Infinite Tsukuyomi:
Weeks beneath a bloodred moon had passed since the Fourth Shinobi World War that never was.
Neji woke up.
As he did, he gasped for air and found himself chained to a wall. No, chained was not the right word. His limbs were submerged in the wall, his clothes little more than rags. And in front of him was that same, masked man that had begun all this.
A moment later, he refused to scream as his never endings went on fire. He felt the flesh melting off his body as an all-consuming flame tore through his flesh. It was a genjutsu, of course, he knew it was. But it did not make the agony any less, and his Byakugan simply wasn't enough to see through it.
Wasn't enough.
That seemed to be a trend.
"...So, here we are again," said Madara Uchiha, or Tobi or whoever it was. "You know, Neji Hyuga, that I could easily snap your neck. That would remove all your influence over the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The you that persists in everyone's memories would take your place, and I'd be saved a great many headaches."
"Then why don't you?" said Neji, trying to calm his thudding heart. The memory of the pain was sending him hyperventilating.
"Entertainment, I suppose," said Madara. "It takes a strong will to deny your own heart's desire. But it takes a still stronger one to deny all of the bonds you made in pursuit of that desire. Friends, love, comradeship, revenge, all of it cast aside so you can be my torture victim.
"I'd be flattered if it were not so infuriating.
"Still, I suppose it gives me something to do in my off-hours. And, having a challenge now and then helps me get away from my responsibilities as God."
That was too far.
Whatever else had happened, Neji would not acknowledge this animal as a god. He did not know why it had been him who ended up here, but... he would not do it. "You... you are not a god."
The reaction was much the same. Fridged cold surged through Neji's body, and he felt his flesh breaking to pieces. Even as it returned to normal, his body shattered and was reformed before Madara.
"No?" asked Madara in amusement. "Am I not the giver of all good things, Neji? The one who conjured up the Infinite Tsukiyomi during the Kage Summit? I even did it before anyone even had a chance to respond to spare all those innocent lives. Oh, that little 'war' everybody fought was a very nice diversion.
"But... you were the only one who didn't buy into it, were you?
"That was the original sin of my world if you will. Everyone who didn't know Naruto ended up seeing him as a kind of god in the world. And all of his friends bought into his cult of personality, except you.
"I wonder why?
"Will you answer me, Neji? Or shall I practice some of my other techniques?"
Neji stayed dead silent. He looked around the cavern around him and saw others in the dream. Trapped in a blissful existence of getting what it was they wanted. They were unaware that this man was only controlling them.
Why...
Why couldn't he just stop waking up?
The blow is simple, brutal, and sends blood spewing from Neji's mouth. A fist connects with his gut. A moment later, the masked man grips him by the cheek in a way that is almost affectionate. Then beetles seem to come from his hand and devour his flesh.
Why couldn't Neji stop waking up?
"Very well, I don't mind," said Madara, when it is over. "Anko Mitarashi is still recuperating from my last session with her. I think she finds my portrayal of her in that pathetic Boruto storyline infuriating. Not my best work, to be honest, but it is an excellent means of torturing the disobedient."
He wasn't wrong; Neji far preferred his present predicament.
"I have high hopes to break her soon," said Madara. "She's one of the others that tends to reject the world. She doesn't get free as often as you. But I usually have to expend extra power giving her a privatized vision, and she usually rejects it. Some people seem to define their reality by misery."
Oh yes, that was why.
Because this sick monster did not limit himself to Neji. Anyone would do in the end. Having won 'Madara' would never be content with letting everyone be happy. That was the nature of men like him; they always had to take something to satisfy their own moral emptiness.
And if he didn't have someone to hurt in this world... he'd start using the Infinite Tsukiyomi to hurt people instead. And that would be far worse.
Not that Neji told him this.
One should never inform their enemies of their weaknesses, after all. Madara liked to talk, and Neji was able to learn things.
Of course, since he wasn't talking, Madara channeled lightning through Neji. It scoured his flesh with it. Not that it would leave a scar, no matter how many times Neji woke up, he was always the image of perfect health.
