(Tobi was the name of the spiral-faced White Zetsu that had possessed Obito back then. Later, Obito often called himself Tobi as well, so please do not confuse them.)
"Back then, to prevent Tobi from dying when the Infinite Tsukuyomi was released, I revealed myself and froze its time. Yamato, who had been wrapped inside Tobi, became a witness as a result. Killing him would have been excessive, so I froze Yamato along with it."
"When the time was right, I thawed Tobi and used Kotoamatsukami on Yamato. Of course, I merely corrected the 'Will of Fire' in him into the 'Will of Darkness.'"
"None of that matters anymore." Obito vanished in a flash, heading straight for Tobi.
"Uncle Madara, aren't you going over?"
Madara shook his head. "No. There's no need to join the commotion. I always regarded Tobi as a pawn, no different from the other White Zetsu, even though it did possess a fuller personality and greater combat ability than the rest."
The latter half was Madara's inner monologue: Fortunately, I never realized back then that Tobi had actually shown Obito mercy. Otherwise, I would have disposed of Tobi long ago, and Obito would have one less friend he could talk to now.
On the rooftop, Obito and Tobi finally met face-to-face.
"Long time no see. You bastard, you're still alive."
"Long time no see. But you're dead."
"Have you been doing well these past years?"
"Not bad. I still don't understand what the urge to poop actually feels like."
"You're still as frivolous as ever. Couldn't you study something more serious?"
"Does watching Yamato take a dump count?" Tobi asked after thinking about it.
Obito's mouth twitched. "Your tastes are way too heavy..."
"Actually, I wanted to watch Konan take a dump, but her guard is too tight, so I've never succeeded. Want to ambush her with me tonight? You're an immortal body that can't be killed now anyway!"
"I'm afraid I must decline. I truly have no interest in excrement, especially that woman's excrement."
Tobi shrugged. "All right, then..."
"Tobi." Obito looked at that spiral face with unprecedented seriousness. "This isn't really the sort of thing that fits the atmosphere between us, but let me say it just once..."
"Mm, go ahead." Tobi's tone seemed to grow much more serious as well.
Warmth, long absent, surfaced in Obito's dim Impure World Reincarnation eyes. "It's really good to see you again!"
Tobi fell silent for a long time. From within the head cavity wrapped in vines came a deep voice that had never belonged to it. "Then let me say something too, Obito... I'm sorry about what happened back then. I considered you a friend, but I couldn't help you, because I couldn't defy the will of the Demonic Statue that Madara controlled."
The breeze passed by, seeming to smooth some of the wrinkles from Obito's face. "Thank you. Hearing you say that in person has made this trip worthwhile."
Tobi raised one finger. "So, will you reconsider my earlier proposal?"
Obito waved a hand. "I'm afraid I still have to decline~."
At the Training Ground, the class evaluations had ended.
"Big sis~! Over here, over here~~!!" Tsuki waved her little hands excitedly.
"Dad!! Mom!!" Yuki was so overjoyed she nearly jumped on the spot.
"Wow, Yuki's dad and mom? It's my first time seeing them!"
"I heard they hold very high positions in this village!"
"They must be incredibly powerful ninja!"
"No matter how powerful they are, they can't be stronger than Lord Shadow! I bet they're like Lord Shadow's right and left hands! Just like Angel!"
The children who knew nothing of the truth chattered among themselves.
Most of these children were orphans left homeless in Amegakure after the war. Chen had taken them into the Shadow Hidden Ninja Village as well, allowing them to receive a quality education.
So-called key cultivation was not merely based on closeness or blood relations. It also meant teaching according to aptitude. Gansuke, Yamato's son, who had little connection to Chen, becoming one of the Twelve Ninja was an example.
Bloodlines were important. It was a cruel but indisputable fact that ordinary people's children had only a slim chance of producing true geniuses.
Furthermore, Chen's identity as Shadow was a secret known only to a very small number of core ninja. Konan had drawn on the ruling experience of Hidden Rain Village's former god, Pain, to create an aura of mystery around Chen, the Shadow. The more mysterious he was, the more people would revere him from the bottom of their hearts.
Chen was perfectly happy with that arrangement. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not like showing his face in public.
"Ah!" Yuki suddenly realized that her teacher and classmates were all beside her. She hurriedly composed her expression before stepping forward.
"When did you get here?"
Leaning forward, Hikari said fondly, "Just in time to see you show off your skills~ Your father said you looked like a real ninja!"
Yuki met Chen's smiling gaze, and a blush appeared on her cheeks.
Then she said, "Dad was just flattering me! I'm still far from that level!"
Little Wind and Hana stepped forward as well, greeting them respectfully. "Uncle! Uncle!"
This honorific was not born of unfamiliarity or distance. Their late father had been strict in teaching them proper seniority, and even at home, they called their parents Father and Mother.
From the bottom of his heart, Chen regarded the two children as his own, but he chose to respect his younger brother's parenting, so he allowed them to retain the honorifics.
