Subnumber two

…about the intensity of red colour in nature.

"It's impossible! You know that, right, nii-san? Then why are you listening to him?" Izuna tugs on brother's sleeve to draw his attention and disapprovingly eyes Obito who is sitting on the fallen tree."The moon can't consist of crystal as it isn't transparent!"

Madara looks from his younger brother to strange Obito. He is a bit lost. It has already been stated that crystals are not outside, but inside the moon, so what is Izuna trying to prove?

Strange Obito is observing with interest. A faint smile on his lips, a discerning glare. It feels as if he knows exactly what Madara's thoughts are. As if he understands the younger's behavior.

"Tell him, nii-san, that he's a liar!" Izuna demands as he turns to Madara, his lips pursed and the brows furrowed in an extremely funny way. Madara barely keeps from laughing, yet Obito smiles only wider. Like a fool.

"We haven't been on the moon to say for sure what it is made of." Izuna bats his long lashes, unable to believe what he hears: how can Madara-nii-san possibly be on the side of this fool Obito? How can nii-san possibly support him?

Actually, Madara had better forget all of Obito's gabbing and chatter: in these times there's no point for a real shinobi to stare at the moon, to take in streaks and spots covering its red-claret surface as if it tells or means something. Madara had better give in to the routine — waking up-training-breakfast-studies-lunch-training-sleep — and happily learn basic genjutsu as father and the duty to the clan demand. Madara had better take off his childish rose-coloured glasses that he has managed to put on after all murders and filth he has seen and dive into reality.

Yet he doesn't want to. And that's it. It is easier to live with the rose-coloured glasses. To believe in something good again, in Obito's tales, in people.

"Well, then keep sitting here! But I will go train!" Izuna suspiciously sniffles before he walks away fast from the clearing. They spend some time in an awkward silence.

"Izuna-kun left just when I wanted to tell that I had meant mountain crystal." Obito decides to elaborate because of Madara's uncomprehending stare, "You know, its crystalline solids grow in earth. Clearly, the outside isn't crystal, it is earth, but how would he know about the inside?"

It's not much clearer even after that.

"What do you mean?"

"Silicon," Madara turns to Obito who's twirling a leaf he has just torn off in his hands."The moon consists of silicon and… a tree. The oldest tree that has ever existed."

Madara is intensely racking his brains trying to connect the logic of his words with reality. Silicon is a mineral, it isn't transparent. It appears the moon's crust is earth that is similar to one under his feet. And some tree within.

But why a tree?

And how did the tree get into the sky?

And why is the tree encased in silicon?

Even if he takes everything Obito has said as a fact, one logical — for Madara — question remains:

"Then where would be the place for that crystal of yours?"

Because if the tree is inside the moon, and earth is outside, then where is crystal?

Obito glances at Madara with confusion before he mutters something like:"If we are similar, I would have killed myself in Kakashi's place."

"Crystal, of course, protects tree's tender soul and branches." Madara has difficulty understanding this nonsense. In fact, to him even soul is an ethereal concept, let alone Obito's allegories which are incredibly hard to process.

Madara can't help but take a step back. And two more towards the camp.

"Leaving already?"

And for some reason Madara feels so uncomfortable around this strange Obito that he barely enunciates, hems and hurriedly explains himself:

"Izuna is right, if I won't show up for practice, father… Really, this is what's best for me." Then, all of a sudden, Madara just wants to run away. And so he does. Without an ounce of shame.

"Good luck with your studies."

Madara runs faster without seeing how the only eye of strange Obito shines with scarlet colour. The Sharingan with three tomoe follows the heir of the great Uchiha clan, and no movement can escape it.

To Madara's great disappointment, his fear is discovered; happily for him, his thoughts and emotions still remain within him: Obito couldn't activate the Sharingan to read all the secrets of the leaving boy, could he? Such nerve would be hard to justify to the clan head who — maybe — would have found out this blatant disgrace.

But Madara is blissfully ignorant and continues avoiding Obito to the point when he is sick of living the way he has always been doing.

Telling half-truths, silencing his own opinion, listening to callous statements of father and his advisors, of teachers. He can argue with Obito, he can share his point of view, and it won't be rejected, he can talk himself and listen to him. Even Izuna understands Madara once in a while: as for him, everything you do should be for the sake of the clan, the rest is vanity and beneath a true shinobi.