Except fire began to flare in his flesh. At the same time, impossibly, Neji felt ice burn him and beetles. It was an agony that was impossible in any sane world, and even a genjutsu user should have found it difficult to do. Neji couldn't help himself, and he screamed in agony, tears coming to his eyes.
Why had it had to be him?
Why did he have to be this animal's plaything? Why not Naruto, or someone who deserved it like Sasuke? Sasuke was the one who had made a deal with the devil, selling out everyone he loved time and again. So why was he sleeping peacefully while Neji was here?
Oh right, because Sasuke was a selfish bastard. If he were here, he'd have given up long ago. Other people didn't matter to him at all.
"Ah, you screamed that time. Excellent," said Madara, if that was his real name. "Getting a reaction out of you is like squeezing blood from a stone. Even Nagato was easier to deal with. But, I suppose being tortured by your own family for disobedience can numb one to pain. Or maybe that never even happened.
"Perhaps the Hyuga are stern, and that slave mark on your head is just a formality. I wonder, do you even remember the real world anymore?"
Neji thought about the world as it had been before reality had changed. No, before Madara had warped the face of reality, he was not a god.
"Answer the question, Neji, or shall I slice out your eyes again?"
Neji shuddered.
Madara wasn't above inflicting physical injury. Anyone who he hurt could be restored. The pain was usually less, but it was more real. And Neji didn't want to lose his eyes; otherwise, he couldn't check Madara's body language.
"Because..." Neji stalled for time. He had to give Madara something here, cede ground. Best not to answer the second question.
"Yes?" asked Madara.
"Because he went back on his word to me," said Neji, letting himself seem broken.
"Ah, there it is," said Madara, as if he'd known all along. Perhaps he had, Neji may have said as much. "I must admit, you held little interest to me during the opening stages. I merely took you to be one more of his followers. Further research, however, made me almost regard you as a kindred spirit. At least insofar as I was pretending to be Obito.
"Let's see, Hinata never wanted anything of Naruto but to breed with him. Sakura wanted him to bring back Sasuke, and he pursued it. Ino, Kiba, and Shino never asked anything of him, and Naruto got on great with Shikamaru and Choji. The same can be said for Rock Lee.
"Hmm, I don't believe Naruto really interacted with Tenten much.
"But you, he promised to change the Hyuga, and then... well, let's face it. He forgot about you.
"One or two missions together, and he more or less ceased acknowledging your existence. You were no more to him during the War Arc than a friend. One more face in the ensemble cast who existed solely to show what a nice guy he was. I apologize for referring to it as an arc, by the way. I don't mean to trivialize your sorry existence, but I am a storyteller of sorts."
"Stop pretending you care," said Neji, voice hoarse. This animal had never cared about anyone or anything. He'd been a murderer from the beginning.
"Oh, but I do care, Neji," said Madara. Though he didn't hit him again, so that was nice. "I'm in the business of ensuring that everyone gets what they want. Being God is merely a... side benefits if you will.
"I want you to cease this pointless resistance and accept my will.
"And if you don't, well, I'll just have to continue torturing you. Between gloating speeches, of course. I find I rather enjoy our conversations.
"Where was I?"
Neji did know that the resources of the Infinite Tsukiyomi were not limitless. Madara often expressed irritation at having to divide people into different realities. It clearly took extra work on his part, so it took time. And it also might cost power. But how could Neji do anything about it?
"Well?" asked Madara.
"Naruto..." gasped Neji. Find a weakness.
"Oh yes, Naruto Uzumaki dropped your plot thread," said Madara. "You nearly got killed so he could reach Sasuke, and he botched the job. You went on a wide-ranging series of adventures together as... was it the Konoha 12?"
"Yes," said Neji, remembering those adventures.
A wide-ranging series of saccharine, repetitive, and ultimately boring situations. All of which seemed to be repeating the formula of Naruto's own missions. Neji's performance in those had also been... poor. He'd mostly played the role of a leader, but none of it had seemed real. Had those events just been part of this, retconned into his memory?
Since when could Tenten fight on the same level as one of the Seven Swordsman of the Hidden Mist anyway?
