Somewhere far away, deep inside a dark and cold cave…
Obito groaned softly, his consciousness slowly returning as he opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was being attacked out of nowhere, and now—he found himself lying on the damp stone floor of this strange, unfamiliar place.
He sat up with a confused expression, the dim torchlight flickering across the rocky walls. The temperature was chilling, and the silence was suffocating. In front of him, seated on a worn wooden chair, was an elderly man with long white hair, a frail body, and a haggard face.
Obito's brows furrowed. What the hell is going on?
Could this be another bizarre episode of his bad luck—or had his supposed "aura of respecting the elderly" finally backfired?
"Where is this?"
"Who are you?"
"Why did you bring me here?"
He fired off a triple-question combo, the words tumbling from his mouth without pause.
The old man barely reacted. His eyes remained half-closed, voice coarse and weary as he spoke, "Little brat of the Uchiha clan… I am your former clan leader—Uchiha Madara."
Obito's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! But… weren't you killed by the First Hokage ages ago?!"
He'd heard the tale countless times. Kakashi had told him all about it back at the academy. Madara, the legend of the Uchiha Clan, had fought the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, in an epic battle to the death at the Valley of the End. That story had stuck with Obito for years.
So what was happening now?
Was the man in front of him a ghost? A reanimated corpse? Had he somehow returned from the dead?
Madara's lips twitched into a frown, and his expression darkened like storm clouds over a battlefield. "Killed by the First Hokage?" he said, his voice thick with disdain. "Tch, watch your mouth, boy. I'll give you another chance to choose your words carefully. Otherwise, I might beat you to death myself."
Obito gulped, a shiver running down his spine.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Madara added, "I merely faked my death. A little trick, nothing more. That fool Hashirama… he was being toyed with."
There was a flash of arrogance in Madara's eyes as he smirked.
"Do you really think someone like him could defeat me so easily?" he sneered. "He may have strength, but his brain? That's another matter entirely. In terms of intelligence, I outmatch him by miles. The only reason he's so strong is because he sacrificed brain capacity for brute strength!"
Obito blinked, struggling to keep up with Madara's bitter rant.
"I mean, come on," Madara scoffed. "Distributing the tailed beasts to each village to maintain peace? Childish. Naive. Did he really think giving nukes to every idiot in the world would bring harmony?"
Despite the absurdity of it, Obito felt a strange sense of respect for the old man's logic.
Madara leaned forward, his voice lowering with intensity. "The reason I brought you here is simple. After investigating the current Uchiha clan for a long time, I found that… among all of them, you are the most suitable person to inherit my will and my power."
"The rest of them are blind," he said with contempt. "Fools. Ants caught up in their petty thoughts and limitations."
Though clearly displeased with Obito's earlier remarks, Madara still patiently explained his reasoning.
Obito, however, narrowed his eyes, skeptical. "I don't believe you."
He shook his head. "Kakashi said you were dead. So you're dead. This is just some trick. You're just an old man pretending to be Madara."
Even though everyone always said he was a bit of a blockhead, Obito was convinced he had figured things out. No way was he going to be fooled so easily.
Just as he was about to walk away—
Something changed.
The old man's pupils shifted.
In an instant, light twisted unnaturally in the cave, and a powerful surge of chakra erupted.
The Yin and Yang forces around them reversed. The pressure was suffocating.
A brilliant, blood-red light flared from Madara's eyes.
Sharingan.
Three tomoe rotated menacingly in his irises, casting an oppressive glow throughout the room.
Obito froze in place. His jaw dropped.
"You… You really are a senior of the Uchiha Clan?!"
He had no choice but to believe now. The Sharingan didn't lie. It couldn't be faked. Only true Uchiha could awaken it—and the one before him radiated a power far beyond anything Obito had ever sensed before.
Madara's lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. "Do you believe me now, kid?"
Obito lowered his gaze, muttering, "Maybe you really are Madara-senpai... After all, no one in the clan besides you has ever truly left the village…"
"But I'm sorry," he continued, regaining his resolve. "Even if you are Madara, I can't stay."
"I have a mission to complete. Kakashi and Rin are still out there waiting for me."
Obito's voice was firm, filled with the resolve of a loyal comrade.
Although the offer was tempting—being acknowledged by a living legend—he couldn't forget his friends. Especially Rin. They were his priority.
At that moment, a strange white creature that had been silent until now finally spoke. A humanoid figure, pale and smooth like clay, emerged from the darkness.
"Actually," the creature said with an eerie smile, "your companions are not waiting for you."
Obito turned to him, startled.
"They've already completed the mission. In fact, they blew up the Kannabi Bridge."
"What?!"
The white creature continued nonchalantly, "While you were stuck here, that guy—Kakashi—wiped out hundreds of Rock Ninja Chūnin all by himself."
"Seems like they didn't need your help after all."
Obito stood frozen.
He had always known that Kakashi was ahead of him, stronger and more capable. But this? Taking down hundreds of enemies solo? Even a seasoned Jōnin might struggle with that.
A heavy sense of defeat crept into his chest.
Am I really that weak…?
Even though he had found his confidence again under Minato-sensei's guidance, those words from the white creature struck at his heart like a dagger.
The gap between him and Kakashi was too big.
And suddenly, the idea of catching up seemed almost laughable.
Madara, observing him closely, chuckled.
"Already feeling disheartened, kid?"
He stood up slowly, his powerful aura spreading like wildfire.
"Let me make you a proposition."
"Become my student. Accept my teachings. I will pass on everything I know."
"Not just the Uchiha clan's Fire Style techniques—but also the Yin-Yang Style passed down from the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"Most importantly… I will show you how to awaken the true power of the Sharingan."
"With my guidance, you won't just catch up—you'll surpass everyone."
"You'll kill Kage as easily as crushing ants. A few hundred Chūnin? That'll be nothing to you."
Obito looked up, his eyes filled with shock and uncertainty.
A moment ago, he was determined to leave. But now…
Madara's voice carried a strange magic, a deep resonance that stirred something inside Obito's heart.
"The mission is over," Madara said softly. "Even if you return now, what could you possibly do? You'll only trail behind your companions, watching their backs as they shine."
"But," he added, his voice like a whisper in Obito's ear, "if you accept my power, you'll return as their equal—or even their superior. They'll look up to you."
Obito's fingers twitched.
The image of Rin flashed in his mind. What would she think if he returned, not as a burden—but as a hero?
"I have no hidden motives," Madara said calmly. "I'm just an old man from your clan, nearing the end of his life, hoping to leave behind a legacy. What could be more noble?"
"And besides—"
He smiled grimly.
"From the moment you arrived, the exit to this place has been sealed. If you refuse… well, you'll stay here forever."
"W-What?!"
Obito's heart skipped a beat.
No escape? That wasn't part of the deal!
The cave suddenly felt ten times smaller.
"Fine… okay then." He exhaled, trying to calm himself.
"I'll learn from you. But only under one condition!"
He raised a finger.
"When I finish training, I'm going back! I have to!"
Madara said nothing—just smiled knowingly.
Obito clenched his fists, resolving silently: I'll learn everything he teaches me… as fast as I can. And when I go back—Kakashi and Rin won't recognize me!
I'll become stronger… better… and finally be the one they can rely on.
Madara laughed softly.
The game had begun.
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