(or does he exaggerate abilities of Obito that he has known for such a short amount of time, not wishing to admit his own curiosity?)

Madara unwittingly thinks that if he had never met the strange boy, it would have been easier. He — just like Izuna — would have been performing his responsibilities without a thought about their necessity, would have been following father obediently without a doubt about him.

Yet Obito can easily deny any custom without a shadow of seriousness. He can summon complicated facts as examples, and grown-ups will even understand, though they will disapprove some of his words anyway.

What makes him mad the most is that Obito nods his head at disapproval and agrees with them, rarely retorts to spiteful taunts. But the boy isn't interested in Madara's opinion. Sometimes he has an impression that Obito isn't interested in anybody's opinion. Except for his own.

That's why it takes Madara so long to approach the boy who's sitting near the extinguished bonfire. Obito is somewhat half-lying, half-sincere, half-human. Understanding.

Stupidly contradicting himself. Regarding everything he does.

Obito narrows his eyes studying the newcomer in the silvery-white — a red moon shows up on the firmament not that often — moonlight.

"Has Madara-kun really come for a new story? Or you just have nothing to do?"

Madara is already starting to regret that he decided to get anywhere near Obito at all, that he gave in to the desire to be distracted from constancy, that he showed weakness. Madara has somehow forgotten that Obito's every sunny smile is accompanied by one hundred and a few more sarcastic remarks with or without a reason.

"If I bothered you, then I would leave at once." Obito immediately jumps up emotionally waving his hands and gives a slightly embarrassed laugh.

"Relax. I'm even happy that somebody finds my stories interesting. What do you wish to hear about this time?"

Madara hasn't come for stories, he has come to a free listener to pour out without being laughed at, but for some reason he keeps the words he's prepared to himself.

It's not like Obito is a master storyteller, but he does it with feelings and passion, describes all places and events as if he was there himself, although most of the stories are, of course, made-up, and some are retellings of myths.

"I don't know. Choose yourself."

Obito doesn't think long, however, his mood abruptly shifts. He is rarely serious, rarely takes off the mask of a naive fool, of a child, that's why now he seems to Madara older than his actual age.

Madara shrugs off his impression as a result of both Obito's seriousness and ugly scar on the half of his face.

He faithfully hopes it's not about something else.

"Then I will tell you about the origins of chakra."

Madara can't help but say a word in, telling what teachers has hammered into him, what pretty much everyone knows.

"It doesn't have origins, does it? It is just spiritual energy which is produced by us.

"Chakra is spiritual energy mixed with physical energy. It can be moulded into Fire or Water, we can control its movement, making it flow, cleave, fly. Yes, I agree, spiritual energy is one's soul, everybody has it and, as you put it, somehow produces it. But who and how came up with the idea to mix it with physical energy?"

Obito tilts his head sideways, like an owl, and curiously awaits the reply.

Madara doesn't know what should even be answered to this question. Chakra is a familiar appendage to life, to shinobi; the very existence is impossible to imagine without it. Its creation? Its principles? No, no way, Madara is unable to fancy even an approximate answer. In his mind are swirling only instincts and the will to survive, nothing more, so to be more specific covering this theme is beyond his capabilities.

"In case you didn't know, before humans learnt how to wield chakra, the world had already existed for a couple of millenia. Wars were fought, blood was shed: there's no difference from our generation. Even we were able to develop ninjutsu skills, so why do you think nobody had come up with that idea in those times?" Madara thinks such times are fiction because chakra has always existed. He is about to shrug: he won't grasp the logic of Obito's fable, it's already apparent, when he suddenly gives it a thought.

If he tries to analyze the situation. Well, if he accepts the possibility of this fairy tale being real. If he draws few conclusions. Then, maybe…

"Hold on," Madara tries to figure out what Obito is getting at. He bounces around associations from one idea to another, and a certain theory seems to be lining up. "Ninjutsu require chakra. If they had been fighting without them, then that means they couldn't acquire chakra. Chakra is the combination of energies humans produce… constantly, right? So that means…"

"That at some point humans acquired the ability to blend energies of body and spirit," Obito practically sings this sentence and derisively snorts. Madara furrows, such suggestion is too unrealistic and wild. "And they called that blend "chakra". That's what my tale is about. About goddess Kaguya who, in all honesty, was only a human. About Rikudou-Sennin. About the Sharingan and the Rinnegan.

