Last night, Naruto Uzumaki did not immediately agree to Ajue's request to accompany Afei to Konoha. On the surface, he claimed it was to consult with both Afei and Obito, but in truth, he had deeper concerns.
Naruto worried about Afei's carefree and mischievous personality. Would he cause trouble? After all, this mission was to protect Hinata, and there was no room for carelessness.
However, Ajue had her own methods. She sought out Konan and finalized the arrangement, leaving Naruto with no choice but to go along with it. Despite Afei's frivolous demeanor, he was reliable when it came to critical matters—otherwise, Obito wouldn't have trusted him as a confidant.
At dawn, in a secluded valley in the southern Fire Country, just thirty miles from Konoha and beyond its surveillance zone, Naruto and Obito gathered to send off Ajue and Afei.
Ajue and Afei were the closest confidants of Naruto and Obito, respectively. Their joint mission to Konoha symbolized the first unofficial collaboration between Naruto and Obito after their reconciliation, marking a significant step in their future relationship. Both took this moment seriously.
Obito, ever direct, expressed his sincerity in a simple yet striking manner. "Ajue, you're like Naruto's daughter, which makes you my niece. I don't have anything too fancy for a gift, so... here, take this Sharingan. I hope you won't mind."
From his personal dimension, Obito retrieved a Sharingan from a wall lined with countless others, all collected during the Uchiha clan's massacre.
"Kehehe," Ajue laughed without hesitation, accepting the eye and preparing to replace her original left eye on the spot.
"Wait!" Obito interjected. "That's a right eye, not a left one. Don't mix them up!"
Naruto, curious, asked, "What happens if the eyes are swapped? Will she go blind?"
Obito explained, "Not blind, but her vision will degrade, which would reduce her ability to perceive details and use ocular jutsu effectively."
"I see," Naruto nodded, filing away another piece of ninja knowledge.
"Ajue, thank your Uncle Obito properly," Naruto urged.
By now, Ajue had already replaced her left eye with the new right one. As a being formed from the essence of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, her immense chakra and vitality allowed her to instantly connect the optic nerve.
Closing her left eye, she gazed at Obito with her newly acquired Sharingan and grinned. "Kehehe~ Thanks, Uncle Tobi~."
Naruto frowned. "Hey, that nickname—"
"It's fine, it's fine," Obito waved dismissively. "Uncle Tobi sounds so endearing, doesn't it?"
Naruto thought to himself, Setting aside the past, Obito really is quite an amiable person.
Having made his gesture, Obito turned to Naruto expectantly, as if saying, Your turn.
Naruto pondered. What could he possibly gift Afei? Eyes were out of the question—Naruto didn't have any spares, and Afei's body, resembling an empty shell, had no place to hold them. If it were possible, Obito would have already done so.
Curious, Naruto mused, If Afei has no eyes, how does he see?
He quickly dismissed the thought. White Zetsu's physiology defied conventional logic anyway.
When it came to gifts, value mattered less than thoughtfulness. The key was to cater to the recipient's preferences. And Afei's tastes were... unique.
Naruto scanned the surroundings and noticed an unusually lush patch of grass, far more vibrant than the rest of the area.
Got it.
Naruto's eyes lit up as he strode toward the verdant spot. From his sleeve, a black rod—a tool of the Six Paths Technique—slid into his hand. Squatting down, he used it to dig into the soil, revealing a fresh, moist pile of feces buried beneath.
Obito's eyes widened. "That shouldn't contain chakra. How did you notice it?"
Naruto chuckled knowingly. "By observing the growth of the surrounding plants. I deduced that something buried here—either a corpse or feces—was enriching the soil. Turns out, I was right."
Obito recalled, "When I was young, I visited Granny Cat's den and learned that animals like cats bury their waste. But judging by the size of this pile, it must belong to a large feline species."
"That's not something we need to investigate further!" Naruto laughed, stepping back and activating his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Ame-no-Murakumo!"
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!
The pile of feces absorbed moisture from the surrounding soil, swelling and transforming into a round, gleaming creature with anthropomorphic features.
Yes, Naruto had imbued it with a soul.
"Papa~?" it chirped, flattening its body before springing into the air, aiming for Naruto.
Naruto dodged swiftly, while Obito, his Sharingan flaring, instinctively shifted into intangibility.
Whoosh!
The little creature, rejected by its creator, landed squarely in Afei's arms.
"Yowshy-yowshy~!" Afei cooed, stroking it affectionately.
But the creature wrinkled its nose in disdain. "Papa, Papa! I want Papa! You smell bad—go away!"
Naruto coughed twice, then spoke in a commanding tone. "Listen. From today onward, your name is Shilime. You are now Afei's companion. Understand?"
Upon receiving its name, Shilime's eyes sparkled. "Shilime! I am Shilime! Friend! I am Afei's partner!"
Afei grinned. "I'm Afei, your partner~!"
Slurp, slurp!
Shilime extended a golden, glistening tongue, licking Afei's face affectionately.
Obito, stroking his chin, muttered, "Naruto's creation... Uzumaki Shilime, huh? Truly, nothing could suit Afei better. Naruto, I must admit, your ingenuity is unparalleled. I can't compare."
Ajue giggled. "Kehehe~ I can't wait anymore! I want to find Mama! Let's get moving!"
Naruto turned to Ajue. "Ajue, shouldn't you put on some clothes? Meeting your mother like this seems... inappropriate."
From the moment of her creation, Ajue, like most White Zetsu, had been entirely unclothed. Though White Zetsu lacked gender, Ajue's physique and demeanor were distinctly feminine.
Ajue laughed. "Kehehe~ No way! I like this sense of freedom."
Obito interjected, "How about this: Afei can wrap around you. It'll make moving together more convenient."
"Kehehe~"
With a slap, Afei opened his body, draping himself over Ajue. Only a single Sharingan peeked out through the dark holes, while Shilime perched on her shoulder.
Afei then retrieved a summoning scroll. "Naruto, there's something I want to return to you."
Poof!
From the scroll emerged the Hiramekarei, the double-bladed sword once wielded by Chojuro. It had been taken as spoils of war after his defeat and had remained in Afei's possession.
Naruto accepted the weapon, murmuring, "Perfect. Mangetsu currently lacks a blade."
Storing the Hiramekarei, Naruto turned to Afei and Ajue, his gaze uncharacteristically sharp. "Go. Protect Hinata in the shadows. Avoid drawing attention. If you discover anyone with malicious intent, you don't need my permission—eliminate them immediately. I'll handle the aftermath."
"Understood! Kehehe~ Papa, goodbye~!"
With Shilime in tow, Afei and Ajue departed for Konoha.
As they vanished into the distance, Naruto's expression grew serious. "Obito, whose eye did you give to Ajue?"
Obito hesitated before answering. "Uchiha Izumi. Itachi's former lover."
Whoosh!
A gentle breeze swept through the valley.
Ajue's body, comparable to Tobi's in resilience, ensured that even if she awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, she wouldn't face blindness.
Obito added, "As for Izumi's right eye... I have an idea. Perhaps we could use it to reincarnate her through Edo Tensei."
Naruto's gaze darkened. "That might be worth considering. It's been a while since I've contacted Itachi and Kisame. It's time to reach out to them. Want to come along?"
Obito's expression turned complex. "Not this time. There's someone from my past I need to see."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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