A Year Later

Time flew by. Obito had been in the Naruto World for a year.

Maybe it was because he had taken the Three-Turn Golden Elixir, but he had grown a lot over the past year... He was already much taller than his peers.

His novels sold very well, and Xiaoxiaosheng had become a well-known novelist... He'd even heard that he had many fanatic fans, which had caused some rather negative social effects...

A few bookstores couldn't resist the temptation of money and secretly printed pirated copies. Cheping brought the Uchiha security force to pay them a visit, and they quickly fell into line. Not only did they willingly turn over their illicit profits, but they also paid a hefty fine...

Kakashi, who was the same age as him, had already applied for graduation and become a proud Konoha Genin. Obito saw him rushing around every day, either catching cats or catching dogs. Obito had even paid to put in a few mission requests, making Kakashi run errands for him. It really was a satisfying feeling, especially when Kakashi looked unwilling but powerless to do anything about it.

After a year together, Obito and Tsunade had grown quite close. They were the stuff of legends at every gambling den in Konoha and had earned the title of the Big Spender Duo. Any gambler who mentioned them would give them a thumbs-up and exclaim, "Those bastards are loaded!"

"Call landlord!" Tsunade said. She turned over the three cards in her hand. Not bad—she had a two.

In Tsunade's living room, three children were playing cards. Obito had only recently discovered at a casino that there were playing cards in the Naruto World.

After returning home, he taught Tsunade and Shizune how to play Dou Dizhu, a popular game back on Earth. From then on, it became part of their daily routine. Every night after dinner, they played until late, and Obito had also managed to secure the convenience of staying at Tsunade's home.

Don't get the wrong idea. They slept in separate rooms.

Obito had also realized that Tsunade's gambling addiction had little to do with how much money was at stake. She simply enjoyed the process. She was just as happy and engrossed in Dou Dizhu whether they were playing for tens of thousands of ryo every night or not.

They played until late into the night. Obito went straight to his room at Tsunade's and lay down. Thinking things over before bed could help him fall asleep, too.

He was another year closer to the main story. Since he hadn't become a registered ninja, he naturally wouldn't be teamed up with Kakashi and Rin. That meant Rin wouldn't have to die, right? His eyelids grew heavier and heavier...

North of the Land of Fire's border lay an unclaimed territory, a vast graveyard where many powerful summoning beasts had met their end. Skeletons as large as hills were scattered everywhere. It was called the Graveyard of Mountains!

No one would have imagined that Uchiha Madara, who was renowned as the God of Shinobi, was still alive! And he was living in an underground base beneath this very graveyard.

The underground base was dimly lit. Oil lamps sat in holes in the walls, their flames flickering unsteadily and making the place seem even more sinister and terrifying.

Inside the base stood a massive humanoid statue, seated cross-legged with nine tightly shut eyes. Its expression was pained, like a demon or an asura! Ten pillar-like protrusions jutted from its back, making it look like a human-shaped tree stripped of its branches! It was none other than the Ten-Tails' husk—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!

An old man sat in a stone chair before the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. His body was withered, and his unruly, straw-like hair covered one eye. The other eye was closed. Several tubes connected his back to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and the faint rise and fall of his chest proved he was still alive.

This frail old man was none other than Uchiha Madara!

"Go to Konoha and investigate the Uchiha Clan's children between the ages of four and seven. Find out which ones have good potential, then report back to me." Madara's aged voice sounded weak.

"Why does it have to be the Uchiha Clan?" asked a figure whose entire body looked as if it had been molded from white dough, its skin a deathly pale. It was White Zetsu.

"The Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai is one of the most powerful forces in this world. And I understand the Uchiha. Once they've been baptized by suffering, they grow stronger and stronger! The more they suffer, the stronger they become! Just gather information. Don't ask so many questions!" Madara's tone grew sharper at the end.

"How could a shoddy experiment like you understand the power of the great Uchiha? You stupid fool! If I were a few decades younger, I wouldn't need a useless thing like you!"

Madara had always looked down on White Zetsu. If he weren't so old and frail that he could barely stay alive with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he'd rather work alone than use White Zetsu. Still, White Zetsu was good at gathering intelligence—at least the useless thing was good for something.

"Yes." As a remnant of Otsutsuki Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi, White Zetsu had no shortage of intelligence. They naturally sensed Madara's displeasure, but they were already used to it... Used to being treated as a tool that could be insulted and discarded at will! White Zetsu's body slowly sank into the ground and disappeared.

Madara closed his eyes as well. No one knew what he was thinking. Perhaps he was remembering skipping stones by the river with Hashirama when they were young, or perhaps their life-and-death battles...

The Hokage's office was brightly lit. The Third Hokage was still reviewing documents, pipe in one hand as he took the occasional puff and exhaled thick clouds of smoke.

"Hiruzen, are you really going to let that Uchiha kid get close to Tsunade?"

Danzo stood in the shadows of the room. If he hadn't spoken, no one would have noticed he was there.

The Third Hokage didn't even look up. He continued reviewing the documents as he replied, "What's there to fear from a child? Don't question Tsunade's loyalty to the village."

"Hmph! Your prized student still hasn't gotten over Dan Katō's death. She hasn't taken a mission in years. And if that kid finds out about her hemophobia, the Uchiha Clan will know, too! Hiruzen, you're too soft! As long as the Uchiha Clan remains, they'll always be a threat!" Danzo said ominously.

"Danzo! Know your place! I'm the Hokage. Don't overstep your bounds!" The Third Hokage finally raised his head and fixed Danzo with a sharp stare. Deep creases furrowed his brow, like a wolf whose formidable presence still lingered.

"Hmph! The biggest mistake our teacher ever made was choosing you as Hokage! My informant in the Uchiha Clan found out that the kid awakened his Sharingan last year, when he was only five! Do you still think he's an ordinary child? If the Uchiha produce another figure like Madara, can you keep him under control?" Danzo snapped.

"I'll say it again: I'm the Hokage. Do your own job, Danzo. As for whether our teacher made the wrong decision, you can ask him yourself when you see him!" With that, the Third Hokage lowered his head and resumed reviewing the documents. Danzo gave him a long look, then stood and walked out.

"Do my own job, hmph. Hiruzen, you really are a hypocrite! You want to be the good man basking in the sunlight? Then I'll be the villain!" Danzo's face darkened. He had already made up his mind: he couldn't let that Uchiha brat grow up! He had to be eliminated!