'Perhaps I can make the White Snake a collector of negative emotions, and then it can return it to me later.' Kiyoshi thought to himself.
A summoning beast's body is much larger than a human's, and its chakra pathway system is more extensive, naturally making it more efficient.
"Hehe, Uchiha brat, you really fear nothing but chaos, full of wicked schemes." Ringo laughed.
She was certain that the new base Kiyoshi was building would definitely not be for anything good.
"Whether I am full of wicked schemes or not, you should know. After all, haven't you already 'drunk' it?"
Kiyoshi's gaze shifted downwards and moved to Ringo's sharp teeth.
Thanks to his tough physical skin, Kiyoshi could easily feel that unique experience.
"Hmph... Hmph..."
Ringo turned her head, softly humming.
She would never forget that humiliating incident in her lifetime.
During the time she was returning, Ringo would see the 'Behemoth' that Kiyoshi had summoned every time she closed her eyes.
The impression was so deep it was hard to forget.
"Let's go, come with me to the Land of Grass."
Kiyoshi handed Ringo a normal kunai.
Ringo noticed a series of black patterns on the kunai and was about to ask something when Kiyoshi placed his hand on her shoulder.
In an instant, the stream in Ringo's eyes disappeared. Instead, there were towering giant trees and mushrooms larger than a human.
Clearly, this was an ecosystem only found in the Land of Grass itself.
"Ahead is the town near Kusagakure." Kiyoshi said.
Ringo's eyes widened. After not seeing him for a while, Kiyoshi had learned Space-Time Ninjutsu?
She had just managed to adapt to Kiba and Kiyoshi had already gotten his hands on Space-Time Ninjutsu.
Among all ninjutsu, none were more mysterious and powerful than Space-Time Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu.
Kirigakure was very weak in both these areas.
The two draped themselves in black cloaks, removing the symbols representing their respective villages.
…
Mountains' Graveyard.
Located near the Land of Iron, this place was perpetually shrouded in thick fog, with rugged mountain rocks standing like gravestones, desolate and silent.
"...Where... is this?"
In the dim space, Obito slowly opened his right eye.
On the other side of his crimson Sharingan was a circular empty socket. His eye had already been transplanted to Kakashi.
When he saw his surroundings clearly, he was startled. An old man was inexplicably standing beside him, watching him.
"This is the gap between life and death... Child of the Uchiha."
Madara's crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan quietly watched Obito.
"Your eyes...!"
Obito's breathing suddenly hitched, his voice tinged with disbelief, "Could it be, old man, you are also from the Uchiha clan?"
"Well... how should I put it."
Madara leaned on his staff, trembling.
Before he could finish speaking, Obito started chattering, "What kind of place is this anyway? It's so dark, I can't see anything."
"Speaking of which, old man, are you really human, or are you the Shinigami, the one who takes the dead to heaven or hell..."
Obito kept talking.
Suddenly, under the faint light, he saw that Madara was leaning on a scythe.
A chill went down Obito's spine straight to the top of his head, and he screamed that he didn't want to die.
Madara didn't speak, just quietly watching Obito vent all his fear and unease.
Such a simple person, easily swayed by emotions, was the easiest to control.
If it were Kiyoshi here, he would probably be incredibly calm.
The Wood Clone gave Madara the experience of fighting Kiyoshi. That brat's talent was indeed good.
If he had been born in the Sengoku era, he might have been able to make a name for himself.
In Madara's view, the current Great Ninja War was like playing house. The chaotic Sengoku era was the real war.
After thinking for a moment, Madara shifted his gaze to Obito.
His eyes were deep, as if he was examining an unfinished sculpture.
After a long while, Obito's panic finally subsided. But as soon as he took a breath, he covered his wounds, clutching half his body and crying out in pain.
"Hiss... It hurts!"
Madara finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "Being able to feel pain means... you are still alive."
Obito suddenly looked up, his face full of shock.
"The fact that you could survive can be said to be a miracle."
Madara said slowly, his gaze sweeping over Obito's tattered body, "You were not crushed into meat paste by the rocks... It was as if you passed directly through the rocks."
Obito was stunned.
Passed directly through the rocks? What kind of joke was that?
He subconsciously wanted to refute, but his memory was blurry. He couldn't remember how he was buried under the rocks or how he survived.
"Then... where was I found later?" Obito asked in a low voice.
Madara replied unhurriedly, "You collapsed in the underground passage I dug... right next to the collapsed rocks. When I found you, half of your body was almost crushed, and I temporarily gave you emergency treatment."
Obito's heart trembled, and then he reacted, a trace of genuine gratitude flashing in his eyes.
"It was you, old man, who saved me."
"It's too early to thank me now."
Madara narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone carrying a hint of deep, cold meaning. "This debt of gratitude, I want you to repay it well."
Obito was stunned for a moment, then frowned.
"...Sorry, I can't stay here forever."
He struggled to prop himself up, his eyes flashing with urgency.
"I still have comrades I need to protect..."
Madara watched him quietly, his aged face showing no emotion.
This child... is far too naive.
He shook his head, his tone indifferent, "See reality clearly. This world will never be as you wish. The longer you live... the more you'll realize that reality is only filled with helplessness, pain... and emptiness."
Obito was taken aback, then his lips twitched, revealing an expression of impatience.
What is this old man rambling about?
He didn't like listening to such pessimistic nonsense, especially when it came from an old man like this, speaking with the tone of someone who had "seen through the world." It was truly irritating.
He frowned, his voice anxious. "You've been rambling since just now! I said, I'm leaving!"
He gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain of his torn wounds from speaking loudly, and struggled to stand up.
But just then, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, making him stop instantly.
Wait a minute...
Who is this old man?
Obito's expression immediately became wary. He suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Madara.
"...Old man, you're not a rogue ninja, are you?"
Madara didn't rush to answer. He simply leaned on his scythe and slowly walked back to the large wooden chair, then slowly sat down.
He lowered his eyes and said, "I am... the ghost of the Uchiha."
He paused, then slowly raised his deep eyes, looking directly at Obito.
"Uchiha Madara."