201 Chapter 201: I've Come to Be Your Neighbor

The Mangekyō Sharingan does not lie.

Although the man standing before him was unfamiliar in appearance, those distinctive Mangekyō eyes revealed his identity.

"Uchiha Dan."

The name came out between gritted teeth from Obito.

Hearing that name, Zetsu's complexion paled. Without making a sound, he quickly receded several steps backward and then swiftly burrowed into the ground, disappearing.

Not far off, Kakuzu, who was left with only his Lightning and Water masks, felt the urge to flee, creating distance between himself and Dan without hesitation.

Kakuzu once believed that the leader, Pain, was invincible, rivaling the legendary First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

But after a brief encounter,

The pressure and despair that Dan exuded were even more overwhelming than what Kakuzu felt from Hashirama and Pain.

With that in mind,

Whiz, whiz.

Controlling the remaining two masks, Kakuzu darted into the woods, fleeing without looking back.

Thus,

Only Dan and Obito remained by the lake.

Dan, unperturbed by the fleeing adversaries, kept his gaze locked onto Obito, approaching him with a gentle smile. With each step Dan took, Obito retreated.

To this day,

Obito couldn't forget the moment when the Uchiha clan had severed ties with Konoha, when Dan had punched through his Kamui dimension, turning him into a mist of blood.

That punch left a haunting shadow over Obito's psyche.

Even though he was resurrected using Izanagi, the fear from that time constantly tormented him, causing frequent nightmares.

What made it worse was,

Obito no longer had spare Sharingan eyes. Facing Dan, he couldn't use Izanagi to save himself.

Therefore,

Without even leaving a threatening remark behind, Obito activated Kamui and hastily fled right in front of Dan.

Obito failed to notice that,

As he entered the Kamui dimension, a vortex-like spatial distortion appeared around Dan, and he too vanished.

Moments later,

A soaked Kisame emerged from the water, gasping heavily, his face filled with shock.

His entire abdomen was deeply indented from Dan's punch, with cracks spreading across his body like dried earth, presenting a ghastly sight.

If it were anyone else, they would've surely died.

Only Kisame, dubbed the "Tail-less Tailed Beast," could withstand such a blow due to his unique constitution.

Samehada lay nearby.

Seeing his sword, Kisame hurried over, picking it up with relief. He had thought Uchiha Dan would take it, but it seemed the man had no interest in the blade.

"Ha."

Kisame chuckled to himself and then commanded Samehada to supply him with some chakra.

With Samehada's assistance, Kisame's injuries began to heal rapidly.

Just then,

"Over there!"

"It might be remnants of the Rain Village and Akatsuki. Don't let a single one escape!"

With the commotion, hundreds of shinobi from the Five Great Shinobi Countries rapidly approached, each donning a distinctive headband.

It seemed the disturbance had attracted their attention.

Seeing this, Kisame, holding Samehada, rushed to the edge of the lake, diving in and swimming away like a shark.

"Capture him!"

The shinobi of the Five Great Nations gave chase, but Kisame quickly lost them, leaving them with no choice but to return empty-handed.

Inside the Kamui dimension,

The environment remained desolate, with silence enveloping the entire space. Only here did Obito feel truly at peace.

Under the dim sky, Obito wandered alone, deep in thought.

Now, to deal with Uchiha Dan, there was only one solution:

Find Konan as soon as possible and retrieve Nagato's Rinnegan from her.

No, it should be Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan.

By transplanting the Rinnegan and collecting the Tailed Beasts, he could become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki.

That was Obito's next plan.

With the power of the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, equivalent to that of the Sage of Six Paths, dealing with Uchiha Dan would be a piece of cake.

But as he walked,

Suddenly, Obito froze, stopping in his tracks.

A mix of horror and shock painted his face, and his entire body trembled.

For on the wall ahead, inscribed in graceful large characters, were the words:

"Uchiha Dan was here."

How... How is this possible?!

Seeing those inscribed words, Obito was taken aback. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and he was covered in goosebumps.

He became incredibly tense, resembling a startled prey. His eyes darted rapidly in every direction, scanning his surroundings.

"Uchiha Dan, I know you're here. Show yourself!" Obito shouted, cold sweat forming on his forehead.

No reply came.

All was silent, except for the mocking words inscribed on the wall.

"Come out!" Obito continued to yell, constantly turning and scanning every suspicious corner.

Where was he hiding?

He always felt like Dan was lurking somewhere, ready to spring out and finish him with a single slap.

Just when Obito's nerves were stretched to their limit,

Tap, tap, tap.

A calm set of footsteps sounded nearby.

Swiftly turning his head, Obito's sharp gaze landed on a familiar figure.

Dan appeared.

Now, without any disguise, he revealed his true appearance.

Like Obito, Dan, who was "deceased" in the outside world, found solace in this secluded Kamui dimension where he could be himself.

"This place is quite nice, neither cold nor hot, tranquil and fresh air..." As Dan surveyed the area, he chatted with Obito as if visiting a neighbor's home, completely at ease.

Obito, on the other hand, was on edge. He sharply asked, "How did you get in here? Did you... use Kakashi's Sharingan?"

Obito's eyes narrowed, realizing the truth.

For Dan to enter the Kamui dimension, he must've used the left eye that Obito once gifted to Kakashi.

Kakashi, that good-for-nothing...

Thinking about it, Obito silently cursed Kakashi once again.

Ignoring Obito's question, Dan continued to stroll, then remarked with slight disappointment, "It's a bit barren here. Given how long you've stayed, haven't you thought of building a house or something?"

No sooner had he spoken, Dan's eyes lit up, and he found a flat piece of ground.

Then,

To Obito's astonishment, Dan raised both hands, formed seals, and slammed them onto the ground.

