Obito, I Will Make You Feel Profound Pain

Graveyard of Mountains.

"Rin... Rin... Kakashi... Kakashi..."

Obito muttered, calling out the names of Nohara Rin and Kakashi incessantly.

Uchiha Madara sat on a chair formed from intertwined tree branches, his scarlet eyes watching Obito in silence.

During this time, Obito had constantly been murmuring the names of Nohara Rin and Kakashi.

Far from feeling annoyed, Uchiha Madara felt increasingly expectant.

This was sufficient proof that the "bonds" between Obito and them were deep enough.

Only with such "bonds" would the eventual destruction of them yield the maximum effect.

"The seal has also been thoroughly implanted."

Uchiha Madara watched as Obito's consciousness gradually cleared.

Obito had fused with the Hashirama Cells quite smoothly; after a high fever, he was no longer as lethargic as before.

He had also implanted a special restrictive seal near Obito's heart to ensure Obito would not deviate from his plans.

"...Where is this?"

Suddenly, Obito's eyelids fluttered, and he opened his eyes.

He looked blankly at the dim underground chamber; there seemed to be little light here, making it impossible to tell if it was day or night outside.

"This is the gap between life and death... child of the Uchiha."

Uchiha Madara looked at Obito.

"!"

Obito was startled, suddenly realizing that an old man had been staring at him the entire time.

He felt a chill on his body, and looking down, he saw that he was indeed wearing no clothes, only bandages.

"It hurts..."

Obito frowned.

He suddenly felt intense pain radiating from his right side and his lower body.

"Being able to feel pain means you are still alive."

"You collapsed in an underground passage I dug, right beside the collapsed rocks..."

Uchiha Madara began to explain the situation to Obito.

"So you saved me, old man... Thank you."

After Uchiha Madara's explanation, Obito finally understood what had happened.

"It is too early to offer thanks; I will need you to repay this favor properly."

Uchiha Madara looked at Obito with profound meaning.

All the gifts of fate have long had their prices marked in the shadows.

"I can't do that, old man. Even though you look very old, I can only help you deal with your waste for a few days at most before I have to go back to protect my comrades."

Obito said.

He often took care of the elderly and knew that some people couldn't hold it in when they got old, so he spoke with good intentions.

"..."

Uchiha Madara suddenly didn't know what to say.

"With your body, you can no longer... return to the past. Face reality."

Uchiha Madara said indifferently.

"No, that's not right. I finally awakened my Sharingan, how could I not be able to return to the past?"

Obito was puzzled.

He was only missing an arm, right? Could it be that something else was missing too?

"In this world, things will not always go as you wish. The longer you live, the more you realize that reality is filled only with helplessness, pain, and emptiness."

As Uchiha Madara said this, images flashed through his mind.

Senju Hashirama had promised him he could become Hokage, and the two had even fantasized together about how to govern Konoha, yet in the end, he was passed over under Senju Tobirama's so-called "democratic selection."

Then he chose to leave Konoha, but on that day, not a single clansman followed him.

"Heh..."

Uchiha Madara couldn't help but shake his head.

Back then, when he was chosen for Hokage, that naturally evil Senju old ghost jumped out and said that the Hokage must have public support and be chosen by everyone.

Yet, through the intelligence gathered by White Zetsu, Uchiha Madara knew that the current Third Hokage had been hand-picked by Senju Tobirama.

As for public support and democracy?

Senju Tobirama didn't even bother with a symbolic vote from his bodyguards; he simply ordered Sarutobi Hiruzen to inherit his position.

Too much disappointment had already allowed Uchiha Madara to see this world for what it truly was.

"What are you talking about, old man?"

Obito wore an expression that suggested he thought this guy was spouting nonsense.

"Listen well. In this world, wherever there is light, there must be shadows. As long as a world of victors exists, there must also be losers."

"The desire to protect love inevitably gives rise to hate. There is an inseparable causal relationship between them..."

"So, where exactly is this place?"

Obito felt this old man must have suffered some kind of trauma in the past to keep rambling on like this, so he interrupted him quickly, not wanting to hear any more long-winded lectures.

"Hmph, this is the gap between worlds. Leave if you wish... provided you can."

Uchiha Madara glanced at Obito, realizing this kid's intelligence was too low to grasp his true meaning anytime soon.

"Wait a minute..."

Obito suddenly realized something.

Thinking about it carefully, he had met all the old men and women of the Uchiha clan, yet he had never seen anyone like Uchiha Madara.

Someone who possessed the Sharingan but had never been seen in Konoha...

"Old man, you... you're a rogue ninja, aren't you?"

Obito had discovered a blind spot.

"Who exactly are you!"

Obito's voice grew louder.

He wouldn't let an enemy extract information from him.

Uchiha Madara didn't answer Obito, instead leaning on his scythe and slowly sitting down.

"I am a ghost of the Uchiha clan... Uchiha Madara."

Uchiha Madara's voice echoed through the underground passage.

"Are you talking about the clan head of the Uchiha..."

Obito's eyes widened.

It was said that he was the greatest traitor of the Uchiha clan, a taboo for everyone.

No one dared to mention that name, referring to him only as "that person."

"Even if you are an Uchiha, if you betrayed the village, I'll fight you regardless!"

Obito looked at Uchiha Madara, already prepared for battle at any moment.

The village's way of dealing with rogue ninjas had always been the same: kill them!

"What is your motive for saving me!"

Obito demanded an answer.

"I intend to sever the causality of this world!"

Uchiha Madara stated his true intentions.

"A world of only victors, a world of only peace, a world of only love—I want to create such a world!"

"I don't care what you want to sever; I just want to return to the village, to my comrades!"

Obito had run out of patience.

Rin must be waiting for him right now.

And there was Kakashi, his grandmother, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-nee...

If he didn't hurry back, that detestable Kiyohara might do something to Rin!

"Do you remember what I said at the beginning? You can no longer return to the past; things will not always go as you wish."

A faint smile curled at the corners of Uchiha Madara's mouth.

Obito was his best pawn.

You must endure the plan that follows.

Because... Obito, I will make you feel profound pain and make you recognize the darkness of this world.

Let's start with that little girl; let's see how she is taken from your side.

Reality... is just that dark.

"Kiyohara, a new mission has come down."

On this day, while Kiyohara was training at home and waiting for the new Last Words Book to appear, Kurenai Yuhi came knocking at his door.

"Oh, it's Kurenai. So, what is the mission?"

Kiyohara asked, shirtless and panting for breath.