Construction site.
The Kara Organization.
An outer member wanted to use science and technology to change the world and push it forward, but the core members had a different goal—to nurture the Ten-Tails, turn it into the Divine Tree, and harvest its Chakra Fruit.
Today, they welcomed a key figure in their ranks. Isshiki gave this backup vessel a grand introduction, calling a special meeting to present Obito to everyone.
At this stage, the inner circle of Kara wasn't much different from its later version. After getting a brief introduction to Obito, most members simply went back to their own tasks. They had no interest in forming deep connections with him, especially after noticing his tattoo. Instead, their gazes carried a hint of pity and sympathy.
A new vessel. But being chosen as the leader's vessel was a kind of fortune in itself. Once he used the leader's power, the Kāma would eventually consume him. There was no point in forming bonds with someone destined for that fate.
The inner members remained indifferent toward Obito, but one outer member seemed quite interested in him.
After the meeting, in the vast emptiness of a unique pocket dimension, Obito and Itachi stood face to face.
"You feel familiar to me."
Itachi had a sharp sense for chakra. The moment Obito appeared, he had a vague idea of who he was. But now, Obito had taken off his mask and officially joined the Kara Organization.
"My despicable kin, just as you suspected—this is the real me."
On the night of the Uchiha massacre, Obito and Itachi had a brief encounter. Obito had even supported his plan, but in the end, the Uchiha clan remained standing while he himself had nearly been killed by Kakashi.
But misfortune came with opportunity. His near-death experience had led him to a man who called himself Otsutsuki Isshiki. From him, Obito had gained new power—and a deeper understanding of the world's true nature.
Infinite Tsukuyomi as a path to peace? The Eye of the Moon fulfilling everyone's desires? A dream world where all could be satisfied?
Lies.
All of it was lies.
During his recovery, Obito learned the truth about the Infinite Tsukuyomi from Isshiki. He came to understand the real nature of the ninja world—and the true origin of chakra itself.
The Sage of Six Paths?
Compared to the true Otsutsuki clan, he was nothing.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi was nothing more than a scheme created by a traitor to break their own seal.
The Divine Tree, the Chakra Fruit, the Ten-Tails—the Otsutsuki clan!
When it came down to it, the state of the ninja world was simply the result of two alien beings fighting each other after arriving on Earth. Obito, like everyone else, was nothing more than a pawn in their battle.
Now that he knew the truth, Obito couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority.
He looked down at Uchiha Itachi with a condescending gaze—this pathetic clansman who had borrowed his strength yet couldn't even bring himself to kill his own brother.
"I don't care why you joined this organization or what you plan to do. Because no matter how much you resist, your fate is already sealed. This is something ordinary people cannot change."
But I am different!
Obito's eyes gleamed with determination. He stretched out his hands as if embracing the very fabric of this strange dimension. The feeling of breaking free from his old chains filled him with exhilaration.
He knew that Otsutsuki Isshiki was using him. The way the inner members looked at him made it obvious—Isshiki had some plan that involved him. From the very start, Isshiki had mentioned something about vessels.
But Obito was using Isshiki just as much.
He gained the power of the Kāma from Isshiki. As long as he mastered it, his strength would get infinitely close to Ōtsutsuki Isshiki himself—enough to accomplish his goals.
He believed he could control this power and, in the end, turn the tables on Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, eliminating him. Isshiki wanted him to gather the scattered chakra, right? That didn't conflict with his ultimate plan. He couldn't get his hands on the Ten-Tails that Isshiki controlled, but that didn't matter. There were already existing God Trees and Ten-Tails in the ninja world!
The Chakra Fruit—Obito was determined to obtain it.
He was certain that it was something that could truly change fate.
This guy seemed completely insane.
Uchiha Itachi looked at Obito calmly, but inside, he was in turmoil. He finally understood why he hadn't been able to confirm Obito's identity the moment he saw him.
It wasn't because Obito wasn't wearing a mask—it was because the faint but ominous aura of destruction around him was completely different from the masked man's presence before!
He had gained some kind of incredible power and was planning to do something that would bring disaster to the ninja world.
Uchiha Itachi was absolutely sure of this.
"Work hard and try to get into the inner circle as soon as possible, my useless clansman. Maybe when you see the truth of the world, you'll understand why I became like this."
After a brief exchange with the clueless Uchiha Itachi, Obito lost interest in continuing the conversation.
"One more thing—remember my name."
The spiraling energy of the Uzumaki swirled around him, and his voice echoed in Itachi's ears.
"My name is Uchiha Obito!"