"Yes, the Konoha 12," said Tobi.
"...Were any of those events of your making?" asked Neji.
"Does it matter?" asked Madara. "You remember them. They are part of who you are because you experienced them. There is no functional difference between experience and believing you experienced it.
"If you perceive it and believe what you are perceiving to be real, does it matter if it is real or not?
"I control the past, present, and the future."
"And yet... you are not a God," said Neji.
"I wonder what your definition of a God is, Neji," laughed Madara. "But enough of this.
"Then Naruto goes off with Jiraiya, and never thinks about you again. I imagine he must have gotten caught up with prostrating himself before the Raikage.
"That, and coming up with overpowered powers for the Sharingan.
"I can only assume that Naruto really wanted his final battle with Sasuke to be a memorable one. Rather than the one-sided curb stomp that any actual combat between them would have turned out as. Really, Sasuke and four losers again the entire resurrected Hidden Leaf? Even I couldn't figure out a way for Sasuke to be edgy and cool in that gang rape.
"It's why I could never allow him to actually meet Naruto.
"Although, I wouldn't mind watching the little brat get his skull crushed.
"Orochimaru was always a far more interesting antagonist for Naruto anyway. I always saw parallels between them."
Sometimes Neji would see faces.
Faces of people he'd thought were dead, sleeping.
"...How... when did you do it?" asked Neji.
"Oh yes, that's right," said Madara. "You weren't actually at the Kage Summit, were you Neji? You heard about it after I initiated the Infinite Tsukiyomi. Well, suffice to say that a good time was had by all beating Sasuke into a bloody pulp.
"He and his entire crew were brutally killed with absolute ease.
"Because, of course, they were. One suicidally overconfident S ranked ninja and his sycophants. And they were picking a fight with the five most powerful ninja in the world and their runners up. And, since that Sasuke lived in the real world and was not the absolute center of the universe, he didn't magically learn to... what was that technique I invented to satiate Naruto's desire for a climactic battle.
"Not anymore.
"These days, Sasuke is free to throw tantrums and kill people to his heart's content. And he never suffers any consequences that can't be fixed with a mumbled 'sorry.' I am indeed a benevolent God."
It sounded like hell to Neji. To be able to become worse and worse without anyone ever being able to stop you. He imagined himself beating Hinata to a bloody pulp. Then he imagined the moment continuing forever. And then he thought of the prospect of Naruto referring to him as the 'coolest guy' while he did it.
Neji felt bile rise in his throat at such a prospect and leaned forward as much as he can. He felt it rise in his mouth and threw up all over the cold stone floor.
To live in perpetual sin without any consequences or roadblocks...
What could be worse?
Icy cold water flowed over him, soaking his form and washing away the vomit. He felt his shoulders rising and falling with the stress.
"Speak to me, Neji," said Madara.
Why was he so fixated on Neji anyway? He certainly to have some sort of personal interest in him. Perhaps Madara merely liked the company, and Neji was the only one not to accept his gifts. But Neji couldn't think of anything to say, so he grabbed onto some of Madara's earlier words. "Susan."
"Oh yes," said Madara. "You have a remarkable memory for a dream that you experienced months ago. But then, I imagine you're somewhat nostalgic for those months after what I've been doing to you.
"But maybe I'm lying.
"Maybe Sasuke never went to the Kage Summit in reality. Maybe he was making a beeline to join Naruto. Then everyone could live happily ever after, and I ruined everything. Maybe I don't even know the answer.
"I suppose... you'll just have to take my word on faith.
"I am God, after all."
"You're a liar and a murderer," said Neji.
"Murderer?" asked Madara. "But everyone is right here. No one is really dying. I have stopped wars."
"But people are being killed in their dreams," said Neji. "Serial killers continue their trade without ever getting caught. Their minds continue to warp more and more with no reality to smack them back down. Rock Lee gets to be a splendid ninja, even if he puts no work in at all. Sakura gets to be with Sasuke, despite the fact that such a relationship is toxic and abusive."
"She gets whatever Sasuke she wants," said Madara. "If she doesn't appreciate her heart's desire, perhaps she should practice self-reflection."
