Obito's eyes suddenly went wide!
How could it be Senju Tobirama?
"What the hell are you talking about?! That's Lord Second Hokage!"
Obito stared at him in disbelief. "Are you insane?"
"I like that expression, kid..."
Ginkaku grinned as he savored Obito's shock.
"Do you understand your fate now? An Uchiha falling into Senju Tobirama's hands? You're in for a real treat..."
"I don't know whether you've ever seen Wood Release or sensed the First Hokage's chakra, but take a look at Hi-kun's body. Doesn't it seem familiar?"
"Other than Senju Hashirama's younger brother, who else could use his cells to create this many artificial humans?"
Obito was plunged into utter shock.
Had a former Hokage set up his own faction and abandoned Konoha?
Why?!
Hi-kun cleared his throat. "You're saying a little too much, Ginkaku."
Hi-kun pushed Obito's wheelchair over to Madara.
At that moment, a Rinnegan genjutsu activated without the slightest sign. In Obito's eyes, Madara's appearance transformed into the image of Tobirama carved into the Hokage Rock.
"Second-sama, why haven't you returned to the village?!"
The moment Obito saw Madara, he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What are you doing here?"
"You inherently evil little Uchiha brat..."
Madara curled his lips upward, imitating Tobirama with uncanny accuracy.
"Are you questioning the Second Hokage's decision?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Obito was momentarily dumbfounded.
"But I don't understand. If you have forces like these, why aren't you stopping the war? The village may have the advantage, but as long as there's a war, some of our comrades are still going to die..."
"Do you think you live in the Pure Land?" Madara asked in amusement.
"An infant protected in swaddling clothes has no ability to withstand changes in the outside world..."
"Just look at yourself. Haven't you already experienced the helplessness that comes from being too weak? Can you protect your comrades Kakashi and Rin? Even when all you're facing are a few Iwagakure grunts?"
Obito's expression stiffened.
That really was what had happened...
"The shinobi world has never lacked geniuses, and the desires of geniuses are always particularly unique—and they stand above those of everyone else."
Madara spoke calmly.
"If you think everyone in the shinobi world can simply live together in harmony, that only proves you're a naive little brat."
"Konoha and the shinobi world as they exist today were made possible because a powerful man like Senju Hashirama desired peace rather than domination."
"But what if he'd wanted to destroy the shinobi world? Or enslave everyone in it..."
Obito couldn't help but argue, "But First-sama didn't! He founded Konoha together with the Great Clan Head!"
Madara's heart stirred.
The brat even remembered to mention him...
"That is precisely what made Hashirama so admirable."
Madara continued unhurriedly, "It's also the very foundation that allowed Konoha to come into existence. Everyone knows that he brought an end to the chaotic era, so people are deeply grateful for the ideals he upheld..."
"But let me ask you this: why is Hashirama worthy of respect for ending that era of chaos and pursuing peace?"
Obito's heart trembled. He felt as though he was beginning to understand something...
"Precisely because someone as powerful as him is, by his very nature, beyond anyone else's ability to restrain. The fact that he chose to restrain himself was a blessing for everyone weaker than him, but that doesn't mean every powerful person will be like Hashirama."
"If one day another person as powerful as Hashirama appears in the shinobi world—not in Konoha, but in Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, or even some minor hidden village..."
"Or perhaps it won't even be a shinobi at all. Maybe it'll be some kind of monster, or a visitor from beyond this world..."
Madara continued almost casually.
"But unlike Hashirama, this powerful being has no interest in peace and desires only destruction. What is Konoha supposed to do then?"
"If Konoha cannot stand against such a powerful being, then that only proves that the so-called village and the Will of Fire are nothing more than a game of make-believe created on a powerful man's passing whim, with no value in existing whatsoever!"
Obito listened to Madara's theory, dumbstruck.
You could look at it that way?
But at that moment, Obito remembered one of Hiruzen's famous sayings:
'If peace can be brought about by a single person, then it can also be taken away by a single person...'
Wasn't that basically the same idea?
Obito nodded thoughtfully.
The young Uchiha began to think.
"I think I more or less understand what you mean..."
"Basically, you're creating a controlled sense of urgency for the village, forcing everyone to hurry up and grow stronger instead of resting on the First Hokage and the Great Clan Head's past achievements?"
Obito's mind raced as he tentatively asked, "It's actually a little like Lord Hokage's approach. We all know Lord Hokage doesn't want to start a war, but if war is unavoidable, then once it happens, all we can do is make use of it."
"For example, by fighting defensively and counterattacking, the village's shinobi all get to experience the intensity of war. There will indeed be casualties, but fundamentally, it allows everyone to grow stronger at the lowest possible cost..."