The moment he crushed the mask beneath his feet, the man who once wore it and carried the name of Uchiha Madara was dead.
The one who lived now was Uchiha Obito—the one who had learned the truth and mastered the power of the Ōtsutsuki!
And Uchiha Madara?
Maybe back when he first saw the power of Senju Hashirama, back when the heart seal was still in place, Obito had once respected the Uchiha Madara who could stand against Senju Hashirama.
But now?
That name was nothing but a joke.
A man who had been completely manipulated.
A fool who didn't even know the truth and was still working toward the Infinite Tsukuyomi—still being used in his pursuit of peace.
Hyuga Hitoshi?
Heh, maybe that man once had a chance to control the ninja world and shape it according to his vision.
But now—
The only one in control of the ninja world was Uchiha Obito!
"The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack—Uchiha Obito."
So it was him.
Everyone in Konohagakure had long known that Obito was the one who caused the Nine-Tails attack.
But back then, only the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had actually fought Obito. No one else knew that the masked man who had been active in the ninja world afterward was Obito.
This was a problem.
A drop of sweat formed on his forehead as Uchiha Itachi carefully observed the strange space around him.
He hadn't originally been qualified to attend this meeting, but as a skilled Uchiha in Genjutsu, altering the perception of one of the outer members wasn't too difficult.
Still, he didn't know how to enter this dimension for real. He had only arrived after being brought into a certain room alongside the scientist he had manipulated.
And now that the meeting was over, he could feel the space rejecting him—he was about to be sent back.
This space matched the descriptions left by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. However, this time, he hadn't seen that monster. Maybe his rank wasn't high enough?
Uchiha Obito. The inner circle. The truth.
Itachi felt as if he had uncovered something that had been lurking in the shadows of the ninja world all this time.
In the end, his figure vanished from the space. The moment he regained his freedom, the first thing he did was use the secret technique left by the Second Hokage to contact him.
As a proper spy, reporting information in a timely manner was just the basics. His next goal was to infiltrate the inner circle and contribute to the organization—while also hoping for support from the Second Hokage.
At the same time.
The Ninja World, Land of Rain.
"Itachi's pretty capable, huh?"
In a makeshift rest area at the construction site, Senju Tobirama, covered in dust, held the freshly delivered intel in his hand. A rare look of satisfaction crossed his face.
As the master of the Flying Thunder God Technique and a true ninjutsu expert, he knew far more jutsu than his half-trained student. He had once taught Sarutobi and Danzo a special technique for transmitting intel quickly, but their spatial ninjutsu talent was just average, so neither of them ever learned it.
But that young Uchiha had picked it up quickly and could use it with ease. Even in Tobirama's era, such talent was rare.
And placing Uchiha Itachi as an undercover agent in that mysterious organization? That had turned out to be a brilliant move. It hadn't even been that long, and he was already sending back intel.
There's no such thing as a useless person. Everyone has value.
Feeling pleased with his decision-making once again, Tobirama was about to indulge in that satisfaction when he suddenly thought of Sarutobi, whom he had personally supported to become Hokage. He let out a bitter laugh, shook his head, and sighed.
Brushing the dust off his clothes, Tobirama casually sat down on a stone block and opened the intel. As the cement master of the Sun God Kingdom, he was a busy man—he had to finish reading quickly and get back to work.
But the moment he glanced at the report, his brows furrowed.
He knew about alternate dimensions—he had even stumbled into one once while experimenting with space-time ninjutsu. But what was this about "the truth of the ninja world"?
And more importantly, the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails attack had shown up again?
The masked man's true identity was Uchiha Obito.
"Itachi, keep investigating. I'll do my best to meet your requests and try to infiltrate their inner circle soon."
After sending a brief reply to Uchiha Itachi, Tobirama stood up, deep in thought.
Last time he returned to Konoha, he had taken out his own student, Danzo. After that, through Tsunade, he had reached out to Hyuga Hitoshi and mentioned the mysterious organization. That kid had taken it very seriously and granted him significant authority. Not long ago, the leader of the special operations group "Akatsuki" from the Land of Rain had even approached him and his brother, recruiting them into the organization.
Hyuga Hitoshi had basically given him full freedom to act, assuring him that if anything went wrong, the Sun God Kingdom would cover for them—there was nothing to fear.
When talking about the organization, Hitoshi had scoffed, saying they were nothing more than a bunch of clowns. The Sun God Kingdom feared no challenge.
In that case...
It was time to discuss things with his brother.
Destroying the intel, Tobirama stepped out of the rest area.
"Lord Hashirama's Wood Release really is convenient."
