusual refinement, and his unusual behavior immediately drew Kushina's mischievous teasing.

"Obito, why are you eating so delicately today? You were always fighting with Kakashi for food before," Kushina teased.

"Who fought with that idiot for food!" Obito glared at Kakashi, annoyed, and shoved the whole rice ball into his mouth. "I couldn't care less about fighting him for food!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Kakashi glanced lazily at Obito upon hearing this.

He slowly swallowed the tamagoyaki in his mouth, and continued with a half-smile, "But I remember, who secretly stole a chicken leg from my bento box yesterday..."

"Kakashi!" Obito nearly choked on the rice ball in his mouth, frantically pounding his chest before finally swallowing it. Then, his eyes widened in anger and frustration, "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't do anything like that!"

Seeing this, Kushina's smile widened, and she blinked innocently, "Oh dear, Obito~ I saw it too!"

"Giggle giggle..."

Lin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She lightly covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement, and teased, "Maybe the food in Kakashi's bowl smells better!"

"I didn't... cough cough cough!" At this moment, Obito wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

That idiot.

Why did you steal Kakashi's chicken leg?

Seeing Obito's embarrassed and angry appearance, Kushina and Rin exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Kushina waved her hand with a smile: "You two have such a good relationship, always bickering like this."

"Alright, alright." Minato Namikaze finally spoke, stepping forward with a sigh. "Kushina, stop teasing Obito."

Minato shook his head.

He noticed that Obito was still coughing, so he kindly handed him a glass of juice.

"Obito, come on, have some juice to calm your nerves."

"Ahem... Thank you, teacher."

Obito choked on the juice, tears welling in his eyes. He thanked Minato repeatedly as he accepted the juice from him and gulped it down.

He breathed a long sigh of relief, finally recovering.

As soon as he put down the cup, Obito immediately felt incredibly embarrassed.

He glanced at Kakashi furtively, only to see Kakashi standing to the side with his arms crossed, looking completely indifferent, as if he wasn't the one who had just been watching the commotion at all.

I felt a surge of anger, thinking to myself that this guy was definitely making fun of me.

He glared at Kakashi hatefully.

Surprisingly, amidst this familiar yet childish bickering, the tightly taut string in his heart quietly loosened a little.

The embarrassment and anger from before gradually dissipated, replaced by an indescribable sense of relief.

The warm sunshine bathed me, a gentle breeze caressed my face, and the aroma of delicious food lingered in the air amidst laughter and conversation.

Companions were close by, and teachers showed them great care.

At this moment, there is no conspiracy, no killing, and no endless hatred and loneliness.

Obito was completely immersed in this long-lost warmth.

Greedily intoxicated by it, they wished they could forget the bloody reality forever and immerse themselves in this dreamlike and beautiful scene.

In a daze, Obito even began to imagine how wonderful it would be if he were still that ordinary genin who bickered with Kakashi every day, showed off his strength in front of Rin, was teased by Kushina-senpai until his face turned red, and was gently taught by Minato-sensei.

He had no deep-seated hatred, no irreparable mistakes; he was just an ordinary boy who could enjoy everything before him without a care in the world.

Obito's lips curled up slightly, revealing a long-lost smile.

He reached out and picked up another translucent tofu skin sushi, just as he was about to put it in his mouth.

However, at that very moment, his gaze inadvertently swept towards the boundary between the trees in the distance.

The edge of the lush forest appeared quiet and peaceful under the sunlight, but in a casual glance, Obito suddenly noticed a very incongruous pale white color lurking between the layers of green leaves.

His hand suddenly stopped moving, the half-raised sushi froze in mid-air, and he stared intently in that direction without blinking.

"That is...?"

On the canopy of a tall, lush tree not far away, there was clearly some strange white object attached to it.

It clung tightly to the tree trunk, blending strangely with the wood's texture, revealing only a vaguely outlined human figure.

If it weren't for the unique angle with soil attached and the sunlight that happened to shine through the gaps in the leaves, this white humanoid figure would be extremely difficult to spot.

At first glance, it looks like a huge white mushroom that has suddenly bulged out of the tree trunk. It is so conspicuous and still that it is easy to mistake it for a bird's nest or a burl and overlook it.

If it were the carefree Obito of the past, he might have just muttered something like "What a strange mushroom" and continued eating.

However, Obito had seen White Zetsu before.

In that instant, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his pupils constricted sharply, his heart pounded, and all his nerves tensed up.

Obito held his breath, trying his best to suppress the shock surging in his heart, and quickly mobilized his internal senses, instantly locking his attention on the white outline.

The next moment, he clearly detected an extremely faint yet incredibly familiar chakra fluctuation.

Yes, it really is a White Zetsu!