"But she can't," said Neji. "In a dream, she has no context. No inconvenient reality to force her to confront her issues. She can only drift, and any discontent she might have is patched over. There's no room for her to grow as a person.
"You must have been a man once. Would you have become this powerful if you hadn't had to deal with reality?"
"I suppose not," said Madara. "But I rather like the idea of petty people being trapped in prisons of their own making."
"And what about all the people who are being killed in the dream?" asked Neji. "The ones that you don't have locked up here?"
"...Hmm, you refer to the props?" asked Madara. "The simulated Sasuke Sakura falls in love with. The simulated me that turns out to be Obito and have a tragic backstory.
"What of them?
"Would you call someone who smashed a puppet a murderer?"
"Sasori of the Red Sand might," said Neji. "But what if they aren't puppets?"
"What?" said Madara.
"What if... what if all those people being murdered in the sick fantasies of sick people are real?" asked Neji. "What if the dream world is an actual reality as you claim it is? Isn't it possible that those who dwell within it have a reality of their own?
"What about their family? Their friends?"
"I might just as well turn the argument against you," said Madara. "How many perfect dream worlds have you been sent into now? And how many of them have you woken up from? By that standard, you've destroyed entire universes."
"I don't need to answer to you," said Neji. "You've based your entire ideology around the idea that a dream is as good as reality. I haven't. If you don't really believe that that is the case, then just admit that this is about control and be done with it."
"...Well, I suppose you always were good at using words," said Madara. "You've succeeded in distracting me from my original point.
"My point is, you liked Naruto. He was a friend. But you never had the same faith in him everyone else did, and you never saw him as a god. That made you... resistant to my powers.
"I admit, I'm rather pleased with how I did it.
"Reanimate several shinobi who had the innate powers of the Nine-tails. Then you take the Eight-tails tentacle and then use them as a substitute for the real thing. A weakened Ten-tales has more than enough power and is easier to control. Nobody even knew where I was operating or what planning. So there were no countermeasures.
"I actually delayed the operation, though.
"The whole Kage Summit was a bit of poetic license, to be honest. I wanted somebody to appreciate my efforts before the eternal dream began.
"What was it I said to them;
"'Come now, Tsuchikage, you know who I am. Do you believe I would be explaining my masterstroke to all of you if you had any chance to influence its outcome? I'm not going to activate the Infinite Tsukiyomi; I did it five minutes ago.'
"And bang.
"I saw their faces just before I did the final step. Right there, at that moment, they knew it was me." He laughed. "Of course, immediately after that, Madara Uchiha became Obito. And I started gloating and declaring war. When all I had to do was nab Killer Bee and Naruto individually. If I'd gone in personally, I could have won.
"But, of course, I'm smart.
"That's why I visited Naruto, actually. I calculated that people would resist the Infinite Tsukiyomi. An untested jutsu, put over such a massive scale, could not help but have a few kinks.
"I linked him up to the Tsukiyomi.
"So I set my 'nemesis' up as a god to keep everybody motivated and focused. It's rather amusing; he thought he was my archenemy. In reality, he was my most important piece. Getting everyone to unify under a common banner is good. Getting everyone to unify under a charismatic person who specialized in breaking wills? Even better.
"Even so, I still couldn't resist adding little hints. An artist is always glad to know their work is appreciated." His mask lowered to look at the ground. "But I was disappointed.
"Naruto has no eye for detail, neither does Guy, and Kakashi was reeling from the Obito reveal. Nobody even questioned as to why I'd wage a world war to get Naruto and Bee when I didn't even need them. People have no appreciation for efficiency these days.
"Though, given that you are still alive, perhaps I am not one to talk."
Neji said nothing.
He wasn't going to dignify the animal's gloating with a response. This reaction seemed to annoy Madara, who eyed him. "...But, then you killed yourself, didn't you?
"Oh yes, I had to disguise it as a heroic sacrifice. But it strained credibility, to say the least. What, you can repel an infinite number of spiders launched by one of the best marksmen in the world? But you can't block a few spikes of wood after years of additional experience?
