Who Would Replace Reality With Illusion! (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Late at night, the moonlight was like a song.

Haori stood in a forest, waiting quietly.

He was still somewhat troubled, though; after all, the decision Uchiha Hikari had made was truly giving him a headache.

There were actually many ways to bring someone out, as leaving Konoha was nowhere near as troublesome as entering it.

But the problem was that she would eventually have to return to Konoha with him, and that was truly a bit of a hassle.

Forget it, if she wants to come out, then let her come out. I'm afraid I wouldn't be at ease leaving her alone in Konoha anyway.

Sighing softly, Haori thought to himself.

He wasn't actually worried about the Uchiha discovering her, nor was he worried about the people of Konoha noticing her.

The Uchiha population was not small, and when combined with the internal factional conflicts and the divide between ninjas and civilians, it created a complex environment.

This resulted in many people within the clan not knowing each other, so as long as Hikari hid herself a little when returning home, it would be fine.

And within the village, even fewer people would pay extra attention to an Uchiha.

Moreover, some members of bloodline clans did not attend the Ninja Academy, as they were trained personally by their families.

Therefore, it wasn't strange for people not to recognize her, as long as they could identify which clan she belonged to.

However, given Hikari's hatred for the ninja system and the Uchiha, no one knew what might happen if he really left her behind.

So, coming out is for the best. Although going back will be troublesome, it's better than the uncertainty.

Besides, thinking about it carefully now, Haori felt that having her follow him might actually be a good choice.

After all, his mission this time carried quite a high level of danger.

If Iwagakure wanted greater results at the negotiating table, the conflicts would likely not cease.

And he still had to face a group of Mist ninjas, especially since those Mist ninjas were backed by Madara. With Hikari and her Mangekyo Sharingan, he would likely be much safer.

Although, I don't think she should have to take action.

Thinking of this, Haori's mood improved significantly, but just then, he suddenly sensed someone approaching him.

He immediately turned his head; the person arriving was none other than Hikari.

She had followed a merchant caravan out, and this was their designated meeting point.

"Everything okay?" Haori took the initiative to walk over and asked.

"No problem, those people didn't discover me."

Hikari nodded, but then she tilted her head and asked curiously.

"Did my decision cause you any trouble?"

"It's a bit of a hassle, but nothing major."

Haori smiled and said dismissively.

"Is that so?" Hikari's gaze remained fixed on Haori.

"Yeah, and thinking about it, my decision was also quite unreliable."

Having thought it through, Haori was very clear-headed, and he nodded with a smile.

"Leaving you alone in Konoha, in an environment you don't like—how is that any different from those who imprisoned you back then? I'm sorry. As a friend, I think I should have asked for your thoughts next time instead of making the decision for you."

Hikari was stunned by Haori's words. She admitted that her actions were a bit willful, even if she was 'concerned for a friend.'

But she had also felt that Haori wouldn't be happy; she just hadn't expected to receive such an answer.

"You really think that way?"

"Otherwise?" Haori's smile remained. "Didn't you say it yourself? We are friends."

In an underground base in the Land of Grass, Obito was working hard on his rehabilitation training.

He had accepted the wager with Madara, and he absolutely refused to believe that Kakashi and Rin wouldn't recognize him.

They were friends, teammates, and above all, companions!

He believed that even if he wore a mask, they were so familiar with each other that the situation of not recognizing him would never happen.

"Even if Kakashi didn't wear his mask, I could still recognize him."

Obito thought confidently, though he had never actually seen what Kakashi looked like without his mask.

After all, ever since they were kids, Kakashi had always looked like that.

But he still believed he could do it; after all, they were friends!

"But what exactly does that old guy want to do? What is his purpose in keeping me here?"

Obito had actually always been curious about this. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he knew he was nothing but a nobody.

At least as far as the past was concerned, he really wasn't anything special without having awakened the Sharingan.

But now that he had these eyes, he believed he would absolutely not be inferior to that bastard Haori; in fact, he would be even better!