"Right? Whether it's making a simple house or constructing a multi-story building, all he needs is one look at the blueprint, and he gets it instantly. If I had that kind of skill, I'd make a killing as a developer!"
"But compared to building houses, Lord Hashirama's gambling skills are... well, let's just say, not great."
"Yeah… I heard he basically spends his entire paycheck the same day he gets it. Doesn't even have time to warm up in his pocket before he loses it all. He's exactly like Lady Tsunade."
"I mean, Lady Tsunade *did* learn how to gamble from Lord Hashirama. No wonder she's just as bad. Runs in the family, I guess. If it weren't for the Sun God Kingdom's deep pockets, she would've bankrupted them by now."
"Makoto, my friend, you don't understand the power of capital. All the biggest casinos in the ninja world? They're privately owned by the Sun God himself. It might look like he's losing money, but trust me, you have no idea what's actually happening behind the scenes."
"Rolling a single six—gambling ruins lives, man."
"The casino literally has a sign at the entrance that says, 'If you have no money and no skills, don't gamble.' You walked in on your own. Who are you gonna blame?"
"Still, it's wild that someone as powerful as Lord Hashirama keeps losing like this."
"...Yeah."
He lost all his money again, didn't he?
Stepping onto the construction site, Tobirama couldn't help but feel a headache coming on as he listened to the workers gossiping. His brother's bad habit from when he was alive hadn't changed, even after being revived.
At least he had *some* self-control—he only gambled away the money in his pocket and never went as far as selling off property or running scams to keep gambling, unlike real addicts.
And ever since their revival, Tobirama had been making his brother hand over a portion of his paycheck for emergencies. Otherwise, they'd end up in the same situation as when he sold off Tailed Beasts for quick cash.
"Hahaha! Back in the Warring States period, we didn't have machines like this! And mahjong? That didn't exist at all!"
"Huh? Why only gamble and not visit brothels? What's the fun in that? Besides, my Edo Tensei body doesn't even have that function. Plus, with my daily wages, I can play mahjong for hours. Meanwhile, you'd be done in less than three minutes and lose two hundred ryo just like that. Worse, you might even get caught and spend two days in jail. Not worth it!"
"Hahaha, work first, work first! No work, no money for gambling. Alright, guys, we'll talk later tonight!"
A hearty voice rang out.
Senju Tobirama looked ahead and saw over a dozen Wood Clone versions of his brother, each carrying stacks of bricks, building a sturdy foundation. The real Hashirama stood among them, laughing and scratching his head while chatting with some workers taking a smoke break.
For a ninja, construction work was easy. Sure, the fatigue from the clones would add up when they disappeared, but with Hashirama's insane recovery—and being an Edo Tensei body on top of that—it hardly mattered. Compared to normal workers, his wages were hundreds of times higher, which meant more money to spend at the casino. That thought alone wiped away any exhaustion.
The modern gambling machines and games were way more fun than just rolling dice.
He loved this era!
"Hahaha, Tobirama, where have you been? I was waiting for you to help me mix the cement!"
Hashirama had just finished upgrading his "Three-Room, Two-Hall Jutsu," developing a technique for constructing full-scale villas suited for the modern era. Unlike the simple wooden houses from before, this new jutsu required Earth and Water Release to reinforce the structure. Having Tobirama's help would make things even easier.
"Big Brother, you really enjoy this, huh? I guess the position of Captain of the Yangshen Construction Crew belongs to you now."
Tobirama shook his head with a helpless smile.
Compared to leading an elite force like the Akatsuki, Hashirama clearly preferred working on a construction site. The high daily wages gave him plenty of spending money for his nightly gambling sprees. Then again, with his Wood Release being so useful for building houses and planting trees, high pay made sense.
But cement? Really?
Tobirama suppressed the urge to discuss intelligence matters with Hashirama. Instead, his gaze shifted toward a distant high platform, his expression darkening.
"I don't think we're going to have a peaceful day at work, Brother."
As a sensory ninja, Tobirama had felt countless chakra signatures throughout his life. But some, he would never forget.
One of them belonged to the older brother of a certain bastard he had personally cut down with Flying Thunder God Slash during the Warring States period.
"I think I finally understand why my student was laughing like a madman before he died."
It made sense.
If both he and his brother had been resurrected in this chaotic, unpredictable era, then the appearance of that man wasn't so surprising after all.
"Still… kind of disappointing."
Boom!
Crash!
A flash of red armor.
A fan and scythe forged from the branches of the Divine Tree.
Long, flowing hair and a face filled with excitement.
Tobirama's eyes burned with hatred.
He could never forget this man.
