Chapter 53, Chapter Fifty-Two

Sensing the attack fluctuations coming from the barrier, Lin Xue suddenly stood up.

He casually tossed the leftover bamboo skewers into the trash can next to him.

Her gaze fell on Bai, who had just finished eating the squid skewers.

On that pretty, yet still somewhat childlike, fair face, there were specks of brown sauce on her cheeks.

Its appearance is both cute and comical.

Lin Xue took out a handkerchief from her bosom and gently and carefully wiped the sauce off Bai's cheeks.

Bai Wei was taken aback, her black pupils dilating slightly, as if she were somewhat bewildered by this sudden action.

"Zabuza seems to have woken up. It's time to go back."

The two returned to their rented room at the inn. As soon as Lin Xue entered, she saw Zabuza, who had just woken up, looking agitated and restless, trying to forcefully break the barrier using his chakra.

Without much thought, Lin Xue quickly formed hand seals and dispelled the barrier.

Just as Zabuza charged forward menacingly with his sword drawn, Lin Xue frowned.

Instinctively, Bai stepped in front of her.

"Haku, move aside." Zabuza's tone was cold.

Haku said, "Lord Zabuza, it was she who performed medical ninjutsu on you."

Lin Xue looked at the other person's fierce eyes, and then at Bai, who stood firmly in front of her with his arms outstretched.

She... had no interest in taking away what others loved.

“You’re probably heading to the Land of Waves, right? I can pay for your fare.” Lin Xue’s gaze fell on the layers of bandages wrapped around Zabuza’s chest as she calmly said, “Besides, you can’t beat me.”

Zabuza clicked his tongue impatiently, seemingly weighing the veracity of Lin Xue's words. After a moment, he sheathed his sword.

Seeing this, Bai carried a bunch of food that Lin Xue had bought and walked back to Zabuza's side.

He gave Lin Xue a slightly apologetic smile.

They were put on a ship bound for the Land of Waves, and it was time to part ways.

Zabuza spoke up: "Hey, what's your name?"

Lin Xue stood on the shore, her brows furrowed slightly, and asked in return, "Shouldn't you state your name before asking someone? That's basic courtesy."

The ship's engines roared, and Zabuza frowned, saying in a deep voice, "Momochi Zabuza."

Just as the ship slowly started moving, Zabuza and Haku stood on the ship, looking at Lin Xue on the shore.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "Lin Xue, we'll meet again."

Haku couldn't help but smile and waved goodbye to Zabuza.

Lin Xue stood on the shore, watching the sky gradually darken.

At the horizon where the sea meets the sky, vast expanses of fiery clouds spread out, resembling flames.

Wait, has she forgotten something?!

Lin Xue rushed to the lakeside, where only a small white flower remained, swaying precariously in the wind.

There were strange chakra fluctuations in the air; she was late.

"It's time to go back, Xue. Yuan is coming back." Bai Jue silently poked his head out from underground.

-

It was around midnight when Lin Xue had a quick meal and washed up, then sat on the bed.

With a spatial distortion, Uchiha Tobi appeared out of thin air in the room.

Lin Xue was holding a book about the Sharingan when she saw him appear.

She slightly raised the corners of her mouth, and even her eyes couldn't help but show a smile.

Perhaps it's because he was the first person she met upon arriving in this other world, and she has a kind of chick-like attachment to him.

A strange, indescribable emotion welled up inside Obito.

However, he doesn't dislike it.

Just like when he was a child, he always hoped that Xue could rely on him.

However, it's not the situation we're in now.

Obito keenly sensed an unfamiliar scent emanating from Lin Xue. His brows furrowed instantly, and the corners of his mouth, which had unconsciously curved upwards under his mask, now fell droop.

Lin Xue sensed a chilling killing intent permeating the air.

"kite!"

As Lin Xue spoke, Obito saw her smile, revealing slightly sharp canine teeth inside her mouth, her smile childlike.

The murderous intent suddenly vanished. Lin Xue leaned closer to him, bent down slightly, and blinked.

The current Obito Uchiha is no longer the same as before, who needed to raise his head to look down at Lin Xue.

At this moment, he lowered his head slightly, and occasionally, through the high collar, he could even catch a glimpse of her fair collarbone and a small patch of her chest with minimal undulation.

"Here you are, a gift."

Obito pulled a necklace from his sleeve, its sapphire sparkling brilliantly. Under the light, its dispersion created a dazzling display of iridescent colors. Lin Xue's eyes widened. So beautiful! She looked up at him, her eyes filled with disbelief. Obito clearly enjoyed her reaction; a slight smile played on his lips beneath his mask as he said, "Turn around."

Lin Xue obediently followed Yuan's orders and turned around.

The sapphire necklace was worn at the neckline of her high collar, adding a unique radiance to her already delicate features.

She excitedly ran to the bathroom and looked closely through the mirror on the wall, reflecting on her life at the age of sixteen in her previous life.

No one had ever given her such an expensive gift before, and even though Yuan was the boss, Lin Xue was very happy.

"Yuan, you're so good to me!"

Back in the room, the young woman's smile, radiating simple happiness, caught his eye.

For a moment, Obito felt incredibly ironic.

Under the illusion of her amnesia.

Was he good to her...? He killed many people she cared about.

Is this considered being good to her? He remained silent for a moment, and finally said slowly, "If you like it, that's fine."

Lin Xue, however, failed to grasp the complex emotions and unspoken meaning in his words. Obito's gaze inadvertently fell on the small scar beneath her eye. Due to her ninja physique, the healing speed was extremely fast; the wound from the sharp weapon was now almost invisible, leaving only a light brown scab, like a faint mark.

