Night had fallen.
The sea shimmered under the moonlight, its surface gently rippling. It was a beautiful night.
Perched alone atop the mast of the Moby Dick, Uchiha Itachi sat with a bottle of rum in hand.
After spending so many days in this world, he had grown fond of this sailor's drink. When dulled by alcohol, the torment in his heart felt slightly less unbearable.
"Getting used to it?" Marco's voice came from beside him. He casually tossed an empty bottle into the ocean, its arc catching the moonlight before being swallowed by the waves.
"Better than I expected," Itachi said flatly.
Marco climbed up to sit next to him. "The World Government sent another envoy to negotiate today."
Itachi nodded knowingly. "But they still refuse to release Ace."
Marco grinned. "Anything but that. Looks like they've made up their minds."
"Still, that news about a Navy admiral attacking a Celestial Dragon got out. At least it's causing a headache for them."
"It's a huge blow to morale," Itachi said. "Fighting for the Celestial Dragons… it dishonors the capes they wear."
Marco clicked his tongue. "Tch. Too bad Kizaru didn't get kicked out. That would've helped a lot."
"He's one of their top assets, and the war's about to begin," Itachi replied, shaking his head. "They've already begun pushing rumors in the papers, questioning the identity of the Celestial Dragons in our hands. They're setting the stage in case the negotiations break down."
"Didn't think Ace's identity would stir up this much trouble," Marco muttered.
"Gol D. Roger started this era," Itachi said, taking a sip. "Now they want to end it with his son's blood."
Marco was quiet for a moment, then suddenly let out a sharp laugh. "Idiots. A government like this has no right to end anything."
"We're heading toward a dangerous war," Itachi said with a weary sigh.
Marco laughed heartily. "Guess working for the Whitebeard Pirates isn't such easy money after all."
Itachi shook his head. "Definitely not. This is one of the most difficult assignments I've had."
"Oh? You've had worse?"
"…Yes."
He downed the rest of his drink and flung the bottle into the sea.
Silence settled between them again. In the distance, the raucous voices of the crew mixed with the sound of waves slapping against the hull.
"If the talks fall through," Itachi broke the silence, "can we reinforce our forces?"
Marco shook his head. "The Whitebeard Pirates don't rely on outside help."
Itachi gave him a long look.
Marco surrendered with a laugh. "Fine, fine. To be honest, there aren't many reliable factions left. Red-Haired Shanks might help, but he's not exactly clear-cut in his allegiances."
"What about people who once served with Ace's father?" Itachi asked.
"Shanks was on Roger's ship," Marco answered, tilting his bottle back. "The rest… either dead or retired to some hidden corner of the world."
"Silvers Rayleigh," Itachi said softly.
The bottle paused mid-air.
Marco's expression shifted.
"And the Navy isn't a monolith either," Itachi continued. "Not everyone in it is necessarily our enemy."
Marco blinked. "Weren't you supposed to be from another world? How do you know all this?"
Itachi didn't bother lying. "Our mission dossiers from the Leaf Village included that intel."
"Incredible," Marco muttered, thinking it over. "No harm trying to reach out to them."
The wind picked up, filling the sails with a low, rhythmic creak.
With the serious discussion concluded, the two men clinked bottles again and started talking about other matters.
"That Haki training guide you asked for finished it," Marco said.
"Thanks."
"Taking it back to your village?"
"Yeah."
"Guess your village means a lot to you. I was going to ask if you'd stay once this is all over."
At that, Marco swirled the liquor in his bottle and teased, "Remember that mermaid lady from before? Heard she's been asking about you ever since you left."
Not wanting to go down that path, Itachi quickly changed the subject. "Seems the Navy plans to livestream the execution."
Marco's expression darkened. "Tch. Then we'll execute a Celestial Dragon on deck at the same time. I'll start building a gallows tomorrow."
"That would make it a point of no return. There'd be no more negotiations between us and the World Government."
Marco raised his drink and grinned. "Who cares? Cheers!"
…
"Obito! Obito, where are you?"
Ever since his last appearance, Obito had gone silent. Black Zetsu was growing more anxious by the day.
Every time White Zetsu located him, the signal vanished just as quickly.
Now, Black Zetsu wandered the ninja world like a desperate father searching for a lost child.
Stay strong, Obito. Don't fall apart now. If you die, what happens to Mother?
What now? That damned Jiraiya is such a menace…
After brooding for some time, Black Zetsu finally came to a conclusion. To keep the plan moving, he would need to reconnect with Nagato and come up with a new lie to spin.
He sighed deeply. Ever since Madara's death, there had been far too many things to worry about.
Obito's erratic, half-baked schemes were exhausting. The Moon's Eye Plan had been carefully crafted, but Obito kept tacking on unnecessary flourishes.
And the kid never intended to revive Madara in the first place. Black Zetsu knew that.
Scowling, he couldn't help cursing even Madara himself. Look at this mess. Is this really the best you could find? A true Indra reincarnation visionary, sure, but no judgment whatsoever.
Black Zetsu was just about to dive underground and head for Nagato when a swirl of space suddenly opened before him.
Uchiha Obito stepped out.
His mask was off, and in the dim light, the gnarled scars across his face looked like centipedes crawling down his cheek.
"Black Zetsu," he said, his voice like something unearthed from a grave.
"We're going to Konoha."
His eyes were dead gray, and his face resolute.
This wasn't the unhinged teen screaming about creating a world for Rin, nor the brooding actor pretending to be Madara Uchiha.
He was now a man who had failed his first run and was rushing into his second a gamer hitting reset with no regrets.
There was nothing left in this world he cared about. All that mattered now was starting the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
To do that, he would need to tie up his final loose end.
"I'm taking back my other eye."
Black Zetsu, looking at him, thought: Yeah, this one's definitely a Uchiha.
Out loud, he cheered, "Obito, you're finally thinking straight! Once we activate the Moon's Eye, true peace will descend. Every sacrifice will have been worth it!"
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