And Obito starts leisurely telling-telling-telling something strange, yet surprisingly simple and clear either. It's as if Madara sees with his own eyes the God Tree and the fruit that has been growing for thousands of years, that is forbidden to be touched, that, of course, the Rabbit Goddess consumes. He is there when Kaguya speaks of a better world, of sorrow and joy to her sons, and Hamura figures out her sheme: his mother just wants to take back all chakra that was spread to people.

Here comes up a little discrepancy; because if Kaguya wanted to reclaim chakra instead of some obscure "ability to mould Yin and Yang together", then Obito has made a mistake somewhere. Obito frowns asking to hear the rest of the story. It seems he doesn't want to admit his mistake.

Madara almost hears the enraged howl of the God Tree, the Juubi demon, he is with Hagoromo and Hamura when they extract chakra from the furious creature, when the older brother decides to seal that energy within him becoming the first jinchuriki in history, when Ootsutsuki elevate the tree-flesh to the planetary orbit.

"Where was Kaguya at that time? She was strong, she had to help her sons protect the population."

"You're a fool, Madara," scowls Obito. "This… bunny was the God Tree itself. Or rather, its madness. The demon. The Juubi's mind. Before her it was just a tree without any desire and the ability to move."

Madara doesn't have time to be insulted by the "fool" remark, he ponders why this is about Kaguya if the God Tree is to blame.

"So she got mad at her sons and was able to use the Juubi's body? But why on earth would she demand chakra back?" Obito shrugs. He has no wish to reply, he would gladly change the subject. But he speaks through clenched teeth:

"Perhaps there was a reason. Depends how you look at it. Maybe, her sons mistook her wish for an attempt to dominate the world using chakra. Maybe, she actually lost her mind. Maybe, she wanted to protect from something — from someone — taking the hit herself. How am I supposed to know?" Obito isn't telling everything. Or it appears to Madara that Obito knows everything, so it's just impossible to hear "I have no idea" from him.

Madara isn't bugging him with questions, even though he's terribly curious. Instead he points out with annoyance:

"You mentioned the Byakugan and the Rinnegan. What about the Sharingan? It's more ancient than these doujustu!"

Obitp suprasses an urge to ask something like "Are you completely out of your mind, dear heir?", although Madara realizes this because of the disgruntled look in his eyes.

Obito reminds himself that the clan's propaganda is strong: the Rinnegan is a myth, the Hyuga clan is mercilessly dragged through the mud while the Sharingan is glorified above all. There's nothing surprising about Madara's words. Obito patiently explains:

"Originally, the Byakugan is as powerful as the Sharingan is. Have you heard the rumors that our eyes are descended from the Byakugan?"

Madara's reaction is logical: he is instantly acting all proud like older shinobi do.

"I have. Those Hyuga can't accept our superiority, but to think up such a stupid rumor? What a barefaced insolence." Obito can't help but roll his eyes.

"This rumor isn't "stupid", Madara-kun. But it's not entirely true either. As I said earlier, Kaguya wielded the Byakugan, the Rinnegan was a third eye on her forehead. Rukudou had the Rinnegan while his brother inherited mother's Byakugan. Rikudou's son, Indra, was the first to awaken the Sharingan from the first tomoe to the Mangekyou."

Obito stumbles on Indra's name, although Madara doesn't focus on the slip and keeps listening.

"In fact, the highest form of the Sharingan is the Rinnegan. It is per se the same bloodline limit just at the different evolutionary rounds. Also, the Mangekyou is a slight ramification, the essence remains the same. In general. Well, there is a difference, and I wouldn't call it small, but if we simplify-"

"The highest form of the Sharingan is the Mangekyou," Madara abruptly interrupts the boy's musings.

Obito may say whatever he wants. He is used to hearing him flout all norms and rules. But you just can't do that. Tajima-otou-san said otherwise. The teachers said otherwise. And they surely know more than this ragamuffin Obito who has just recently been brought into the clan, who had no means of finding this kind of information, who must keep quiet and blend in, being permanently grateful to Tajima-otou-sama for the opportunity to study with shinobi.

