V.1-C.83│Eternal III│

The Mountains' Graveyard is a mountainous region located at the north-most region of land between Takigakure and Otogakure. It has dense forestry and the bones of many giant creatures can be seen jutting out of it.

It contains an abandoned mine that is connected to some strange ruins, which Madara Uchiha is currently using as his secret hideout for the duration of the Eye of the Moon Plan.

Some time after being defeated by Hashirama Senju, Madara set up a base here.

As Madara was living off life support provided by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, White Zetsu clones were instead used to gather information from the surface world and carry out any other functions as they could travel through the earth.

There were passages that seemingly led to different countries as Madara was able to use Zetsu to go to said countries, and an example being that through Zetsu, Madara was able to connect with Naka Uchiha and make the boy become his key, a part of his plan, towards his rebirth.

Occupied by Madara, there was only Hashirama's living clone and the Zetsu minions released by Black Zetsu, the tree which grew from it and the Demonic Statue seated upon it, a large tree stump which Madara occupied, and a wooden bed on a single platform.

On a wall hung several of Madara's tools such as his gunbai, a kama, a chain with weights, several swords, giant shuriken and some spare cloaks.

Many hidden entrances and exits had been carved out, concealed beneath the bones of animals, or else etched into the walls.

Right now, Obito was brought forth to this location, brought along by said being known as Zetsu, or more specifically the White side of Zetsu.

Obito looked at the person before him... and he was old, very old, and much too different from how Obito had seen him before, in his younger, healthy state. "Welcome... Obito Uchiha." Madara spoke.

In his old age, Madara became extremely worn and emaciated, with his hair turned thin and white, and lost all his teeth. He wore a simple black outfit and used his kama as a makeshift cane. Of course, Obito didn't see Madara with his Rinnegan eyes, but simply saw Madara with the eyes of the Sharingan, which was something he both didn't find weird but also suspicious.

After all, Madara's actual eyes are right now within Nagato, meaning that he shouldn't have any eyes with which to see. However, it was clear to Obito that Madara does have eyes of his own.

"You're Madara Uchiha?" Obito asked as he saw the old man, and while not a lot of time has passed, Madara seemed like he has aged quite a bit.

"Correct..." Madara seemed to regard Obito for a bit, before continuing. "I have brought you here for a specific purpose."

"And what would that purpose be?" Obito asked.

Madara didn't say anything, leaving Obito to hear his deep, measured, but labored breath as he got up from his throne and started to come closer to Obito.

Obito himself was cautious of any and all actions that Madara was, is taking. "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you, and if I did, you would not be standing here before me as you are now." Madara spoke, his voice deep as he was now just in front of Obito, an arms length away from Obito.

"You are old." Obito stated simply, not really afraid of Madara right now, as he could teleport away if he wants to at any time. "Why have I been brought here?"

"You are confident, even in the face of me? You are either brave or stupid." Madara replied as he looked Obito up and down with his no doubt stolen Sharingan eyes.

Obito just stayed silent, before Madara nodded towards Zetsu, whom was now more than just the White Zetsu and had combined with its other half, the Black Zetsu. "You are wondering why you are here... You are here because I wanted you to be here, so that I may give you something." Madara continued.

As Madara was talking, Obito felt a pulsing headache again, and he was starting to get annoyed at having to experience this for the past few days now. It was especially prominent within his eyes, making it harder for him to really concentrate.

His eyes were itchy, and it felt as if something was piercing them at the same time.

"And what is it you wish to give me?" Obito asked, struggling a bit to concentrate.

"You have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan." Madara revealing that he knows of this, lets Obito know that Madara has been keeping an eye on him enough to know that he has unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Have you been watching me...?" Obito knew the answer already, but he wanted confirmation as that would tell him that Madara was someone that seemed to pick up on his presence, even if he tried oh so hard to stay out of sight.

Of course, Obito is also aware of the fact that he is kind of Asura's reincarnation, meaning that Zetsu should be able to tell that he is important in that manner.

What Obito doesn't know is that he may have gotten a gift, that was meant to be temporary in helping him in his past life from Sasuke, but has become a permanent addition within him as he has also been reincarnated into this new form of his.