"Provided the logistics are properly taken care of, in the long run, it actually reduces the village's losses."
The advantages of Konoha's council system were evident at this moment.
When it came to the Hokage's decisions, as long as something could be disclosed and the reasoning behind it made sense, the other Konoha Council Members and jōnin would seriously explain it to the shinobi beneath them, ensuring that everyone from top to bottom understood the reasoning and remained coordinated.
As Minato's disciple, Obito might occasionally have a few screws loose when it came to using his brain, but he was, after all, a member of the Uchiha Clan—now one of Konoha's largest propaganda arms—and firmly belonged to the Hokage's own faction...
On top of that, his best friend Kakashi's father was the ANBU Chief.
So he could still understand some of the basic principles.
Madara looked at Obito with mild surprise.
Well, now!
This brat didn't seem quite as stupid as he'd thought.
Back in the Warring States Period, anyone his age capable of understanding things at this level would definitely have counted as intelligent...
'Hiruzen actually seems to be doing a pretty decent job...'
The thought couldn't help but surface in Madara's mind.
If even an idiot like Obito dared to argue his case logically in front of him, then Hiruzen had at least managed to educate people without discrimination.
"Take Uchiha Madara, for example..."
"If he attacked Konoha again right now, would Konoha be able to withstand him?"
"Senju Hashirama isn't around anymore!"
For some inexplicable reason, Madara found himself asking that.
Obito instantly became wary. Frowning, he said, "What are you talking about? Why would Madara-sama ever attack Konoha? Wasn't what happened back then already settled? He may have gone a little too far, but fundamentally, it was just a clash of ideals..."
"Even if you are Lord Second Hokage, you can't just say whatever you want. Lord Third is the Hokage now!"
"As for everything you did to the Uchiha back then, I can understand it as lingering baggage and misunderstandings left over from the Warring States Period. You did lead the village through the First Shinobi World War, after all. You were a Hokage who contributed to the village..."
"But you can't smear the Uchiha again! Especially not the Great Clan Head!"
Obito spoke with mounting agitation.
If Hiruzen held the undisputed number-one position in his heart, then after a considerable gap, Uchiha Madara—whose reputation had since been restored—ranked second.
Freeing the Uchiha Clan from the burden of its history inevitably required addressing the old conflict between Tobirama and the Uchiha.
There was simply no way around it.
Tobirama might have believed that he never specifically targeted the Uchiha and that he had always been fair.
But his absolute wariness toward Madara and Izuna back then, along with all the restrictions—both overt and subtle—that he'd placed on the Uchiha Clan, were difficult to explain to others...
After all, they couldn't exactly say that possessing the Sharingan meant being born with the original sin of instability, could they?
That obviously wouldn't help Konoha's unity.
No one would accept being branded a lunatic from birth, especially when the Uchiha Clan had shed blood and fought for Konoha.
Even though the Uchiha themselves acknowledged the issue, it couldn't be openly stated. After all, the reality was that not every Mangekyō Sharingan wielder was an unreasonable madman...
Isshin, Tomie, and now Fugaku had already proven that Mangekyō wielders could love Konoha too!
So some of the blame simply had to fall on Senju Tobirama...
Someone had to take responsibility.
But neither Hiruzen nor Tobirama cared much about that.
Because this had been part of Hiruzen's plan from the beginning.
And Tobirama himself had already reincarnated as an Uchiha and solemnly severed ties with the Senju.
Although it occasionally annoyed him, he believed history would ultimately judge him fairly, and his beloved disciple would eventually find opportunities to tell a few heartwarming stories about his previous life...
It probably wouldn't be much of a problem.
Obito's attitude, however, greatly improved Madara's opinion of him.
He actually dared defend Madara's reputation right in front of Tobirama?
Madara hadn't seen an Uchiha with this much guts in a very long time...
And the brat was still just a kid!
"Kid, I'll give you a chance..."
"Take those words back now, while you still can..." Madara said, staring intently at Obito.
An overwhelming pressure suddenly exploded within Obito's chest!
It was countless times more oppressive than anything the Iwa shinobi had subjected him to. A single glance made him feel as though he were on the verge of death...
But this time, Obito stubbornly refused to yield.
He had compromised with Uzumaki Ashina because the old man's identity was special and the subject he'd asked about wasn't particularly sensitive.
But denying Uchiha Madara...
In Obito's eyes, that would amount to an outright betrayal of Hiruzen, who had donned Madara's armor and slaughtered his way across the Kirigakure battlefield.
And Obito himself admired Madara immensely...
There could be no compromise on this!
