"The Uchiha is a clan destined for revenge. Take revenge on the world that mutilated your futile belief of hope and love. Carry on my will and finally bring peace to this world – Obito Uchiha!"
Madara's words resonated through the air as Obito battled with the inner turmoil set off by the older Uchiha standing upright before him. Both of his friends are gone. The only people to ever accept Obito as a shinobi and as a person, the only ones to ever bless him with the exquisite gift of warmth and affection, are no longer with him.
Obito struggled to grip the shoulders of his best friend lying on top of him, your blood seeping into his clothes and staining his skin; his trembling hands almost matched the uncontrollable quivering of his short breaths. The tears streaming from his eyes burned him, as they never have before. They singed his eyes with an unfamiliar pain; sparks of intense heat rippled across his Sharingan as he struggled to recover from the shock of what Madara had done.
Obito couldn't handle it. He couldn't understand why you would sacrifice everything for him. As if on instinct, he slowly lifted you up by your shoulders and examined your face, which was now pale and expressionless.
"(y-y-y/n)..."
Obito's anguish over seeing your face manifested into an outburst of raw emotion. Just one look was enough for those searing sparks in his eyes to erupt into one powerful wave of radiating heat. As Madara looked on, he watched the black tomoe in Obito's Sharingan morph together to form a shape akin to shuriken. Obito then shut his eyes harshly and groaned from the overwhelming sensations transpiring in his eyes.
"The Mangekyou Sharingan," Madara stated calmly. "The exceptionally rare and superior visual capabilities you now possess will be the foundation, the key to our new world. Use this power to initiate The Eye of the Moon Plan, and I will see that your desire will come to fruition once I am revived. You will be reunited with your cherished ones in your own reality forged by my Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Wracked with grief and seduced by Madara's promise, ominous sounds began forming in Obito's head; it was telling him to do something – commanding him to do something.
This, this... this urge.
It was telling him to kill. It was demanding him to wreak havoc on this hell of a world, to abandon this reality and seek a perfect one. It was telling Obito to give in – to forsake this world and torture it as it has tortured him - and to kill anything that steps in his way.
Zetsu had been carefully observing the entire exchange from afar; a demented smile permeated his features at seeing his plan finally initiate. His smile soon faded as he sensed a cluster of chakra within close proximity of the hideout – ones that were quickly approaching. From the feel of it, the chakra belonged to Hidden Leaf Ninja, likely sent as reinforcements on the search for Rin. Zetsu turned to Madara with a nervous expression on his face as he gathered the courage to interject on him and Obito.
"Um, Lord Madara – "
"Dispose of them."
Not daring to respond, Zetsu then phased out of sight.
Obito delicately shifted your body off his as he slowly and silently stood up, the gentle way he treated your body directly contradicted the wrathful emotions teeming inside of him, clawing its way to the surface. Inside, he was seething. His rage building up inside threatened to unleash at any moment. He tightened his grip with such intensity that his nails drew blood from his palm; the malevolent voice persisted in urging him to despair.
...But something else was calling to him. It was soft and gentle. A voice that sounded familiar. It was... soothing.
"Obito"
"Don't lose hope"
"Please, Obito..."
"Don't give in."
That voice...
It was your voice running through Obito's head, disrupting the malicious impulse that was commanding him to surrender.
Madara was right about the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha had an extensive history of pain and revenge, but Madara had forgotten that Uchihas were also a clan that flourished on love. Uchihas experience emotions that are unusually and indescribably intense, but that also meant that they experience love just as intensely, and Obito was no exception. Love to an Uchiha is so powerful that it can influence their life to where it can be the foundation of hatred and despair – but love can also be the guidance they need to achieve great things.
Before you arrived in this world, it was destined that Obito would lose hope for the shinobi world after the death of his love, Rin. But now, it was you who was also the source of his anguish. Because of this, the feelings inside Obito were different from when it was solely Rin. Your last words to him were to never give up and to never lose hope for this world. You saw something in this world that Obito was starting to lose sight of, but your wish to him and the calming aura of your soul was overriding his hostile urges and allowed him to see clearly.
