A dark and damp basement.
Obito Uchiha huddled in the corner of the cold stone bed, his throat hoarse and dry from shouting for so long, and it burned with pain.
The fear, loneliness, and despair of the past few days had almost drained him of all his energy, and his newly awakened Two-Tomoe Sharingan had lost its luster, leaving only emptiness and numbness.
Just then...
The invisible air inside the stone chamber seemed to ripple slightly, and a hunched figure appeared silently before him.
The newcomer was dressed in worn-out black clothes, and his aged face was covered with deep wrinkles.
His hair was dry and brittle, but what was most striking were his dark eyes.
Although there was no fluctuation of Dōryoku, it was still able to give people a real sense of oppression.
Obito sprang up from the stone bed like a startled rabbit.
Ignoring his weakness and pain, he quickly darted to the other end of the stone chamber, his back pressed against the cold, rough wall.
They stared at the mysteriously appearing old man with expressions of fear and wariness.
"Who... who are you?! Where am I?!"
Obito's voice was hoarse and choked with sobs, but he stubbornly refused to show weakness.
Madara Uchiha looked at the trembling boy in front of him, who was stubbornly staring at him.
A deep, hoarse voice slowly rose into the air.
The voice, like the whisper of a demon, began to instill his theories once more.
"... Immersing oneself in false bonds will only lead to greater suffering in the end."
This world is beyond saving; only in an Eternity dream can true peace and happiness be found...
However, at this moment, Obito only wanted to return to Konoha, to his clan, and to Kakashi and Rin...
Ban's extreme theories were like a foreign language to him, and even made him feel more fearful and repulsed.
"Nonsense! You're talking nonsense! I have people and companions, those are the most important things!"
I don't want to listen to your nonsense! Let me out! I want to go back!
Obito retorted passionately, tears welling up in his eyes.
But he gritted his teeth, determined not to let them fall.
Madara looked at Obito, who remained unmoved by reason and still immersed in his "childish dream."
A fleeting, almost imperceptible coldness and impatience flashed in his cloudy eyes, but more than anything, there was an indifferent air of complete control.
He stopped lecturing and remained silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he spoke in an unusually calm tone.
"Since you so desperately want to return to that false cage... then let's go."
Obito was stunned for a moment, almost thinking he had misheard.
"... What? You... you're really letting me go?"
Ban did not answer, but slowly raised his withered hand.
As he moved, the hard stone wall beside him emitted a low grinding sound and slowly cracked open, revealing a narrow passage leading to the outside world, emitting a faint light.
"Just keep walking along this path, and you'll be able to leave."
Ban's voice was as still as a deep well.
Overwhelmed by immense surprise and disbelief, Obito barely had time to consider whether this was another trap; his survival instinct and desire to return overwhelmed everything.
He glanced at Ban warily, and seeing that the other party indeed had no intention of stopping him any further.
As if afraid the other party would change their mind, she used all her strength to stumble and rush towards the passage, plunging into the faint light without looking back.
Madara Uchiha stood motionless, like an ancient statue.
His deep gaze followed Obito's disappearing figure, a complex and unfathomable look, carrying a hint of mockery and a hint of pity.
More often, it evokes a strange expectation, much like a farmer sowing seeds and hoping they will take root and sprout.
"The despair of reality will soon reveal the truth of this world to you..."
"Only Eternity dream can save this Shinobi World!"
His low, hoarse soliloquy slowly dissipated into the darkness of the newly closed stone chamber.
Inside the Konoha camp on the Northern Battlefield.
In stark contrast to the cold and desolate atmosphere of the stone chamber, the atmosphere here is both lively and tense.
The high-ranking officials and elites of Konoha gathered once again.
But this time, everyone had a different expression on their face.
"The news has been confirmed!"
An intelligence ninja reported respectfully.
" Iwagakure and Kumogakure sent official documents almost simultaneously, requesting a ceasefire and negotiations!"
