Chapter 167: Changing This World
Chapter 167: Changing This World
Noticing Haneda eating with his head down, unlike his usual self, Obito's grandmother consoled him:
"Little Haneda, no matter what kind of pain you're going through, you need to live happily."
"After all, Grandma has lived for so many decades now."
She laughed as she spoke, watching Haneda eat, and for a moment, Obito's figure overlapped with his.
After the meal, Grandma quickly gathered the dishes and took them to the kitchen. Before Haneda left, she reminded him:
"Little Haneda, remember to go to bed early, don't stay up too late."
"And make sure to be happy tomorrow as well."
"Alright." Haneda smiled, closing the door.
The dimly lit street seemed brighter, as the clouds parted to reveal the moon.
Back at his home, Haneda had nothing to do. Remembering Kakashi and Grandma's advice not to stay up late, he washed up and lay down to sleep. He tried to drift off, but memories of Obito and Sakumo haunted his mind, making him more awake.
Lying there, he glanced at the photo on his desk with himself, Obito, Sakumo, and Kakashi. He sat up, looking out at the position of the moon.
If events followed the anticipated course, Obito would awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and pursue the Moon's Eye Plan.
Thinking of Grandma sitting at her door, expectantly watching the street, Haneda clenched his fist with determination.
He resolved to bring Obito back home.
Haneda instinctively reached for his pouch, but Obito's protective charm wasn't there.
"Did I leave it at Grandma's?"
He braced himself against the window and jumped down, heading back to Obito's house.
When he arrived, the house was pitch-black, a sign that Grandma was already asleep. Haneda paused by the door, remembering how he and Obito used to sneak in through the second-floor window after training late. Smiling slightly, he jumped up, entering through the familiar window.
Inside, he found Grandma lying peacefully on her bed, clutching Obito's charm and photo.
Haneda froze, quickly stepping closer and placing a finger under her nose.
But there was no breath.
Grandma had passed away—on the very day the Third Shinobi World War had ended.
…
Under the night sky, moonlight illuminated the training grounds of the Haneda clan. Haneda wasn't sure why he came here rather than the graveyard. He looked around, memories of training with Kakashi under Sakumo's guidance flooding back, along with all he'd experienced in the war.
Previously, Haneda hadn't felt the true harshness of war. Watching people suffer filled him only with sorrow. But now, after losing so many close to him, he felt the pain keenly.
The Third Shinobi World War had claimed his friends, his teacher, and two cherished relatives. Now, no one was left to protect him.
He suddenly understood why Fugaku had matured so quickly. Like himself and Kakashi, he'd also lost much.
And all of it, at its core, was because of war.
"The Third War may be over, but the conflicts between people haven't been resolved—they're only simmering further."
"Seeds of revenge will sprout, and war will continue."
Haneda gripped the sword at his waist, Dawn—a gift from Sakumo for the New Year.
"Sakumo-ojisan…"
"Power isn't inherently good or evil; it depends on the one who wields it."
Haneda recalled past experiences—the exploitation of the Land of Waves, Minato-senpai's dedication to comrades and the village, Yahiko's desire for peace, and Konan and Nagato's watchful protection of their companions.
Ordinary shinobi had no idea why wars were fought. They only knew to blame their village and follow orders.
High-ranking officials, claiming to protect or retaliate, expended countless lives to achieve their agendas. The cycle of militarization ensured that even without Obito's eventual Fourth War, there would always be another.
Haneda unsheathed Dawn.
The blade, symbolizing the hope to cut through darkness and embrace light, glistened under the moonlight, reflecting his increasingly determined face.
"A twisted world…"
"Shinobi are mere tools, and ambitious men manipulate the world."
"Power fuels war instead of production, instead of protection."
"The Daimyo, the Five Kage, those high and mighty…"
Haneda looked toward the distance, where the Memorial Stone and the graves of Obito and Sakumo rested. He thought of the dreams he'd once shared with Obito and Kakashi.
"From now on, I'll end this foolish world, uproot this hypocritical system."
"The world will return to what we envisioned."
"Obito, Sakumo-ojisan…"
A red glow flickered in Haneda's eyes, and at that moment, his Mangekyo Sharingan spun into the shape of the sun.
This was a power capable of encompassing all—Shinra Bansho!
…
After the war, Obito carried Rin's body, making his way back to Madara's hidden base.
Madara, noticing Obito's eyes still bore only the three-tomoe Sharingan, showed a brief flicker of disappointment.
He taunted, "Haneda's teacher, Kakashi's father, died. He sacrificed himself in this war, just like the girl you're holding… all to protect the village and their comrades."
"They're dead."
"What are they feeling now?"
Obito's Sharingan glared at Madara, who sat before him on the stone seat.
"Because of this war, they are consumed by grief."
After a long silence, Obito finally asked, "Tell me, what should I do?"
Madara's lips curled into a subtle smile, his Sharingan activating to draw Obito into a world of illusions. There, he taught Obito Yin-Yang Release, explaining how to create a new world through the Moon's Eye Plan.
The Obito listening now was no longer the clumsy, carefree student. He absorbed every word, committing Madara's ideas to memory, his mind convinced by the elder's vision.
It wasn't just for Rin; he was also moved by the suffering of this tragic world.
In this war, Obito had lost his love, Haneda had lost his teacher, and Kakashi had lost his father.
Madara's Moon's Eye Plan promised to heal these wounds, to recreate the happiness they'd lost. Obito pictured a world where everyone he cherished was reunited.
"I'll create a world with Rin, Haneda, and Kakashi in it."
"A world free of conflict, without war."
"Where everyone fulfills their dreams and lives in peace."
"Rin will become an exceptional medical-nin, Haneda and Kakashi will pursue their paths."
"I'll become Hokage and return to the person I used to be."
He glanced back at the grotesque, massive Gedo Statue, knowing it was the key to his dreams.
"The Moon's Eye Plan…"
"My Sharingan will transform this foolish, conflict-ridden world."
"Rin, Haneda, Kakashi…"
A red glint appeared in Obito's eyes, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning into a shuriken pattern.
Donning a black robe and mask, he stepped forward.
From that moment, he was no longer the naive, kind-hearted boy he once was but the man known as Uchiha Madara.
Meanwhile, the real Madara, watching Obito awaken the Mangekyo, detached the tubes connecting him to the Gedo Statue.
…
(End of Volume 2)