"Could that old man be after my eyes?"

Obito couldn't help but ponder this in his heart, though it was a pity that aside from his eyes, he couldn't figure out anything else at all.

That old man looked like he was about to die, and he himself possessed the Sharingan.

So, under normal circumstances, his eyes shouldn't be worth the old man's attention, right?

"Wait, could this guy have some kind of Sharingan collection fetish?"

Suddenly, Obito felt a chill, but he quickly shook his head.

Because that old man had said he could leave whenever he wanted, but how was he supposed to leave this godforsaken place?

"Yo, training again? Your body is recovering really fast; anyone else would probably still be lying in bed half-dead by now."

Just then, the Spiral Face White Zetsu suddenly emerged from the wall, looking at Obito and speaking in a teasing tone.

"Tch, it's you."

Watching Spiral Face move freely through the walls, Obito couldn't help but feel envious; if he could do that, he would be able to leave this place.

Of course, he was also curious why his body was healing so quickly, but he figured it must be because he missed Kakashi and Rin.

"Did you just get back from scouting? Any intel?"

"A little, and it's something you care about."

Spiral Face crawled out of the wall before speaking in a leisurely manner.

"Those two friends of yours, Kakashi and Rin, have already set out. They should be arriving here in a little while."

"Is that so?"

Hearing this news, Obito's heart immediately surged with excitement—this was great news!

He was now even more eager to see the two of them soon, so he could fulfill his bet with Madara.

But thinking of Madara, Obito became curious about his motives again. After a moment's thought, he tentatively asked.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is that old man's plan?

Keeping me locked up here and making some kind of bet.

Even though he's bound to lose, it's such a waste of my time."

After asking the question, Obito sighed helplessly; he didn't think this Spiral Face would know anything.

"That? I actually know a little bit about it."

However, to Obito's surprise, Spiral Face thought for a moment and actually started to speak.

"Although I don't know much, I often hear Lord Madara say that the ninja world is the root of chaos, and all sorrow is born in this place.

He has given too much for this ninja world, yet he has been betrayed time and time again.

And now, he has been forgotten by everyone, becoming a truly forgotten man.

So, he came up with a plan, which he calls the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"Infinite... Tsukuyomi?"

Obito was a bit dazed hearing Spiral Face's words; he had no idea what that meant.

"Simply put, it's creating a peaceful world within a dream, a world without pain, without war, and without betrayal."

Spiral Face nodded, smiling as he spoke.

"In a dream?" Obito frowned, feeling that this was far too unreliable.

"That's right, just in a dream."

Spiral Face shrugged, seemingly revealing everything he knew in his simple way.

"Because it's a dream, everything can be exactly as you wish. Everyone can shape the world according to their own desires.

Whether it's your friends, your family, or even your dreams—they can all be realized. Even the dead can be brought back to life."

Obito listened to Spiral Face's words in a daze, speechless for a moment.

The fact that this old man would have such an idea truly left him in awe.

Just how badly must he have been betrayed to feel such pain, to the point of thinking of such a self-deceiving way to realize his dreams?

Obito didn't know, but he suddenly felt that this old man was actually quite pitiful.

"Tell me, isn't this a pretty good method?"

Just as he was pondering, Spiral Face suddenly leaned in, asking with a look of curiosity.

"That's stupid as hell! That's just lying to yourself!"

Obito immediately shook his head, thought for a moment, and then laughed dismissively.

"Anyway, I'll definitely win this bet. Who would use such an illusory method to replace reality!"

"Then you'll have to work hard."

Spiral Face retracted his head before speaking in a leisurely tone.

"Obito."

I would like to thank book friend 20211127190916499 for the generous tip, as well as all the other readers for their monthly tickets and recommendation votes. Thank you, thank you!

As a newbie, I am begging you to keep up with the latest chapters. Current readership numbers determine everything for a book, and letting it sit in your library without reading will easily kill it.

Thank you all so much! Orz