"Now," Madara began to speak, satisfied with the success and progression of his plan. "You understand what you must do. Collect the Nine Tailed Beasts to absor-"
"No."
Madara's instructions were cut off, catching him off guard by that single unorthodox word.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan," Obito stated firmly. "(y/n) and Rin would never want this."
It wasn't the world that was torturing Obito. It was Madara.
Obito realized this. He lifted his gaze from the ground to meet with Madara's; their Mangekyou Sharingan making contact as the two Uchiha stood off silently in a stare for dominance. Obito's tears flowed in steady lines down his face. As he leered at the man responsible for his pain, your view on this world and the words you once told Obito long ago never left his thoughts.
~~~~~
"So who's your favorite Hokage, Obito?"
The young Uchiha blinked at the question as his arms crossed behind his head, his gaze lost amongst the stars. "Wouldn't say I have a favorite. That geezer Lord Third did let you stay in the village though, so I guess I'd go with him."
You chuckled and hummed contently at his answer as you settled onto your back to join him in gazing at the night sky, hands resting on your stomach.
"Who's your favorite shinobi?" he asked, slightly turning his head in your direction.
"Favorite shinobi? Hmm..."
Obito blinked in anticipation of your answer and removed his sight from the sky over to you after taking so long to respond.
"...I really admire Minato-sensei; he always seems like he knows just what to do."
Obito's face scrunched up slightly in irritation at your answer, opting to look away from you as he thought about just how amazingly talented his sensei really was. It made him feel inferior in every way.
"With that said, I wouldn't call him my favorite," you added as the 14-year-old Obito directed his attention from the night sky back to you with curiosity in his eyes.
"I'd have to say that my favorite ninja would be... well... you, Obito."
Obito blushed and jumped slightly in surprise. "Huh, m-me? What makes you say that?"
You giggled softly as a light blush also dusted your cheeks. "You have something that no other ninja here does, Obito. You feel such compassion for your teammates. That's something I think this place forgot about when they wrote those stupid shinobi rules."
Obito stared at you in awe as you continued to peer up at the stars, his blush deepening at seeing the sweetest grin gracing your lips.
"From the time I've lived in this village, I have never found anyone as passionate or determined as you. Most importantly, you never give up. No matter what, you keep trying and I can't help but admire you for that. You're everything this village needs. That's why I think you have what it takes to become a great Hokage someday."
Obito was speechless, and everything around himseemed to fall silent. He had told you about his dream of becoming Hokage one night, but he never exactly told you why. It was originally so he would gain the recognition he'd always craved, but he soon found that he didn't need to become the best to be accepted, and he learned that because of you. You were giving him a completely new reason to become the village's protector.
"Maybe when you become Hokage, you can convince the Feudal Lords to rewrite the shinobi rules and make one that puts our comrades above all else."
"Yeah... I think that's what I'll do," he voiced soothingly while looking at you with a gentle expression before finally breaking his gaze away from you and joined your exploration of the stars.
"To be honest Obito, when I first became a ninja, I was so scared of the kind of stuff we'd see on missions. But then I remembered that we're doing this so that others can live peacefully here. Even though life for us is frightening, I still think this world is beautiful. It's worth fighting for, and I'll never give up on it, no matter what happens," you said peacefully as a shimmering star trailed through the navy-blue sky.
"I have you to thank for that, Obito. I'll never give up, just like you."
Obito blushed at your sweet praise as he pondered your words and softly chanted to himself.
This world is beautiful...
Never give up on it...
...no matter what happens.
~~~~~
"You still harbor faith in this accursed pit of a world, Uchiha? Even after I revealed to you the unmerciful realities of shinobi, you still manifest hope and oppose your fate?!" Madara bellowed, furious. This was not supposed to happen; his plan was rupturing before it could truly begin. Madara broke his gaze he had on the younger Uchiha to eye your body with utter revulsion.
