Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 369: Momentum and Pretext

After wreaking havoc and then restoring the Third Training Ground, Haneda returned to his bedroom.

Sitting at the desk by the window, he turned on the small lamp. The soft light bathed his face in a warm glow.

Haneda reached up with his right hand, brushing against the circular mark on his forehead. The Yang Seal, which suppressed the Tenseigan, partially released.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the connection between himself and the Tenseigan.

The awakening of the Rinnegan had significantly deepened this connection, just as he had anticipated.

With the Rinnegan's activation, his ocular power had greatly increased, and the quality of that power now matched the Tenseigan.

This synergy significantly enhanced his ability to suppress and control the Tenseigan, accelerating its integration into his being.

After about fifteen minutes, Haneda opened his eyes.

The Rinnegan flickered briefly before returning to his normal eyes.

"At this rate, by the end of this year or early next year, I should be able to start the Fourth Great Ninja War."

Haneda murmured to himself as he pulled a blank sheet of paper from his desk and began writing with a pen.

The Fourth Ninja War wasn't something that could be started on a whim. War, after all, is an extension of politics.

Just because he wanted to fight didn't mean the people wanted the same.

For the war to happen, a sense of momentum needed to be created, along with a pretext—something to spark the conflict.

Of course, Haneda's reputation and influence in Konoha and the Fire Country were strong enough that he could force the war if he wanted.

But would Obito accept that?

In the original timeline, Obito had been "talked down" by Naruto. At that time, the war was Obito's doing, while Naruto had the full support of the world.

Now the situation was reversed. Haneda was in the role of the antagonist. Could Obito accept a scenario where Haneda initiated the war?

Even in Haneda's previous life, across the ocean in the great power of America, wars were waged under the guise of justifications—whether it was "weapons of mass destruction" or lofty ideals like "freedom and democracy."

Colonial powers like Britain, for instance, also framed their invasions as "bringing civilization" to the lands they plundered.

The lesson was clear: to start a war, Haneda needed both momentum and a pretext.

The pretext, Haneda had already thought through. He would convey a looming threat to the daimyo of the other nations, prompting the formation of an anti-Konoha alliance.

Haneda didn't believe the feudal lords would willingly relinquish their positions or give up their hereditary power.

Faced with the potential loss of their thrones, the daimyo would surely mobilize their respective ninja villages to strike first.

Momentum, however, was a trickier issue.

In history, certain movements had relied on widespread discontent or national crises to gain traction. For instance, Germany's rise during World War II had been fueled by resentment over the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, economic instability, and a fervent desire to "make Germany great again."

But in Konoha and the Fire Country?

Under Haneda's leadership, and with the strategic guidance of Shikaku and others, both were thriving.

If this were a historical era, people might have called it the "Haneda Era."

Life was peaceful, prosperous—why would anyone want to fight a war?

People naturally yearn for stability and resist upheaval unless they are left with no choice. Clearly, the current situation didn't provide that urgency.

"If I can't push from the inside, I'll have to create external pressure."

Haneda rested his left hand on his chin, writing the words "daimyo" and "Five Kage Summit" on the paper.

He followed those with terms like "export restrictions" and "import restrictions," gradually piecing together a comprehensive plan in his mind.

At that moment, two heads peeked in from the window, their curious gazes locking with Haneda's.

Three pairs of eyes met.

Two looked sheepish.

"Cough… Hokage-sama, pardon the intrusion…" Shisui said awkwardly.

He had noticed the light from Haneda's desk lamp and guessed that the Hokage was still awake, so he came to investigate.

What he didn't expect was to find Haneda in the middle of work—and that he hadn't exactly entered through the front door.

Itachi, on the other hand, took a deep breath.

He remembered how Haneda had casually entered the Uchiha compound without using the front door to visit Fugaku.

With that memory in mind, Itachi suddenly felt justified in their approach.

"Uncle Haneda," Itachi began confidently, "Shisui and I have made an important discovery."

Haneda glanced at them and said, "Take off your masks and come in first. If someone sees you like this, they'll think my house got robbed."

The two exchanged glances before quietly removing their ANBU masks. With a leap, they avoided stepping on the windowsill, landing directly inside the room.

Itachi and Shisui silently communicated with their eyes. Shisui gestured for Itachi to explain, but Itachi hesitated, wanting to give Shisui some credit.

In the end, however, Itachi spoke first.

"Uncle Haneda, earlier you mentioned that your Rinnegan can deactivate and revert to the Sharingan. Shisui and I thought about it and had a startling realization."

"Oh?" Haneda raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Itachi continued, "Have you noticed how Pain's Rinnegan behaves strangely? His Rinnegan is always active—it never deactivates."

"Pain's Rinnegan is supposed to be the ultimate evolution of the Sharingan. But for someone like Pain, who isn't an Uchiha, this is very similar to Kakashi-senpai's Sharingan. What if…"

Itachi paused for emphasis. "What if those eyes aren't his? What if they belong to Madara?"

Shisui added, "According to history, Madara Uchiha was the only one to ever meet the conditions to awaken the Rinnegan: the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Hashirama's cells."

"Between his friendship with the First Hokage and Izanagi, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to acquire Hashirama's cells."

Itachi nodded and elaborated, "Activating the Sharingan consumes chakra. The stronger the Sharingan, the more chakra it consumes."

"The Rinnegan is even stronger than the Mangekyō, so logically, it would drain chakra at an even faster rate."

"Even if Pain has an enormous chakra reserve, there's no reason for him to keep the Rinnegan active all the time—it would be a waste of chakra."

Haneda smiled approvingly.

As expected of Itachi and Shisui, the geniuses of the Uchiha. With just a few clues and observations, they had pieced together the truth—something Nagato and Konan had failed to realize their entire lives.

Haneda's calm voice echoed through the room.

"You're absolutely correct. I suspected this a long time ago."

"However, I didn't mention it to Pain or Konan, as I didn't want to alert Madara prematurely and create unnecessary complications."

"This realization came to me as early as when I awakened the Eternal Mangekyō and deciphered the Sage of Six Paths' stone tablet."