Chapter 168: All-Encompassing Power!

Chapter 168: All-Encompassing Power!

Haneda felt something strange with his eyes. His vision sharpened and became clearer.

He looked down at the blade of his sword, Dawn. Under the moonlight, the reflection showed a pair of eyes with a sun pattern.

It was the Mangekyou Sharingan!

Haneda stared at these eyes in silence for a long time. Then, he looked over at a scarecrow used for sword training and recalled the days he trained with Uncle Sakumo.

"A tragic power," he muttered. "But I need it."

Steadying himself with his sword, Haneda held the blade firmly, just as he had when he first learned swordsmanship. In a swift motion, he swung the sword. The combination of Wind and Lightning chakra exploded outward.

In an instant, the scarecrow was sliced apart, a tree behind it toppled, and even the ground was split by a one-meter-deep fissure—all for the mere amount of chakra used in a C-rank jutsu!

"The power to embrace all things," he murmured. "It can fuse the fiercest Wind and Lightning chakra without clashing."

Haneda thought of Kekkei Genkai. The key to achieving it lay in fusing chakra in equal proportions. The Mangekyou's all-encompassing power could ignore chakra repulsion and enforce fusion!

Suddenly, blood-tears ran from Haneda's eyes. He wiped them and stared at the blood on his hand, lost in thought.

"But resisting this repulsion consumes my ocular power. At best, I can use this about ten times with my current Sharingan and Sage Body."

A thought struck him: If resisting repulsion drains ocular power, what if that repulsion could be eliminated? Certain Kekkei Genkai do not have repulsion at all!

"If I can grasp the exact chakra proportions for fusion, maybe…"

Remembering the copying ability his Three Tomoe Sharingan once gave him, he smiled. With observation and practice, he could learn any Kekkei Genkai!

Haneda was confident that his potential for growth outshined even Obito's Kamui.

Moreover, the Mangekyou's power didn't stop there.

It could also forcibly absorb chakra, much like the Dark Release, converting it to his own power.

This aligned with the insight his Mangekyou provided: all-encompassing, meaning the power to accept everything.

Haneda summoned a faint blue display:

**[Uchiha Haneda]**

- **Strength**: Kage (63/100)

- **Chakra**: 23.1 units, with Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightning, Yin, Yang attributes

- **Kekkei Genkai**: Mangekyou Sharingan (Eternal Mangekyou 81%), Basic Sage Body (73% Intermediate Sage Body), Wood Release

- **Special Abilities**: Eight Gates - Injury Gate (91/100), Mastery of Hatake Sword Technique (37/100), Flying Thunder God Technique (13/100), Lightning Chakra Mode (43/100)

"The Mangekyou's power isn't fully developed yet, so my strength hasn't increased significantly," Haneda noted. "The third power, Susanoo, remains out of reach. I might need to push my Mangekyou further to unlock it."

"Intermediate Sage Body at 73%… Even my Sage Body is advancing alongside my Mangekyou."

Looking at the display, Haneda thought of his enemies and his dream and scoffed, "I'll use this power to avenge you, Uncle Sakumo. And to reform this world!"

Haneda now had a solid plan to increase his strength.

Once the Third Shinobi War ended, the Third Hokage would face pressure to step down. Then, when Orochimaru's human experiments were exposed and he defected, Minato would take the position of Fourth Hokage.

Orochimaru's defection would provide an opportunity. Haneda could secretly assist his escape from Konoha and, in return, obtain Hashirama's cells and the location of Ryuchi Cave.

With the all-encompassing power, he could attempt to merge with Hashirama's cells and complete his Sage Body.

As for natural energy, he felt confident that his Mangekyou's power would enable him to master Sage Mode.

And why Ryuchi Cave? Compared to the mysterious Shikkotsu Forest and the enigmatic Mount Myoboku, Haneda trusted the cold-blooded snakes more.

He had an inkling of the things he would eventually do.

Perhaps the Fourth Great Ninja War wouldn't be started by Obito… but by him, Uchiha Haneda.

Reform would require sacrifices.

Haneda had no illusions of resolving the world's issues peacefully.

---

The next day, Obito's grandmother was laid to rest.

The gravesite was quiet, attended only by Haneda, Kakashi, and others close to Obito.

"Obito's grandma is gone…" Kakashi remarked, gazing at the grave. He couldn't help but think of his clumsy friend.

"Yes. She left peacefully," Haneda replied, recalling her clutching Obito's talisman and photo as she slept.

They stood in silence. Haneda noticed the dull look in Kakashi's eyes and offered, "No matter what hardships you face, try to live with joy, Kakashi."

"Uncle Sakumo wouldn't want this, and… your left eye…" Haneda paused, smiling. "With it, you can see the world as Obito would've wanted. It's colorful and beautiful."

Reflecting on his own dreams, he added, "And it'll only get better."

Hearing this familiar, comforting tone, Kakashi turned to see Haneda's face, smiling warmly in the sunlight.

"I understand," Kakashi replied. "I'll face the world with his eye, standing in the light."

In the distance, a figure stood under the dark shade of a tree.

Wearing a black robe and a mask with a birch pattern, he silently watched the grave and Haneda and Kakashi in front of it.

He took a step forward, but as his right foot lifted, he quickly lowered it again.

After Haneda and Kakashi left, the masked figure walked over and placed a bouquet on the grave.

He gazed silently at his grandmother's black-and-white photo, head bowed, unmoving.

After a long while, he vanished in a swirl.

A breeze rustled through, scattering flower petals. Sensing something, Haneda and Kakashi glanced back at the grave.

Nothing unusual appeared, but Haneda noticed a fresh bouquet there.

He knew Obito had returned, though he chose not to see him.

---

Zetsu greeted Obito's return with a teasing tone, "Hey, Obito! Didn't you go to see your good friends, Uchiha Haneda and Hatake Kakashi? Back so soon?"

"Don't bring up that worthless Kakashi," Obito retorted, adjusting his mask. "And from now on, call me Lord Madara."

Seeing the once-cheerful boy now so cold and distant, Zetsu sighed.

At that moment, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground and addressed Obito, "Hanzo of the Hidden Rain has begun to see the Akatsuki as a threat."

"The Akatsuki and Nagato…" Obito mused, recalling the origins of the Akatsuki's name. A slight smile touched his lips.

"Let's begin the plan," he said. "The Akatsuki will be the dawn that this world needs."