"I won't take it back!"
"I support Lord Third Hokage, and I believe the Great Clan Head is one of Konoha's founders!"
"I may be weak, but I won't bow to authority or brute force! I was wrong about you. I never imagined that you, the Second Hokage, wouldn't even have the Will of Fire in your heart..."
Obito craned his neck defiantly and shouted, "Thank you for saving Kakashi and Rin. I have no way to repay you. If you regret saving me, then take my life and my Sharingan!"
"But I hope you'll come to your senses soon and stop going further and further down such an extreme path!"
Madara stared at Obito.
After a long while, he laughed from the bottom of his heart.
Not bad...
He was a good kid!
At that moment, Madara found himself somewhat reluctant to treat Obito as nothing more than a pawn.
After seeing Konoha's orderly tradition of masters passing their teachings down to disciples, Madara sometimes felt that, as one of its founders, he really ought to take a disciple of his own. Although he and Hiruzen were essentially master and disciple already, it still seemed a shame not to have one constantly at his side!
In the end, shinobi inevitably started thinking this way once they grew old. Even Madara was no exception.
Meanwhile, next door,
Ashina and the others had their ears pressed to the wall, eavesdropping. One after another, they shook their heads ruefully.
Well...
He really was a purebred stubborn Uchiha!
Looks like the talks had fallen apart...
Madara waved a hand, cutting off the senses of those spectators.
"Kid..."
"You're not bad. Your understanding of the shinobi world may still be shallow, and you haven't yet grasped how difficult it is to sever the chains of hatred, but at least you have convictions of your own."
Madara slowly released Obito from the genjutsu. "Do you recognize me?"
Obito stared dumbfounded as the Senju Tobirama before him transformed in an instant into Uchiha Madara!
He looked very much like the Madara in the textbooks, except that his hair was half black and half white.
"This..." Obito instinctively wanted to question whether he really was Uchiha Madara.
But Madara's eyes had already shifted from the Rinnegan to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. That unique proof of identity belonging to the Uchiha Clan left Obito with nothing more to say.
"Obito, I know you have a lot you want to say."
"But the words of the weak carry no weight. I saved you because I saw value in your talent and character."
Madara looked Obito directly in the eyes.
"Do you want power?"
"To understand the meaning of life and know the value of your own Nindō..."
Obito's head was spinning.
Just moments ago, he'd been fantasizing about whether he'd stumbled into one of those classic Shinobi Battle Through the Heavens scenarios involving the "Hall of Souls" and an "Ancient Senju Master"...
How had it actually come true?!
As though he'd read Obito's mind, Madara said in amusement, "Your most urgent priority right now is to put down Jiraiya's novels. If you're going to read, stick to historical texts and serious literature..."
What Madara didn't tell Obito was that he actually enjoyed reading them too. He just didn't think Naruen was ruthless enough...
He'd fought his way into Arashigakure and hadn't even slaughtered them all?
Still too soft!
"I do, Great Clan Head..."
Obito swallowed. He felt as though the situation had completely escaped the bounds of his understanding.
He needed some time to process this...
A purple gleam flashed through Madara's eyes. "Don't even think about telling anyone else who I am..."
"You can try. If you succeed, that's your own ability. But if you fail, you'll permanently lose your memories of Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Rin."
"Is this a test, Great Clan Head...?" For the first time, Obito experienced just how domineering Madara could be.
The man really did things ruthlessly. He didn't care in the slightest whether Obito agreed.
Madara neither confirmed nor denied it. "Next, I'll have you fitted with limbs made from Hashirama's cells. They'll benefit both your ocular power and your physical capabilities."
"After that, you'll need to rebuild your combat instincts and fundamentals from scratch. Thinking you're invincible just because you have a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan is an embarrassment to the Uchiha Clan!"
"You think you're impressive just because you awakened your Sharingan early?"
Obito put on a flattering smile and resorted to the classic lines he usually used when getting old people talking about their glory days.
"Of course not, Great Clan Head. I've always thought awakening the Sharingan early isn't necessarily a good thing. Building a solid foundation first like you did, then developing the Sharingan afterward—that's the proper path..."
"I just happened to go through some pretty intense emotional swings! I can't compare to how steady you were..."
Madara cleared his throat.
The childhood trauma inflicted by his family during the Warring States Period felt just a tiny bit healed...
This brat was actually pretty good with words, wasn't he?
"Mm..."
"Hi-kun, have Tobi check his compatibility."
Hi-kun nodded knowingly. Madara wanted to use the good stuff on Obito!
Tobi was a genuine child of the God Tree, after all...
Madara thought for a moment.
