Late at night, the moonlight sang like a song.
Haori stood quietly in a forest, waiting.
He was still somewhat troubled, though. Uchiha Hikari's decision had given him a real headache.
There were plenty of ways to get her out, since leaving Konoha wasn't nearly as difficult as getting in.
The problem was that she still had to return to Konoha with him, which would be a real hassle.
Forget it. If she wants to come out, then she can. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her alone in Konoha anyway.
Haori sighed softly, thinking to himself.
He wasn't particularly worried about the Uchiha discovering her, or anyone in Konoha paying attention to her.
The Uchiha clan had a sizable population. Add the conflicts between its factions and the divide between ninja and civilians, and many clan members didn't know each other very well. Hikari just had to be a little careful when she went home.
And in the village, no one would pay much attention to another Uchiha.
Besides, some members of bloodline clans didn't attend the Ninja Academy. Their own clans trained them.
So it wasn't strange for people not to recognize her. They only needed to know which clan she belonged to.
But Hikari hated the ninja system and the Uchiha. If he really left her behind, no one could say what might happen.
So it's better that she came along. Getting back will be troublesome, but at least that's better than leaving things uncertain.
The more he thought about it, the more Haori felt that having her accompany him might actually be a good choice.
After all, this mission of his was pretty dangerous.
Iwagakure wanted to gain more at the negotiating table, so the conflict probably wouldn't end anytime soon.
And he still had to face a group of Mist ninja. With Madara behind them, having Hikari and her Mangekyo Sharingan with him would make him much safer.
Though I don't think she'll need to fight.
Thinking of that lifted Haori's spirits. Just then, he sensed someone approaching.
He immediately turned around. It was Hikari.
She had come out with a merchant caravan, and this was their meeting point.
"Everything all right?" Haori walked over and asked.
"It's fine. They didn't notice me."
Hikari nodded, then tilted her head and asked curiously, "Did my decision cause you trouble?"
"It's a bit of a hassle, but nothing serious."
Haori smiled and said nonchalantly.
"Is that so?" Hikari kept her eyes on him.
"Yeah. And now that I think about it, my decision wasn't very considerate either."
Haori had already come to terms with it. He nodded with a smile.
"Leaving you alone in Konoha, in an environment you hate—is that really any different from what the people who imprisoned you did? I'm sorry. As your friend, I should ask what you want next time instead of deciding for you."
Hikari was taken aback by his words. She admitted she'd been a little selfish, even if she'd only acted out of concern for a friend.
Still, she'd thought Haori probably wouldn't be happy about it. She just hadn't expected him to answer like that.
"You really think so?"
"What else?" Haori's smile remained. "You said it yourself—we're friends."
--
In an underground base in the Land of Grass, Obito was working hard on his rehabilitation exercises.
He had accepted Madara's bet, and there was no way he'd believe Kakashi and Rin wouldn't recognize him.
They were friends, teammates, and comrades!
He was sure that even if he wore a mask, they knew each other well enough that there was no chance they wouldn't recognize him.
"I could recognize Kakashi even without his mask."
Obito thought confidently, though he'd never seen Kakashi take it off.
As far back as he could remember, Kakashi had always looked the same.
But he still believed he could recognize him. After all, they were friends!
What is that old man trying to do, anyway? Why did he keep me here?
Obito had always been curious about that. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he'd been a nobody.
At least, before he awakened his Sharingan, he really hadn't amounted to much.
But now that he had these eyes, he was sure he'd be no worse than that bastard Haori. He might even be better!
Could that old man be after my eyes?
Obito couldn't help wondering. Unfortunately, aside from his eyes, he couldn't figure anything else out.
The old man looked like he was about to die, and Obito had a Sharingan.
Normally, his eyes shouldn't be special enough to interest him, right?
Wait. Could this guy have some kind of Sharingan-collecting obsession?
Obito suddenly felt a chill, but quickly shook his head.
The old man had said he could leave whenever he wanted. But how was he supposed to get out of this place?
"Hey, training again? You're recovering really fast. Anyone else would probably still be lying in bed, half dead."
Just then, Spiral Face emerged from the wall and teased Obito.
"Tch, it's you."
Watching Spiral Face pass freely through things, Obito couldn't help envying him. If he could do that, he'd be able to leave.
Of course, he was also curious about why his body was healing so quickly. He figured it must be because he missed Kakashi and Rin so much.
"You just got back from gathering information. Find out anything?"
"A little. Something you'll care about."
Spiral Face climbed out of the wall, then spoke leisurely.
"Your two friends, Kakashi and Rin, have already set out. They'll probably get here before long."
"Really?"
The news immediately lifted Obito's spirits. That was great!
He was even more eager to see them now. Then he could win his bet with Madara.
But thinking about Madara made him curious about the old man's motives again. After a moment, Obito asked tentatively, "Speaking of which, what's that old man's plan? He keeps me locked up here and wants to make a bet with me. He's bound to lose, but he's wasting my time."
After asking, Obito sighed helplessly. He didn't think Spiral Face would know anything.
"Oh, that? I think I know a little."
To Obito's surprise, Spiral Face thought it over and then answered.
"I don't know much, but I often hear Lord Madara say that the Shinobi World is the root of all chaos, and that all suffering is born here. He gave so much because of this world, only to be betrayed again and again.
"Now everyone has forgotten him. He's become someone who's truly been erased from memory.
"So he came up with a plan. He calls it Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Infinite... Tsukuyomi?"
Obito stared blankly as Spiral Face spoke. He had no idea what that meant.
"Simply put, it's about creating a peaceful world in a dream—a world without pain, war, or betrayal."
Spiral Face nodded and smiled.
"In a dream?" Obito frowned. It sounded completely ridiculous.
"That's right. In a dream."
Spiral Face shrugged and innocently told him everything he knew.
"Since it's a dream, everything can be whatever you want. Everyone can shape the world according to their own wishes. Your friends, your family, even your dreams can all come true. Even the dead can come back to life."
Obito listened in a daze. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
He couldn't believe the old man had come up with something like that. It was astonishing.
How badly had he been betrayed to suffer so much, and to come up with a way to fool himself into achieving his dream?
Obito didn't know. But suddenly, he felt that the old man was kind of pitiful.
"Don't you think it's a pretty good idea?"
While Obito was thinking, Spiral Face suddenly leaned closer and asked curiously.
"It's stupid as hell! He's just fooling himself!"
Obito immediately shook his head. After a moment, he laughed scornfully.
"I'm definitely going to win this bet. Who would choose an illusion over reality?!"
"Then you'd better do your best."
Spiral Face pulled his head back and spoke in an unhurried tone.
"Obito."
Thanks to the generous reader 20211127190916499 for the tip, and thanks to everyone for the monthly and recommendation tickets. Thank you, thank you!
This newbie humbly begs you to keep reading. Right now, continued readership determines a book's entire fate. Letting chapters pile up can easily kill a book.
Thank you, everyone. Onz