That gift being the chakra or special aspect that allowed Sasuke to be Indra's reincarnation, meaning that Obito has become both. Though, Asura's chakra he has comes from his soul into this body, while Indra's chakra had to find a place to stay, as he wasn't naturally born an Uchiha.

Meaning, his rebirth into Obito is the very thing that helped him keep this new aspect of himself, and whatever else Sasuke may have gifted onto him. Given the nature of Indra's chakra is much more in line with Yin, and the nature of Asura's chakra is much more in line with Yang.

"Yes. I have been watching over you in particular because of some specific circumstances..." Madara did not reveal anything to him.

"I'm not sure what gift this is you wish to give me, but I think I'll have to refuse." Obito didn't trust the man, not one bit.

"You will like this gift, need it even." Madara replied, before he started to pace with long chord attaching him to a wall that has the living clone of Hashirama grown out of it. "I'm not long for this world, and there are things in play, at the works that I am doing to ensure I bring peace to the world."

"And how shall you do that?" Obito asked, seeing where this conversation may go.

Madara stopped in front of Obito again, before he would continue. "This world is full of things that don't go as you wish. The longer you live the more you realize reality is just made of pain, suffering, and emptiness… Listen… In this world, whenever there is light, there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exist, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars and hatred is born to protect love."

"You think so, huh?" Obito asked rhetorically.

"Yes, and as such, there are things that I am doing to ensure that peace is maintained and not some fleeting piece of nothingness." Madara replied, before he coughed into his hand for a bit.

Obito noticed this. "Your dying..."

"Yes. Of course I'm dying. Just as everyone else dies, aging as their bodies slowly rot and decay." Madara replied, before his eyes sharpened. "Accept my gift, for you are to be my one, true successor."

"Huh...?" This was not what Obito was expecting, but as Madara had reached the climax of his little speech to Obito, Obito himself felt another pain in his head and eyes so badly that he held onto his head.

Obito dropped to his knees, struggling to keep consciousness. "What is happening!?" Madara exclaimed, almost sounding worried, but Obito was so out of it at this point, he was unable to really understand what was going on. "Quick! Zetsu, that the boy to the lab!" Madara called as Obito's perception was starting to fade.

Zetsu seemed to be Obito up, and from his perspective take him into another room of this space.

Within the base, there is also a laboratory where various experiments can be carried out.

Inside the lab is a massive wall decorated with the Uchiha clan symbol on top of it, which stores a large collection of eyes, which are each individually suspended in fluid inside built-in labelled glass containers, allowing Madara access to many Sharingan replacements should he need them.

The laboratory is also equipped with an operating table and instruments for surgical use.

Madara managed to make his way over towards where Obito was as Zetsu placed Obito on the table. 'Damnit! Things never go according to plan!' Madara thought to himself, remembering one of his sayings he quite likes to use in this moment.

'When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred...'

[]

Obito found himself in yet another space.

A space with which was different from the other seal like spaces he had gone into, and this space was actually quite in line with the space Obito in his previous life as Naruto was able to communicate with the ancient being known as Hagoromo Otsutsuki.

Looking, Obito managed to identity that he actually doesn't look like his normal self anymore, or at least the normal self that he has gotten used to. He touched his head, and pulled some of his hair to see that it was blond.

'Huh...? What is going on here?' He thought to himself, before walking over towards some pond like area. Looking into the liquid there, Obito saw himself, and was surprised to see that he looks like his old self, that being Naruto Uzumaki.

He has yellow-blond, spiky hair and blue eyes, while inheriting the shape of his mother's eyes and face. His trademark characteristics are the three whisker markings on his cheeks.

Wearing a more form fitting outfit after wearing out his original one while training with Jiraiya, with a T-shirt or mesh armor underneath.

While retaining the swirls and orange pants, the blue pieces of his outfit changes to black: his forehead protector, which is now longer, sandals, and orange jacket, the black color showing more prominence than the blue did originally.

'So one moment I was with Madara, then the next I am back to my previous self?' He thought to himself, before he turned his eyes towards another direction.

