Naraku sped along, frequently using the Body Flicker Technique, and managed to get Obito to the hospital emergency room within minutes.
A doctor was quickly called to set the boy's bones.
Shisui's injuries were lighter, consisting mostly of scrapes and bruises.
Naraku led the boy to a corner, pulled out alcohol and cotton balls from a medical kit, and gave him a heads-up before starting.
"This might sting a bit, so just bear with it."
"Mhm."
Shisui silently gritted his teeth.
As soon as the alcohol-soaked cotton ball touched the wound, a burning pain flared up like scorching flames.
With each wipe, the cotton fibers lightly grazed the exposed flesh, creating a tingling itch mixed with pain that made every second feel like a year.
Once the disinfection was complete, Naraku looked up and saw Shisui gritting his teeth in endurance.
He took the opportunity to praise the child.
"Shisui is really amazing for enduring such injuries until now."
The bandage gently yet firmly covered the wound, applied with just the right pressure so it didn't hurt too much.
Shisui only needed to lower his head slightly to see Naraku concentrating on the knot, his movements so practiced they must have been repeated thousands of times.
He thought to himself: how could his injuries be called serious?
Senior Naraku had been through so many real battles; he must have suffered far worse than this.
How much pain must he have endured back then?
"Yo!"
A carefree greeting echoed in the room, breaking the quiet atmosphere.
Obito walked in leaning on a crutch, his good foot hopping on the ground while the other, encased in a cast, dragged lightly.
Even in this state, he still had the presence of mind to smile at them.
Shisui finally experienced firsthand the sheer extent of his clan brother's optimism.
It surpassed even that of a bird singing in the jungle.
"Thanks, Naraku. It's a good thing you came to find me."
Although I really didn't want that bridal carry at the end... Obito grumbled softly in his heart.
"You're welcome, Obito."
Naraku finished bandaging Shisui's last wound, tying a neat bow and patting the boy's head.
"Shisui was very brave, too."
"Right, right! Shisui, thank you!" Obito added.
The praised boy quickly waved his hands; his elder had been injured saving him, so how could he accept the thanks?
"No, I didn't do anything... If Big Brother Obito hadn't tried to help me, it wouldn't have ended up like this..."
Guilt made Shisui's voice grow softer and softer as his spirits sagged.
Just before he completely spiraled into dejection, Naraku blinked as if realizing something.
Uncharacteristically, his words became exceptionally blunt and lacking in tact.
"Next time something happens, you can just call me; at least I won't end up as miserable as Obito."
Obito, caught off guard by the verbal sting, immediately widened his eyes.
It was as if he saw a phantom of someone else—likely Kakashi—overlapping with Naraku.
He bristled instantly.
"Ah—Naraku, you bastard! I knew you'd been hanging around Kakashi too long and picked up his bad habits!"
Naraku's movements paused for a moment.
Then he crouched down and leaned on Shisui's shoulder, his aggrieved expression slightly exaggerated.
He "whispered" a complaint loud enough for everyone to hear: "Can't I even point out when someone isn't as skilled? Obito is so domineering..."
"A duel! I challenge you to a duel, you bastard!"
Obito tossed his crutch aside, hopped over on one leg, and grabbed Naraku's collar before turning to shout at Shisui.
"Hey, Shisui! You be the referee! I'm definitely going to beat this guy until he surrenders!"
Meanwhile, Shisui had completely crashed, bewildered by how things had turned into a brawl in the blink of an eye.
How could a person as gentle as Senior Naraku suddenly be so...
But the situation didn't allow for deep thought.
He quickly went over to support the wobbling Obito, attempting to stabilize the chaos.
"Big Brother Obito, take it easy... Hold onto your crutch... Whatever happens, wait until your leg heals..."
"No! I'm going to make him see what I'm capable of right now!"
"No, no, no... Senior Naraku, say something!"
"Obito, I'll give you a one-leg handicap; come at me."
"You'd better not say anything, Senior Naraku!" Shisui wailed.
The three of them were in a chaotic mess for a long time, eventually ending with Naraku easily subduing Obito.
The youngest, Shisui, was utterly exhausted.
But after all that noise, the negative emotions in his chest had been completely washed away.
All that remained was the fatigue of wanting to go home and lie down in bed.
Walking out of the hospital gate, Naraku casually opened his arms to lean on him again.
Obito absolutely refused to let him carry him home.
The great Lord Obito couldn't afford to lose face like that twice in one night.
As the two were bickering, a strange, bulky shadow quickly approached from the darkness.
When the figure entered the light, Shisui realized it was Naraku's Shadow Clone returning with the wild boar they had killed.
"It seems I've returned just in time."
Easily carrying hundreds of pounds of prey, the Shadow Clone still had energy to spare.
From behind his back, he produced the wild rabbit Shisui had dropped in his panic.
The poor little creature had been knocked unconscious during the fall and still hadn't woken up.
The Shadow Clone's lips curved into a gentle smile.
"This should be important to you two, right?"
Shisui stared blankly at him; this was the Senior Naraku he remembered.
Seeing the boy staring without answering, the Shadow Clone tilted his head in confusion.
He frowned at his main body, silently asking with his eyes what had just happened.
Shisui snapped back to reality, realizing the bickering behind him had finally stopped.
He turned around to see Naraku's main body smiling rather bashfully.
It was as if, once exposed by his own clone, he could no longer keep up the "cool" charade.
His gentle nature reasserted control over his body.
"Ahem, alright, alright."
Naraku forcibly ignored the awkwardness, avoiding Obito's teasing gaze.
He looked up at the deep night sky, attempting to change the subject.
"It's getting very late. Shouldn't we head home?"
Shisui's eyes sparkled like stars, and he nodded vigorously.
"Mhm!"
He realized that the earlier spectacle was likely Senior Naraku's way of distracting him so he wouldn't blame himself.
Given the senior's consistently kind personality, pretending to be sharp-tongued just to rouse Obito must have been a difficult performance.
He couldn't let such kindness go to waste.
He would take tonight's events as a lesson and work even harder to become stronger.
Obito was just about to tease Naraku for dropping the act so quickly.
Suddenly, he noticed Naraku had quietly moved next to him.
He tried to hop away, but he was caught before he could take half a step.
Under Shisui's sparkling gaze, Naraku ignored Obito's resistance.
He picked him up in a bridal carry once more, determined to take him home that way.
The helpless Obito was frantic.
"I told you I can walk! Naraku, you bastard, put me down!"
Naraku, however, feigned total innocence with a look of deep concern.
"With you like this, it'll be dawn by the time you reach your front door, won't it?"
"None of your business!"
Under the night sky, the boy's desperate cries were loud, clear, and completely useless.
Naraku: "Give up, Obito. Tonight, I'm definitely going to embarrass you all the way home."