"Because Black Zetsu was created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in haste, he doesn't possess the same overwhelming power as her two sons. What he does have… is a near-immortal lifespan."
"For thousands of years, Black Zetsu had schemed in the shadows, weaving countless contingencies across the world.."
"And decades ago, one of those contingencies finally bore fruit—guiding Uchiha Madara to awaken the Rinnegan."
"To better carry out his plan, Black Zetsu appeared under the guise of Madara's will, further manipulating both Madara… and you."
Uchiha Ren paused, then looked at Uchiha Obito.
"So the so-called Eye of the Moon Plan was never the guidance of the Sage of Six Paths… it was a complete deception."
Obito fell silent. His emotions were tangled, and he didn't even know what expression to wear as he faced Ren.
Was he in pain?
Of course.
To learn that the plan he had clung to as his last hope was nothing more than a lie—it hurt deeply.
But what he couldn't come to terms with was that, beneath that pain… there was also a faint sense of relief.
Ren, noticing this, knew the timing was right.
"Honestly, with your… intellect, it's not surprising you grew disillusioned with the world and ended up going to extremes."
"..."
Obito's face darkened.
"Do you have to keep mocking me about that 'low academic score' thing?" he said coldly. "I just wasn't interested in useless theoretical knowledge. That doesn't mean I'm stupid."
He was genuinely frustrated.
Those evaluations had mostly tested book knowledge—things he had never paid attention to in class. Of course he scored poorly.
How could memorized theory define someone's intelligence?
"You don't get it—that's exactly the problem," Ren shook his head. "If you had paid attention, you might've realized the world isn't as terrible as you think."
"Yes, the world is full of conflict—but it has always been progressing."
"Compared to the past, things are already much better."
Obito frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ren didn't keep him guessing.
""Historically, this world can be divided into four broad ages: an ancient age before chakra, the era of the Sage of Six Paths, the age of warring clans, and the current era of shinobi villages"
"In the primitive age, humans barely had clothing or food. Survival meant constant life-and-death struggles against wild beasts."
"They were no different from animals."
"In the ancient age—Kaguya's era—people had already learned agriculture, weaving, construction…"
"Basic survival was no longer the issue."
"Then came the Warring States Period. People began striving for better lives, and conflicts arose over interests—interests."
"Yes, there was constant war—but that also meant living standards had improved. If people were starving, they wouldn't have the luxury to fight over more."
"And with the establishment of the one-country, one-village system, conflicts became centralized, large-scale—evolving into major wars."
"Of course, life in war zones remained harsh. But in great nations like the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, and Land of Earth, life became relatively stable."
"That, too, is progress."
Seeing Obito deep in thought, Ren continued:
"Of course, that's just a macro perspective."
"I'm not saying suffering doesn't exist."
"The lower classes still live difficult lives—but that isn't caused by war alone. It stems from conflict between social classes."
"Your thinking was flawed from the start."
"Peace does not mean everyone will live happily."
"And eliminating war alone won't free everyone from suffering."
A flicker of realization passed through Obito's eyes.
During his travels, he had witnessed immense hardship—even in the fertile Land of Fire and the resource-rich Land of Rivers, common civilians struggled.
He had once blamed endless war.
But now… that explanation no longer held.
Whether in war or peace, the poor remained poor.
And yet, there were always those who lived in wealth—even extravagance.
So… this was the divide of class?
"Then what about you?" Obito asked seriously. "If you see things so clearly, you must have found a way to change the world."
"Of course."
Ren's tone was confident.
"I've examined nearly every method of changing the world—and their outcomes."
"And I've found the correct path."
Obito's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"Unification."
"Unification?!"
"Yes. Not just territorial unification—but unification of thought, stance, and class."
"We must first accept that absolute peace is impossible."
"Where there are people, there are interests. And where there are interests, there will always be conflict… schemes… malice."
"Once humanity developed surplus productivity, distribution created imbalance."
