Madara's Complex Emotions (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Are you Haori-kun?"

"Thank you so much for everything you've done. That damn Gari once killed my teammates."

"You're amazing. If it weren't for you, who knows how much longer this war would have dragged on."

"Thank you."

Inside the Konoha camp, almost every ninja who remained there took the initiative to greet him upon seeing him.

Such enthusiasm and such palpable goodwill caught him off guard, even though Nohara Rin had warned him beforehand.

Still, he maintained a smile and responded to each one; smiling back at those who show you kindness is a basic standard of conduct.

Moreover, Haori soon adapted and understood exactly why this was happening.

Although the mission they executed was classified, as the war situation became clearer, such results served as a massive morale booster.

Even though the mission had actually deviated significantly from its original course, it was still being heavily publicized on the front lines.

As a war hero, even if Haori said nothing, there would always be "scholars to interpret the scriptures" on his behalf.

It wasn't just him; others were the same. Might Guy and Aoba seemed unable to handle such enthusiasm and had already gone into hiding.

"But this is normal. After all, the commander of the Land of Grass battlefield is Jiraiya."

In truth, Haori had always been self-aware. Even if he wanted to "advance," he had to consider under whom he could actually do so.

While Jiraiya could be truly outrageous at times and was an idealist whose thoughts were often overly optimistic, it was undeniable that when it came to serious matters, he could truly hold his ground and step up.

Most importantly, Jiraiya himself held no malice toward the Uchiha.

Since everyone was a Konoha ninja, he would naturally treat them all equally.

Of course, this was only within the camp; what things would be like back in Konoha was hard to say.

"Haori, how does it feel?"

After Haori had finished greeting all the ninjas, Nohara Rin asked with a smile on her face.

"This is the treatment only heroes get."

"A hero?" Haori shook his head with a smile. "Aren't you all the same?"

"No, if it weren't for you, I would probably be dead."

Walking behind Haori and Nohara Rin, Kakashi shook his head.

"You saved me twice on the battlefield. If you hadn't arrived, the mission might not have even been completed. Speaking of which, Haori, you've changed so much, and your strength has become so formidable. I remember when we were in school, you weren't exactly a top student."

"You guy..."

Hearing Kakashi's words, Haori almost lost his composure; his grades at the ninja academy were indeed less than ideal.

"That was just in school. No matter how bad I was, I never plummeted to last place."

"Yeah, back then, the one in last place was..."

Nohara Rin chuckled at this, but she stopped mid-sentence.

Not just her, but Kakashi, who was standing to the side, also fell silent. Clearly, they were both thinking of Obito.

Seeing their reaction, Haori couldn't help but shake his head.

He had tried to offer some timely comfort, but it seemed it wasn't enough.

If Obito had truly died, he would have remained a hero for a lifetime.

Even if he wasn't a hero to Konoha, he would have been a hero to Kakashi and Nohara Rin.

But unfortunately, Obito's selfish nature destined him for tragedy; perhaps in his heart, he only cared about those two.

And once he met Uchiha Madara, that dark emotion was unleashed; unless he encountered a "talk-no-jutsu" on the level of Kotoamatsukami, no one could wash him clean.

"Sorry, I lost my composure."

Just as Haori was wondering what to say, Nohara Rin suddenly shook her head and spoke.

"Obito's situation is painful, but he is also a hero. He made sacrifices for a better future for us. Not just him, but others as well. If not for their contributions, there would be no 'today.' Haori, you said that we must carry their will and live on well. I think I understand what you mean now."

"Yeah, that's right."

Kakashi regained his focus as well. He reached up to touch his eye and sighed softly.

"They are the true heroes, and there are many more like Obito. We shouldn't drown in sorrow; we should remember them and strive to create a better future. Just as you said, Haori, when we eventually reach the Pure Land, if Obito asks us about the changes in the world and our own experiences..."

"We can't just say that we spent our entire lives living in guilt and sorrow; that would be a disservice to the sacrifices made by Obito and everyone else."

Is this... self-persuasion?

Haori was momentarily stunned to see this scene; he had thought his pep talk hadn't worked.

Now it seemed the pep talk wasn't just effective, it was exceptionally effective!

"Haori, thank you."

Just as Haori was lost in his own thoughts, Rin suddenly turned around and said to him sincerely.

"You're thanking me too much."

Haori shook his head, then suddenly reached out and placed his hands on the shoulders of both Rin and Kakashi before smiling.

"From the moment we started this mission until now, you two have been thanking me constantly. Have you forgotten? We're friends."

"Friends, huh?"

Kakashi and Rin were taken aback by these words, and then they both broke into smiles.

"That's right, we're friends!"

Land of Grass, underground laboratory.

Madara looked at Obito, who was wrapped in bandages after being injected with White Zetsu cells, his thoughts complex.

Haori's performance had been even better than he imagined, especially seeing that kid use his intellect and tactics to take down a troublesome enemy.

Then, relying on his superior strength to wipe out over a dozen enemies in one go, it was enough to prove Haori's versatility!

Especially the way he danced alone amidst the enemy ranks; even Uchiha Madara himself had felt a moment of trance.

Because, he seemed to have seen himself!

"This is what an Uchiha should be."

Even someone as proud as him couldn't help but sigh with emotion at this moment.

In contrast, looking at Obito, other than awakening his eyes directly to the two-tomoe stage, the kid's performance in the Land of Grass was truly not worth mentioning.

"It's just, why does he have to be so smart?"

Madara sighed slightly. After observing him all this time, he had completely confirmed the extent of Haori's intelligence.

Not to mention his previous performance, just the fact that he guessed the objective of the clash between Namikaze Minato and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki and decisively provided reinforcements was enough.

On this point, Obito was absolutely no match for him.

And such intelligence was exactly what Uchiha Madara least wanted to see.

"Forget it. Although it's a pity, some things can't be forced, but he can still be utilized."

Madara's emotions calmed down a little, and he couldn't be bothered to overthink it anymore.

He had already injected Obito with White Zetsu cells, which was his own show of determination.

Moreover, compared to the unpredictable Haori, Obito was much easier to control, and Madara could more clearly determine the direction of Obito's eye awakening!

That was Nohara Rin!

Although he didn't understand why Obito was so obsessed with this girl, as an Uchiha, he wasn't in a position to judge.

Every Uchiha had a love unique to them in their hearts; perhaps Obito's love lay with this girl.

But unfortunately, this girl clearly had a better and closer relationship with that Haori.

As long as he manipulated things properly, Obito would never, ever be able to turn back, nor would he ever want to!

"Rin... Rin..."

Just as Madara was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a faint sound.

Turning his head, he saw Obito, who was lying on the bed in a coma, actually calling out that name repeatedly.

This immediately made Madara's emotions, which had just calmed down, complex once again. After a long while, he shook his head.

"Is it that deep? But that's fine too."

Newbie author here, begging for your continued readership. Your follow-up reads determine everything for a book; letting it sit in your library too long can kill it.

Thank you, everyone! Orz