"That woman. She opposed the ultimate form of peace! She indoctrinated you to continue fighting for the liberty to wage war! Do you not wish to end the suffering of mankind and meet her again in another world?!"
Obito's teeth visibly clenched as more tears spilled from his eyes, his piercing glare never leaving Madara's. His eyebrows knitted in pure resentment for his accusations. Obito would have done anything to see you two again, but he knew you loved the world you lived in. He couldn't stand the thought of you and Rin watching him in revulsion as he carried out Madara's legacy for peace by eradicating the world you held dear. He could never do that to you.
Just then, a feeble cough abruptly left your throat and you whined as more blood seeped out of your mouth, shocking the two Uchihas. Between Madara's irrational anger and Obito's overwhelming shock, neither one had the chance to check your pulse, which was weak and faint.
"(y-y/n)?!" Obito mustered between short, staggering breaths.
She... she's still breathing...! (y/n)... she's...! Obito stood there, frozen in place. He didn't know how to react; he couldn't believe that you were still with him, but he didn't have much time to let it sink in.
"She still breathes?!" Madara roared in rage. He couldn't restrain his anger for you. Everything was falling apart because of you. He advanced toward you in earnest with the intention of finishing you off for good, but not before Obito stepped in front of the legendary Uchiha with no hesitation. Their impasse was far unlike what their original meeting was supposed to be like years ago. This time, Obito was almost 18 years old; his figure stood tall against Madara's. His face was silently challenging him to dare take even one step closer to you.
Suddenly, a revolting noise reached Obito's ears as he heard Zetsu materialize next to your body. He turned swiftly, his eyes widening as he watched Zetsu's body open up to devour you.
No! I won't lose her again!
Obito screamed desperately as a unique sensation in his eyes began to swirl. He watched as Zetsu got caught in the ominous vortex whirling around him. His outstretched arm evaded the swirl, only for it to sever from his body and strike the ground with an audible squelch. Before anyone could mutter a word, Zetsu was gone, transported to the Kamui dimension created from Obito's Mangekyou Sharingan. Immediately after, his eyes squeezed shut, fluttering to keep them open as a thick, searing trail of blood seeped from them in potent waves, a foreign pain shooting through them.
Comprehending the unique and powerful capabilities of Obito's new Sharingan, Madara slowly began to back away while he was distracted, but he didn't get far.
"Don't move from that spot," Obito said dryly as he turned to face Madara. He took solemn, deliberate steps toward him, the blood from his eyes still oozing down his face.
"This is because of you. The ninja world is hell because of shinobi like YOU!" Obito shouted at Madara, who had begun to step backwards as he continued to charge toward him. Madara had spent too much energy kicking you to near death. He knew he stood little chance against the younger Uchiha, especially when he was this irate, and especially now that he controlled such a devastating ocular ability.
"Well I won't let you hurt my friends or anyone else ever again! I swear it!"
Obito hurled his fist toward Madara's face, but it forcefully made contact with his hand in a parry instead. Both Uchiha's arms were trembling from the effort of resisting each other's action; Madara was repelling Obito's attack while trying to hold a deadpan expression on his face, but his eyebrows gave away that he was thoroughly alarmed. Obito never eased his attempt to strike Madara as he continued to press his fist forward, determined to take him down, all the while their Sharingan never broke contact with each other.
While Obito was occupied with Madara, Rin, who was only barely conscious, saw the opportunity to delicately crawl toward your body. She immediately and quietly produced a special green chakra that absorbed into your body once her hand made contact with your arm...
~~~
Darkness. It's that familiar darkness again.
Am I... finally returning to my world? Have I accomplished everything I was supposed to in this world? No. No matter how hard I tried, the outcome of Obito and the shinobi world remained the same. I couldn't protect them... Then why...? Why was I sent here? What was my purpose? Am I really done here?
As your questions continued to flow, a growing light began to take up your vision; this light was just as familiar as the darkness you encountered numerous times before.