After finally entering a time of peace, this person had returned—threatening to destroy everything.
Just standing there, Uchiha Madara exuded a dominating presence that pulled everyone's attention. But he ignored them all, as if no one besides Hashirama even existed. He didn't even acknowledge Tobirama's murderous glare.
"The only one who can stop me… is out here laying bricks and building houses?"
His voice was filled with exaggerated disbelief.
This was the God of Shinobi.
On a construction site.
If Hashirama were just doing this as a hobby, Madara might have let it slide. But after watching for a while, he realized—this idiot was seriously working! And on top of that, he was getting along with the other workers like they were old friends.
How dare he?
How dare he smile so happily at anyone other than me?
"Put down the bricks and fight me, Hashirama!"
Madara had originally come to the Land of Rain to find Nagato, planning to use Black Zetsu to manipulate him into reviving him.
But after seeing Hashirama here…
His battle spirit had reached its peak!
From the high platform above—
To the construction site below.
The construction workers below looked up at Uchiha Madara, then turned to see Lord Hashirama controlling his clones to move bricks. This standoff had come out of nowhere.
The tension in the air grew slightly heavier.
Finally, Lord Hashirama pointed at Uchiha Madara above him.
"We'll deal with our business later. I'm still on the clock!"
He was so focused on moving bricks that he didn't want to stop!
Even Senju Tobirama, standing nearby, couldn't help but admire his brother's simple-mindedness.
"What are you standing around for? Mix the cement, Tobirama."
Seeing his brother spacing out, Hashirama reminded him.
Maybe, in Hashirama's mind, his current work was more important than fighting Madara. And honestly, it probably was. Hashirama loved this job—it made him feel like he was personally building the shinobi world. It gave him a deep sense of accomplishment, especially when the buildings were finished and filled with people. That feeling of achievement made him truly happy.
But fighting Madara meant destruction. It meant throwing the peace they had worked so hard to build into chaos.
These were two completely opposite ideas.
Unlike Madara, who thrived on battle, Hashirama never saw the point of obsessing over fighting.
Yet, to Tobirama's surprise, when Hashirama told Madara to wait until he was off work, that bastard actually listened. He didn't attack—he just stood there, quietly watching Hashirama work at the construction site.
The light drizzle fell on the ground, just like the sweat of the hardworking laborers.
Holding his fan, Uchiha Madara simply waited, while the Senju brothers kept working with their hands. The whole scene felt… bizarre.
But then, when a figure slowly descended and stepped between Madara and the site, the already strange atmosphere became even heavier.
Long red hair. Strong, unbroken legs. No longer thin and frail from the Rinnegan's toll. His once natural hairstyle was now slicked back, with a small braid tying up the loose ends. And with his bangs pulled back, the second Rinnegan hidden beneath was now fully visible.
Nagato, in his complete form, landed in front of Uchiha Madara.
Fate had brought them face to face. They remained silent, but their eyes held complex emotions as they looked at each other.
Ever since learning the truth about the Rinnegan, Nagato had been suppressing his emotions with nowhere to vent them. So, he had thrown himself into work, dedicating himself to keeping the shinobi world stable as the leader of a special operations group.
After years of nonstop, high-intensity work, Nagato thought he had let go of his anger and hatred.
But now, standing before the real Uchiha Madara, he let out a self-mocking chuckle.
Hyuga Hitoshi had once said he had the rare ability to maintain divine-level composure, that he could control his emotions better than most. But clearly, that had been an overestimation.
Because right now, the rage inside him was boiling over.
Nagato looked at Madara with eyes full of hatred.
This man was the root of all his suffering. If not for his schemes, Nagato wouldn't have ended up like this.
But…
If not for Uchiha Madara…
Without the Rinnegan's power, he might have died long ago on one of Akatsuki's early missions. Without it, Jiraiya might never have chosen to train him in Ninjutsu. He wouldn't have formed Akatsuki with Konan and Yahiko. He wouldn't have had the strength to change the world.
Maybe, without the Rinnegan, he would have lived and died as an ordinary person, never experiencing any of this.
Uchiha Madara had given him an extraordinary life.
But he had also taken so much away.
It was as if they thought they had given him a gift.
Yet no one had ever asked if he even wanted this life.
"So, that little brat now looks at people the same way."
Madara stabbed his fan and scythe into the ground, crossing his arms and leaning against them. His sharp gaze examined Nagato. The powerful life force radiating from him made Madara quite pleased—this meant Nagato had enough strength to use Rinne Tensei to resurrect him.
But Nagato seemed… extremely unhappy.
