"You? I see... a survivor of the Indra clan, huh? You really are lucky, managing to make it here all alone."
"Angry? Hahaha\~\~ I admit it—I'm a true devil through and through. But now you're forced to struggle for survival alongside a devil. Isn't that ironic?"
"Alright, no need to glare at me like you want to eat me alive. I've never denied that my methods are dirty. But everything I've done has been for the sake of peace in the shinobi world."
"You think I'm spouting nonsense? Hmph. That's because your perspective is too narrow. You only care about your own little corner of the world, completely blind to the cruelty and decay that infect the shinobi world."
"War, famine, plague, human-made disasters—every kind of catastrophe has always existed here. They never stopped. Every year, countless people die for countless reasons."
"Your Indra clan sees only itself. But there are many who suffer far worse. That's why our Gen organization was founded—to protect the peace of the world."
"In the beginning, we tried to make things better through gentle means. But that didn't work."
"Because the shinobi world is full of greedy, selfish people who don't want peace. They made our early efforts end in disaster."
"So we changed. We realized that only absolute power can bring about true peace."
"Barriers that seal off chakra, crazed patients in hospitals, and the evil spirits rampaging in the lab—all of it exists for this goal. Once we harness this power, our Gen will unify the shinobi world. Then, peace and prosperity will become the eternal melody of our era."
"For that vision, I'm willing to stain my hands with blood. I'm willing to bear endless sin. Because I know peace in the shinobi world demands someone who walks in darkness, carrying the burden for others."
"But you Indra people don't get it. You only see what you want to see and only care about yourselves. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so furious just because we captured a few members of your clan."
Inside the quarantine chamber, a black-clad man with a blinded left eye—Genji, the main villain of the game Outlast—was speaking to the player across a glass screen. Using righteousness as a pretense for evil deeds, his monologue made Madara Uchiha, who stood on the other side listening, fall silent.
Without a doubt, Genji was a bit of a cliché villain—at least by Earth standards. Entertainment had long since evolved to feature all kinds of antagonists. These self-proclaimed visionaries who justified atrocities in the name of some grand cause were hardly new.
But in the shinobi world, a wasteland when it came to entertainment, such a villain was groundbreaking.
In fact, in the two weeks since Outlast launched, many players had completed it, and everyone had different views on Genji.
Some agreed with him. After all, the shinobi world really was rotten. If Gen's plan succeeded, it might cost some lives, but it could also bring true peace.
Others thought he was full of crap, merely cloaking his ambitions in noble-sounding lies. No excuse could justify the suffering he brought to the Indra clan.
Still others had mixed opinions. They respected Genji's goal of peace but couldn't accept Gen's and Danzō's extreme methods or their persecution of the Indra clan.
The game didn't portray the Indra clan in much detail, but it hinted at them being just, righteous, united, and self-sacrificing—an ideal shinobi clan.
Others didn't care about the nuances. They just saw Genji as a villain that needed to die. What he said didn't matter.
This group was largely composed of Uchiha. The connection between Indra and the Uchiha was obvious to anyone with a working brain—even Obito could figure it out.
So, for the Uchiha, the emotional resonance was off the charts.
Madara Uchiha was one of them. Listening to Genji, arms crossed with pride, he only found him noisy.
If the player character could fight, he would've vaporized Genji on the spot.
That was the Uchiha wrath.
But after the anger faded, Madara calmed down and realized: Genji actually made some valid points.
Yes, Madara Uchiha had always believed the shinobi world was a mess. His dream had been to unify it with Hashirama Senju and bring peace.
Unfortunately, Hashirama had rejected that idea. The naive man, hoping to avoid further bloodshed, refused to support unification and believed understanding alone could bring peace.
Their ideological clash led them down separate paths. Madara chose the Eye of the Moon Plan, dreaming a dream for the whole world.
It was far from gentle. It would cause countless deaths and sacrifices. And from an outsider's perspective, was there any difference between what Madara planned and what Genji and Gen were doing?
Madara wanted to say yes—but he knew the truth. There was no difference. They were both extremists. No one would ever approve of their methods.
"So... is what I'm doing really no different from that scoundrel?"
Madara murmured, his face showing confusion, as if doubting himself.
Not because the NPC had shaken his will, but because Genji's words had reminded him of his own plans.
He realized he was seeing things from the perspective of those he would oppress.
Naturally, he started to question himself.