"Different experiences lead to different ways of thinking, perspectives, and demands—and thus, conflict."
"So what we can do… is minimize it."
"And unification is the best way to do that."
"Take Konoha as an example. During the Warring States Period, clans slaughtered each other."
"But once they became part of the same village, conflict still existed—just not to the point of mutual annihilation."
"The same logic applies to villages."
"Unify the shinobi world—unify thought, unify stance—and conflict naturally decreases."
"And this… is only the first step."
Obito's expression turned serious.
"Even your first step would face resistance no less than the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Yes, unification might prevent large-scale wars and allow disputes to be resolved through negotiation…"
"But most people don't have your perspective."
"They only see immediate interests—interests. And the Five Great Shinobi Villages have deep blood feuds."
"And what you're proposing isn't just territorial—it's ideological."
"That's… nearly impossible."
Ren remained calm.
"You're right—it's extremely difficult."
"But perhaps not as impossible as you think."
"When Konoha was first founded, both the Uchiha and Senju clans had many dissenters."
"Madara and Hashirama suppressed those voices by sheer force of will."
"But just a few years later, when Madara tried to leave the village…"
"How many of those former dissenters followed him?"
"Not one."
"People may be shortsighted—but once they see tangible benefits, resistance fades."
Obito thought for a moment and didn't argue.
Reality itself supported Ren's point.
"Then what?" he asked. "After unification, what would you do?"
"There's too much to list," Ren replied. "Some things depend on circumstances."
"But it can be summarized in one sentence—"
"Eliminate internal conflict… or better yet, transform it into external conflict."
Obito frowned. "External? After unification?"
Ren smiled slightly.
"You're forgetting the Ōtsutsuki Clan."
Obito suddenly understood.
He had been so focused on the shinobi world that he forgot the true threat lurking beyond it.
"When there's a common enemy," Ren continued, "internal divisions naturally weaken."
"And besides… if the Ōtsutsuki can traverse the cosmos—why can't we?"
"Their existence proves we are not alone."
"The universe is filled with untapped resources."
"So why limit ourselves to this one planet?"
"Our destination… is the sea of stars."
Obito stared at Ren in shock.
He had once thought that he and Madara were already extreme.
But compared to Ren…
They were nothing.
If Madara and Obito sought to reshape the world—
Ren intended to conquer reality itself.
Madness.
And yet…
If it succeeded, it would create something close to a perfect world.
A world without regional or class divisions.
A world where humanity stood united.
Perhaps even… true peace.
But—
But…
Rin was dead.
No matter how perfect that world might be—
Rin was gone.
What meaning could such a world have without her?
Obito's chakra surged violently. His expression twisted.
The more he understood Ren…
The more he agreed with him…
The angrier he became.
"I will never accept your path!" Obito roared.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan can disappear for all I care!"
"But from now on—my life is dedicated to opposing you, Uchiha Ren!"
"I will destroy your plan at any cost!"
Ren blinked.
"…What?"
Everything had been going smoothly—so why had this suddenly derailed?
…Was this just how Uchiha were?
"You want to know why?" Obito continued, voice filled with hatred. "Because you let Rin die!"
In his eyes, Ren was no different from the arrogant Ōtsutsuki—viewing human lives as insignificant.
That indifference… enraged him.
"Oh… Rin?"
Ren finally understood and sighed.
"I said I didn't interfere with your fate."
"I never said I ignored everyone else."
"You are you. Rin is Rin."
"Just because I didn't pull you out of Madara's scheme… doesn't mean I didn't save her."
"…?!"
Obito's single eye widened in disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
"It means exactly what I said."
"Rin is alive."
"I saved her."
"Impossible!" Obito shouted, trembling. "I saw it myself! Her heart was destroyed—she couldn't have survived!"
Ren replied calmly:
"Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju also confirmed Madara's death."
"So why… was he still alive?"
Obito: "!!!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789