Obito vs. Shindai - Titans of Absolute Existence
Valley of Dreams.
Snow swallows sound.
The sky is overcast; there is light, but no hope.
The valley itself is like a consciousness, silently watching dreams.
Obito has escaped again.
From the palace, from the gazes, from the expectations.
He has crossed universes to come here because the Valley of Dreams does not lie.
He is usually alone here.
But this time, he stops.
A sense of life.
Not familiar.
Not dangerous.
But unsettling.
Goodness.
Obito catches it like a scent.
Opposite to his philosophy, opposite to his existence.
Something that should not be in this valley.
He lowers his hand slightly.
The seal reacts but does not open.
The center of the snow moves.
A man emerges from the snow.
Without effort.
Without display.
He walks and stops at a certain distance from Obito.
Then he sits on the snow.
As if this place belongs to him.
His long hair flows down his shoulders;
partially tied at the top, the rest loose.
His blue eyes do not look at Obito at first.
He looks at the valley itself.
The silence stretches.
Obito’s patience is not short, but this silence is deliberate.
This is not a challenge.
This is an acceptance.
Obito’s voice cracks in the valley:
— “You don't belong here.”
The man raises his head.
— “I didn't come to belong.”
This sentence…
Is neither defense nor attack.
Obito’s brows furrow slightly.
— “You smell of goodness.”
The man looks directly at him for the first time.
— “I don't take that as an insult.”
The air grows heavy.
Obito’s presence crushes the texture of the valley.
— “State your name.”
A brief pause.
— “Shindai.”
The name is spoken but not offered.
There is no pride, no hesitation.
Obito takes a step.
The snow cracks.
— “Many have observed me.”
Shindai stands up calmly.
He does not approach Obito.
— “None of them tried to understand you.”
This sentence hits home for the first time.
Obito’s eyes flash.
The seal is still closed, but the pressure is felt.
— “I am not something to be understood.”
Shindai nods slightly.
— “That is why you are here.”
The wind blows in the valley.
The snow changes direction.
For the first time, Obito feels this:
This man is not afraid.
But he stands before him.
And this…
Is unlike anything he has ever known.
Obito turns his back.
The fabric of the universe opens.
Before he leaves, Shindai’s voice comes.
Just a single sentence:
— “The goodness within you has grown tired before you.”
Obito does not stop.
But that sentence…
Does not stay in the Valley of Dreams.
Obito is still muttering to himself when he steps onto the palace grounds.
The chill of the valley hasn't left him.
But the real weight is that single sentence remaining in his ear.
> “The goodness within you has grown tired before you.”
>
— “Nonsense…”
he thinks to himself.
— “Goodness does not grow tired. Goodness dies.”
The massive palace gates open before he even approaches.
It’s clear something is wrong inside.
The Scorpions are the first to notice.
They emerge from the shadows.
Normally silent, controlled, almost ceremonial in their movements…
but this time, they are frantic.
One voice blends into another:
— “He’s not here.”
— “No, we lost the trail.”
— “If he went outside the palace—”
Obito’s step hits the stone floor.
The sound stops.
They all turn at once.
The Scorpions are late to kneel;
half a second slower than usual.
This is something even they notice.
Obito frowns and looks around.
— “What is happening?”
The soldiers line up hastily.
There is no fear in their eyes—
but there is panic.
A Scorpion steps forward.
— “We were looking for you.”
— “An anomaly was detected in the universal transitions.”
— “The Celestial observation networks… they have moved.”
Obito’s face hardens.
— “How much?”
— “A lot.”
The interior of the palace is not in its usual silence.
Soldiers running through corridors,
half-finished orders,
sentences hanging in the air…
Obito begins to walk.
Muttering as he goes.
— “We thought we’d be alone for a moment…”
— “Just a moment.”
As he nears the throne room,
a Scorpion hesitates.
— “My Lord… also—”
Obito stops.
He turns slowly.
— “Speak.”
— “A trace was detected from the Valley of Dreams.”
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A moment of silence.
Something stirs inside Obito.
But his face betrays nothing.
— “A measurement error.”
— “That place is silent.”
The Scorpion bows his head.
— “Yes… but this trace…”
— “Was very close to the frequency of goodness.”
That word.
Goodness.
Obito’s hand clenches instinctively.
A fine crack forms in the stone floor.
— “Do not use that word in your reports again.”
— “As you command.”
Obito walks toward his throne.
But he does not sit.
He looks at the high ceiling of the palace.
In the middle of the order he built himself,
for the first time…
He does not feel alone.
This feeling irritates him even more.
A voice whispers from within.
Familiar.
Sarcastic.
> “It clearly bothered you.”
>
Obito grinds his teeth.
— “Be quiet.”
But it doesn’t stop.