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from Obito's feet to the top of his head.

His hands were trembling as he held the tofu skin sushi.

How could it be a White Zetsu?!

How could a White Zetsu be here?!

Did Madara Uchiha send it?

Is it spying on us?

Or is it... that its target is Lin?!

Countless thoughts raced through Obito's mind, and his face instantly darkened.

White Zetsu possesses an extremely troublesome mayfly technique that allows him to merge his body with the land and trees, enabling him to move and hide at will.

It excels at stealth and surveillance, and can even conceal its chakra aura to the point of being almost undetectable.

Let alone ordinary ninjas, even Jonin with strong sensory abilities would have difficulty detecting its existence if they didn't concentrate on searching.

It could be said that it was a born spy and assassin.

Being entangled with such a strange creature would go unnoticed by anyone, and one might not even realize it until death is imminent.

However, Obito was different.

Since awakening his Mangekyou Sharingan, Obito's visual and sensory abilities have been vastly different from what they used to be.

Even if he didn't consciously activate his Sharingan at this moment, his eyesight and insight far surpassed those of ordinary people.

Moreover, Obito was all too familiar with the unique scent of White Zetsu.

When he was healing at Madara Uchiha's secret base, he spent a considerable amount of time with those White Zetsu, and that unpleasant smell, like rotten wood, was deeply etched into his memory.

At this moment, the white Zetsu in the tree canopy is not disguising itself.

Even if it only makes a fleeting glimpse, even if its chakra fluctuations are suppressed to an extremely low level, it cannot escape Obito's keen senses.

Obito felt a chill run down his spine, and the food in his mouth suddenly tasted bland.

He lowered his head discreetly, pretending not to have noticed anything, continuing to chew while trying to calm his racing heart. He managed a weak response to Kushina's earlier joke about the juice's taste: "Hmm, the juice is delicious..."

He tried his best to sound calm, but his voice still trembled slightly.

In fact, Obito was already on high alert.

His thoughts could no longer be absorbed in the false warmth before him.

The laughter and chatter of my companions seemed distant and blurred, as if separated by a thick veil.

White Zetsu remained firmly attached to the tree trunk, seemingly unwilling to make any rash moves. However, the more Zetsu acted this way, the more unease grew within Obito.

His biggest concern was Lin's safety.

In this world, Rin's existence is incredibly precious and real to Obito; she is a treasure he must protect at all costs.

The appearance of White Zetsu was tantamount to bringing the threat hidden in the shadows to the forefront.

How could Obito possibly enjoy that stolen moment of peace now?!

Obito suppressed the panic surging within him and began to rapidly think of a solution.

He once wanted to quietly remind Minato, but Rin and Kakashi were both around, and White Zetsu was lurking nearby. Any slight movement would probably alert them.

Moreover, he couldn't explain why he could sense this monster that had never appeared before.

After much deliberation, he gave up the idea of ​​seeking help and could only remain vigilant and observe the situation from the sidelines.

Time passed slowly in the suffocatingly tense atmosphere.

Obito forced himself to remain calm and accompanied everyone to finish the picnic, but the meal was tasteless and unappetizing.

Finally, the picnic was over.

At the water gate's signal, everyone stood up and began to work together to clean up the scattered tableware and trash.

Although Obito pretended to bend down and clean, he kept his eyes fixed on the tree canopy until the very last moment. The White Zetsu remained stuck there, motionless.

He gritted his teeth inwardly, his anxiety growing stronger.

After everyone worked together to clean up the grass, the sun began to set, casting long shadows in the woods.

"Alright, it's time to go back." Minato smiled with satisfaction, clapped his hands, and reminded them, "Obito, Kakashi, Rin, be careful on the road."

Kushina walked to his side, waved to the three juniors, and smiled as she said goodbye.

"Yes! Minato-sensei, Kushina-senpai, goodbye!" Rin responded obediently.

Kakashi nodded and waved in greeting.

Obito gave a vague reply, but his eyes secretly glanced at the distant woods.

Bai Jue remained in the same spot, showing no intention of leaving.

Obito frowned, cursing inwardly, "This guy's still refusing to leave!"

Soon, Minato and Kushina turned and left in the direction of the village, their figures gradually disappearing at the end of the forest path.

Obito, Kakashi, and Rin then walked together down another path.

Obito deliberately slowed his pace, walking slightly behind, seemingly nonchalant, but actually carefully protecting Rin in a slightly inward position between himself and Kakashi.

He subtly surveyed his surroundings, listening intently to ensure he detected any unusual activity immediately.

Sure enough, he clearly sensed that strange chakra was also moving slowly in the shadows of the forest, trailing far behind them.

White Zetsu really caught up!

