Naruto: Child of Chakra - Chapter 129

“Madara? Oh yes, tell me what’s this all about Madara? Why were you going around calling yourself Madara?” Shiroken asked him.

His will broken, Obito answered, “Because he gave me this name until he returns.”

“So he didn’t die in the fight with Hashirama. Hashirama Senju has been useless in everything he aimed to do I guess. He must be rolling in anger in the afterlife.” He muttered.

“I will connect the dots. Madara Uchiha saved you from being crushed by the boulder. Then, he brainwashed you into his grand plan, where even he was actually being fooled because I don’t think he would agree to release that alien genocidal maniac. Am I forgetting something?” Shiroken asked him.

“Madara’s will.. Zetsu, he was supposed to help me.” Obito blurted.

Shiroken laughed like he had heard the biggest joke of the time. Although he didn’t know what the Zetsu exactly was, since it even predated the tailed beasts, he did know it had something to do with Kaguya.

“Hahaha… boy, you have been fooled beyond anyone could ever imagine. The Zetsu you are talking about is not Madara’s will. Because it predates even Madara’s birth. It has been trying to kill me for hundreds of years, can you guess why?” Shiroken asked.

Obito replied in a dull voice, “Because you were a hurdle in his plans?”

“Ten points to Akatsuki. Yes, absolutely right. Isn’t that exactly what’s happening? All that Zetsu feared has occurred, I have thwarted all its plans. So, now you have a choice, boy, what are you going to do? I will kill you if you stay on this path, I will kill you later if you stop.” Shiroken warned him. He didn’t threaten him to kill him right now because of Kakashi and Rin. Both of these people could be very loyal to him if he played his cards right.

He honestly had no idea how long he could live and if he could even fight all the Otsutsuki, whenever they come. That’s why leaving behind a good legacy was highly important.

Obito, utterly defeated and tired, stayed on the ground, looking at nothing. All his actions since he was saved by Madara flashed in front of his eyes. Every single person he killed, their faces flashed in his mind.

Thousands of cries of mercy, cries of children and innocents, they weighed upon his mind. Now that he knew his plan was meant to fail from the start, the reality struck harder than any jutsu.

What is a man’s worth? It’s all his ideas, dreams and goals. But what happens when he realises everything he worked for his entire life was meaningless and in fact opposite of what he actually dreamt.

Obito felt despair like never before, hoping to have died that day under that boulder. Wishing his meaningless life would have ended that day.

Slowly, he raised his hands and looked at his palms, they appeared to be blood-soaked in his eyes. Veins popped over his forehead and tears welled up.

He faced Shiroken and inquired, “I-Is… Rin… really alive?”

Shiroken nodded, “Yes, I saved her when she was hit by Kakashi. Kakashi had tried to stop Rin since there was a seal on her heart that made her obey every command of Kirigakure, but he failed to remove the seal. Oh, Kirigakure was being controlled by Zetsu and Madara at that point too. I believe that was Madara’s plan to turn you to his side.

“So, your anger is misplaced. It was not Kakashi or Konoha that tried to kill Rin, it was Madara, the one you considered your teacher. The one who also put a similar seal in your heart, yes, I can sense it.”

Obito didn’t rage or cry anymore. He had already guessed about this. “Then… can I meet her?”

“Sure, I just have to wake her up before that. She’s been in a coma since that event.” Shiroken revealed.

Obito stutteringly spoke his next words very carefully, “I… can you promise me something?”

“What is it?” Shiroken asked him.

“J-Just let me see her once before you wake her up. Then… you can kill me. I don’t want to show my pathetic self to her. I cannot justify all that I did.” Obito requested in a regretful voice.

Shiroken didn’t know what to say to this. The boy was doing exactly what he himself was trying to do, which was bringing peace. But sadly, Obito was used by those who desired the opposite of peace.

“Too bad. You were one of the Uchiha who didn’t carry the so-called curse of hatred. However, there are at most 5 Uchiha left, 4 actually since Monari does not consider herself one. Hence, I will not decide the fate of your clan’s existence. But I agree to kill you, however, for this to happen, you will need to get agreement from Monari too, as she decides everything for the clan now. Agreed?” Shiroken asked him.

Obito nodded, “Agreed.”

“Good, let me remove that seal first and then go.”

…

Shiroken’s clones at this point were everywhere. They did not show themselves always, since they knew it would be counterproductive. After what happened in Kirigakure, he had decided to keep an eye on as many places as possible, so he can stop anything from happening even before it happens.

But today, main Shiroken had decided to head back to Dama Country, leaving Sunagakure under the eyes of 2 clones of his own and also a few administrative officers from the Nidama clan.

However, before he left, he needed to do one thing. Which was to take care of Gaara’s hatred. It was about time it ended since what he believed in turned out to be a lie.

So he called the sand siblings to his office, along with that he ordered Chiyo and Baki(Village Shinobi Commander) to come.