> “He might be the first person to truly see you.”
>
Obito’s eyes darken.
— “No one sees me.”
But that look in the Valley of Dreams…
is as if it’s still watching him.
The throne room falls silent.
The Scorpions disperse, the soldiers retreat to their posts.
Night closes over the palace like a heavy shroud.
Night passes.
The palace sleeps.
Or thinks it sleeps.
Morning.
Eyes open.
And the first thing noticed is not the cold…
but the silence.
When the windows are opened, the view is clear:
A snowstorm.
The sky is choked with white.
The palace towers, courtyards, roads…
everything is under knee-deep snow.
But there is no panic inside.
The soldiers are calm.
The Scorpions are indifferent.
These are beings from hell.
If they wanted, they could evaporate all the snow in a single breath.
But no one moves.
Because this is not a threat.
It is simply a situation.
And they are used to situations.
The Scorpions begin the daily routine.
Patrols are sent out.
Gates are opened.
Orders are given.
The palace continues to function even under the snow.
Obito stands on a high balcony.
A thin layer of snow has accumulated on him.
He doesn’t care.
His eyes are fixed on the storm.
The Demon breaks the silence.
Demon:
— “Isn't it beautiful?”
— “Everything looks more innocent when it’s covered up.”
Obito’s jaw tightens.
Obito:
— “Be quiet.”
Demon:
— “You’re still thinking about that man.”
— “The doctor who smells of goodness.”
Obito does not answer.
Demon:
— “I see you’ve been silent this long just because someone bothered you for the first time.”
The air around Obito grows heavy.
But there is no explosion.
No destruction.
This is not the old Obito reflex.
Obito:
— “He doesn't know me.”
Demon:
— “No one knew you.”
— “But he… guessed.”
Obito’s eyes lock onto a point in the snowstorm.
Obito:
— “Guessing is not seeing.”
Demon (mockingly):
— “Sometimes the things you don’t want to see…”
— “start with a guess.”
A Scorpion approaches the balcony.
His steps are controlled.
Scorpion:
— “My Lord.”
Obito does not turn his head.
Obito:
— “Speak.”
Scorpion:
— “The snowstorm is not natural.”
— “Its source is universal.”
— “But there is no intent to attack.”
Obito smiles slightly.
A cold smile.
Obito:
— “I know.”
The Scorpion pauses for a moment.
Scorpion:
— “Is there something you don’t know?”
A brief silence.
Obito:
— “There is.”
— “But there is no need for you to know.”
The Scorpion bows.
Scorpion:
— “As you command.”
The Scorpion moves away.
The Demon speaks again.
Demon:
— “He was the first being to call you to goodness.”
— “And look… his effect is already lingering.”
Obito’s hand creates cracks in the balcony railing.
Obito:
— “It’s not an effect.”
— “It’s an annoying echo.”
Demon:
— “The same thing.”
The snowstorm intensifies.
But the palace stands firm.
Obito doesn't tell anyone what he's thinking:
> “If he ever crosses my path again…”
>
He doesn't finish the sentence.
Because for the first time…
He isn't sure how it will end.
Days pass like this.
The snowstorm does not cease, but no one minds.
Outside the palace, life continues with a strange calm.
The Lower Settlements – Lower Levels of the Palace
Snow is knee-deep in the stone streets.
People have gathered around fire pits.
Old Man:
— “In the old days, when it snowed like this, the sky would turn red.”
Young Woman:
— “It’s not turning red now.”
— “It’s as if it’s watching.”
Someone Else:
— “Who?”
The woman shrugs.
Young Woman:
— “I don’t know.”
— “But this snow… isn't normal.”
A child looks at a snowflake falling into his palm.
Child:
— “It doesn't hurt.”
The old man closes the child’s hand.
Old Man:
— “The things that don't hurt are more dangerous, my boy.”
A Distant Planet – Shindai’s Perspective
A silent plane.
The sky is layered.
Shindai stands on the edge of a stone ledge.
Someone is with him.
Not human.
But not a Celestial either.
Unknown Being:
— “You are watching that region again.”
Shindai:
— “It’s not watching.”
Unknown Being:
— “That being affected you.”
Shindai’s gaze hardens.
Shindai:
— “He is not a 'being'.”
— “He is a choice.”
Cosmic particles resembling snow hang in the air.
Unknown Being:
— “The Celestials are moving.”
Shindai closes his eyes.
Shindai:
— “Then I am late.”
Another World – Merchant Caravan
The snowstorm is felt here too.
Merchant:
— “The sky has been the same for three days.”
Guard:
— “They say the balance is broken.”
Merchant:
— “Who broke it?”
The guard lowers his voice.
Guard:
— “The king who came from hell.”
A moment of silence.
Another Guard:
— “His name is not to be spoken.”
