"Uchiha… Madara?!!"
On the surface, Uchiha Itachi's expression remained a mask of calm detachment, but inside, his heart was a maelstrom of shock and disbelief. He knew the name, had seen it etched in the ancient scrolls of his clan's history. How could such a legendary, almost mythical figure, still be alive?
"You don't believe me?"
Observing Itachi's turmoil, the mysterious masked man tilted his head slightly. In the pale moonlight, the single Sharingan visible through his mask glowed with an unnatural, blood-red light. The space around him began to warp, twisting into a swirling vortex centered on his right eye. In an instant, his body was pulled into the void. Before Itachi could even fully process what he was seeing, the man materialized directly beside him.
This is… the power of a Mangekyō Sharingan?!
At first, Itachi had assumed the man's mysterious technique was a form of space-time ninjutsu. But now, seeing it up close, he realized the horrifying truth. It was a dōjutsu, a power of the eyes. No one in his clan possessed such an ability. And yet, Itachi still found it difficult to believe this man was truly Uchiha Madara. The idea was too outrageous. To live for so long… he would have to be more than a man. He would have to be a monster.
"Itachi, cease your worrying about my identity. What you should be concerned with is… why I have sought you out."
With that, Obito's gaze drifted toward the dark, flowing river, and he got straight to the point.
"To possess such intelligence and strength at your young age… Itachi, I admire you. Are you interested in lending your power to my cause?"
"…" Uchiha Itachi remained silent, his mind racing. He neither agreed nor refused. He was intensely curious. What grand design could this person, this self-proclaimed "Madara," have been plotting for all these hidden years?
"I will assume, for now, that you are Madara," Itachi finally said, his voice cold and steady. "What is it you want from me?" He decided to play along, to feign compliance in order to draw out the man's true intentions.
Obito replied, "Join my organization. Help me complete the Moon's Eye Plan."
"The Moon's Eye Plan?" Itachi frowned. "What is that?"
"Hehe…" Obito let out a low, chilling sneer and revealed his apocalyptic vision in full.
"We will collect all nine Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails, whose body was sealed within the moon by the Sage of Six Paths himself. I will become the jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, ascend to the level of the Sage, and cast my ultimate dōjutsu, the Infinite Tsukuyomi, upon the moon. Its light will plunge the entire world into a genjutsu, controlling all of humanity and creating true, lasting peace within an illusion."
"...!" Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened, his composure finally cracking. He was stunned by the torrent of mysterious, mythic terms he had never heard before. Infinite Tsukuyomi… a world of illusion… If what this man said was true, the world he proposed would be a complete fabrication.
Uchiha Itachi bowed his head, a single thought echoing in his mind. The man before him was insane. How could such a thing even be possible?
Obito continued, his voice a low, persuasive drone. "Itachi, where there is light, there must also be shadow. As long as the concept of a winner exists, there must also be a loser. There is no absolute right or wrong in this world. The selfish will of man will inevitably provoke war. To protect love, hatred is born. This is the inescapable chain of causality."
"But we are different. We can create a world where there are only winners, only peace, only love. A perfect world."
"These are not the ramblings of a madman. Go to the main hall of the Naka Shrine. Beneath the seventh tatami mat on your right, you will find a stone tablet. The truth of my words is written there."
Uchiha Itachi responded coldly, "Impossible. I have seen the stone tablet. I could not understand all of the text, but there was nothing of what you speak."
Obito shook his head. "Of course you could not understand it. It records the secrets of the universe, written by the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"To decipher it, one requires the progression of our eyes: from the Sharingan, to the Mangekyō Sharingan, and finally, to the Rinnegan. Without that power, its secrets remain locked away."
The Sage of Six Paths? The Rinnegan? These legendary words crashed through Itachi's mind, shaking the foundations of his reality. He began to hesitate. What the masked man said was so grandiose, so far-fetched, it sounded like pure fantasy. And yet, as he considered it, a chilling thread of possibility began to weave itself through his thoughts.
