Obito and Rin spent a simple, quiet night together.
After that, for a while, the situation in the ninja world was like riding a roller coaster. Tense one moment, calm the next.
The main reason was the commotion stirred up by Uchiha Madara's "Village of Earth" plan.
Actually, the ones hit the hardest were the daimyos of each nation. They were all opposed to this plan, yet with the threat of Uchiha Madara and the Akatsuki hanging above them like a sword suspended in the sky, ready to fall at any moment, they had no choice.
So, the major ninja villages all learned from the crafty old Genji, adopting the "father-to-son succession" strategy.
This plan worked well because, even though the true masterminds behind it were the ninja villages, on the surface it was the "sons" who acted. That way, in terms of justice and legitimacy, the responsibility couldn't be traced back to the villages themselves.
And since a daimyo could have only one position but countless wives and concubines, with plenty of heirs, there was always at least one rebellious child who would say, "My life is my own, not my father's," and would cooperate to make it all happen.
As a result, the daimyos of the Five Great Nations were all replaced, one after another. For now at least, the real authority had fallen into the hands of the ninja villages.
Thus, the "Village of Earth" plan proceeded smoothly.
After dealing with the five biggest bullies, the smaller villages were much easier to handle.
As more and more villages joined, a situation soon formed where not joining meant being isolated. Within less than a year, the "Village of Earth" plan had already encompassed all the lands of the ninja world.
And so, the people of the ninja world now had a new name "Earthlings."
However, since the term initially suffered from regional prejudice, everyone thought calling others "Earthlings" sounded ridiculous. This gave rise to the phrase "stupid Earthlings."
Yet as more people started using it, the meaning gradually shifted from insult to self-deprecation.
With the "Village of Earth" plan successfully in motion, the worn-out and nearly burned-out Uchiha Madara came, that day, to the Uchiha compound in Konoha.
Of course, only two people knew about this, aside from Uchiha Obito, the other was the current Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Fugaku.
Obito and Fugaku accompanied the now-aging Madara to the outskirts of the Naka Shrine, upstream along the Naka River.
Madara, his hair white as frost, picked up a leaf from the ground. He hollowed out its center and held it before his eyes.
Through the empty space in the leaf, he looked toward the distant Konoha Village.
Then he said softly, "What you see through this leaf, that is the true Konoha. That's what I told Hashirama from the very beginning."
Obito smiled faintly. He didn't feel much grief at Madara's dying appearance, because he could sense that the old man's heart was completely at peace. Clearly, he had fulfilled his lifelong wish and was ready to die without regret.
He simply said, "I didn't expect that after leaving Konoha, you would still choose to return here in spirit, to rest eternally in the land of the Uchiha."
Madara continued to gaze at Konoha through the hollow leaf. In a daze, it was as if he saw the back of his old friend standing tall above Konoha, still watching over it.
He murmured, "Sometimes I really do envy Hashirama. Though he's dead, the spirit he spread lives on, and will continue forever."
Obito also looked toward Konoha and said, "I'm not so sure. The Will of Fire is, after all, a product of the ninja era. When the Village of Earth plan is fully realized, I'll use Akatsuki's temporary might to completely erase the ninja system from the world."
"When that time comes, the Will of Fire will eventually be forgotten. During the age of ninja, the Will of Fire had its progressive side, it emphasized devotion and sacrifice. But in a more peaceful age, I hope no one has to devote or sacrifice anything, and that people can still live good lives."
Madara said, "Is that so? That day may be your future, but it won't be mine. People shouldn't be too greedy. For me, reaching this point is enough."
Obito looked at the elderly man before him, once sharp and formidable, now calm and gentle. Was this what they meant when they said, "A dying man's words are kind"?
Even the Asura of the ninja world, Uchiha Madara, had such a day.
Obito said quietly, "Perhaps, someday I'll bring you back, or resurrect you with Edo Tensei, to let an old relic like you see the scenery of the new era."
Madara smiled, "You mean, by then, you and I will both be outdated, our ideas backward and foolish, and you'll get to mock me to your heart's content?"
"Uchiha Obito, when I said you're the most shameless one, I wasn't wrong."
After speaking, Madara slowly loosened his grip on the leaf. The leaf drifted and fluttered with the breeze, finally landing on the ground.
Watching it fall, Madara spoke with sudden feeling, "I left Konoha for most of my life, and yet in the end, even fallen leaves return to their roots."
"This withered leaf will become nourishment, feeding the young shoots to grow strong."
"Hashirama… I'm coming… to find you."
When he finished those final words, Madara closed his eyes. His life force faded instantly, like a candle in the wind, flickering out.
Obito watched in silence and sighed, "The man who least believed in the Will of Fire… ended up remembering its words the best. Clan Head Fugaku, would you say that's true?"
Uchiha Fugaku wiped away his tears, "A pity… if only we'd brought more clansmen. Maybe someone could've awakened the Mangekyo. Lord Madara may have defected from Konoha, but he's always lived on in some of our hearts."
"He and Lord Hashirama are alike in that way, both still remembered by many."
Obito gave a faint smile, "Clan Head Fugaku, have Madara buried. Keep it simple, he never cared for empty honors."
Fugaku couldn't help but feel sorrowful, 'If that is the case, wouldn't Lord Madara's funeral be less grand than Danzo's? No, far less!'
Obito could tell what Fugaku was thinking and gave him a meaningful look.
"Clan Head Fugaku, let me congratulate you in advance. Perhaps something good will happen to you soon. Maybe that will ease the grief Madara's passing left in you."
Fugaku blinked, puzzled, "Obito, what do you mean by that?"
Hands in his pockets, Obito turned away, leaving only his lonely silhouette behind, "It doesn't mean anything. You'll understand in time."
With that, he left, without a trace of sentiment.
Uchiha Fugaku turned to look at where Lord Madara had died, the old man was still standing. Even in death, he bore a gentle, kind expression, yet his pride remained unbroken.
Even after death, he refused to fall.
———
After leaving, Obito used Flying Thunder God to teleport to the Hokage's office.
Namikaze Minato was bent over his desk, working. By now, he was used to Obito flying around like that. After all, he liked to fly around too.
He smiled, "Obito, what's the matter?"
Obito spoke in his calmest tone, delivering the greatest news of the ninja world.
"Just now, Uchiha Madara has fallen, at the gates of Naka Shrine, in the Uchiha compound."
"Minato-sensei, I just came to inform you."
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