No, I'm not done here. Not even close.
You awoke with the jolt as your eyes got accustomed to the murky area around you. The first two things that caught your attention were your wounds, which were partially mended, and your chakra levels; you had enough to fight again!
But... how?
You then turned your head to see Rin lying next to you just as the light in her hand faded away. "Rin! What... what happened? What did you do?"
A weak smile graced her lips as she replied, barely in a whisper, "Chakra... Transfer... been... saving chakra..."
Over the years, Rin had become talented in her healing abilities. You never knew just how skilled her medical jutsu would become since she would have been killed years ago if it weren't for what you've done.
"Rin..." Tears began forming in your eyes at her sacrifice. Even after all the years of mistreatment and neglect, she still valued your wellbeing over hers.
"Take it... h-help... Obito..." Rin pleaded softly, the younger Uchiha's screaming only now registering to your ears.
You gasped sharply as the memories flooded back to you. You instantly stood up on your feet, ignoring the immeasurable pain your body was in from Madara's previous attacks. You stood up just in time to witness Madara successfully ward off Obito's attack as they stumbled back, both Uchihas displaying clear signs of exhaustion and severe fatigue. This didn't stop Obito from immediately returning to Madara with a battle cry and a throw that was just as impactful as the last.
Your mind urged you forward, but your body fought to remain still as you saw Madara throwing his own body towards Obito in what seemed like an attempt to incapacitate him. Your feet rooted in place, painfully hesitant on what to do. You remembered how Madara could just activate his Rinnegan to absorb any jutsu that was thrown at him, and if you made any sort of eye contact with that man, you would be physically and emotionally traumatized for life – and who knew what kind of power the Demonic Statue was granting him –
Wait a minute...
You knew that the source of Madara's life was the statue directly behind him and Obito.
That's when it hit you.
Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.
Without any more hesitation, you assembled all the chakra given to you by Rin to perform the ultimate protective jutsu. You decided to call it –
"Earth Style: Elemental Peacekeeper!"
At that, you slammed your hands on the ground, which attracted the attention of both Uchihas. You made sure to keep your line of sight as far away from Madara's as possible; just one glance into his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and you would be done for.
Suddenly, the ground around Madara and Obito began to quake violently. The earth surrounding the enormous Demonic Statue began to twist before it started to sink into the ground. At the same time, two colossal elemental hands erupted from the ground, grabbed each side of the statue, and began to push it further into the earth.
Infuriated, Madara turned in your direction and began forming hand signs at a rapid pace – ones that you recognized were for a fire-style jutsu. You couldn't defend yourself; sinking the incredibly massive statue was taking all of your energy. Urgently, you looked to your partner, the desperate look on your face telling him you needed his support.
Obito immediately understood. He briefly exchanged looks with you before he darted in front of Madara just as a ferocious flame exited his mouth and barreling toward you. Obito directed his Mangekyou Sharingan on Madara's flames and in an instant, his Kamui swirl absorbed the inferno and transported it elsewhere. As Obito delayed Madara, the statue continued to descend by your hands with an earth-shattering rumble.
Obito's Sharingan vanquished Madara's entire attack.
"That power," Madara whispered in acknowledgment of Obito's abilities.
Not a moment later, a twinging, snapping noise caught Madara's attention, the area connecting Madara's cords with the statue scraped against the stony surface as it continued to plummet into the earth. Madara's eyes widened as the cords fractured with an audible snapping noise and completely disconnected from the statue. Standing on his own, the Uchiha's legs trembled before giving out, unable to maintain his balance from the shock of losing his connection with the statue – the only source that was prolonging his life. Your hands glued to the ground as you yelled vehemently, transferring every scrap of energy to bury the statue far into the earth.
I would send this statue straight to Hell if I could.
You shouted out from the pain and effort as your borrowed chakra flowed around the statue – until finally only the head remained. With your chakra depleted, the giant hands aiding you crumbled into the earth as you fell to your knees, gasping for air.