Merchant:
— “But fear is spreading.”
The Palace – Obito’s Solitude
Obito has been standing in the same place for days.
Not on the throne.
In observation.
The Demon does not speak.
This is unusual.
Obito whispers.
Obito:
— “Even your silence is screaming.”
The Demon finally answers.
Demon:
— “The Celestials are approaching.”
Obito’s face hardens.
Obito:
— “I know.”
And That Day…
The sky splits open.
But it doesn't explode.
It doesn't burn.
It opens.
It is not light that comes.
Nor is it shadow.
The Celestials.
In their iconic forms…
massive, cold, formless yet perfect.
Time slows down.
The wind stops.
Snow hangs suspended in the air.
The palace does not sound an alarm.
Because this is not an attack.
This is a notification.
Obito steps forward.
Obito:
— “What do you want?”
One of the Celestials speaks.
The voice is not singular.
Celestial:
— “Observation complete.”
Obito:
— “On whose behalf?”
A brief pause.
Celestial:
— “On behalf of our Creator.”
Obito’s brows furrow.
Obito:
— “His name.”
The Celestial answers.
A single word.
Celestial:
— “Shindai.”
—
Time flows again.
But for Obito…
something clicks into place.
That name.
The one he heard in the valley.
The one sitting in the snow.
The one who smelled of goodness.
Obito’s eyes darken.
Obito (to himself):
— “…you.”
The Demon smiles.
Demon:
— “So your paths had crossed before.”
Obito’s voice is like ice.
Obito:
— “So what they created…
— is his legacy.”
The Celestials are motionless.
But the environment grows heavy.
This is no longer an encounter.
This is the beginning of the inevitable.
Obito’s voice does not rise.
But it deepens.
This is something those who know him recognize.
As the voice drops… the world pays attention.
He stands before the Celestials. His eyes are half-closed, his face showing neither anger nor curiosity. Just a measuring expression.
Obito:
“You said ‘routine’.”
(a brief pause)
“Beings who use that word often usually don’t have tombstones.”
One of the Celestials steps forward. Its form is unclear; something between light and armor. The voice sounds as if it comes from a single mouth.
Celestial:
“The preservation of balance is not concerned with personal perceptions. You, too, are a part of this universe.”
This sentence…
Echoes inside the palace.
And in that moment—
Behind Obito, the Scorpions move.
Armor snaps shut.
Chains tighten.
Masks lower.
No one attacks.
But everyone is ready.
A Scorpion whispers, his voice echoing through the metal:
Scorpion:
“Master, a single signal is enough.”
The people…
The crowd outside the palace retreats. Gates close. Children are silenced. Elders mutter prayers, though they themselves don't know to which god.
A peasant woman's voice is heard trembling:
Peasant:
“Are these… are these newcomers gods?”
The old man beside her shakes his head.
Old Man:
“No.”
(a dry smile)
“Gods aren't this afraid.”
Obito takes a step.
The ground doesn't crack.
The air doesn't burn.
But the Celestials’ light… flickers for a second.
Obito:
“My universe…”
“My world…”
“And my people.”
His eyes lock onto the being at the center of the Celestials.
Obito:
“Anyone who turns these into a ‘balance graph’…”
“Is either a guest…”
(a short smile)
“Or a target.”
There is a brief silence among the Celestials.
For the first time, something outside of protocol is happening.
Celestial:
“Threat detected.”
Obito’s lips part.
Obito:
“No.”
“A threat has not formed.”
The darkness behind him stirs.
The Scorpions line up.
Shadows lengthen.
Obito:
“I am simply reminding you.”
“If you wish to be observers in this universe…”
“First, you learn to ask for permission.”
A moment’s pause.
Then, one of the Celestials, even if unintentionally, lets it slip:
Celestial:
“…Shindai.”
That name…
Slams a door violently inside Obito.
Time seems to stop for half a breath.
His eyes truly open for the first time.
And in a whisper, almost to himself:
Obito:
“…so he is still watching.”
Celestial:
“The observation of this universe… is Shindai’s instruction.”
“An imbalance deviation possibility was reported.”
“We are only—”
He cannot finish his sentence.
Obito’s gaze cuts him off.
This time, for real.
The air grows heavy. The flames of the torches hanging in the palace dome bend inward. It’s as if the world will decide based on Obito’s next breath.
Obito:
“So he said it.”
He takes another step.
This time the ground makes a sound.
The Scorpions move into full alignment. Chains scrape the floor. Eyes behind masks glow. No one is waiting for an order anymore — they are reading Obito’s intent.
Someone from the people is about to scream, but the sound stays in their throat.
Obito:
“Shindai…”
(laughs briefly)
“Since when has he been sending others?”
The Celestials' forms sharpen, they move into a defensive formation. Their light hardens. Non-protocol, but mandatory.
