Of course, Akira had never—even for a fleeting moment—entertained the idea of transplanting his brother's eyes to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
On the contrary, he had wanted Jin to gain that power instead.
As his revenge neared its end, the pain he had suppressed for so long did not fade.
Instead, it grew heavier.
Guilt over his parents' deaths.
The raging fire within his heart.
He knew, sooner or later, it would consume the last person he cared about.
Disgust welled up from the depths of his soul.
But this disgust was no longer directed at the world.
He loved this ninja world.
What he hated…
Was himself.
Why had heaven given him a second life…
Only for him to squander it?
He felt unworthy of this world.
Death began to seem like an escape.
If he could no longer protect his brother…
Then perhaps Jin could use his eyes to protect himself.
At the time, Akira had naively thought so.
He continued softly,
"But I never expected… that idiot would see me 'die' and immediately try to follow me."
"My foolish little brother…"
"My revenge ended like that."
"I killed my parents with one moment of rage."
"And spent three years paying for another."
"At thirteen, Naruto and Sasuke—born the same year as me—set the gears of Team Seven in motion."
"They began their bright journeys as ninjas."
"And I…"
"Though also thirteen, I felt like burnt-out medicine dregs."
"Empty. Exhausted. Unable to move forward."
"I thought I could never walk the path of a ninja again."
"Fortunately, heaven didn't abandon me."
"In my darkest moment, I met the Zen Master."
"He sat upright atop a boulder, hands folded, eyes calm and profound."
"At first glance, I knew he was a wise man."
"So I asked him about the meaning of life."
"He did something strange."
"He stared at the empty sky for a long time."
"Then shook his head, coughed violently, and sighed…"
"'Everything… is fate.'"
Akira's gaze darkened.
"To this day, I don't know what he saw."
"Or what 'fate' meant."
"Anyway, he—who had never taken disciples—accepted me."
"He taught me how to focus on the present."
"How to return to inner peace."
"I desperately needed that."
"To cage the beast inside me."
"Through his guidance and meditation training, I finally tamed it."
"I found peace."
"And the will to move forward again."
"It was as if he had completed his mission."
"Not long after, he passed away."
"Before dying, he entrusted his granddaughter to me."
"And gave me the key to Peachspring."
"That year, I was sixteen."
"Obito had begun manipulating Akatsuki."
"The tailed beast hunt started."
"Naruto and Sasuke's generation rose."
"…"
Obito lowered his gaze.
In a puddle's reflection, he seemed to see a spiral mask.
"At sixteen, I also met Kaori that year."
"Well… let's skip the romance."
Akira rubbed his nose awkwardly.
"Then I discovered something new."
"I could foresee parts of the future through dreams."
"When I told Jin, he chose to support me completely."
"We worked together."
"As for what we did…"
"You two probably already know."
"My ocular power was…"
"My brother's was…"
"Without him, my early arrangements wouldn't exist."
His voice paused.
So did his back.
"But seven years ago…"
"My brother died."
"No explanation."
"He left behind his twins, Feng and Hua…"
"And the Eternal Mangekyō that saved my failing eyesight."
"…"
Madara lowered his head silently.
Akira continued in a low voice,
"His death changed me."
"I never dreamed of the future again."
"Uncertainty replaced certainty."
"I had to compromise."
"And those compromises shaped my later plans."
"I thought a lot."
"Maybe I'd die like him one day."
"But before that…"
"I had to secure the children's future."
"…"
Kaori bit her lip tightly.
Akira went on,
"So I decided to build a stable rear base."
"I had no time to waste."
"I needed funding."
"I never touched Gato's money back then."
"But later, I used it to start gray-market businesses."
"All the profits went into Peachspring."
"Into building Anyin."
He stopped.
Before them rose a cliff resembling the Hokage Rock.
Sunlight filtered through leaves and fell on his face.
Dispelling old shadows.
"It's all here."
…
Land of Lightning.
Akira's home.
Sasuke stood by the window, frowning.
"His chakra vanished suddenly."
"That's suspicious."
"I suspect spacetime abilities."
Naruto didn't answer.
For half an hour, he had been sitting at the table, staring at the family photo.
Sasuke turned.
"Something wrong with it?"
Naruto touched the frame.
"No… just thinking."
"So he has a family too."
Sasuke replied casually,
"That's normal. We're the same age."
"Our kids are already ninjas."
Naruto shook his head.
"That's not it."
"He has a wife and kids…"
"Yet he still does shady things."
"Spreads dangerous rumors."
"Even messes with Madara!"
"If he were alone, fine!"
"But now—"
"I'm furious!"
"As a father, he shows zero responsibility!"
Sasuke nodded slightly.
Holding the chakra crystal, he said,
"This crystal let us sense him from afar."
"Now it's gone."
"He's probably beyond Fire and Lightning Country."
"That narrows it down."
"Let's search with my Rinnegan."
Naruto stood up and put the photo back.
…
Before Madara and Obito…
A sprawling village appeared.
Larger and more prosperous than Konoha.
People bustled through the streets.
Above them, a massive white bird cruised through the sky.
"Huh?" Obito raised a brow.
"That flashy thing…"
He focused his Sharingan.
On the bird stood a blond youth with a ponytail, scanning below with a scope.
"Deidara…?"
Obito stared at Akira.
"What's going on?"
Most Edo Tensei shinobi had been sealed during the war.
Later released when Itachi undid Kabuto's control.
Their souls had passed on.
Akira replied calmly,
"I collected life samples from most famous shinobi."
"After the war, I revived them gradually."
"Of course, those who had no regrets—like Sasori and Itachi—weren't included."
"Nor Nagato, sealed in the Totsuka Blade."
Obito sighed deeply.
"What a scale…"
"How did you make monsters like them obey?"
"Not control tags, right?"
"Look at Deidara's face."
"He still has personality."
Madara also looked at Akira.
Akira paused.
Then spoke three words.
"Kotoamatsukami."