"He awakened it! Kei-senpai, Obito awakened his Sharingan!"
In the real world, Rin Nohara cried out in excitement, eyes shimmering with tears, deeply moved by Obito's success in awakening his dōjutsu.
After all, watching Obito suffer constant abuse in the game—no matter how fake it was—still made Rin's heart ache.
Now that Obito had finally awakened his Sharingan, his torment-filled journey could at last come to an end. The emotional girl was understandably overwhelmed.
Kakashi let out a cold snort and said tsundere-style, "Not bad, dead last."
The others also beamed with joy, and Uchiha Naori in particular was visibly surprised.
As an elite of the Uchiha, she understood better than anyone what awakening directly into two-tomoe Sharingan meant—especially at just nine years old.
That level of talent was unquestionably genius.
Even if his ninja abilities were lacking—classic 'wise-fool' type—his other gifts more than compensated for his lack of brains.
At the very least, awakening straight into two-tomoe was rare even in the Uchiha Clan's history. In more common terms, such a person had the potential for Mangekyō Sharingan.
Instinctively, Naori looked at Uchiha Kei. For someone once considered the clan's shame to produce such a result, Kei had proven his ability once again.
It also proved another point: so-called Uchiha failures were often just latent geniuses whose talents had yet to emerge. When they did, it was enough to shock the world.
Of course, Obito's strength came from a traditional Sharingan. He still couldn't compare to Kei, whose intellect made him a once-in-a-millennium sage of the Uchiha.
Just when everyone thought Kei would stop the test and let Obito return to reality, Kei declared that the game would continue.
Amid their puzzled expressions, Kei explained: "We've come this far—it'd be a waste to stop now. Obito's emotions are fully immersed in the game. He's nearly forgotten reality."
"Now is the perfect moment. I want to see if continuous emotional shocks will further evolve his Sharingan."
Hearing this, everyone silently acknowledged: Obito really had it rough. Tortured before awakening, and now he'd be tortured after.
Still, if his Sharingan could evolve further, it'd be good for him. If he reached the three-tomoe level, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap. No longer the clan's embarrassment, his status would greatly improve.
And in the future, unlocking the Mangekyō would be nearly inevitable.
Logically and emotionally, none of them could object to Kei's plan.
So they continued watching Obito in the game.
Inside the game, Obito was now completely consumed by intense emotion. He harbored burning hatred for the insane monsters and the Gen Organization behind the tragedy.
He was filled with the dark determination: "I will destroy the Gen Organization."
Then, in a fit of rage—
He got angry... and promptly died again to a fat monster because he lost control.
Yeah, even with his eyes awakened, it didn't help in the genjutsu game. Weak was still weak.
Not even Mangekyō Sharingan would change anything—this was all by the game's rules.
After dying again, Obito regained some composure. He kept struggling with the fat monster, and eventually killed it with a story-triggered cutscene.
Then he was sneak-attacked by a doctor monster from behind, knocked unconscious, and dragged away.
When he woke, he was bound to a wooden rack, arms spread, unable to move. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
That wasn't the worst of it. What made Obito want to tear his eyes out was what lay ahead: a surgical table, where a comatose Rin NPC was strapped down. The doctor monster stood nearby, smiling like a refined gentleman.
"Awake? Don't worry. We'll treat you shortly. But first, her treatment. Please wait."
The elegant doctor picked up surgical tools, preparing to dissect the NPC Rin.
Obito, who had just witnessed NPC Kakashi's death, fell into wild fury and screamed at the doctor, warning him to stay away from Rin—or face hell.
But his rage meant nothing. He was powerless, and already had one arm broken. As a game character, he was in full-on grimdark mode.
But this was still a game—and games thrive on twists.
Just as the doctor raised the scalpel—
NPC Rin suddenly opened her eyes. She grabbed a surgical tool and viciously drove it into the doctor's eye socket. The monster screamed, composure gone.
Rin then grabbed a chair and savagely beat the monster with it.
Obito could only gape as Rin, like a warrior goddess, brutally smashed the doctor before dousing him in medical alcohol and lighting him on fire.
As the flaming monster collapsed, Obito blurted out, "So strong… Rin is really strong. Game Rin is amazing!"
The Rin NPC stumbled over, panting, and began untying Obito. She asked if he was alright.
Moved by her concern, Obito couldn't help overlapping her image with the real Rin—and decided this was the real one.
Just then, the game's malice struck again.
The doctor monster, who should have died, suddenly charged again. His body was burnt beyond recognition, no longer elegant—now deranged and hideous.
He set the room on fire and drove an awl into Obito's waist, worsening his injuries and crippling his movement.
In pain, Obito fought the monster again. NPC Rin rejoined the battle.
But in the end, Obito couldn't win. Rin used all her strength to push Obito out of the room—only to be buried in the fire's collapse along with the monster.
Once again, he lost someone important.
Once again, he was saved—and once again, it was Rin.
Obito was crushed. He slumped to the floor, numb and unable to move. His mind was blank.
He murmured as his Sharingan activated again.
His left eye evolved directly into a three-tomoe Sharingan. His right eye's tomoe spun rapidly—seemingly on the verge of evolving into a legendary eye.
This change was seen clearly in the real world. Those unfamiliar with the Mangekyō were confused. Those who knew gaped in disbelief.
Obito—was he really about to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan?
In the end, this shock turned to disappointment—and relief.
Because the buildup wasn't quite enough. Obito's right eye failed to evolve. The intense mental strain knocked him out cold.
The genjutsu game activated emergency mode and kicked his consciousness back to reality.
Seeing this, everyone exclaimed in alarm and rushed to check his condition.
Fortunately, after an exam from a few med-nin on site, it was confirmed that Obito had merely fainted from chakra exhaustion. His life wasn't in danger.
So Uchiha Kei summoned the Uchiha guards and ordered them to move Obito to the next room to rest. The whole block had been bought by the Uchiha, so there was no issue.
Naturally, Rin volunteered to watch over him. Kakashi, the tsundere that he was, muttered "idiot dead last" but followed after them. The two would likely stay with Obito tonight.
After they left, only Kei and the original four-person team remained.
Kei turned to everyone. "Tonight, Obito successfully awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan—and only his three-tomoe Sharingan."
Everyone blinked. Kushina frowned. "But I thought I saw his right eye—"
"Kushina!" Minato interrupted, then said seriously, "Obito did awaken his three-tomoe Sharingan in one go."
Kushina paused, then nodded. The couple's tacit understanding was strong. "Right. Obito awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan tonight. Incredible. Straight to three tomoe—he's a true genius! That'll shut up those jerks who called him the Uchiha Clan's disgrace."
Everyone got the message.
Then Kei turned to Naori. "Naori-senpai, you've seen the effects of this new game. This full-sensory version will only be available to the Uchiha internally. The public version won't be so intense."
"If even Obito can awaken his Sharingan through this, the results for others in the clan will likely be even better."
"So, please inform the clan head and the elders. Tell them: an eye-opening game stronger than 'Returning Home' is complete. Get ready."
Naori nodded and left to deliver the message.
Kei turned to Kushina. "Now, Kushina, it's time to talk about your issue."
Kushina blinked. "My issue? What issue?"
But Minato caught on and brightened, then asked cautiously, "Kei, can we really do that here?"
Kei nodded. "Everyone's here. Kikyo can assist. Her sealing skills are sufficient. Besides, we don't need that many people to handle the Nine Tails—just enough will do."
Yes—Kei was ready to resolve Kushina's Nine Tails issue in one go.