My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm part of Team Seven, and we're finally facing off against the man behind the mask.
My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I'm part of Team Seven, and we're finally facing off against the man behind the mask.
My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm part of Team Seven, and we're finally facing off against the man behind the mask.
It's the guy Kakashi-sensei always visits at the memorial stone. Kakashi-sensei said he was nice, kind of like me. I don't know why, but the guy in front of me isn't anything like that.
It's Madara Uchiha's beloved younger brother who was slain in battle decades ago. When I'd first met him, after my fight with Itachi, he was a formidable presence that demanded respect. I don't know why, but the old man before me now is completely different.
It's Sasuke-kun's cousin, Itachi-san's best friend, who supposedly committed suicide before the massacre. I'd always heard he was a kind, gentle young man who only wanted what was best for the world. I don't know why, but the man I see is like a completely different person.
He's going on and on and on about how Kakashi-sensei let some Rin girl die. Yeah, okay, I get it – Kakashi-sensei screwed up a long time ago. Maybe he really did let this Rin person die. But he's not trash! This bastard doesn't know what he's talking about!
His brain's addled – maybe Sakura can put it in more clinical terms, but this is the only explanation I can think of for his madness. Maybe the real Madara was just as insane as everyone else says, but this man is on an entirely different level, going on and on about how proud Madara would be of him right now.
Is this really the same ninja everyone speaks so highly of? The man before me is hardly kind, but he's polite – civil, even. He says it's all to bring peace and happiness to the world, to make things up to Sasuke-kun… It doesn't make any sense! How do you expect to bring peace by starting a war?
Kakashi-sensei said that his teammate wanted to be Hokage once, a long time ago. But this guy's hurting now… a lot – maybe more than Nagato was. But that still doesn't make what he did okay! He might've been hurting, but he still hurt so many people. He killed my mom, forced my dad to sacrifice himself, killed Sasuke's entire clan… There's no way I can reason with him! But just punishing him won't fix everything.
He is like me, in a sense, and it goes beyond the fact that we share the same face. He truly does love his brother and wants to do right by him. The world vindicated his brother, and so he wants to make the world suffer, pull the wool from everyone's eyes so that they can see just how much Madara sacrificed to give them what they now take for granted. After all, there was a time that I wanted to do the same in regards to Itachi – but if Madara is anything like how the First Hokage described, he wouldn't want this. This constant bloodshed needs to stop. But just punishing this man won't fix everything.
I can kind of see where he's coming from, actually… I guess the desire to protect someone really does bring out the best and worst in us. But that's still no reason to start a war, to hurt so many people. And really, all he did was hurt Itachi-san and Sasuke-kun more, even if that's the opposite of what he wanted. What happened to the Uchiha Clan was awful, and the ones responsible will pay for what they did – but he needs to pay for his mistakes too, because he made the whole world suffer. But just punishing them won't fix everything.
So I will become Hokage.
So I will become Hokage.
So I will become Hokage.
For Obito, to fulfill his dreams for him.
For Izuna, to honor his beloved brother's legacy.
For Shisui-san, to protect the people he loved so much.