"If Naruto had ever paid attention to you at all, he'd have known something was wrong right then.
"You... for some reason... just wouldn't accept the program.
"And I'm interested to know why. Because your 'death' has caused me no end of problems.
"Nobody has forgotten you, you see. Years on, you're a great hero for the epic deed of suicide via wood spike. The 'children' of your friends all feel a spiritual bond with you, even though they've never met you. And you were far from the most accomplished of that group.
"But, I suppose it's only natural.
"After all, Naruto 'is' Boruto. Just as his friends are their children. I wonder if they have ever stopped to ask why each one of their offspring is an identical copy of their parent."
"Go to hell," said Neji, flatly. He was sick of this conversation, and it wasn't going anywhere.
"I would say you've already ended up here, Neji," said Madara. "Though I could arrange for a particularly chilling vision if you want. If you want release, on the other hand, you need only remerge with the Infinite Tsukiyomi. You'll see all your friends and family again, and the disruption to the dream will end. And don't worry if your personal paradise doesn't mesh up with that of reality.
"Anko Mitarashi had a similar problem.
"She wasn't willing to accept Orochimaru getting off with a slap on the wrist. So she ended up getting separated into a subdimension where Naruto was a bit less forgiving. There is something for everyone in the Infinite Tsukiyomi.
"Well, except you, and anyone who wanted to continue enjoying your company. Especially that Tenten girl you were on a team with."
They'd had this conversation before. Madara was beginning to repeat himself. Perhaps there was a weakness there. But Neji had to feign weakness as well, or Madara would kill him. So he allowed his agony and trauma to overcome him. "I can't..."
"Can't, or won't?" asked Madara.
"I can't!" said Neji. "I can't reenter the Infinite Tsukiyomi! I am not capable of doing it! If I could, do you really think I'd be... staying here with you? I never wanted to be a sacrifice, I just wanted..." He trailed off, and Neji thought of all the things he'd wanted.
"Finish your sentence, Neji. What is it you want?" asked Madara.
"It doesn't matter," said Neji. "Even if I want it, I can't go back."
"And why is that, would you say?" asked Madara. "Come now, I'm willing to hear your theory?"
Show him weakness. "When I was...
"When I was in the war, it was surreal. I kept... I kept noticing that no one I knew ever died. And I was never able to find out their names when they did. I kept peering and peering with my Byakugan, but...
"I could not find anything."
"Yes, I was aware of this," said Madara. "At the time, I took no notice of you in particular. Just one Shinobi that wasn't fully comprehending the new world.
"Why were you different?"
"Because..." Neji choked back sobs and realized he actually was affected by all this. "Because I read about the enemy war aims. And I... I thought that your strategy made no sense. As I heard rumors, it seemed as if every enemy we fought who wasn't a white Zetsu gave closure to someone.
"And none of our enemies ever won a serious victory.
"I began... I began to think that maybe we'd already been trapped in the Infinite Tsukiyomi. When I heard about the Ten-tales awakening without Naruto and Killer Bee being dead..."
"YES!" roared Madara, turning around and raising his hands in triumph. "Ahahahahaha! Finally, someone who appreciates my art!
"Excuse me, go on."
"...I... it was too good to be true," said Neji. "It was all too good to be true. I couldn't buy it.
"So I... I knew that in reality, in the real world, nothing like this would ever go this well. And I thought that Naruto seemed to be the source. I... I felt myself being pulled away, but I resisted. I kept going until I came to Naruto, and I realized...
"I realized that if this was real, then nothing I could do would make any difference.
"But if it wasn't real, then we were already in the Infinite Tsukiyomi. And nobody even realized it. The pull became even worse, and I tried to warn them, to tell them, but no words came out."
"Ah, this would be when the entire Shinobi Alliance attempted their little assault?" asked Madara. "Yes, I admit, that surprised me.
"I was planning to let them kill off the Ten-tales and save the world.
"But something... something during that changed it all. My art took on a life of its own. I wonder if it was you, subconsciously trying to return to reality. Or, perhaps it was the will of people as a whole rebelling against the Tsukiyomi being sparked by you.
