Chapter 92. Once Upon a Ti
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A few days later.
In an underground cave sowhere in the ninja world.
The aged Madara slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the White Zetsu before him. He spoke calmly, "Bonds?"
His voice trailed off.
His cloudy eyes reflected a trace of mory.
Once upon a ti...
He and Hashirama had been like that too. But later... Hashirama got married. And later... Hashirama changed.
He stopped listening to him.
In the end—
He betrayed him.
Even though, as children, they had sworn by the river to support each other forever!
But then—
He got married.
He had children.
And he changed.
But he... he had remained alone, unchanged, always the sa.
And so—
He would prove to Hashirama that... he was right.
"Hmph!" Madara's once-cloudy eyes turned sharp again. With a cold snort, he spoke flatly, "Won... they only affect the speed of performing ninjutsu! Hashirama fell because of that! It seems that boy has already realized this!"
"Then, Madara-sama, what should we do now?"
"It doesn't matter," Madara replied lazily, lifting his eyelids slightly. "When he falls into darkness, he'll join us. And bonds... bonds will only help pull him further into the darkness better!"
"Should we target that silver-haired boy?"
The White Zetsus exchanged eager glances, their excitent showing. "Madara-sama, should we change our approach?"
They seed entertained by the idea.
However—
Madara didn't answer imdiately. He closed his eyes, silent for a mont, before reopening them.
"Obito and Nagato... both have that man's shadow behind them?"
"???" The White Zetsus looked confused before one of them suddenly understood and nodded. "Madara-sama, are you talking about that guy who opened a milk tea shop? What was his na again? Uchiha Yuto or sothing? Pretty strong too."
Last ti, he even pretended to be Madara himself.
"Uchiha Yuto..." Madara murmured, then looked at White Zetsu and asked flatly, "Does he know love?"
"Love? Uh, he seems to be entangled with quite a few won."
"Does all won count, Madara-sama?"
"..."
Absolutely not!
Is this what Uchiha has beco now?
Madara's eyelid twitched, his mouth tightening slightly. "Does he have soone he truly loves?"
"This..." The White Zetsus hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. Finally, one of them said hesitantly, "He once said his greatest love is Konoha, and he respects the Hokage the most!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's it! I heard he even donated 380 million ryo to Konoha recently!"
"It wasn't 380 million! I think it was just 300 million!"
"What about the other 80 million then?"
"How would I know?! But I'm pretty sure it was 380 million!"
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Humans are so childish!"
The White Zetsus began arguing noisily.
Madara seed to grow impatient. These creatures were useful, but most of them were brainless and loved to prattle on about irrelevant things.
"Enough! Quiet!"
His sharp gaze silenced the White Zetsus imdiately.
As they quieted down, Madara narrowed his eyes slightly and said faintly, "Has Konoha already... decayed to this extent?"
To the point where they needed donations from the Uchiha clan?
He let out a cold laugh, shaking his head. When he reopened his eyes, a thought seed to strike him. "Rich, powerful, talented... If he can fall into darkness, he might not be a bad addition."
Madara admitted—
He had underestimated that man when he saw those ssy ideologies before.
But was it intentional?
Or unintentional?
Either way... nothing would interfere with his plan. This was his way of proving himself to Hashirama.
"Hashirama..." Madara murmured, his eyes clouding over again, as though filled with untold stories.
But soon after—
He snapped out of it, closing his eyes once more. "Continue with my plan. Use bonds to guide him into the darkness. Additionally..." He paused briefly. "Send White Zetsu to monitor that Uchiha Yuto!"
His eyes sharpened.
"If he interferes with our plans in any way—eliminate him!"
No one could disrupt his plans!
...
"Achoo!"
Yuto rubbed his nose, frowning slightly.
Why did it feel like soone was eyeing his money again?
Who?
The Third Hokage?
But after thinking about it, he couldn't figure out who it might be, so he stopped dwelling on it. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen probably wouldn't blatantly target the profits of a loyal Konoha businessman. As for covert actions... wasn't that Danzo-sama's specialty?
And that was even easier to handle.
Just slightly increase his prices to compensate.
No big deal!
Yuto stretched and stood up.
"Are you heading out, Yuto?" his secretary, Suzune, asked curiously. "Do you have sothing to take care of?"
"Not really," Yuto replied with a smile. "Since Fugaku has left the village, I thought I'd go back to the clan to see if there's anything they need help with."
He had heard—
Recently, Itachi hadn't been leaving the house at all. He hadn't even gone to the dance hall to exercise.
It seed to have sothing to do with the Chief Elder.
Even the Chief Elder hadn't shown up for a while.
No one knew what was going on, so Yuto decided to check in.
After a mont of thought, he asked, "Have the promotional posters been sent out yet?"
Suzune gave him a strange look. "They were sent out a few days ago, but..." She hesitated. "This... isn't it a bit inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it?" Yuto's face grew serious. "This was approved by the Hokage himself! It's a legitimate promotion! The Hokage even gifted us a handwritten 'Will of Fire' piece—it's hanging outside right now!"
"I-I didn't an it like that," Suzune said, still looking uneasy. She was perplexed by why the Hokage had agreed to Yuto's idea, but since it was his decision, she supported it. However...
She pointed hesitantly at a sample of the promotional poster nearby. After a pause, she asked, "Won't this... reflect poorly on Obito?"
"???" Yuto looked at Suzune, bewildered. "Why... would it?"
This poster was amazing!
It was bound to grab people's attention!
...
Let's rewind a bit.
After successfully rescuing Rin and escaping from Kannabi Bridge—
The three youngsters were t with reinforcents!
With Minato-sensei's help, they had managed to cut off Iwagakure's supply line, laying the groundwork for a decisive victory against the village.
This also shifted the tide in the Battle of Kikyo Pass.
After the fierce battle, Team Minato was finally able to enjoy a brief mont of respite.
The four of them arrived at a base near the battlefield to rest and resupply.
As they stepped into the base—
They were greeted by cheers and familiar faces. The frustration from the war lted away.
Especially for Obito...
Though he was promptly subjected to yet another personal jab.
It really annoyed him!
At this point... he was starting to understand why the legendary Uchiha ninja had left the village in solitude.
It was because—
He wasn't understood!
This was a path destined to be lonely and filled with ridicule!
His eyes glimred with sadness as he shook his head, muttering to himself with determination, "I, Uchiha Obito, will never walk that path!"
I'll change everything!
I'll make them understand !
He even suspected... that Rin might have fallen for Kakashi because she didn't understand him!
That must be it!
Having resolved himself, Obito squared his shoulders and strode toward the camp.
But then—
As soon as he stepped inside—
He froze in place, completely stunned, standing stock-still.
The rest of Team Minato noticed and walked over curiously.
"What's wrong with Obito?"
Before the question was even finished—
Obito pointed forward with a look of outrage. "Who—who... WHO DID THIS?!"
"???"
Who did what?
The others followed the direction of Obito's trembling finger.
And then—
Their faces all twitched.
"Where... did this co from?"
Ahead of them stood a freestanding advertisent board.
On it—
A young boy was captured in mid-tiger seal, his sharp gaze fixed straight ahead, as if staring down an enemy.
Beside him, bold letters read:
"Yuto Milk Tea!"
"The mont I drank this milk tea, you have already lost!"
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