"Well, your eyes are certainly useful."
Of course.
So, the brat had found out the truth.
Just like how Madara couldn't sense the control seals on Obito after his resurrection, it seemed his plans had gone off track.
No, actually, it wasn't just his plans.
Something about the entire shinobi world had changed in a way that even Madara couldn't quite grasp.
On the way to the Land of Rain, Uchiha Madara saw many people and experienced many things. Even though they wore different headbands, they could sit together, chat happily about what to eat, and discuss where to find work. Strangers would nod and greet each other as they passed by.
Under the rules of the Sun God Kingdom and with time washing away old grudges, the past wars were slowly being forgotten. Those who refused to accept peace and tried to cause trouble were quietly dealt with by the Akatsuki and the Sun God Guards.
The ninja world was moving in a better direction. Instead of fighting wars, people were now competing in technology and ninja ranking exams. The main force in battles had shifted from disposable low-level ninjas to top elites.
Madara didn't understand governing a country, and he hated the dirty world of politics. But even though Konoha never accepted him as Hokage, he had to admit that the ninja world was now peaceful, and people rarely fought.
This world wasn't much different from the peaceful world he had once dreamed of.
Then came an even more shocking piece of news.
Why had the ninja world changed? Because a nation called the Sun God Kingdom had risen. This country had the power to challenge the entire ninja world on its own. Its ruler, the Sun God, had even defeated Hashirama Senju and was now the undisputed strongest ninja.
Danzo mentioned this in his letter. Madara also confirmed it with the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and by using his Sharingan to control people along the way to gather more intel.
The truth was even stranger than he imagined.
The ninja world was full of legends about that man. Books told the story of his rise, from the "Twin Pupils of Konoha" to the "Overlord of the Ninja World." There was even a thing called a "movie" that told the history of the Sun God Kingdom.
It seemed that one of his descendants, the current Uchiha clan leader, had also ridden the wave of popularity. While the Sun God's story was called "From the Twin Pupils of Konoha to the Overlord of the Ninja World," his descendant's movie was called "From the Twin Pupils of Konoha to the Fifth Hokage."
The Uchiha clan had truly produced a Hokage, something he had never achieved.
Now, he finally understood what Hashirama meant when he said, "Times have changed."
Peace was right in front of him, but it had nothing to do with him.
On the way here, Madara kept thinking about one question: Was destroying this so-called peace, collecting the Tailed Beasts, and activating the Infinite Tsukuyomi really the right thing to do?
Strangely, the belief he once held so firmly was now starting to waver.
The reason was simple—besides the absence of the ever-chattering Black Zetsu constantly reinforcing his belief that Infinite Tsukuyomi was the only true path to peace, he and Hashirama were just two people influenced by Indra and Ashura's fate.
But if anyone was most deeply influenced by Indra, it was him.
At the same time, he had also been affected by Ashura, making him a strange mix of both.
So while he questioned himself and doubted the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he wasn't about to give up on it either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the Land of Rain.
He was here waiting for Hashirama, wanting to see if his rival had weakened after being revived. That would give him an idea of how strong the Sun God was, the one who had defeated Hashirama.
And, of course, he was here to take back his eyes.
—Sun God Construction Site—
As the two men stood facing each other, the tension in the air grew heavier.
Madara was ready to fight Hashirama, but Nagato also seemed eager to test himself.
Meanwhile, Hashirama and Tobirama were still busy stacking bricks and building a house. But the two brothers frowned slightly, looking like they could jump into battle at any moment.
Today seemed to be a special day for the Land of Rain and the Sun God's construction site.
And on such a special day, certain special places would attract certain special people.
In the midst of this heavy atmosphere, a space-time vortex slowly appeared, and a familiar figure stepped out.
Unlike Kamui's teleportation, this person, as Isshiki's vessel, could use Isshiki's space-time techniques as a new way of teleporting. However, the power of Kamui remained within him. The eye connected to his marked arm had changed, now looking just like Isshiki's, possessing a new dojutsu.
"Another one?"
Down below, Hashirama clapped the dust off his hands, his face showing a helpless expression.
Madara would at least give him time—he knew that if he waited patiently, Hashirama would definitely fight him with everything he had.
But the others weren't like that.
They wouldn't wait. They wouldn't play by his rules.
Especially the moment that man stepped out of the vortex—Nagato, Tobirama, and even Madara all turned their eyes toward him, their expressions growing serious.
There was no doubt.
This was an enemy.
Sensing the tension in the air, the workers scattered, keeping a safe distance while watching the scene unfold.
With swords drawn and bows bent, a new showdown was about to begin!
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