"It is, at this point, irrelevant, I suppose.
"We know what happened next, don't we?"
"Yes, I..." Neji paused. "I saw people dying all over, but I didn't know any of them. I'd forget them soon enough, and they'd never come up again. And... and I realized that if it went on like this, everyone would forget everything.
"So I let myself be killed. I leaped in front of those spikes and refused to stop them.
"After that, it became like a dream; all I could do was try to make my death have some significance. But... I didn't buy into any of it at all."
Madara nodded. "Well, I'm afraid your death hasn't been anything more than a minor inconvenience. Though I will admit, that is better than everyone else managed.
"So much for teamwork.
"...So, what do you want?"
Neji was surprised more by the tone of the question than the question itself. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, come now, Neji Hyuga. Need I spell it out?" asked Madara. "I'm trying to give you another dream so that I can get you out of my hair. The Infinite Tsukiyomi has been unable to keep you controlled. So, what is it you desire? I'm certain I can custom design something. It will give me something to do in my off-hours.
"Revenge on those who have wronged you? I'm sure you could get a great deal of mileage out of killing me. Certainly, I've done enough to you to warrant it. Or perhaps you could have a chance to pull an Itachi Uchiha on the Main Family?
"Whatever you want."
Was this a genuine act of charity on Madara's part? Given that he could easily kill Neji, it seemed the only explanation. If Neji refused it, Madara might just decide to kill him outright. This might merely be Madara getting an excuse to kill him.
Neji had to use this. "If I accept, will you stop torturing me?"
"Obviously," said Madara. "I've no interest in inflicting pain unless it serves a purpose. Although I will admit, I have enjoyed our conversations more than I should have."
Neji tried to think of his own idealized world and realized he genuinely did not know what he wanted. "...I can't think of anything."
"You aren't very creative, are you?" asked Madara. "Haven't you ever considered what you want out of life?"
"I was a slave to my family and had absolutely no prospects beyond that," said Neji. "My destiny was preordained to marry Hinata so the bloodline could continue. My only desires were wanting to escape my fate, but I had no plan for what to do once I did that.
"Naruto made me give up on that."
"That's why the Infinite Tsukiyomi was ineffective," said Madara. "You were entirely concerned with reality. You had no terrible regrets and no real hopes, so all you could do was piggyback off of Naruto's dream.
"But Naruto's dream had no basis on reality. Are you sure there is nothing you can give me to work with?"
"I don't want to be hurt anymore," said Neji, feeling for all the world like a battered housewife. "But I don't want to live a lie either."
"Well, I'm afraid those wishes are mutually exclusive," laughed Madara. "I'll tell you what. You give me some general parameters, and I'll send you away to a nice dream where you don't have to remember any of this. I doubt your subconscious will be quite so keen on seeing beneath the mask after this.
"I'll make adjustments as necessary."
It was a calculated risk.
Neji couldn't do anything from here. And if he kept pushing at Madara, he'd be murdered, and that would be the end of it. By accepting Madara's gift, however, he would establish a sort of bond, however. Of course, it was possible Madara would murder him anyway if he got out of this one, but that was going to happen anyway.
At the end of the day, the only power Neji had was as a curiosity to Madara. Something he could prod and torment for amusement. However, Naruto had taught Neji that words had power. So long as he had the means to speak to Madara, there was a possibility of influencing him.
In time, perhaps he could get free or convince him to abandon this insanity.
In time.
But for now, he could do nothing but accept the reality of his situation and do the best he could with it. "I would like to be in a dream with my friends. With... with my actual friends. No props. I just want to help them. And not a perfect world.
"Never a perfect one."
The Infinite Tsukiyomi glowed red.
"Wish granted," said Madara.
It was time to move forward. And understanding his enemy was the means to do so.
Author's Note:
So, this was... dark.
But, the plot of Naruto makes a lot more sense if you assume that Madara flat out won during the Kage Summit with no one around to stop him. All of those retcons and characters being derailed during the War Arc are perfectly justified.
Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll continue this.
If I get a good enough response, I think I'll take a stab at it. But it could stand as a one-shot.