This wasn't a sign of weakness. Ever since he started the Eye of the Moon Plan, the only ones he could talk to were White Zetsu and Black Zetsu.
One was absurd. The other pretended to be his will and always agreed with everything he said.
Without anyone to really talk to, even a powerful man like Madara would become lost in his own thoughts. Once exposed to new perspectives, those thoughts could be shaken.
In the original story, even Obito could make Madara reflect. How much more powerful were the psychological effects of something like the "ninth art"—a medium proven on Earth to move people deeply?
So it was natural that Madara felt shaken by Genji's monologue.
But men like Madara were different from ordinary people.
An average person, once shaken, would spiral deeper and crumble.
Madara Uchiha, on the other hand, recognized his doubt immediately. Then he crushed it.
His gaze turned firm again.
"Even if we both claim to pursue peace... Gen only hides ambition beneath noble words. Only my Eye of the Moon Plan is the true path to peace!"
His voice rang with disdain and pride.
Madara could see through Genji. He was nothing more than a corrupted soul masked by empty ideals.
Maybe Genji and Gen started off with noble intentions. But once they turned extreme, they lost their way. No amount of flash could hide the rot within.
This reflected Madara's own view of the Hidden Leaf.
Ever since his good friend Hashirama had tried to kill him for the village, he knew the Leaf had changed.
And as expected, the Leaf grew increasingly rotten, far removed from its original ideals.
Especially Root—the real-world counterpart to Gen. It embodied everything corrupt about the Leaf.
Sure, Root had once been a noble organization meant to protect from the shadows. But when Danzō Shimura fell to darkness, Root decayed with him.
Madara hadn't seen it himself. But thanks to White Zetsu, he knew all the behind-the-scenes information.
The scent, the feeling—unmistakable.
Gen was clearly Root. Genji was Danzō.
Killing intent surged quietly in Madara's heart.
To most, Root and Danzō were secrets. So when people played Outlast, they assumed it was just fiction.
Even those who hated Gen and Genji didn't react much in real life.
But Madara was different. He knew the truth.
Now, Root and Danzō disgusted him.
Before, he had no interest in the rotten organization or the fallen student of Tobirama Senju.
But now? Destroying Root and killing Danzō sounded satisfying.
Unfortunately, his body couldn't handle it.
If he moved against Root now, the Eye of the Moon Plan would be ruined.
So, frustrated, Madara returned to the game.
He wanted to see how Genji would end.
The story continued. Genji began persuading the protagonist to cooperate. Otherwise, neither of them would survive the wrath of the mindless evil spirits.
The protagonist wanted to kill him but couldn't. Genji was behind the quarantine glass, untouchable.
So he played along. He followed Genji's directions and activated devices in the underground lab to suppress the spirits.
The gameplay: dodging attacks while activating equipment, forming a special energy field to seal the spirits.
Genji observed everything through a special tool, thrilled, and continued directing the protagonist.
He promised that once the spirits were gone, he'd leave the chamber.
The protagonist complied.
But he'd already learned the truth. His missing parents had been turned into a twin-headed spirit by Genji.
Overcome with hatred, the protagonist tampered with the system. Instead of destroying the spirits, he chose "temporary exile."
The details weren't explained. The devs clearly didn't want players thinking too hard about it.
Classic game design: offer a setting, let players fill in the blanks.
So Madara's character tricked Genji. The spirits weren't destroyed. Genji, believing himself safe, exited the chamber.
He praised the protagonist. "Well done! The spirits are gone. We're finally safe! Now you can leave, as promised."
Then Genji turned on him.
A dart laced with tranquilizer flew out, striking the chakra-suppressed protagonist.
As usual, no delay. The protagonist grew weak and collapsed.
As his vision blurred, Genji mocked him for being naive.
The protagonist cursed him, calling him a liar.
But Genji claimed he never lied. He said the protagonist could leave. Alive or dead? That was never specified.
Before leaving, he would be a valuable experiment.
The protagonist, rare even among the Indra clan, had unique blood and soul. The perfect research subject.
Genji gleefully declared he would transform him into the ultimate spirit, surpassing even his parents.
Madara's fury exploded.
Even knowing it was a game, he couldn't stand the insult. The emotional immersion was complete.
Thankfully, the protagonist's hidden plan kicked in.
The banished spirits returned.
Genji turned pale. He tried to run.
But the spirits saw their tormentor and attacked mercilessly.
Thus, Outlast reached its climax.