Yet instead of studying he is making up tell tales. He's never to be seen during the trainings. What is he busy doing is indefinite.

So he is lying. Certainly lying.

Obito softly smiles once again.

"As you wish to believe."

Madara leaves because he can't stand it anymore, he hears indolent "Sleep well, Madara-kun" behind his back.

Madara can't admit to himself: even though Obito's stories seem impossible, even though the shinobi world probably evolved some other way, he wants to listen to the boy, wants to find out what else his imagination is capable of.

He wants to believe Obito.

And Madara quickly tells Izuna about Indra. He isn't really in control of his actions as he recounts Kaguya and Hagoromo's story. Then Izuna is suddenly eager to learn more about the clan's possible founder and even demands to go to Obito.

"You loved his story that much" doesn't sound like diatribe ridicule coming from Madara's lips. He nods agreeing with younger brother.

Obito is barely surprised. He puts away the bowl with stew he has eaten and waits for the questions of two brothers that sit down next to him.

Madara shifts — not embarrassedly, of course not, is he some kind of girl to worry about their little falling out at the end of the last conversation — and brings himself to speak up.

"Tell us about Indra. You mentioned him but didn't really go into details."

"Yeah, Madara-nii-san told me that you told him that he was the founder of the clan! I mean Indra was, not him!"

Something flashes deep inside Obito's only eye almost imperceptibly. Madara thinks that was mockery.

Madara is deeply wrong, but he'll never understand why.

"You're too small. Maybe sometime later."

"And why is that?! We asked you, so you have to answer!"

Obito somehow puts up with Izuna's resentment and angry huffing. Madara can't help but take notice of the fact that Obito would send him to go train long ago. It looks like he makes allowance for Izuna's age and his intelligence that five-year-olds hardly ever shine by.

The simple statement "I will tell Kaori-san about your laziness!" saves the day. Obito treats the widow that he was put in care of with genuine respect, so he hates disappointing her.

"I will say one thing, it's a dirty story. Hagoromo had two sons, Indra and Ashura. Indra was the elder one. At some point brother turned on brother. And killed him. It's still impossible to say who was killed, but I'm leaning towards Indra's madness. The feud started between their families, then, after centuries, it escalated into an all-out war between the clans which are descended from them. This led to tradition: while daimyo hires one, daimyo's enemy makes sure to hire the other because these two clans are the strongest in the whole world, and only Ashura's clan can stand up to Indra's clan."

Obito's eye seems mysteriously crimson in the reflections of orange flames, and Izuna clings closer to his brother.

Izuna is not afraid, Izuna must not be afraid because it is unbecoming of a shinobi. The child is just suddenly cold, and Madara doesn't push little brother away from himself. Of course, he will believe and nod at Izuna's claims that he's the bravest of them all, that fear is unknown to him.

Madara, on the other hand, won't lie to himself. He is terrified of the stories as strange as Obito is, of their ephemeral realism that nobody in the clan believes and acknowledges, that they prefer to ignore.

Meanwhile, Obito's "one thing" quitely turns into a detailed story full of remarks and speculations. He refers to other subjects in parallel, pulling concepts out from them and somehow tying it all into the main thread of the narrative.

Madara is extremely curious as to where the story will lead them this time. Where the moon rabbit will fall, why fire fits leaves, in what infinity the whirlpool spirals down.

Obito is strange, but, to be frank, not that much. A fantasist, a one-of-a-kind slacker because all the others are dead, he nevertheless is an ordinary Uchiha. One-eyed and half-scarred or not. His character is complicated, but actually bearable. Bearable from time to time. When it is really, really needed.

And Madara really wants to know how the boy's path will twist, what his personal story will turn out to be. And for this — only for this, of course — Madara will stay near Obito. That's what he has decided.

That's how the familiar wheel of world's ordinariness has shattered turning to ashes.

Seemingly, for good.

Obito tells the truth, the lunar soil, regolith, indeed contains a lot of silicon(in comparison to other elements). And mountain crystal is a mineral, pure natural silicon dioxide, variety of quartz (for those who don't remember).

Madara doesn't know about the connection between crystal and silicon because he doesn't need to.