He looked at them kindly and said,
"Mm. Tonight, your aunt and I, along with your Grandpa Madara and Uncle Obito, will be staying in the village. You three should take your little sister Tsuki and go watch the Fireworks Festival together."
Little Wind and Hana had both been born after the war, and they knew nothing about the plan, so they did not know Grandpa Madara or Uncle Obito.
The brother and sister studied Madara at the same time and said in unison, "Hello, Uncle Obito!"
Pfft! The scene suddenly fell silent, but Hikari could not hold it in and burst out laughing.
Leaning forward, she patiently and gently told the two children, "Little Wind, Hana, this gentleman before you is Grandpa Madara. The one on the rooftop talking to your principal Tobi is Uncle Obito!"
"Ah...!" Having made such an embarrassing mistake, the two were mortified.
Especially since Madara had been born with a face that could make children stop crying at night!
Hana reacted quickly. "I'm sorry, Grandpa Madara. It's because you look so young and so handsome that you really don't look like a grandpa. Sorry, hehehe!"
As she spoke, she pushed Little Wind's head down with hers.
Little Wind hurriedly followed suit. "Yes, yes, that's right, Grandpa Madara!"
"Well, no matter."
Madara thought to himself, Obito was my stand-in for so many years. Now I've stood in for him once. I suppose that makes us even.
Grandpa Madara...
Yuki knew about the plan.
So this was Uchiha Madara, the legendary ancestor of the Uchiha Clan!
He was also an indispensable force in Dad's plan...
Yuki slowly raised her eyes and happened to meet Madara's gaze...
What astonishing eyesight!
Just looking at him like this, she could feel that oppressive aura of authority without anger!
Buzz! Madara smiled faintly, and light flowed through his Sharingan!
"Huh...?"
"Big sis, big sis...!"
Tsuki's call snapped Yuki back to her senses.
Her father and the others had already left, leaving only Tsuki by her side.
Just now, that was...
Madara's expectant voice still echoed in her mind.
"Girl, if you can master the Forbidden Jutsu I demonstrated to you in that illusion before we next visit this village, then I'll officially accept you as my disciple!"
Why does Madara want to teach me an Uchiha Forbidden Jutsu? And why does he want to accept me as his disciple? With Father there, he definitely couldn't hide this from him! Which means... Dad approved of this?
"All right... Then I have no choice but to get serious!" Uchiha Yuki decided to repay her father's expectations with everything she had.
After leaving the Training Ground, they continued touring the other facilities of the Shadow Hidden Ninja Village.
Madara asked Chen a question. "Chen, do you expect those children to go to war in the future?"
"No." Chen gave an impartial answer. "On future battlefields, only top-tier combat power will matter. Legion warfare would simply mean sending people to their deaths for nothing. I founded this Shadow Hidden Ninja Village to provide the people I want to protect with a stable and comfortable environment, allowing them to grow into whoever they wish to become. Nothing more."
"As far as I'm concerned, only when they are safe can I fight without reservations. Even if I die in battle, even if this land falls, I can still ensure that they have a corner where they can settle down."
Madara thought, Chen, you are a man with a greater sense of responsibility than I imagined. But you're also deeply bound by it...
At a corner, Madara asked a soul-searching question in a voice only the two of them could hear. "So, is stability what you want?"
Madara, are you questioning the ultimate desire of my humanity?
Fine... There's no need to hide it.
Chen said in a low voice, "No. Stability is a compromise forced upon us for the sake of survival."
"What I truly want is something more extravagant than that."
"What?"
Chen clenched the hand beneath his sleeve and looked toward the distant Heavenly Field.
"Freedom. A body and soul bound by no external force, never forced to compromise with anything against my will... absolute freedom. That is my ultimate pursuit!"
That evening, at an Izakaya in the Shadow Hidden Ninja Village, the Dust Light Couple hosted Madara and Obito at a lavish welcome feast.
Afterward, the group arrived at the hot spring inn Samui had reserved.
"Drip, drip~!" Steam rose in the air as the spring water trickled.
A wooden bucket scooped up warmth and poured it over wet hair, the heat flowing down that spine and through the entire body...
Shedding the clothes that concealed their bodies and meeting one another openly—regardless of gender—was the best way to deepen friendship...
So then... let's begin with the women's bath.
Hikari's ripe, full body glowed with a rosy flush in the hot spring's embrace.
"Mmm~, feels so good~~~!" She luxuriated in the time bestowed by the Creator.
Splash~! Suddenly, an even more explosive warmth pressed against her back. Samui slipped her skillful hands beneath Hikari's smooth armpits and launched a surprise attack!
"W-wait...! Samui, what are you suddenly doing~?!" Hikari cried out.
Samui poked at the elastic curve of her side, her seductive mature voice sounding out. "Hikari, this part of you has become even more womanly than the last time we met. That's all thanks to A-Chen, isn't it..."
Before you continue