Its concealment skills are quite superb. If Obito hadn't been extremely familiar with its aura and remained highly vigilant at all times, he could have easily fallen into its trap.

Obito's heart sank little by little.

It seems that the other party really is after them.

Or, to be more precise—he came for Lin.

Thinking of this, he clenched his fists even tighter, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

He pondered a solution along the way, but all his ideas ultimately failed to avoid a thorny problem.

If they are attacked later, how can he protect Lin without revealing his secret strength?

For a moment, Obito was extremely anxious and his mind was on high alert.

After walking a while longer, a fork in the road appeared ahead.

One road leads to Rin's house and the ninja academy, while the other extends towards Kakashi and Obito's respective residences.

Kakashi stopped at the fork in the road first and said calmly to Rin, "Rin, you can go on your own from now on. Be careful on the road, see you later."

After saying that, he glanced at Obito with a hint of disdain in his eyes: "Let's go, you loser, what are you staring at?"

"Wait—wait, Kakashi!" Obito's internal alarm bells rang. He grabbed Kakashi's sleeve and cried urgently, "Don't go!"

Kakashi and Rin were both taken aback by his sudden action and turned to look at him at the same time.

Lin opened her eyes slightly, her face full of confusion and concern.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that said, "What's gotten into you now?"

"I...I'm a little worried about Rin's safety walking alone. How about we go together and take her home first?" Obito, flustered by the two pairs of eyes staring at him, stammered, trying his best to appear calm. "It won't take up too much time anyway..."

"Huh?" Kakashi's face was full of bewilderment upon hearing this, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

"This is Konoha Village!" He looked Obito up and down as if he were an idiot. "Besides, it's not even dark yet, and there are plenty of people on the streets. What danger could there be? Rin isn't a child; she always goes home by herself."

He snorted, a knowing, mocking smile playing on his lips: "To put it bluntly, you just want to spend more time with Lin, right? What's the point of dragging me along?"

Kakashi shrugged and waved his hand, saying, "I happen to have some business with my father anyway, and it's not on my way. Since you're so eager to be my protector, then I'll leave it to you."

"And besides—" Kakashi leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes fixed on Obito, slowly uttering his harsh words, "Or are you saying... with your bottom-of-the-barrel strength, you don't even have the ability to escort your comrades home in Konoha?"

Kakashi's last sarcastic remark made Obito gasp in exasperation.

"Who says I can't do it!"

"Of course I can protect Lin!"

Kakashi was taken aback by his sudden outburst.

However, his brows soon furrowed in displeasure.

Obito's reaction seemed far too exaggerated to him; it was as if he had become a completely different person.

He was certain that this guy was behaving very strangely today, but he couldn't be bothered to argue, and simply shrugged and said, "Suit yourself."

"I'm off then." Kakashi turned to Rin. "Rin, be careful, don't get scared by that weirdo."

After saying that, Kakashi ignored Obito, turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and walked away without looking back.

Watching Kakashi's retreating figure, Obito felt both angry and anxious, and clenched his fist, slamming it hard against the tree trunk beside him.

"Damn it!" he muttered angrily, but a sense of powerlessness lingered in his heart.

To be fair, Kakashi's words were correct under normal circumstances; Konoha Village is indeed relatively safe, and Rin has never had any problems returning home.

The problem is, the current situation is anything but normal.

Unfortunately, Kakashi knew nothing about it and therefore couldn't understand why Obito was behaving abnormally.

"Obito...is something on your mind today?" Just as Obito was feeling frustrated, Rin's gentle voice rang out from the side.

She walked up to Obito, looked up at him slightly, her clear eyes filled with worry.

"You've seemed a bit distracted ever since the picnic... Is something wrong? If so, we can work together to figure it out, or we can tell Mr. Minato and ask him for help."

Rin's concern was like a warm current flowing into Obito's heart, calming his previously agitated emotions considerably.

He lowered his head and met Lin's eyes, which were full of concern, and felt a warmth in his heart.

Lin is always so perceptive and kind; she's the first to notice anything amiss and worries about me so much.

Being remembered so fondly by her, even amidst the tense situation, Obito felt a surge of emotion and sweetness.

"No, nothing! I'm really fine, Rin." Obito hurriedly waved his hand, forcing a smile, trying to make himself look more relaxed.

But the smile still looked so stiff to Lin.

"I just... I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm a bit tired." He scratched his head and chuckled dryly. "Also, Kakashi is such an annoying guy, always making sarcastic remarks, so I wasn't in a good mood just now."

Lin frowned slightly, clearly not entirely believing it.

"R-Really?" She stared at Obito's face and asked cautiously, "But you looked really unwell just now, and you kept glancing to the side... Is there some trouble you're hiding from me? If so, let's solve it together, okay? Or we can talk to the teacher."

