Chapter 325: That’s Right, Madara Is Obito!

Chapter 325: That's Right, Madara Is Obito!

Haneda stood silently, staring at the spot where Obito had disappeared, his thoughts lingering for a long time.

There were times when he wondered whether he should tell Obito the truth about the Infinite Tsukuyomi. But in the end, for the sake of his own plans, he chose to keep quiet.

Revealing the truth to Obito would be one thing—whether Obito believed him was another matter entirely. The bigger issue was dealing with the deepest, most hidden threat in the ninja world: Black Zetsu.

Haneda's plan was to spark the Fourth Great Ninja War, giving the Akatsuki the opportunity to gather all the Tailed Beasts. Afterward, he would allow either Obito or Madara to unleash the Infinite Tsukuyomi, thus reviving Kaguya Otsutsuki.

At that moment, with the power of the Rinnegan and the Tenseigan at his disposal, Haneda would be able to unravel the truth before Obito's eyes and resolve every lingering issue.

Once Kaguya was defeated, Haneda planned to use the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to revive all those who had fallen during the war. This would allow Obito to atone for his sins and erase the cycle of hatred born from the conflict, paving the way for true unity in the world.

But Obito, in his current state, was too fixated, too consumed by his grief. Haneda could see that his own actions only served to strengthen Obito's resolve to pursue the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Still, there was a faint flicker of trust in Obito's behavior.

When a jinchūriki dies, the Tailed Beast within them perishes as well, though it eventually revives after a period of time. In the case of the Three-Tails, it had been reborn twice in the span of a decade—roughly five years each time.

Haneda surmised that Obito, in his own way, was creating time for him to lead the Fire Nation toward its destined future. At the same time, Obito's actions seemed designed to dissuade Black Zetsu from rushing the collection of the Tailed Beasts.

A gust of wind brushed past as Kakashi arrived from the distance, his usual laid-back demeanor seemingly restored.

Haneda could tell, however, that Obito's words had left a mark, even if Kakashi wasn't showing it outwardly.

"I've got what we came for. Let's go," Kakashi said wearily.

"Let's head back. You should consider taking a break—rest for a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks," Haneda suggested softly.

"No need. I think I need to keep myself busy. That way, I won't dwell on things…" Kakashi trailed off, hesitating. After a moment's pause, he couldn't hold back his question any longer.

"That person—who is he, really? Madara Uchiha? Or… Obito?"

"You don't have to lie to me. He has the same eye as I do. He knows exactly what happened on Kannabi Bridge.

"He blames me. Resents me. Hates me."

At this point, Haneda saw no reason to keep the truth from Kakashi.

"You're right," Haneda admitted. "Madara is Obito."

Kakashi lowered his gaze, staring blankly at the ground before shifting his focus to the trees nearby.

From the moment he first saw the familiar Mangekyō Sharingan pattern, he had harbored suspicions.

When the masked man used Rin's death to provoke him, those suspicions solidified into certainty.

"Why… why is he doing all this?"

"In Obito's eyes, this world is hell," Haneda explained calmly.

"The Sage of Six Paths left a stone tablet for the Uchiha clan. It describes a jutsu capable of creating a perfect, ideal world.

"That jutsu is the Infinite Tsukuyomi. By casting a genjutsu over the entire world using the moon, it creates an eternal dream world—a place of peace and happiness, where people can sleep forever.

"But I've often wondered: what's so bad about living in such a world? Eventually, I realized that pain is what gives beauty its meaning.

"It's through the contrast between suffering and joy that we come to appreciate happiness. Reality, as flawed as it is, is a blend of both pain and beauty."

Kakashi fell silent. He understood Obito's desire to create a perfect world—a world free of pain.

After a long pause, he spoke again.

"On my eighteenth birthday, you gave me a book, Haneda. How many did you give me, really?"

"Just one. Why?" Haneda asked, puzzled.

A bitter smile spread across Kakashi's face. "I see. Then I understand now. I'll stop him.

"As broken and messy as reality is, patching it up is what makes it worthwhile."

Haneda smiled faintly. "I feel the same way."

…

With the Byakugan now in hand, there was nothing left for them in Kirigakure.

Not even the newly appointed Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, could convince Haneda and Kakashi to stay.

After a week-long journey, the two returned to the Land of Fire, taking a train to the southwestern border before setting out for Sunagakure.

Two and a half days earlier, Deidara had sent word to Haneda that the Izanagi Tensei jutsu was secured.

However, there had been a slight complication—an insomniac boy with dark circles under his eyes refused to be sent back.

The boy, as it turned out, was none other than Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage and the jinchūriki of the One-Tail. His relationship with the Kazekage was one of deep resentment, bordering on hatred.

When Haneda and Kakashi arrived at the designated meeting spot in the Land of Wind, they found Deidara looking utterly exasperated.

He was reluctantly playing in the sand with Gaara, using a set of toy shovels and buckets.

The moment Deidara spotted Haneda, he tossed the toys aside as if they were burning coals and ran over.

"Haneda-nii! Please, take him off my hands already!

"I can't take it anymore—he keeps threatening to beat me up if I don't play along!

"Sure, he's a jinchūriki, fine, but come on, I'm not a babysitter! Hmm!"

Haneda turned his gaze to Gaara, who was glaring back at him with unflinching confidence.

"So, you're the so-called 'God of Shinobi,' the man who defeated my father during the Third Great Ninja War, huh? You look pretty ordinary to me," Gaara said defiantly.

Haneda chuckled, seemingly unbothered by the boy's attitude. Instead, he commented on Gaara's appearance.

"Those dark circles under your eyes… you must have trouble sleeping, don't you?"

"None of your business!" Gaara snapped.

Haneda's smile widened. "But you're now a prisoner of Konoha. Under the Geneva Conventions, I'm obliged to treat you humanely—can't have the other villages badmouthing us, after all."

Before Gaara could process what was happening, Haneda pulled him into his mental space.

In Gaara's mindscape, a colossal, smug tanuki-like creature loomed—Shukaku, the One-Tail.

"Shukaku," Haneda said, his tone almost casual. "Say hello to your host."

Gaara, upon seeing Shukaku, immediately shrank back in fear, clutching Haneda's cloak as if for protection.

Compared to Haneda's calm and friendly demeanor, Shukaku's menacing aura made him seem far less approachable.

"Does he bully you often?" Haneda asked.

Gaara nodded instinctively. For as long as he could remember, Shukaku had tormented him in his dreams, while the villagers tormented him in the waking world.

Haneda crouched to meet Gaara's gaze. "Want me to teach him a lesson?"

Gaara's eyes lit up with hope, and he nodded eagerly.

At that moment, Shukaku stirred, his massive body shifting as he woke. He immediately began yelling at Gaara, his tone laced with irritation.

But then Shukaku noticed Haneda.

The tailed beast froze for a moment, then recoiled, wiping its eyes as if to make sure it wasn't hallucinating.

Clearly, Shukaku had heard the stories of what had happened to the other Tailed Beasts.

"So," Haneda said, his voice calm but firm, "I hear you like picking on kids. Look at me, Shukaku!"

As Haneda cracked his knuckles, Shukaku visibly flinched, his bravado faltering.

"W-What are you planning, Haneda?! Don't think I'm afraid of you!"

***

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