Chapter 419: Haneda, My Best Friend
"Uchiha Haneda?!!"
A flicker of shock crossed Madara's eyes—he knew Uchiha Haneda.
In fact, in a certain sense, Madara had watched Haneda grow up.
He was aware of Haneda's potential, from unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan to becoming a Kage-level powerhouse.
But he never expected...
That this person would grow to such heights!
Madara had just witnessed Haneda, with two slashes, cut down the six meteors he had summoned with Chibaku Tensei.
Each of those meteors alone had pushed the 50,000-strong ninja alliance to its limit.
By the time the sixth one fell, even Hashirama couldn't hold on any longer!
What had happened in the ninja world over the years?
How did Uchiha Haneda become so powerful?
Did Obito deviate from the plan because of Haneda?
Or had both Obito and Nagato betrayed him?!!
Madara gave Obito a deep look, just as Obito disappeared.
Once Obito's chakra completely vanished, Madara turned his gaze toward the anti-Konoha alliance.
Their expressions were even more vivid than his.
The terminal illness was fake!
The funeral was fake!
Uchiha Haneda wasn't dead—he was alive!
How were they supposed to fight Haneda, who led Konoha, with mere straws?!!
The Fourth Raikage recalled the ancient battlefield at the Hohki Mountain Range.
Two defeats, two captures—it seemed that any battlefield with Haneda was destined for doom.
What "advantage" did they have?
In front of Uchiha Haneda's absolute power, it was all a joke!
Suddenly, he understood why there had been laughter at the end of the Five Kage Summit.
Uchiha Haneda had been watching all along!
Their so-called anti-Konoha alliance of the four great villages was just a joke!!
The Fourth Raikage even contemplated announcing their defeat right then and there, preparing to sign all sorts of harsh, unequal treaties with Konoha, to barely survive.
But...
The Fourth Raikage scanned the surroundings—impossible, impossible, impossible!
Too many had died in this war, and the hatred of broken nations and families ran deep!
Moreover, he himself didn't actually wish for the war to end just yet.
Because his brother, Killer B, was still in the hands of the so-called "Madara," who was actually Uchiha Obito.
Obito's plan was insane. If they followed through with his Moon Eye Plan, his brother was as good as dead!
Suddenly, Madara moved. He moved with incredible speed, grabbing the Fourth Raikage, who was still deep in thought.
Clutching the Raikage's neck, Madara asked,
"What happened after the Third Shinobi War? What's the deal with Uchiha Haneda? How did he become so powerful in just ten years?"
Madara's Rinnegan cast a genjutsu on the Fourth Raikage.
As the leader of Kumogakure, the Raikage naturally knew all the details about Haneda.
The Fourth Raikage replied:
"After the Third Shinobi War, the major villages all tacitly agreed to a truce to recuperate."
"Uchiha Haneda returned to the village and reportedly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan after the war, as well as mastering Wood Release."
"The evidence? After the war, Haneda openly supported Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, as the Fourth Hokage..."
"About a year after the war, Konoha faced the Nine-Tails Crisis. The village was attacked by an unknown organization, leading to the Nine-Tails rampage."
"The Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Kushina Uzumaki, died in battle."
"That night, nearly everyone in Konoha saw Uchiha Haneda unleash Susanoo and use Wood Release to subdue the Nine-Tails."
"But after that night, Haneda disappeared, only reappearing three years later."
"He helped Kakashi Hatake win the Konoha-Iwagakure war, single-handedly battling the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, two Perfect Jinchuriki, and nearly ten thousand ninjas."
"The result? Uchiha Haneda killed Onoki and left leisurely."
"And after that... cough, cough!"
The Fourth Raikage broke free from the genjutsu when he recalled his humiliating defeat at the Hohki Mountain Range.
That defeat was unforgettable, the humiliation he led Kumogakure to unprecedented!
Madara, hearing this, frowned deeply, ignoring the Raikage's escape from the genjutsu, and repeated his question:
"Just tell me, how did Uchiha Haneda become so strong?"
The Fourth Raikage, staring at Madara's fierce expression, fell silent for a moment.
"Answer me," Madara considered whether to use the abilities of the Human Path and Naraka Path.
"I don't know," the Fourth Raikage genuinely didn't know. Haneda often disappeared, and no information about him could be found in the ninja world.
Madara used the Naraka Path to determine the Raikage wasn't lying.
He released his grip on the Raikage's neck, muttering "useless," and prepared to leave for the Land of Rain.
At this moment, Kabuto, controlling Mu, flew over and said:
"Uchiha Haneda went to Ryuchi Cave to train in Sage Mode after the Nine-Tails Crisis. The rest might be related to the moon."
"Ryuchi Cave, the moon..." Madara murmured.
He didn't suspect Kabuto was lying—there was no need for it.
Unfortunately, even with these two key pieces of information, he only knew that Uchiha Haneda, like Hashirama, could use Sage Mode.
Sage Mode was a troublesome ability, but nothing more.
Madara vaguely felt that Haneda's current strength had something to do with the moon.
But he didn't have time to go to the moon to find answers.
At that moment, Hashirama approached:
"Madara, you've absorbed all his chakra. There's no need for more killing."
Madara had no interest in arguing with Hashirama—at least not until his ideals were realized.
However, hearing Hashirama plead with him personally, Madara decided to spare the Fourth Raikage, in honor of their past friendship.
Before leaving, Madara turned back and said:
"Hashirama, he's the main culprit against Konoha. If you choose to forgive such a war criminal, then you truly are beyond saving."
Hashirama scratched his head and replied: "Madara, I forgave you, didn't I? I guess I'm not beyond saving, right?"
"You... Forget it, do as you wish." Madara, of course, knew what Hashirama was referring to.
In the battle between the Senju and Uchiha clans, Hashirama led the Senju to victory over the Uchiha.
At that time, Madara was no different from the current war criminal, the Fourth Raikage, yet Hashirama had accepted him...
Madara fell silent for a moment, then, just before leaving, he said:
"Hashirama, I've changed, but our ideals never did."
"I will achieve them in my own way."
"Hashirama..."
"If you choose to stop me, I will fight you."
"Just like that night at the Valley of the End."
"Gana, my best friend."
Hashirama watched Madara's departing figure, as if seeing the day Madara left Konoha.
That day, Madara had changed—or perhaps both of them had.
That day, no clan members followed him.
His silhouette was just as it had been back then.
...