Temari, the eldest and the wisest of the three, had by now come to terms with Shiroken ruling over the village, and she liked it. Even more so after seeing the green grass and small plants ground outside the village for as far as she could see. Those little plants in a way represented the future of the village, and all this was due to Shiroken.

She had no reason to hate him. Rasa was killed by Orochimaru, and Orochimaru was dead, so even if she had a little love for Rasa, it was gone with the execution. She now felt truly free, as Rasa was not there to nag her and restrict what she can and can not do.

Kankuro was clueless and didn’t really care about anything. So he didn’t even care who ruled the village. And since there was nobody telling him this was bad, he accepted it.

Gaara, meanwhile, had changed the most. He went from a self-hating, world-hating boy to a much calmer personality. However, he still carried the seed of hatred in him, because of the lies he was told.

“Take seats, everyone,” Shiroken ordered from his Chief Executive chair.

They confusedly took one. Then Shiroken looked at Baki, “How long have you been the Shinobi Commander?”

“10 years, why? Did I do something wrong, Lord Dama?” Baki fearfully asked. Perhaps the only man he feared… actually Monari was also on that list since she had scolded him once.

“No, you didn’t. But, you remember all the missions? I want you to tell our little Gaara the truth behind everything. Tell him about Yashamaru, the mission he was given.” it was an order, not a suggestion.

Baki gulped and glanced at confused Gaara. Then with a stuttering voice, he revealed everything, “We… I saw over Yashamaru’s mission to kill you. Rasa saw your inability to control Shukaku as a problem. So he tasked Yashamaru with the duty of attacking you both physically and psychologically to test your actual mastery over the beast’s power. Yashamaru reluctantly accepted.”

Gaara was visibly shaken by this. Baki tried to finish speaking as quickly as possible, “The test became a suicide mission for him, although it was never the intention to kill him. He lied to you, telling you that he hated you and that his sister gave you this name from the phrase “a self-loving carnage”. All the things he told you were a lie.”

Sensing the storm growing in Gaara’s mind, Chiyo spoke, because Baki was a stupid feelingless shinobi, “Gaara, your mother loved you dearly. Even before dying, she only prayed that you grow up to be happy and strong.”

“WHY DID YOU ALL LIE TO ME FOR SO LONG? What did I ever do to you? Why do this to me?” Gaara questioned in mental anguish.

It was Shiroken’s time to speak, “Gaara, if I were to tell you, that there are countless other kids out there, who were also lied to, forced to do things they didn’t want to, what would you say?”

Gaara looked at him and listened with focus. Shiroken started to tell him about many people without taking names, “Child, this whole world has become too corrupt. Nobody thinks about the other person, everyone is selfish. The world is filled with schemes, plots, people using each other as pawns, while those who think they are in charge are also secretly pawns.”

He was not lying, the best example was Akatsuki. Nagato was a pawn of Obito, who himself was a pawn of Madara, and Madara was a pawn of Zetsu, who probably had its allegiance to Kaguya. Danzo probably has many pawns too, Orochimaru too. Everyone is just using others to further their own agenda.

The world was truly one giant pile of mess. That Shiroken had decided to clean.

“True, you did not deserve all this. If your father had been a bit more loving and considerate, you would have been a much different person. Ask your siblings, did Rasa ever treat them as a good child?” He said.

When Gaara looked at Temari, she nodded, “He saw us as tools. I think he saw me as a political marriage tool.”

“I don’t think he ever talked to me,” Kankuro added.

Gaara for the first time realised that his father was a bastard. It was not just him who was unloved, his siblings too. The only thing that they had better was the ability to sleep.

“Then… how can this world be changed?” Gaara asked.

Shiroken smiled, “Boy, it has already started to change. And to learn all that, to see all that, you are coming with me to Dama Country. Also because I need to get Shukaku out, he’s getting annoyed these days.”

“I WANT TO COME TOO!” Temari and Kankuro also jumped.

He chuckled and agreed, “Sure, go ahead and pack your bags.”

The two grabbed Gaara and dragged him away. Temari suddenly jumped, “GAARA! COME! I will show you piggyback time. Kankuro, become our horse. You say you’re the strongest.”

“NOOO!” but despite Kankuro’s pleas, Temari jumped over his back and also grabbed Gaara.

Now left alone, Shiroken sternly faced Chiyo and Baki, “I will be going, but do not think for a second I don’t see anything. I can arrive here at any moment if I must. So make sure this village is run properly, you only have to assist the administrators I have placed. Understood?”

“Yes, Lord Dama.”

…

Konoha,

Poor Danzo still lived in the belief that he could do anything he wanted. He kept scheming and trying to take out Tsunade. Now, he was planning on doing it directly, to somehow get her killed.

But, it was his bad luck that he didn’t know everything about Shiroken’s ability. Not knowing his every move was under watchful eyes, seeing everything and waiting until he makes a stupid move.