He tried to see if there was anything else that was the same, however he didn't sense anything else, nor did he sense Kurama within him. So he couldn't possibly be anywhere else, not unless this space was a part of Madara Uchiha's trap from the get go.

Maybe he had been within the the Infinite Tsukuyomi's illusion, and his rebirth was a lie...

"Humph, still an idiot it seems." A voice spoke, making Obito turn around to face someone he had not seen in a very long time, and would possibly never see again.

"Sasuke...?"

Sasuke has black eyes and spiky black hair with a blue tint. Sasuke's hair is long and has hung over his face as bangs since he was a child, which as he gets older he allows to grow longer and, in turn, cover more of his face. He is considered handsome by most girls near his age.

Sasuke consistently wears dark blue pants, over which hangs a blue cloth that covers him from his stomach to his knees, which he secures with a purple rope belt; as is common to Orochimaru and his followers. He initially complements this with a white long-sleeved shirt kept open at the torso and black arm guards that cover his forearms.

After Itachi's death, wearing a white zippered, high-collared, short-sleeved shirt and blue wrist warmers.

"Yeah, it's me, Naruto... or should I say, Obito Uchiha?" Sasuke smirked in an annoying way that Obito was familiar with.

"Do you know what's going on here? Why are you here? What is this place? How did I get here?" Obito had many questions, yet Sasuke would stop him from continuing.

"I think that is enough for now." Sasuke said. "I don't have much time left, as I have a certain place to be. It's quite embarrassing actually." Sasuke seemed to have another place to be, though he also didn't seem all that happy about it.

"Right, right." Obito replied as he waited for Sasuke to say what he needs to say.

"This place is... just a simple place where only the two of us exist. I will disappear, and once I do, this space will disappear. You were brought here because of me, or more specifically because of the process that is currently happening to you body and soul." Sasuke explained.

"Then? What is happening to my body and soul? At first I thought that maybe this is some sort of illusion from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but I guess not..." Obito thought that this was most definitely not how that illusion worked.

"My little gift, remember? I passed my chakra onto you in a way that would have temporarily merged with you. In doing so, it has now become stuck to you as you were reborn as Obito. You are now both Indra's and Asura's reincarnations." Sasuke revealed.

"What!? Damn this stuff just keeps getting weird." It was already strange for Obito to think of himself as some sort of reincarnation for someone, let alone being the reincarnation for two people.

"You are one unpredictable idiot, as your very own reincarnation happened in the process, leading to you rather unique position as is now. Asura's chakra is trying to fuse into your body, while Indra's chakra is trying to infuse into your soul, so that both may be complete." Sasuke said.

"So I'm assuming that my being here is because of that process?" Obito asked.

"Yes, your eyes and head hurting is you inheriting my abilities. Congratulations, once you awaken you should have gained your very own Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, having my Mangekyo abilities along with your own. Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi." Sasuke revealed.

"So I don't need to take anyone's eyes?"

"No, you don't." Sasuke replied, thinking that Naruto... no, Obito really did have his priorities in a strange order. Though, that is part of the reason he is the way he is. "If anything, you would gain my Rinnegan as well, though you aren't quite ready for that yet and it will be some time before you awaken the Rinnegan next."

This was a lot of information for Obito. "And you? Why are you here?" He asked.

There was some silence, before Sasuke replied. "Well... you could say that this is my goodbye, as you are no longer having your chakra conflict with each other, meaning that I don't have a place to stay anymore. I will be going."

"Your dying...?"

"Yes." Sasuke replied, though he did leave out some other important information about what is happening to him next, knowing that he wont keep his memories once this process is complete.

Sasuke started to fade in and out of this reality. "I guess my time is up then." Sasuke said as he looked at his friend, his best of friends, a brother even.

Obito rushed towards Sasuke, trying to grab ahold of him, but it was futile. "Don't worry, this wont be goodbye forever. As loathe as I'm to admit, I'm going to become your-" Sasuke was cut off before he finished however, leaving Obito behind.

Obito may have cried a bit, but after that, left to wonder what Sasuke was trying to say to him at the end there.

'Be my what...?' This is when Obito would find himself also fading from this place of existence, whatever it was.