"Itachi, are you not tired of this false world?" Obito's voice was a serpent's whisper in his ear. "Your friend died right in front of you. Why did he choose to take his own life? Because of this world's lies."
"Forget the conflicts between nations. Even between villages, between clans, there is inevitable mistrust and strife. To resolve these conflicts requires the sacrifice of one side. It creates winners and losers."
"If you win, you get to continue living in this world of deception and schemes. If you lose, you find relief only in death. What is the point of allowing such a flawed world to continue?"
"You do not need to guess if I am right. You have now awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. You can read more of the tablet's contents for yourself. I can take you there now. Once you have seen it, you will understand."
Without waiting for a response, Obito activated his Mangekyō. The world twisted around Itachi, pulling him into the swirling vortex. Then, Obito's own body disappeared into the void.
The next moment, they stood before the ancient stone monument in the Uchiha's Naka Shrine.
"See for yourself, Itachi."
Obito crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, a silent, imposing figure. Uchiha Itachi stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the tablet as his new Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life.
A minute passed in stunned silence. A single drop of cold sweat traced a path down Itachi's cheek.
What Madara said… it's true.
He began to believe. Perhaps this man truly was Madara. Who else could know so much? He still couldn't decipher the entire tablet. He remembered the man's words—that the Rinnegan was needed for a full interpretation.
As if reading his mind, Obito murmured, "My organization has a member who possesses the Rinnegan. If you still doubt me, I can take you to see it for yourself."
Uchiha Itachi was shocked once again. The Rinnegan, the eyes of a god, actually existed in this world. He was becoming more and more curious about this mysterious organization. He did not agree with their plan, not entirely. And yet, he felt an inexplicable longing for the world they described. A world without conflict. A world without pain.
What is real? And what is false?
The death of his best friend had shattered his perception of the world. He had experienced the horrors of war as a child. But in this era of supposed "peace," the swords and kunai had been replaced by a deadlier weapon: the human heart. It was that weapon that had killed Shisui.
"Think on it, Itachi," Obito said. "I will come for your answer." With that, he vanished into his vortex, leaving Itachi alone before the silent, terrible truth of the stone tablet.
"We're back."
Within Madara's secret base, Obito and Zetsu walked through the entrance. It was early morning, and Madara and Shiro had just woken up.
"What were you two doing all night?" Madara asked, giving them a sidelong glance.
Obito had no intention of hiding anything. He first walked over to Shiro, scooping him up for an affectionate hug, before turning to Madara and recounting everything that had transpired.
"Sure enough," Madara's voice grew cold. "Konoha's attitude toward the Uchiha has not changed. Hmph. Even if you two had not lit the fuse, the day the Uchiha were cast out by the village was not far off."
Shiro heard their words clearly. It seems my presence here has greatly altered the course of this world, he thought to himself.
White Zetsu teased, "Madara, does it pain you to see your people treated this way?"
"Hmph." Madara snorted and took Shiro back from Obito's arms. "So what if they are my clansmen? The only thing I care about now is my son. Come, give your father a huge, son."
Feeling Madara's overwhelming affection, Shiro interrupted their conversation. "Daddy Obito, you did all of that just to get that person, Itachi Uchiha, to join the Akatsuki?"
Obito nodded. "Yes, that's right."
Shiro tilted his head. "In that case, if you're short on people, why not just pack up the entire Uchiha clan and bring them over to work for us? The more, the merrier."
"Uh…" Obito was startled by the simple, brutal logic. He took off his mask, a rare, genuine smile gracing his scarred face. "To be honest, I never considered accepting so many."
"Since my son has offered his counsel, let us do it. It can't hurt, in any case," Madara said, gently pinching Shiro's cheek.
"The fuse has been lit. It is only a matter of time before Konoha moves to exterminate the Uchiha clan. Rather than letting them die meaningless deaths in the streets, it is better that they work for me."
"As my people, we shall give them a chance to join our great cause."
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