Instantly,

Whoosh.

Obito recoiled in shock, but soon realized things weren't as he expected.

Amidst rumbling sounds,

Numerous wooden pillars emerged from the ground, instantly forming a two-story Wood Release villa in front of Dan. It had a hip roof, three entrances, and was intricately designed.

Wood Release: Four-Pillar Home Technique.

"Hmm, not bad." Dan nodded in approval. The First Hokage's Wood Release technique was indeed convenient for real estate purposes.

What...was he thinking?

Obito was flabbergasted.

Then, a ridiculous possibility crossed his mind — was Uchiha Dan... planning to settle down here?

Obito's guess was spot on.

"From now on, I'm your neighbor. Let's get along," Dan said, approaching Obito with a grin, reaching out for a handshake.

"You... stay away!"

Obito saw what seemed like a devilish smile and, without hesitation, once again activated Kamui to escape from the dimension.

Sigh, he ran away again.

Dan shook his head, not bothering to chase Obito. Instead, he turned back to the Wood Release villa, pondering the interior design.

Hmm, a pond could be added here with some fish.

Over here, an outdoor gym could be built, bringing in some equipment.

It's a shame there's no sunlight; otherwise, planting some flowers and shrubs would be great.

Dan made plans in his mind, deciding to bring everything in using Kamui later.

As for why he was doing this,

Of course, he planned to take over and claim Obito's Kamui dimension.

After looking around, Dan also activated Kamui, exiting the dimension.

Somewhere outside the Hidden Rain Village,

Kisame surfaced from the water, meeting up with Zetsu and Kakuzu.

The expressions on all three faces were grim.

Especially Kakuzu, who, after a brief encounter with Dan, lost three of his hearts, leaving him with just two lives.

It was a significant loss.

The only solace was that Kakuzu's battle record became even more impressive.

He had faced off against the First Hokage, Pain, and Uchiha Dan, and had survived each encounter.

In the entire shinobi world, only Kakuzu could boast of such achievements.

After a while,

Swoosh.

With a vortex-like distortion in space, Obito appeared.

However, he looked utterly flustered, drenched in sweat.

"Obito, what happened?" Zetsu asked immediately.

Obito remained silent, looking more distressed than Kakuzu ever did.

Dan now possessed his left eye and could freely move in and out of the Kamui dimension.

This meant that Obito couldn't use Kamui as freely as before. If he tried to phase into the Kamui space and Dan ambushed him there, Obito might not even know how he met his end.

For Obito,

He now felt like a snake with its vital point held in Uchiha Dan's grasp, always fearing when Dan might strike. This was more of a psychological torment than a physical threat.

Obito suspected... Dan did this on purpose.

Several days later,

A team of Cloud ninjas made a long journey to the entrance of the Leaf Village.

The team comprised of several masked Cloud Anbu members, escorting a young blonde woman of apparent high status.

She had delicate yet cold features, fair skin, wore a low-cut netted top with a black miniskirt, accentuating her impressive figure.

She exuded an aura of elegance and aloofness, like an unapproachable icy beauty.

This woman was Samui.

Wise and cautious, Samui became a top Cloud ninja before she turned twenty.

Her three-year undercover mission in Konoha proved her capabilities.

Managing to infiltrate the Uchiha clan and remaining undetected among them while gathering valuable intel was no small feat.

Except for Samui, no one else could've accomplished this.

Especially since she was dealing with the notoriously feared Uchiha Dan. Many speculated that Samui must've seduced Dan, sacrificing her body for his trust and information.

Indeed,

No matter how formidable a man is, he can't escape a woman's charm.

Regardless of the truth,

Samui's undercover mission significantly benefited the Cloud Village.

Hence, she was entrusted by the Fourth Raikage once again to serve as an ambassador to Konoha.

Stopping in her tracks, Samui glanced in the direction of the Uchiha district.

Although she always appeared cold, when she heard about Dan's demise in the Cloud Village, she remained seemingly indifferent.

As if the departed was just a stranger to her.

However, no one knew the true feelings buried deep within her heart.

Drawing her gaze back, a faint sadness flashed in Samui's blue eyes.

Even now, she wasn't ready to believe that Dan was gone, still holding onto a glimmer of hope.

No, not hope.

For Samui, until she saw Dan's body with her own eyes, she wouldn't believe anything.

With that thought,

Samui's determination resurfaced as she walked towards the Cloud Village's camp.

After reporting to the Fourth Raikage, Samui received good news.

The Uchiha's Muscle Building Department building was now under the Cloud Village's control.

After all,

The facility was a comprehensive training ground with various fitness equipment. It was just what the muscle-loving Cloud ninjas wanted.

Therefore, the Fourth Raikage personally negotiated with various parties to take over the department.

Half an hour later,

Entering the Uchiha district and standing in front of the familiar building, Samui was overwhelmed with emotion.

Looking up, the sign of the Uchiha Muscle Building Department had been replaced with a new one, reading "Cloud Embassy."

From now on, this would be her workplace.

"I'm a bit tired and need to rest. We can discuss matters tomorrow," Samui informed her subordinates before heading to her room.

With a creak,

She gently pushed open the door, entering not her old room but Dan's bedroom.

Rubbing her sore shoulders, Samui looked down and noticed her bust seemed to have grown larger.

Sigh.

She couldn't help but lament, wondering when they'd stop growing.

This was her unique concern.

Approaching the bed, Samui lay down, letting herself relax and reminisce about the passionate night she spent with that man before leaving Konoha.

The memories made her cheeks flush.

She took a deep breath, her chest rising prominently.

The scent of that man still lingered in the room, filling Samui's senses.

Lost in her thoughts, she reminisced about every shared moment.

"Dan, are you still alive?"

Staring at the ceiling, Samui whispered.