...

ㅤThoughts that were never translated into words, of course, nor did it show on his expression, but Itachi was no naive fool. He was well aware that Madara could easily see through him, at least for the most part. Perhaps not enough to foretell the plans he was so meticulously weaving for the future, but surely there was no doubt to Madara that partaking in the Uchiha massacre had never been Itachi's genuine intention; that he'd been left with no other choice, and that same Madara simply happened to be in the right (wrong?) spot at the right (wrong?) time. The same way Itachi himself was well aware that his ancestor was one of the very few who could easily wipe the floor with his face, hence keeping such a healthy amount of respect. Those plans would never come to fruition if Itachi let himself be killed for the sake of righteous pride and ego.

Through inheriting his Sharingan, I am able to forever keep a piece of Izuna alive.

ㅤThough he was mostly listening in silence, for the time being, that sentence in particular stood out. Speaking of plans for the future... would Sasuke ever feel that way, one day? Would he feel grateful for carrying with him a piece of his brother, despite all? Or would he be disgusted by it? Would it feel like no more than a necessary evil? Perhaps because he knew very well the answer to that question, Itachi opted for immediately shushing it. «My father never truly spoke to me about it. I suppose his intention was to show me the tablet in the shrine, once he believed it was the right time for it, and then trust me with whatever truths he'd heard from his own father and so on.» Didn't stop the rumors from circulating, of course.

ㅤ«I personally disagree with the notion of fate. Even something as simple as 'everything happens for a reason', as so many are keen on believing. There is no rhyme nor reason to the universe at large. Matters happen, simply. Neither to intentionally benefit us nor to intentionally harm us. If I die tomorrow, or you, or anyone, the world will continue spinning and the universe will remain unchanged. We do not hold significance, in the grand scheme of things. Our urge to put ourselves in the center, as though things indeed happen for a reason, is no more than self-defense. It spares us the chaos and entropy. And the reason why so many turn to religion for solace is because it gives them a reason and a meaning, it shields them from the harsh reality that nothing in this life exists to care for us. It simply exists. There is no ultimate fate, there is no aligning of stars in just the right way. There is action and reaction and there is consequences for behaviors, yes — but rarely there is causality among these things, much less justice or fairness. More than anything, there is coincidence which we then extrapolate as something else, out of our own fear of uncertainty.»

"I see." That did seem like something Fugaku would do from what Obito remembered/had known of the man. Would Madara have met or known Fugaku though? Obito assumed not, but truly anything was possible with that man as he had learned through unfortunate experience. "That was a practical decision. My own father was never much of a speaker himself." That was the impression Obito had gotten about Madara's father at least. Plus, Obito had never had a conversation with either of his parents due to both passing away before he was able to speak or was even old enough to remember them.

"I see..." The masked man could see the other's point, although his tone had simply been a monotone remark. Obito knew all too well though that neither of them were extraordinarily important in the scheme of things - same as every other mortal being. As Obito saw it, they were both simply stepping stones for others, who would go on to become stepping stones for others - as well as disposable pawns for some purpose beyond his awareness. Perhaps that was because he was one of those fools who simply needed something to grasp onto, despite a part of him knowing that it was pointless. "While we may disagree about fate, it does seem like there are some aspects that we do agree on."

"It is rather unfortunate that either of our deaths if they were to occur tomorrow would not make a change in the scheme of things." Sure on a smaller scale, mostly regarding Itachi. How would that little brother that he let live feel about never getting to have his revenge? Not that someone's feelings matter to the masked man, but it was a thought to ponder. Especially since he had no one that would mourn him - not when those that had cared about him already thought he was dead. He doubted there'd be any sorrow felt amongst the Akatsuki, although he wondered if Nagato would be able to pull off the goals without 'Madara' directing things behind the scenes.