Chapter 224 Just a tool; an old relic living in a dream isn't worthy of throwing us into disarray this afternoon.
Deep within the Uchiha Compound, Chiyo's residence was tranquil and elegant, seemingly a world apart from the deafening cheers outside.
The traditional sliding doors of the Japanese-style room were open, and the meticulously trimmed pines and cypresses in the courtyard cast dappled shadows, rustling softly in the breeze.
The war at home is over.
Chiyo sat casually on the low couch, her outer robe half-open.
Mikoto knelt opposite him and skillfully brewed him a cup of hot tea, the fragrant aroma slowly spreading out.
The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, but her eyes had regained their usual calm and focus.
" Chiyo-niichan, these are all the files that need your review recently. The most important ones have been marked."
Mikoto gently pushed a neatly arranged stack of Scroll in front of Chiyo, the top one bearing a special encryption mark.
Chiyo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at the encrypted Scroll. He didn't open it immediately, but instead looked at Mikoto.
"Is it about Obito being taken away?"
"Um."
Mikoto nodded solemnly.
"I mobilized all the secret channels within the clan that I could, and combined them with Obito's vague descriptions, especially regarding the ' Eternal Dream,' and conducted cross-referencing and analysis."
Although direct evidence is scarce, all indirect clues, especially the understanding of the nature of Uchiha power and the clan's ancient secrets...
Ultimately, it all points to a person who theoretically no longer exists.
She took a deep breath, as if it took immense courage to utter the name; her voice was extremely low, yet crystal clear.
" Uchiha... Madara."
The temperature inside seemed to drop several degrees because of the appearance of this name.
Chiyo's face did not show any surprise; instead, a knowing yet slightly mocking smile appeared on his lips.
He put down his teacup, picked up the encrypted Scroll, but didn't open it; he simply tapped it lightly with his finger.
"That's right, it's him. That old guy who thinks he can control everything from behind the scenes."
Upon receiving Chiyo's confirmation, Mikoto's heart sank.
Despite the initial speculation, the confirmation of the truth still had a huge impact.
Her gaze became incredibly sharp and serious.
"It really was him..."
A legendary ninja who co-founded Konoha with the First Hokage...
He's still alive? And...
Mikoto's mind flashed through various terrifying legends about Madara Uchiha.
"His power was said to have already surpassed the norm back then, making him a being comparable to the God of Shinobi."
If he were still alive, after all these years, what terrifying level of power would he have reached?
He has probably already mastered the ultimate power of the Sharingan.
His very existence is the greatest threat to the entire Shinobi World!
The thought of Madara Uchiha targeting the Uchiha and Mikoto sent a chill down Chiyo.
That was a deep fear of the unknown and absolute power.
Seeing Mikoto's tense and furrowed brows, Chiyo suddenly chuckled.
He reached out and gently touched Mikoto's smooth forehead with his fingertips.
Their intimate yet slightly playful gesture broke the heavy atmosphere.
"Don't make such a serious face. Madara Uchiha... Ha, in the end, he's nothing more than a pathetic and pathetic tool."
"A tool?"
Mikoto was startled, rubbing her forehead where she had been touched, and looked at Chiyo in confusion.
It's simply unbelievable that the legendary Madara Uchiha is called a "tool".
"Yes."
Chiyo leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed, his tone carrying an all-knowing calmness.
"A tool deceived by an ancient lie, believing it bears the mission of saving the world, but in reality just running madly along a path set by others."
He paused, looked into Mikoto's questioning eyes, and slowly said.
"Do you know why he didn't hesitate to break with his best friend Hashirama and even betray Konoha, which he helped establish?"
Mikoto shook her head; this was a secret between the Uchiha and the highest levels of Konoha.
She didn't know much, only a vague understanding that it was due to differing ideologies.
"To a large extent, it's because of the Stone Tablet beneath our Uchiha Clan 'Naka Shrine."
Chiyo's voice was calm, yet it revealed a startling secret.
" Stone Tablet?"
Mikoto was shocked once again.
"That... Stone Tablet tablet that only the Sharingan can decipher?"
"That's right."
Chiyo nodded.