I wasn't able... to bury the whole statue. It's gonna come back... it needs to be sealed away... but it's enough to stop Madara's plan for now...
Madara could only watch as his hundred-year-old plan came to a bitter conclusion. As he laid on his side, his fading vision never left your form. Despondency conquered over his ashen voice.
"This world... you have doomed this world, woman," Madara chanted as his breaths got shallower. "You do not realize what you have done."
You slouched on your hands and knees, too feeble to lift your heavy gaze off the ground directly below you. Other than your desperate panting, Madara was the only sound your clouded mind could register. You had no choice but to engage with his venomous proclamations.
"You will never understand what it means to achieve... true... peace," he whispered, until his breaths no longer passed through him.
Silence.
It was the most peaceful silence you had felt in the longest time.
You eventually found the strength to look up, and what you saw was the most beautiful image you had ever seen. It was Obito. He was safe. He was the same Obito who you'd known for almost a decade. He had the same spirit in him – that fiery passion, the one who you told to never give up.
You could tell all of this just by looking at him, and by looking into his eyes. Obito always had the most revealing eyes, but there was a new expression within them which you'd never seen before. It appeared to be a mix of rapture and elation, but his eyebrows expressed shock and unyielding incomprehension. All of those conflicting emotions on his face, it looked... painful.
As the two of you locked eyes, Obito's feet automatically lifted and he slowly advanced toward you, the disbelief still heavy in his crimson eyes. Once he was near, he clumsily dropped down on his knees and gently cupped your cheek with one hand; his darting eyes frantically studied your face as if this was just some kind of cruel genjutsu fooling him into thinking that you were still alive.
As Obito continued to scan your face in disbelief, a smile finally formed on his open lips; and he began to laugh. It started as a couple giggles, but quickly formed into a turbulent laughter as waves of overwhelming gratitude washed over him once he came to terms that you weren't taken - that you were still there with him in this world. Tears followed his reaction soon after, and his laugh soon morphed into a sob as his tears mixed with the blood running down his cheeks.
Obito sobbed out all of his frustrations: His grief. His anger. His guilt. Fears and anxiety. Any remnants of that malevolent voice urging him to despair. All of the pent-up emotions over what he had to go through spilled out as he cupped your face with both hands and leaned his head forward to gently press his forehead to yours in an intimate embrace. As your foreheads connected, he closed his eyes, the quivering hand clutching your cheek refusing to let go. Obito continued to weep through sharp intakes of breath, the powerful look of sheer relief never leaving his face.
As he held your face and touched your forehead with his, moments melted together, and you returned his feelings with matching joy. After he'd finally released his hold on you, you immediately sprang forward to wrap your arms around his trembling form. Obito returned the hug instantly and placed one hand on the back of your head, determined to never let you go again.
"I'm here. You did it, Obito! You never gave up on us. I'm so proud of you!" You finished by tightening your hold on him with a glorious squeeze of reassurance.
Minato's prediction was right. The powerful bond between you and Obito stopped him from falling into despair by Madara's hand.
You couldn't believe it was all over. Madara Uchiha was dead. His Eye of the Moon plan never came to fruition. You, Rin, and Obito prevented the most catastrophic disaster in shinobi history.
Wait a minute... Rin!
You and Obito gasped and promptly broke the hug as you both quickly exchanged feared looks and hastily scrambled to Rin's motionless body; her positioning was the same as when you left her to help Obito.
"R-Rin... N-no... I... I..." Obito tried to speak, his words coming out in stuttering fragments, his tears threatening to flow again.
"D-don't give up on her, Obito! We... we..." you trailed off, utterly disheartened. You didn't know what to say. You hated lying to Obito, but Rin did not look good. While the three of you were growing up, you always thought that Rin 'disappearing' would have been a dream come true, but now that it happened, you quickly realized that your past self should have been careful of what she wished for.
While trying to think of ways to calm Obito back down, a glob of mysterious white substance on the ground caught your eye.
That's... that's...!
"We need to get back to the Leaf right now!"