Madara: Did I Choose the Wrong Person? (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Deep within an underground chamber in the Land of Grass, the aged Uchiha Madara sat upon a stone chair.

The place was incredibly dim, as if not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate it, making it look much like a tomb.

But for Madara, it was just right; he needed quiet, and he was, after all, a man currently drifting between life and death.

"Have you finally gained something?"

Madara murmured, lifting his head to gaze at the vaulted ceiling of the basement.

His crimson Sharingan rotated slightly, as if he could see everything in the outside world.

Behind his head, a series of pale tubes emerged, connected to his body.

These were the supplies he needed to sustain his life; he had truly reached the limit of his lifespan.

Before long, a white figure slowly descended from the ceiling, its bizarre appearance looking somewhat eerie.

And as it landed before Madara, its body suddenly split open, revealing Obito encased within!

"Oh my, oh my, Lord Madara, I've brought him back. I hope he didn't take a dump inside my stomach."

Yet, the moment he spoke, that eerie and unsettling feeling vanished instantly.

This guy looked just like an idiot.

"He wouldn't."

Fortunately, Madara was already accustomed to this situation; he paid no mind to the words of White Zetsu and instead carefully scrutinized the Obito inside him.

From the moment Obito entered this battlefield, Madara had been monitoring his situation.

Or rather, every Uchiha on the battlefield in the Land of Grass was under his observation.

Although he had already entrusted the Rinnegan to Nagato, he still needed someone to keep an eye on him.

For this role, he naturally preferred an Uchiha—someone he was more familiar with, someone more prone to being swayed by emotion!

Madara's understanding of the Uchiha ran deep into his soul; even Senju Tobirama would be unworthy of mention before him.

"Lord Madara, this guy is a fool, and he's nearly dead. Is there any point in saving him?"

White Zetsu watched Madara's gaze fixed on the Obito inside him, and he couldn't help but tilt his head and ask curiously.

"The power of the Uchiha requires talent, but sometimes, there are things even more important than talent!"

Madara knew that White Zetsu was an idiot, but he was also absolutely loyal to him, so he could speak his mind freely.

"What is talent? And what is more important than talent?"

White Zetsu blinked, continuing to ask with a look of curiosity.

"That would be the heart of this person."

Madara watched Obito quietly and replied indifferently.

"The more pure-hearted an Uchiha is, the greater their aptitude for awakening their eyes, especially those with pure kindness.

When a kind-hearted person's convictions collapse, their malice becomes all the more pure.

Although such a person is likely to act on impulse and prone to doing things that are out of control, but..."

But as long as one understands the desires within this person's heart and makes preparations in advance, then this person will never be able to escape his control!

"Lord Madara, what does that mean?"

"It means nothing, don't ask. Treat him, then go to Konoha to investigate his situation.

This brat might just be a decent choice."

Madara was getting a bit fed up with White Zetsu's constant questioning, so he cut him off directly.

However, just as he had said, Obito was merely one option; he had other candidates that required observation.

But based on Obito's current performance—or more accurately, his performance on the battlefield—Madara was quite satisfied.

Whether it was breaking the rules and absolutely refusing to abandon his teammates.

Or his willingness to use his own life to save his companions, even giving his eyes to a comrade while on the verge of death.

These were all manifestations of Obito's pure kindness, and within that kindness, he had seen something else entirely.

That was selfishness.

This selfishness might have been masked by his current sunny and cheerful exterior, but Madara, who had been watching Obito closely, had noticed something interesting.

Last night, during the conversation between Obito and Nohara Rin, they mentioned a certain person, and that person had caused Obito's emotions to become exceptionally agitated.

Madara had no interest in matters of romance, but that hidden possessiveness was seen by him with perfect clarity.

"As long as I grasp this key, he will be the perfect tool."

Thinking of this, Madara became increasingly satisfied with Obito.

Although he closed his eyes again to begin observing the situation of the other Uchiha, his mind had already begun to contemplate how to make Obito awaken his eyes.

"Hm?"

But just at this moment, Madara noticed that at the place where Obito had been buried, the battle was still continuing.

Most importantly, the other Uchiha he had been keeping an eye on had also arrived!

"Uchiha Haori, the one who makes Obito feel so resentful?"

Madara was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected to be able to focus on this kid so soon.

Regarding Haori, Madara's feelings were rather complex.

This kid could get along with anyone, was extremely intelligent, and had already awakened his Sharingan back in the Land of Whirlpools.

Such a person seemed like the perfect candidate in every way.

Having good relationships with everyone meant a wider range of choices, and if a friend were to suffer a tragedy, the probability of awakening the eyes would be even higher.

Being very intelligent meant that executing the plan in the future would be more relaxed, without worrying about uncontrollable variables or things going wrong.

Awakening the Sharingan so early showed that this kid was full of talent!

But it was precisely because he was too perfect that Madara felt some concern.

In his view, getting along with everyone might just mean his relationships were all superficial, or perhaps it was a hidden Uchiha pride that made him treat everyone the same.

Being too smart made it easy to spot flaws in his plan, and once the boy had his own ideas, he would be impossible to control after Madara's death.

Awakening the Sharingan so early did show talent, but being able to endure the pain of awakening also meant a firm mind and inner desires and persistence of his own.

Sometimes Madara felt he was worrying too much, but he really couldn't help but think this way.

"I'll just watch for now, and have Zetsu investigate this kid's background."

Madara reined in his emotions, though he soon began to chuckle.

To him, it actually made no difference which Uchiha it was.

As long as their heart was pure, he was confident he could cultivate a qualified tool!

It was just a matter of how useful they would be.

"They are both only at the Two Tomoe stage, their paths are still long, though Obito's eyes are somewhat special."

Madara seemed to recall the 'leakage' of Obito's ability, where those rocks passed through his body without taking his life directly!

Otherwise, Madara wouldn't have had the chance to bring him back.

But before his thoughts could finish, he froze.

Because through the vision of White Zetsu, he clearly 'saw' that Haori's eyes had already transformed into the Three Tomoe!

He remembered that when this kid went to attack that Iwagakure camp last night, he only had the Two Tomoe, didn't he?

How had this kid improved to the Three Tomoe in the blink of an eye?

"And this kid is faster, his methods have become more ruthless, especially..."

Especially when Madara saw Haori suddenly change tactics and charge out while facing a pincer attack from the Iwagakure Ninja.

He dodged a series of attacks like a butterfly weaving through flowers amidst the onslaught of the Iwagakure Ninja, eventually arriving right in front of the Iwagakure captain.

The next moment, the kid actually used his newly upgraded Sharingan to forcibly lock eyes with the Iwagakure captain.

In that instant, the Iwagakure captain froze in place, and Haori finished him off directly!

"He just finished upgrading, and he's already this proficient?"

As for the aftermath, there was no need to watch.

The kid who had mastered the most insidious technique of the Senju clan—the one that should have been wiped out, Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God—had already arrived, and the battle was no longer in doubt.

Madara fell into deep thought at this moment, and after a while, his gaze shifted back to Obito, who had been placed on the bed by White Zetsu.

For a moment, a thought suddenly emerged in his mind.

Have I... chosen the wrong person?