Chapter 454: Infinite Tsukuyomi!!!
"Obito, you once said that we are bound by painful ties. In the world of the Limited Tsukuyomi, I heard you loud and clear," Haneda said.
"I've hidden too much, causing countless tragedies. Perhaps my very existence is a mistake."
A bitter smile crossed Haneda's face. "You see bonds as chains of suffering, and I understand—these eyes have witnessed such pain."
Haneda's Rinnegan returned to its normal state, only to rotate again, progressing through single tomoe, double tomoe, triple tomoe, and finally the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Every evolution of the Uchiha's eyes came at the cost of extreme agony.
That kind of pain could never deceive anyone—and Obito, who had endured the same, knew it well.
In silence, Obito stared into Haneda's eyes.
"But it's that pain that drove me forward," Haneda continued. "It made me stronger, gave me the power to make choices."
"Yet, no matter how strong I became, I could not change the fact that I am still weak at my core."
"In this world, there is always someone stronger than you. Your talent, your strength—are merely tools for the truly powerful to exploit."
"To watch helplessly as events unfold beyond your control… surely you've experienced that, haven't you, Obito?"
"As time passes, fewer people remain ahead of you. Until, eventually, you stand alone, forced to take positions you once despised."
"You look back on your pain, your regrets—and they return, stronger than ever."
"So you fight to change it, risking everything, even acting out of selfishness, to challenge the world itself."
"You understand that feeling, don't you, Obito?"
"Obito, you said only naive fools forgive their enemies—and you're right, that's human nature."
"And yet, there's always one fool who dreams of reversing it all."
"And so, that fool appeared—with a plan he believed was flawless."
"Yes, he is selfish. But he is also selfless."
"For his friend, he tolerated the senseless sacrifices caused by that friend's war."
"And at the same time, he devised a way to turn those sacrifices into fleeting dreams, disappearing as if they had never happened."
"When the dream ends, the war will be over. The world will be at peace. And those who were sacrificed will still be alive."
"Obito, you ask me if it's worth it?"
At this, Haneda couldn't help but laugh.
"You've already called me a fool. Why even ask? Of course it's worth it."
"Bonds aren't just pain. They hold beauty too, whether in the past or the present."
"Isn't that why you've never been able to let go? Even Kakashi, whom you've resented, received a secret gift from you that day."
"That's the beauty born from bonds we can never forget!"
"You're right, our bonds tie us together tightly. Our differing ideals cause us to clash, creating pain."
"But as we grow older, our perspectives change—or perhaps, we just become cleverer."
"Yet, have you truly forgotten? How could you forget?"
"That day, when you looked at the gift you gave, wasn't there a smile at the corner of your lips?"
"A secret smile, hidden in a place you thought no one could see."
"Doesn't that prove the beauty of bonds?"
"Isn't that what you've been chasing all this time?"
Haneda extended his hand. Obito's eyes, filled with the reflection of the full moon and the sound of Rin's steadily growing breaths, trembled.
"Come back, Obito."
"You should already understand my actions, don't you?"
"For you, I'm willing to step down as Hokage, to shed the title and face you as a friend in this war."
"For you, I traded with you, using the 100,000 White Zetsu as material to repay your sins in this war."
"For you, I stood by and watched as this war unfolded, even stepping into the dream world you created."
"For you, I'm willing to construct the same reality you envisioned for me."
"In this new world, Rin will walk alongside us, just as she does in your Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"After the war, I'll cast a genjutsu across the entire world, erasing the memory of your deeds."
"You'll still be the kind-hearted, idealistic Uchiha Obito, striving to become Hokage."
From within the void, a pair of clear, unwavering purple eyes slowly opened.
Rin gazed at Obito, her expression unchanged.
"Obito, I've always been watching you."
Obito wanted to meet her gaze, but his eyes kept darting away. Looking down at his hands—the pale, inhuman skin and the once-mighty Heavenly Marsh Spear—he was reminded that he was no longer the Obito Rin remembered.
"Don't be ridiculous. How could the dead possibly watch the living?"
Rin repeated softly, "I've always been watching you, Obito, from places you couldn't see…"
Just as she began to explain what she'd witnessed in the afterlife, the contours of her eyes shifted to resemble the Rinnegan.
A hand wiped the blood from her face and gently closed her eyes.
Obito, now standing before Haneda, cradled Rin in his arms and placed her in Kamui—the haven he had once fled from.
"Leave her out of this, Haneda. This is between us."
Their eyes locked once more.
Kakashi, having observed from the sidelines, stepped forward.
"Obito, can't you let it go? We've all worked so hard for this."
"And Rin… she's already—"
Obito glanced toward where Rin had disappeared, his expression suddenly calm.
"I know everything now."
"This world is full of mysteries. Like the chakra of Gaara's mother, which remained in the sand protecting him. Or the chakra Minato-sensei left in Naruto, guiding him as he grew."
"There are things beyond explanation, like Hidan's god, Kakuzu's forbidden techniques… and Rin, who says she's always been watching me."
"Her eyes… they wouldn't lie."
"She didn't learn the truth from you."
Taking a deep breath, Obito shifted his gaze to the God Tree and the countless suffering people.
"But you've still forgotten about them—the truly tormented souls. Not just the ninja, but everyone else too."
"Kakashi, Haneda… you should understand this."
"If you think this war was just for myself, you're gravely mistaken."
"In comparison to Haneda's approach, I chose a shortcut—a path more realistic, more achievable."
"And you've all overlooked one thing…"
Obito lifted his head to the God Tree, whose blossoms unfurled as their light merged with the full moon.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi began.
"Now, the bridge to a world without pain is here!"
"I, Uchiha Obito, will lead humanity to the path of light—the true reality!"