"No need! I'm really fine!" Obito raised his voice, hurriedly interrupting Rin, afraid that she would continue to ask questions.

He took a deep breath, softened his tone, and gave what he thought was a relaxed smile: "Lin, thank you for your concern, but I'm really fine, I'm just a little tired."

As he spoke, he gently grasped Lin's wrist, not daring to use too much force, and guided her to continue walking forward.

"It's getting late, let me take you home first, so I can go back and rest when you get there."

Rin was somewhat stunned as Obito led her, but seeing his insistence, she didn't press him further.

She simply nodded, but still reminded him, "Well... okay, but Obito, if you feel unwell anywhere, be sure to tell me, don't push yourself too hard."

"Yeah, I know," Obito replied vaguely, avoiding Rin's eyes.

The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched long and thin by the setting sun.

Along the way, Obito tried to find some lighthearted topics to chat about with Rin, but his tone was somewhat absent-minded.

In fact, all his attention was focused on what was behind him.

He protected Lin alone, not allowing any mishap.

Obito clenched his fist and made a silent vow in his heart.

You must protect Lin no matter what!

That's right, now that he possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, his strength is vastly different from before, and he can definitely do it!

He even began to mentally rehearse the battle.

If White Zetsu suddenly launches an attack, he will immediately unleash his Kamui to shred the monster in the spatial turbulence!

Obito remembered clearly that when he first tried Kamui, he easily annihilated Kirigakure's rogue ninja, Juzo Biwa, in a distorted alternate dimension.

That strange and powerful force greatly boosted his confidence.

The divine power of this world is astonishing. With it by his side, he believes he can fight even that man, let alone a White Zetsu.

Obito was on guard, taking each step with extreme caution, escorting Rin while being ready to fight at any moment.

However, unexpectedly, just as Obito was fully focused on guarding against a sneak attack from behind, the chakra source he had been sensing suddenly veered off course.

Obito paused slightly, almost thinking it was his imagination.

"Um?"

He quickly closed his eyes again to sense his surroundings, and sure enough, he noticed that the White Zetsu's chakra was no longer following them, but had turned onto another path and was moving rapidly into the distance.

That road... is the direction Kakashi left in!

Obito was stunned.

This change was completely unexpected, and for a moment he forgot to continue walking.

Two seconds later, he realized what was happening, a hint of surprise flashing through his mind.

Immediately, a wave of relief and ease washed over me.

His tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and he let out a long breath.

So Bai Jue wasn't after Lin after all... That's great!

Obito felt a sense of relief, as if he had survived a disaster. The biggest weight on his heart had finally been lifted.

He caught a glimpse of Lin looking at him with a puzzled expression out of the corner of his eye, and quickly suppressed the surprise on his face, pretending to be nonchalant as he continued walking forward.

But the next second, a slightly gloating thought popped into his head: "Hmph, that stinky Kakashi! He wouldn't listen to advice and insisted on showing off by going alone. Now look what happened, he's gotten himself into trouble!"

Obito felt increasingly pleased with himself, and even secretly hoped that Kakashi would actually be entangled by White Zetsu.

He gave a malicious snort, muttering to himself with schadenfreude, "Serves you right for showing off! You got targeted by something weird, didn't you? Serves you right!"

This guy deserves all the trouble he got himself into for laughing at me and ignoring my advice!

As long as Rin is alright, let Kakashi do whatever he wants.

Isn't that guy a self-proclaimed genius who always acts superior and looks down on others?

Then let him deal with White Zetsu himself!

Thinking of this, Obito felt all the pent-up emotions in his chest vanish, and he felt much more relaxed.

The expression on his face unconsciously became natural, and the gloom that had been hanging over him earlier vanished.

At this moment, Obito finally regained some of the bright and cheerful spirit that belonged to a young man.

Obito glanced at Rin, who still looked bewildered, and suddenly pointed to a rather unusual-looking tree by the roadside, changing the subject with a smile: "Rin, look over there! Doesn't that tree look just like the one we climbed before?"

"Hey? It really does look a bit like it!" Lin looked in the direction he was pointing and sure enough saw a tall tree with a familiar shape standing by the roadside.

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "But the tree we used to climb seemed to be closer to the river, right?"

"Huh? Really? Haha, maybe I remembered wrong!" Obito scratched his head sheepishly and laughed loudly.

The setting sun shone through the gaps in the leaves onto his face, and his smile, bathed in the golden afterglow, looked exceptionally warm and cheerful.

Compared to his stiff and forced smile just now, Obito's smile was much more sincere and natural, without any trace of reluctance.

Seeing this, Lin couldn't help but smile.