NRaO Chapter 57 (Patreon)

Madara Uchiha’s Point of View

I… Lost… I lost against Hashirama and he wasn’t holding back anymore. He couldn’t, he knew what I would do if I was the one who would have won. He left me a broken mess of a human and almost cut my arm off as his attack pierced my chest shattering my heart. Even then I still didn’t die. I was dying and I knew he was still there, still waiting for me to use Izanagi.

My defeat was all but certain… So why was I so content? It felt as if what happened was meant to be… I was supposed to lose to him, why? I wasn’t so weak as to want death. While I loved fighting with him the end goal was always his death. So why, why did I feel like this? My eyes began to shift and change as I wondered if it was even worth using my power…

I felt the tickling sensation of a breakthrough. The same sensation I felt every time my eyes were about to evolve. If I sacrificed my eye I knew that feeling would disappear so… I let myself drift into death as I felt that power break through. Izunagi and Izunami working together to do something never seen before in the Uchiha clans. The combination never has been used before as the Uchiha would rather burn their eye with Izunagi for another chance than risk their life on a feeling at the end.

I feel my soul leave my body and I float close to the pure lands but not join it. My soul bordered between the pure lands and purgatory. Izunagi kept me from reaching it while Izunami selected the best time for my soul to rejoin the world. I had lost track of time, time also flowed differently in the separate world. My memories started to distort so I sealed them inside myself. When I regained the third tomo of my eyes I would regain my memories.

With that, I could only give my soul the sense that I needed to get stronger, that I had to get stronger in order to save the world. We needed everyone working together and the only way to do that is through power. I’m suddenly reborn. The birth process… Wasn’t that pleasant. I had felt myself grow tired as I looked at my mother… Who had the fiery red hair of an Uzumaki.

Who was I? Why did I care so much about my parent being Uzumaki? Did it really matter? She faced me towards my father who had the distinctive tomoe eyes proving his superior Uchiha blood. Wait, why did I care about him being Uchiha? Why did I think he was better? I grew even more tired. With the last bit of my consciousness, I heard my father speak. “Welcome to the world little Obito.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kushina Uzumaki’s Point of View

I was absolutely gutted by what happened. First, I was brought to this village where no one liked me, and then the village where I grew up was attacked and destroyed. I couldn’t function anymore, I stopped eating and going to school. The Hokage called me to his office but it was clear he was just trying to placate his weapon. I was the jinchuriki and in the time between my moving to the village and the destruction of my previous one, it was clear that the attack was planned by or at least known about by this village.

As I came inside, three other people were in the Hokage’s room. He motioned towards me to sit down and as I did so he began to speak. “I just wanted to check in on you Kushina. Having your village destroyed must have been traumatic.” He put on his fake smile that fooled everyone else, I knew better though. My grandpa had the same smile and I had seen him kill one of our clansmen for not greeting him properly. The slimy smile that looked like he was trying to sell you something.

I thought he didn’t see through my false smile. When I said I wanted to be Hokage I wasn’t lying… It just involved things he wouldn’t agree with to happen. For a new Hokage to be chosen the old one has to go and I wouldn’t want him around ruining my plans by being the kind-hearted fence sitter that he was. “I’m not doing too well… Everyone I loved was killed… What’s the point of even living now?”

The fake smile he had fell off his face as he began to look concerned. He wasn’t concerned for me, but that his weapon wasn’t functioning how it should, that’s what he cares about. He sighed as he spoke again. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to bring you in on the secret but it appears you need some hope, otherwise you’ll never replace me as Hokage.” He smiled that fake smile again as he motioned for the three around me for something.

All three broke the henge they were under as I couldn’t help but open my mouth at the sight. The three were people I knew from the Whirlpool village. My body began to cry on its own as I couldn’t help but question what happened. Was my grandfather alive? My brother? My two aunts or little nieces and nephews? I shakily questioned. “H-how?”

He began to explain. “I grew concerned about what would become of the whirlpool village when I received word from one of my ninjas that you might be attacked. While I trusted your clan's ability to defend itself… Something felt off, so I sent one of my strongest ninjas with a team to help guide your clan members to safety. From what he told me, most of the combatants were killed in the attack but almost half of the civilians made it.”

I couldn’t help but ask. “Then why aren’t my people in the village?” He sighed again like he was explaining something to a child. I didn’t care anymore, his act was getting annoying but I just wanted to know my people were safe. “The clan member who helped free your people betrayed the village and convinced them to follow him. I tried to fight him so that we could bring your family in, but only a handful of the group decided to join this village.”

Once again I asked. “Then… Why are they wearing a henge instead of walking around in the open.” Saritobi Hiruzen looked through me like he was done explaining something complicated to a child. “Because the traitor might come back and target them. He might target you, so we’ll have to keep more security on you from now on and everything we’ve spoken of inside this office is a huge secret. It’s taboo to speak about it to anyone as it can endanger the Uzumaki in the village… But also those who went with the ninja.”

I hugged the three as I couldn’t help but cry. My mind began to process all the bullshit he just spilled, god I wish Grandma Mito hadn’t recently died… Did the clans wait for her death to attack the village? That would make sense, she was a monster back in her prime. She had taught me to look at new information you receive with a questioning eye. His story was too flimsy but I knew I couldn’t trust anyone else to figure out what really happened. On my way home I bought a new bingo book and as the door closed to my room I started looking for the new missing-nin from the Hidden Leaf.