"The stronger the Dōryoku, the more information can be deciphered."
Back then, Madara awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, allowing him to see more than the average member of his clan.
The information on it had been cleverly altered, pointing to an extreme and absurd solution: Infinite Tsukuyomi.
" Infinite Tsukuyomi..."
"A colossal Genjutsu that envelops the entire world."
Chiyo explained, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Let all living beings be immersed in an Eternity, painless dream."
There, everyone can fulfill their wishes; there is no war, no suffering, no loss...
A seemingly perfect 'peaceful' world.
Mikoto's eyes widened in disbelief, and she instinctively retorted.
"This... how is this possible? What about reality? What about the real world?"
"Reality? In the eyes of the 'person' who proposed this plan, reality is beyond redemption, the root of suffering, and better to abandon it completely."
Chiyo chuckled.
"And Ban, that proud and stubborn fool, actually believed in this tampered 'salvation plan' without a doubt."
He believed that only in this way could true peace be achieved, and considered Hashirama's path to be naive and doomed.
He wanted to be the one who carried out the 'divine decree' and saved the world, the one who controlled the Infinite Tsukuyomi and brought the world an ' Eternity dream'.
He looked at Mikoto, his eyes deep.
So, he left.
He left Konoha to find a way to realize this crazy dream.
He thought he was pursuing his ideals, but little did he know that from beginning to end, he was merely a relatively important pawn in the hands of someone much deeper in hiding.
Mikoto was completely stunned, her red lips slightly parted, unable to speak for a long time.
The image of Madara Uchiha underwent a complete transformation in her mind.
From that powerful, terrifying, and threatening legendary ninja, he became...
Bewitched by a vague and unrealistic ideal of "saving the world," they embarked on an extreme and misguided path...
Poor thing?
Controlling the entire world with a dream?
To make everyone live in a false Genjutsu?
This idea itself is insanely crazy!
She couldn't understand how such a powerful man, who had survived the brutal trials of the Warring States Period and co-founded the ninja village era with the First Hokage, could believe such an absurd thing.
How can anyone believe that deceiving the entire world constitutes peace?
"How... how could he..."
Mikoto muttered to herself, her face filled with confusion and disbelief.
"This is more... terrifying and incomprehensible than mere conquest and destruction."
This is not salvation at all; it is a complete denial of the will of all humanity and of reality!
She looked up at Chiyo, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"I might still be able to try to understand the logic behind the pursuit of power, domination, and even destruction."
But this kind of...
Creating a 'peace' that's Eternity dream? That's... insane!
"Yeah, they've gone mad."
Chiyo's tone was indifferent.
"To be blinded by overwhelming power and obsessive thoughts, and to be intoxicated by a self-indulgent 'savior' role—isn't that madness?"
All his schemes and actions, no matter how grand or terrifying they may seem, revolve around this false goal.
So I say, he's just a tool, a more pathetic tool living in a dream woven for him by others."
Chiyo stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the tranquil scenery in the courtyard.
"However, even if he's just a tool, he's a dangerous one."
His power was real, and his schemes had been going on in the shadows for decades.
"His targeting of Obito is probably just part of his plan."
He turned around and looked at Mikoto, his eyes regaining their usual calm and sharpness.
"Alright, knowing who our opponent is and what they're probably planning to do is enough."
"An old relic living in a dream world is not worthy of throwing us into disarray."
"He's hiding in the shadows; we'll just wait and see!"
"Next, it's time to deal with the practical problems."
"The Hokage must be getting impatient by now, right?"
His tone was relaxed, as if what they had just discussed was not a terrifying legend capable of overturning the world, but merely a trivial trouble.
This absolute confidence and composure also quietly dispelled the heavy pressure that Mikoto felt because of the name Madara Uchiha.
yes!
No matter how powerful Madara is, or how crazy his ideals are.
Standing before me now is my Chiyo-niichan!
The man who single-handedly ended the Third Shinobi World War and made the entire Shinobi World submit!
Equally strong!!
Mikoto took a deep breath, straightened her back, and the seriousness in her eyes turned into determination.
"I understand, Brother Chiyo."
I immediately went to prepare, and we went together to the Hokage Building."