All he could see was the ceiling, illuminated by the Night-Luminescent Pearl.
A meter to his side lay Yanbai, quiet, his eyes closed.
Yanbai preferred sleeping in a bed. He did not like following the Shinobi World's tradition of spreading bedding on the floor and sleeping on tatami.
But lately, Madara Uchiha kept slipping under the covers in the dead of night.
At first, Madara had gone a little too far, and Yanbai had taught him a harsh lesson.
Now Madara dared not do anything and kept a safe distance from Yanbai.
Since he was still keeping his distance, Yanbai could not be bothered with him.
After that, Yanbai would simply give Madara a disdainful glance, turn over, and close his eyes to go back to sleep.
And so, for the time being, the two remained at peace.
Madara Uchiha lay quietly on his back, staring at the ceiling as thoughts circled through his mind.
Madara had two identities.
His present life and previous life had merged into one.
Their experiences and perspectives differed.
Even the same person could examine things from different perspectives.
He could look back on his past self through memories;
He could guess at his future self through speculation.
No matter what he did, the anxiety that he might very well be abandoned did not diminish in the slightest.
Yanbai was like a cloud in the late-night sky: visible but intangible, and ever-changing.
Madara Uchiha was like a gambler trapped in an endless game.
Madara had forcibly dragged Yanbai to the gambling table.
They placed their bets;
They guessed at each other's thoughts;
Madara constantly considered how much Yanbai could tolerate.
Madara had too much to consider.
If he bet too aggressively, he might scare Yanbai off outright;
If he did not bet enough, Yanbai might