The Kumogakure even proposed to follow past practice and convene a summit meeting of the leaders of the Five Great Shinobi Villages...
This refers to the ' Five Kage Summit,' intended to discuss postwar matters and a peace agreement!
A murmur of discussion immediately arose inside the tent.
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, took a deep drag on his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke, his brow furrowed.
He put down his pipe and said in a deep voice.
"They've arrived as expected. Their shadows have vanished."
With both major ninja villages leaderless and under immense internal pressure, a ceasefire was inevitable.
But this ' Five Kage Summit '... Cloud has certainly made a good plan."
There was a hint of hesitation in his voice.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who experienced the three Shinobi World Wars.
He was acutely aware of the cruelty of war and longed for true peace.
In his view, a peace agreement that could end the war through relatively amicable negotiations, releasing the two Kage in exchange for Konoha's long-term stability, was not unacceptable.
"Hmph! Hiruzen, what are you hesitating about now?"
Shimura Danzō Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions.
He immediately retorted coldly, a sharp and icy light flashing in his single eye.
"We are the victors; they are nothing but defeated generals. What right do they have to demand an equal meeting like the ' Five Kage Summit '?"
We should adopt the strong stance befitting a victorious nation!
"Force them to sign the harshest treaty, punish them to the maximum extent, and ensure Konoha's absolute safety for the Mirai decades, even centuries!"
Danzo's voice was resolute and unwavering, filled with an unquestionable force.
In his eyes.
The other four film villages.
They have no right to make demands or interfere in Konoha's affairs.
"Release the Raikage and Tsuchikage? What a joke!"
That's our most important trophy, a sword hanging over the heads of Iwagakure and Cloud! How can we return it so easily?"
" Danzo! A purely forceful approach will only sow the seeds of deeper hatred!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally understood this principle, but he also had his own concerns.
Oppression is like a spring; sooner or later it will hit rock bottom and bounce back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, his tone becoming more serious.
"The purpose of war is peace, not endless conquest and oppression! What we need is lasting stability!"
"Long-term stability and security come from absolute strength and deterrence, not from womanly compassion!"
Danzo refused to back down.
The two men were locked in a sharp exchange, and the atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became somewhat tense.
Others, such as Jiraiya and Tsunade, also looked thoughtful, each with their own considerations, making it difficult to reach a consensus for the time being.
The war has now been won.
However, the aftermath of the war was far more complex than the war itself.
What should we do now?
Just then...
Hatake Sakumo " Konoha's White Fang," who had stood silently like an iceberg, slowly raised his head.
His sharp eyes did not look at the Third Hokage and Danzo who were arguing.
Instead, we went past them.
It landed right next to Tsunade.
There, Chiyo Uchiha was casually leaning back in his chair.
His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, seemingly indifferent to the argument before him, with even a faint smile playing on his lips.
Hatake Sakumo spoke in a deep voice, breaking the deadlock.
" Third Hokage, Danzo, both of your opinions have their merits."
However, arguing without reaching a conclusion is not a solution.
Perhaps we should listen to Clan Leader Chiyo's opinion.
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew everyone's attention to Chiyo Uchiha.
yes!
He was the one who truly decided the outcome of this war, and he held absolute power.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō also stopped arguing and looked at Chiyo at the same time.
Hiruzen's eyes held a questioning look, while Danzo's gaze was more complex, concealing a deep-seated apprehension.
Sensing the gazes of everyone, Chiyo Uchiha slowly sat up straight.
The relaxed smile on his face widened, as if he had heard something interesting.
" The Five Kage Summit? Sounds interesting."
He chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a knowing, playful air.
"Those guys from Kumogakure, after going through all this trouble, aren't they just trying to get their Raikage back? Iwagakure probably has the same idea."
He paused.
"You want people? That's not impossible."
Amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, he continued speaking casually.
"Just bring the money to redeem it."
"Ah?"
A chorus of astonished voices immediately filled the tent.
Pay money to redeem?
Everyone was stunned, including Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.