Suddenly, Obito grabbed Lin Xue's wrist with lightning speed.

Before she could even react, he had already pinned her to the bed.

"Why are you injured? Who did this?!" His tone was low and filled with anger.

The man straddled her, grabbing one of her hands and raising it above her head.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down the pure white sheets like a waterfall, and her expression was blank and bewildered: "Ah..."

Whenever she showed this expression, so different from Uchiha Yuki's, Obito's hatred surged like a tide.

He hated her, hated her for forgetting everything.

In his view, he could forget everything except him.

He hated her to the core, yet he couldn't bear to kill her.

I couldn't bear to let her recall everything...

Those innocent, clear eyes can be filled with hatred and disgust...

The man's crimson eyes stared intently at her; this was the first time Lin Xue had ever seen him so angry.

Was it because she was injured? Or because of Uchiha Yuki?

Lin Xue touched the thin scab under her eye with her free hand.

She said softly, "I'm sorry..."

As if realizing his lapse in composure, Obito suddenly loosened his grip.

He sat silently on the side of the bed, while Lin Xue straightened up.

She still asked that question.

"Yuan...do you know the original Uchiha woman?"

She tilted her head, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes filled with curiosity.

She leaned in so close that if Obito tilted his head even slightly, his mask would touch her face.

Obito initially had some doubts about the news that White Zetsu claimed Uchiha Yuki had seemingly regained her memories.

At this moment, there was not a trace of it left; he knew Uchiha Yuki best.

If her memories were restored, the first person she would kill would be the strange White Zetsu before her eyes after her memories were restored.

Obito looked at her, and the crimson eyes beneath the mask returned to their normal black pupils.

Thanks to White Zetsu's explanation, Lin Xue learned that this was called the Sharingan.

Also known as the "Eye of the Soul," it is the bloodline limit of the Uchiha clan.

It can open its eyes through strong emotional stimulation and continues to evolve.

"What's wrong? Why are you asking that?" Obito asked back.

She frowned: "When I woke up, all I remembered was that my name was Lin Xue. Yuan, don't you find that strange?"

Obito did not answer, and Lin Xue did not press the matter further.

She quickly posed another question: "Logically speaking, Iris, shouldn't I also have the Sharingan?"

Obito reached out and touched her face with his black-gloved hand. The cool touch of the leather made Lin Xue blink.

With the chakra he transmitted, she felt a burning sensation in her eyes.

Under Obito's gaze, crimson pupils and three rotating tomoe slowly appeared in her eyes.

Just as she was about to rush to the bathroom, Obito pulled out a handheld mirror from somewhere and handed it to her.

"So this is what the Sharingan looks like." Lin Xue looked in the mirror, closed her eyes to feel it, and when she opened them again, her eyes had returned to normal.

Then, she tried it several times with great enthusiasm, but soon she felt a little dizzy.

Seeing her acting foolishly, Obito was reluctant to admit that this was his sister.

He cupped her face in his hands and channeled chakra into her.

He also cautioned, "Don't repeatedly activate the Sharingan in a short period of time, or you'll faint due to a lack of chakra."

Lin Xue gave an awkward smile; Obito simply couldn't resist any expression on that face.

Even when he arranged assassination missions, he would hide in the shadows and watch silently, afraid that she would get hurt because she had lost her memory.

Even though he knew she was strong and capable enough to protect herself even with amnesia.

Lin Xue often looked at him with a smile, and she couldn't help but reach out and place her hand on his mask.

What does someone look like under a mask? This was the first time in a long time that Lin Xue had been curious about it.

Obito did not stop her, and he also stopped the action of channeling chakra into his hands.

For some reason, Lin Xue felt as if the air around her was filled with pink bubbles, and the atmosphere became incredibly ambiguous.

"Is it okay?" she asked softly.

The man's voice was calm: "If you want to see, you can."

However, Lin Xue hesitated at the crucial moment. She withdrew her hand, frowned, and smiled, saying, "Next time, Yuan."

In an instant, the pink atmosphere completely turned into a gray scene, and even the air became cold.

Obito felt incredibly agitated. He didn't know what she was afraid of, since she clearly didn't remember anything.

Why are they unwilling to continue even at the final step?

"Stop running around." After saying that, he stood up, activated his divine power, and instantly left the room.

In the room, only Lin Xue remained, lying on the bed.

She took off the necklace and kept examining it from left to right.

"After all, this is the priceless 'Heart of the Ocean,' not only invaluable, but even the Fire Country's daimyo couldn't obtain it on the black market for an exorbitant price. And now it's in your hands. It seems Yuan really went to great lengths for you." White Zetsu emerged from the ceiling, hovering in mid-air. He grinned mischievously, covering his mouth as he said, "The atmosphere was quite good just now, why don't you take things a step further with Yuan?"

Lin Xue casually tossed a kunai, slamming the gossipy-looking White Zetsu against the wall.

Having already gotten used to it, the White Zetsu removed the kunai and thoughtfully put it back into her ninja tool pouch.

"Hey! What kind of person is Yuan?" Lin Xue sat up, propping her chin up as she asked. "Also, is Uchiha Madara Yuan? But if we're talking about age, Madara is almost a hundred years old, right?"

As Bai Jue recounted his story, Lin Xue thoughtfully rested her chin on her hands.

"The Eye of the Moon Project? It sounds so unrealistic, such a grand ambition." Lin Xue's eyes crinkled, not believing that the project could succeed, but she immediately added, "However, it's very interesting, if it's to help Yuan."