"My name is Uchiha Obito, and right now, I'm freaking out."
"I'm testing a new genjutsu game for our Uchiha clan's wisest leader, Kai."
"This is a scary game, and it's making me a bit nervous. Thankfully, it's not too bad because I'm a ninja, and I've completed S-rank missions and seen some serious things. I believe I can handle the scary game situations."
"However, I quickly realized I was being naive. When I followed the game's early instructions and entered the creepy hospital, my chakra mysteriously disappeared, and I became just an ordinary person with no strength to fight back."
"Ahhhhh~~~ Why is this happening!? Is it really okay for me to be turned into a powerless regular person in such a clearly dangerous place?"
"So, should I keep going? Or... should I just run away?"
Standing just inside the hospital door, Uchiha Obito was drenched in sweat.
Though he looked scared on the outside, he wasn't actually that afraid. After all, he was a ninja, and he had experienced "Return Home."
He had a general idea of what to expect from a scary game. As long as his own strength was enough to handle it, he wasn't too worried.
The classic saying is that "enough power means 'seeing ghosts is dangerous,'" and "not enough power means 'seeing ghosts is really dangerous.'"
Obito didn't want to experience the helpless feeling of being unable to fight back, but the game was designed this way. After all, how else could this game be called "Escape" and not "Kill"?
But in the end, Obito didn't choose to run. It wasn't because he suddenly gained courage; it was simply because he knew others were waiting outside.
Even if they couldn't see his gameplay, quitting the game right after entering would look suspicious.
Besides, he knew Uchiha Kai would definitely be watching everything. There was no way he could quit now.
The most important thing was—Rin was waiting outside too! He absolutely couldn't let her think he was a coward!
So, he gathered himself and slapped his face to hype himself up. Then, holding back his nervousness and fear, he carefully stepped into the hospital.
To the people watching the entire process live outside, what they saw was Obito entering the hospital.
After realizing his powers were gone, he hesitated at the door for quite a while before finally, with a nervous expression, deciding to move forward.
Although he mustered the courage to continue, his indecision made Kakashi unable to stop himself from commenting, "Hmph, idiot. As a ninja, if you take on a mission, even if you lose your powers, you have to push forward to complete it. Besides, this is just a game, not real life. Hesitating like an idiot at the door for so long is so embarrassing."
As usual, Kakashi's sharp tongue showed his biased view of Obito.
However, being the mediator among the two, Rin could still sense Kakashi's concern for Obito through his words.
Although she didn't quite know how she figured it out, she could tell that Kakashi, the proud little brat, did care for Obito.
Perhaps, this was the 'bond' between the three of them.
At that moment, Uchiha Kai directly pulled out a bunch of sodas, popcorn, and chips, and shared them with everyone.
Already used to it, Kushina eagerly dragged Kikyo and Naori to the sofa, grabbed a soda and some popcorn, and started eating and drinking.
It seemed she had a special fondness for this "fatty" snack combo.
Kakashi and Rin were a little awkward, but after being persuaded by the adults, they finally picked up their sodas and chips and joined in.
Soon after, Kakashi and Rin were surprised to find that the soda had a refreshing, energizing effect, while the chips seemed to have the ability to restore chakra.
These were things truly astonishing in the ninja world.
To this, Minato just smiled at his two students, signaling them to keep it to themselves and not say anything about it.
Seeing this, the two quickly nodded in understanding, increasingly realizing how unfathomable Uchiha Kai, the creator of the genjutsu game, really was.
But, as Chunin from Konoha and Minato's students, they didn't need to worry about such matters. They just had to focus on their duties as disciples and subordinates.
Soon, both of their attention was once again drawn to the livestream, and they couldn't help but feel worried, because Obito started shouting again.
This time, Obito had encountered the classic face-jump scare.
In the game, Obito advanced into the hospital lobby, only to find that the entire hall was still dark.
However, it wasn't completely dark, as oil lamps had been lit on the walls and columns, providing some light.
Yet, the lighting from the oil lamps was limited, and not many lamps were lit, causing the hall to flicker between light and dark.
Many areas were hard to see, and the hall was cluttered with long benches, looking disorganized.
Papers and other things were scattered everywhere, with dried blood stains on the floor. The air reeked of decay and mildew.
All these sights unsettled Obito, and as he cautiously moved forward, he suddenly encountered a person jumping out from between two benches, catching him off guard and pushing him to the ground.
The person had no hair, shriveled skin, hollow eyes with bloodshot sclera, and was wearing green patient clothes.
The parts of their arms and legs that were visible showed numerous needle marks and rotting skin.
After the sudden attack, the person didn't continue to hurt Obito but instead said in a voice filled with both fear and excitement, "Go! Leave! Go! Hell! This is hell! Leave! Don't come back! Hurry!"
Then, as if realizing something, the person quickly let go of Obito, stood up in panic, and looked around nervously, shouting phrases like "He's coming! He's coming!" in a frantic tone.
Then, they turned and ran straight into the darkness.
Obito, frozen in fear from the jump scare, could barely react to the NPC's erratic behavior.
By the time he regained his senses, the person was already gone. He tried calling out a few times but got no response, swallowing nervously as sweat poured down his face. His legs felt weak, and he wanted to turn around and run home immediately.
For this 9-year-old boy, the game felt too intense. It was even scarier than Return Home.
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