Celestial:
“Direct intervention in this universe—”
Obito (sharply):
“Enough.”
A single word.
But like a law.
Obito:
“If he is so curious…”
“Let him come.”
“Let him look for himself.”
His eyes glow in the dark. A different silhouette appears behind him for a moment; formless, ancient, suppressed.
Obito:
“I am waiting here.”
“Even guesting has its etiquette.”
One of the Celestials instinctively recoils. This is a first in their history.
Celestial:
“Is this… a challenge?”
Obito’s answer is immediate.
Obito:
“No.”
“This is an invitation.”
And right at that moment—
All the Celestials freeze at once.
Their light seems to go out. The symbols on their armor flow in reverse. Time… retreats for a very short moment.
One of them speaks, muffled and in haste:
Celestial:
“…recall order received.”
Obito raises an eyebrow slightly.
Obito:
“From whom?”
No answer comes.
The Celestials break their battle formation. Their retreat is not like an escape; it is like a movement cut short by an order.
At the last moment, one of them mumbles, albeit unintentionally:
Celestial:
“Conflict… is not desired.”
The lights bend.
A void opens.
And just as they came… they vanish.
Deathly silence in the palace.
One of the Scorpions kneels.
Scorpion:
“Master… why did they stop?”
Obito’s eyes are still fixed on the closing void.
Obito:
“Because…”
(in a low voice)
“He remembers me.”
He turns around.
There is neither victory nor relief on his face.
Only an expression of waiting.
Obito:
“This was the first look.”
“Next time…”
“…they won't settle for observation.”
And like a whisper, a sentence no one fully hears falls into the air:
Obito:
“Or he will come.”
I — The Recalled
As soon as the void closes, the Celestials find themselves in a directionless plane woven with light. Time does not flow here; it only keeps records.
None of them speak.
The eldest takes the first word.
Celestial (Primary Observer):
“Report initiating.”
Images appear on the surface of the light:
The snowy palace, the Scorpions, the fear of the people…
And Obito’s gaze.
Celestial:
“Universe: stable.”
“However, the local entity—”
He pauses.
Celestial:
“—Obito Akumatsuki, is beyond predicted limits.”
The light flickers.
Celestial (Secondary):
“Not a threat.”
“Yet.”
Another silence.
Then…
The light at the center of the plane collapses.
There is no form. No face. But there is presence.
The voice that speaks is neither loud nor soft.
It is as if the universe itself speaks.
??? :
“Continue.”
The Celestials bow.
Celestial (Primary):
“Obito mentioned your name directly.”
“Consciously.”
“With respect… but threateningly.”
A brief pause.
??? :
“This is an expected result.”
Celestial:
“Permission for intervention?”
The light…
Expands as if making a decision for a moment, then calms down again.
??? :
“No.”
Celestial (Secondary):
“Reason?”
The answer is clear.
??? :
“Because he is still uncertain.”
A vibration.
The Celestials do not record this for the first time.
Celestial (Primary):
“Will observation continue?”
??? :
“From a distance.”
“And… silently.”
The light begins to fade.
The final sentence is almost like a whisper:
??? :
“Do not break him.”
And the plane dissolves.
II — The Palace Square
When Obito steps in front of the palace, the snowstorm is still going on.
But the people are no longer running away.
There is silence.
There is fear.
And curiosity.
Obito does not climb to a high place.
He just stands one step ahead of them.
The Scorpions retreat.
This conversation does not belong to them.
Obito looks around.
For the first time, his voice is soft.
Obito:
“The things you just saw…”
“Were not gods.”
The crowd stirs.
Obito:
“And they were not your fate either.”
A woman steps forward, trembling.
One of the People:
“Did they come to destroy us…?”
Obito shakes his head.
Obito:
“No.”
“They came to measure us.”
He takes another step.
Obito:
“And we were measured.”
Silence.
Obito:
“This universe is not ownerless.”
“I am here.”
The people’s shoulders drop, if only a little.
Obito:
“Do not be afraid.”
“But be alert.”
His eyes harden.
Obito:
“Because one day…”
“They may not sett
le for just looking.”
A child asks, innocently:
Child:
“What will happen then?”
Obito kneels.
He drops to eye level.
Obito:
“Then…”
(he smiles, but a dark smile)
“I… will take care of it.”
III — The Aftermath
After that night, small things change in the universe.
The stars go out a little later.
Some dreams remain unfinished for the first time.
And in the Valley of Dreams…
In the middle of the snow, a place where someone sat a while ago
Is still warm.
Somewhere, an invisible gaze
Watches that empty space.
And to itself, in a very ancient language
It forms a single sentence:
"Ankora? ne estas la ?usta tempo"
(> “It is not yet the right time.”)
