Kakashi himself could not explain why the spark of becoming Hokage had suddenly ignited in his heart.
He had thought he had long buried those youthful dreams deep within himself, doing his utmost not to touch them again.
Not long ago, after seeing the childish yet hope-filled little essay Uchiha Yuan had written,
memories slumbering in the mist of time had vividly resurfaced in his mind.
Deep in his memories, that sunny, determined boy wearing goggles had more than once shouted aloud about his resolve to become Hokage.
To protect the village, to protect his friends, and ultimately die on the battlefield.
Only Kakashi remained, carrying those heavy memories as he continued onward.
As his thoughts whirled, Tsunade finally sorted through her chaotic emotions. She silently set off with Jiraiya on the journey back to Konoha.
Kakashi gave them a detailed account of everything that had happened before and after the night of the Uchiha Clan massacre.
With Kakashi's low, composed narration, many details unfolded before Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Though Kakashi did not know the full story, Jiraiya and Tsunade roughly pieced together quite a bit.
Danzo...
And the Third...
"I never expected... the Uchiha Clan..."
Tsunade sighed softly, her tone carrying a trace of complexity.
Jiraiya was silent for a long while. "I never expected the Uchiha backlash to be so terrifying..."
What they found unbelievable was that behind this apocalyptic crisis stood someone from the Uchiha Clan who had once been utterly unremarkable.
Uchiha Yuan had never shown any outstanding talent at the Ninja Academy. Even by graduation, he had not awakened the Sharingan.
Who could have imagined that this ordinary clansman, nearly forgotten by everyone, would awaken a power at the critical moment that even the Shinobi World struggled to comprehend: the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had raised the originally near-zero chance of a meteor striking Earth to something that was almost certain to happen.
That bizarre, overwhelming power, as though it could manipulate fate itself, far exceeded the Shinobi World's understanding of genjutsu and Kekkei Genkai.
It filled them with dread as a catastrophe capable of destroying the world drew near.
After the age of Madara and Hashirama, there was actually someone else who could, through his own strength alone, push the entire Shinobi World to the brink of destruction.
No one had been mentally prepared for such incomprehensible danger.
After a moment of silence, Jiraiya felt a vague worry over the contradictions that had long been lurking within Konoha.
For years, factional struggles within the village had never ceased. There were always those driven by selfish desires, scheming and crushing one another.
Now that disaster had arrived, the old grudges that had accumulated over the years would surely erupt completely at this opportunity.
But the more urgent priority remained how to stop this nearly unsolvable apocalyptic calamity before them.
"Uchiha Yuan, you really have no impression of him at all?"
As their companion on the journey, Kakashi also fell into thought.
"Just a classmate. I barely remember him... Even Obito probably didn't know him."
Such an invisible person, someone with no presence at all, was now capable of shaking the Shinobi World.
He had merely been an utterly ordinary Uchiha clansman, overlooked his entire life.
And now, that ordinary person was taking revenge in such an extreme way.
Tsunade remained silent. As a powerful medical ninja, she was experiencing the limits of strength for the first time.
The Shinobi World now stood on the brink of destruction, merely waiting for the end to descend.
Suddenly, Jiraiya burst into laughter!
"There is no reason to give up like this. Countless innocent people in Konoha are waiting for our protection. No matter how slim the hope, we must give everything we have and do our utmost to protect them."
Those resolute words finally eased Tsunade's tense expression slightly. She sighed helplessly. "You really know how to say pretty things..."
Only Kakashi remained silent and said nothing more.
In his heart, Jiraiya's words really were just pretty words...
Within Akatsuki.
Obito took Uchiha Yuan's pair of Sharingan from his clothes and stared at them silently.
The blood-red eyes rested quietly in a glass bottle. Obito met their gaze for a moment...
A powerful unease suddenly surged within him, as though something wicked was slowly influencing him.
It was strange...
These past few days, Obito's thoughts had been in turmoil.
He thought of Kakashi, of Rin, and even of Uchiha Yuan—that bastard who had said so many strange things to him that day.
Yet sometimes, he could not help but wonder...
If the Shinobi World were truly destroyed, then Rin would live in a world without conflict or war. Wouldn't that be the perfect world she had dreamed of?
Rin would no longer have to be forced by fate to bear endless pain.
"Damn it..."
"It's all because that guy said so much..."
"Obito... why did you take out those Sharingan again?"
Black Zetsu's voice came from beside him. Obito suddenly snapped back to his senses and realized Black Zetsu was already standing behind him.
"What are you doing?"
Obito's hand still gripped the glass bottle tightly. He lowered his head to look at the Mangekyō Sharingan inside, remaining silent for a long time.
"Zetsu, tell me, if the Shinobi World is truly destroyed, wouldn't that mean true peace had been achieved?"
Destroy your head...
I still have to save Mother!
Black Zetsu quickly recovered and spoke coldly. "Obito, what are you doubting?"
Obito did not answer immediately. Instead, he sank into thought.
He laughed at himself softly. Somewhere in his heart, a voice seemed to be mocking him, telling him that this idea felt somehow wrong.
Many things...
suddenly became blurred, losing the clarity they once had.
Black Zetsu keenly noticed Obito's hesitation. His voice abruptly became cold and sharp. "Obito, destroy those eyes."
Obito's body trembled slightly.
He lowered his head, his gaze cast down, as though recalling some memory buried deep in his heart.
For a time, silence spread between them, oppressive enough to suffocate.
"No... there's no need."
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a faint hint of struggle.
"These eyes... might be Rin's hope."
"What nonsense are you talking about..."
Seeing Obito like this, Black Zetsu directly roared in a low voice, filled with anxiety and unease.
At that moment, Black Zetsu finally realized how terrifying those eyes were.
That silent yet immensely powerful corrosive force was gradually changing Obito's will!
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Black Zetsu demanded sharply, his voice carrying a thread of near-hysterical terror.
"These eyes are the eyes that see through the truth of the world... I will never allow you to destroy them."
At this moment, Obito seemed to have already seen through the fate of the entire Shinobi World.
A strange light flickered in his eyes, piercing straight into the heart.
Black Zetsu was nearly driven mad.
He had never expected Obito to lose his mind at a time like this...
Much less had he expected Uchiha Yuan's Word Spirit technique to have such terrifying consequences.
"I'm asking what you plan to do next!"
Obito lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking slowly. "Naturally... to create a world with only Rin."
He repeated it softly, as though confirming it to himself, or as though confiding in another world.
"And the Shinobi World after destruction."
This guy had gone mad!
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