"First, get used to your new limbs. On Mondays, you'll train your body with the Raikage. Tuesdays, you'll study Fūinjutsu with Uzumaki Ashina. Wednesdays, you'll spar in taijutsu with Kinkaku and Ginkaku..."
"Thursdays, you'll learn Wood Release from Tobi. Fridays, you'll train your sensory abilities with Hōzuki Gengetsu and Mū. For now, communicate with those two through the telepathic link and build your foundations. Once they're back, you'll move on to practical training."
Obito was completely dumbfounded. "Wait, Great Clan Head..."
Even Lord Hokage didn't train like this!
Obito had once thought that Minato-sensei was already extremely strict with them, making them keep training even when they were drenched in sweat...
Compared to the Great Clan Head, that was practically a vacation.
"On Saturday and Sunday mornings, I'll personally instruct you. Giving you half a day off should be enough, right?"
Madara said considerately.
Back in his day, Uchiha Tajima hadn't even given him half a day off...
This was already progress!
"Obito, once you have First-sama's cells, your body should theoretically be able to handle it."
Hi-kun timely explained Madara's reasoning. "The only thing that might not be able to keep up is your willpower."
"Willpower?"
Obito seemed to latch onto the keyword. "Don't underestimate my Will of Fire!"
Madara couldn't help laughing at the idiot's expression and shook his head.
When he discovered that, aside from the special case of Konoha, the shinobi world held nothing but savagery, betrayal, and deceit—and that the chains of hatred had spread across this land for a thousand years without ever being severed...
Would he still be able to remain this optimistic?
Even within Konoha itself, Madara intended to show Obito an example of Danzō, driven by his obsession, greedily chasing glory and advancing recklessly, disrupting the village's strategic plans and ultimately failing...
With pressure coming from both inside and outside, Obito should naturally develop a longing for the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
There was, however, one uncertain factor in all this...
The Hokage's own response!
But even Madara himself couldn't quite make sense of how he felt about whatever Hiruzen might do.
Part of him hoped Hiruzen would break out of the trap, while another part didn't want to see his own plan fail...
"Madara-sama, I'll take Obito to get his compatibility tested first..."
Hi-kun pushed Obito's wheelchair and said with a smile, "My name is Hi-kun. I'm Madara-sama's servant and steward. If you need anything in the future, you can come talk to me."
Obito nodded. For some reason, he sensed something strange about Hi-kun.
It almost felt like meeting a shinobi from his own village...
Hi-kun, meanwhile, realized that Obito's behavior meant he now had another ally.
As for Madara's whole philosophy, Hi-kun understood all too well that this was a classic case of shinobi-world obsession. He would find opportunities to give Obito a few pointers and keep the brat from being led too far astray...
As long as he didn't do anything extreme, being a little outside the rules wasn't really much of a problem...
Madara waved a hand. "Go on. Stop bothering me!"
Yet despite saying that, he privately felt that having a brat like this around might make life a little more interesting. At least he wouldn't have to spend all his time listening to those old geezers critique the shinobi world...
He'd heard enough of that Warring States stuff!
Time to change the channel...
...
While Obito entered the mysterious organization and began his accelerated elite training, the Sunagakure front also began growing tense.
However, compared to the Iwagakure and Kumogakure fronts, the Sunagakure front was unexpectedly relaxed.
Hanzō, Sakumo, and Nagato had all noticed something strange about Sunagakure. Some of its shinobi fought with tremendous ferocity, yet a considerable portion of them seemed to have no desire whatsoever to participate in this war.
They would simply deploy their puppets and set up defensive trap positions—and blatantly obvious ones at that—while choosing locations that weren't particularly important.
Or they'd spend their time casually tossing a few kunai or senbon into the sky...
It was almost as if they were just going through the motions...
Konoha shinobi had tentatively tried passing right beside them, and those Suna puppeteers hadn't even attacked!
Over the past few months, Konoha's shinobi had even developed an unspoken understanding with these Sunagakure forces. Whenever they spotted puppets, both sides would ease off, tossing out a few ninjutsu for appearances' sake and leaving it at that...
Konoha was the defending side to begin with, so there was no reason to pick a fight with puppeteers whose defensive capabilities were exceptionally strong. These people were specialists in positional warfare.
At the Konoha command headquarters on the Sunagakure front, Hanzō's eyes gleamed thoughtfully. "Say, shouldn't we consider taking the offensive?"
"The other fronts have already achieved results, but because the enemy has so many troops, they haven't managed to completely capture a single Tailed Beast..."
"But things are different over here!"
"I'd say the One-Tail is destined to be with Konoha and Amegakure!"
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---