The Uchiha clansmen who had just parted ways with their masked instigator now found themselves falling one by one into the inescapable net Fugaku had meticulously spread across the district.
Meanwhile, on the Fourth Hokage's front, Uchiha Obito narrowed his single visible eye, staring intently at his former teacher. His emotions were a chaotic swirl. He hadn't necessarily wanted to face Minato so soon—not out of fear, but because of a twisted sense of pride.
Ever since receiving the "cheat code" gifts from the decrepit Madara Uchiha, Obito's ego had ballooned to god-like proportions. He felt invincible, possessed by a misplaced arrogance that mirrored Sasuke's future "Hebi" phase. The sky has cleared, the rain has stopped, and once again, an Uchiha thinks he's the boss. Even Nagato—who, when pushed, could unleash the terrifying, god-like power of the Rinnegan—was merely a pawn in Obito's eyes. After obtaining Wood Release and the Mangekyō in one fell swoop, and spending years role-playing the legendary Madara, he had begun to truly believe his own hype.
In truth, while Obito had orchestrated many incidents, most of his plans were still half-baked prototypes. He was prone to hesitation at the moment of execution. Up until now, his greatest "achievements" were merely trying to control Jinchūriki in the Mist Village to bait out Nagato.
During his time wandering as "Madara," Obito had looked upon the suffering masses of the shinobi world and seen only darkness, hatred, despair, and slaughter. He constantly asked himself: What is this place? Is this Hell? Though he now possessed the technical means to resurrect Rin Nohara directly, he refused to do so. To him, bringing Rin's soul back to this cruel, hellish world was a disservice. It was better to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to create a "true" and perfect world for her—a world where everyone understood perfection and lived in eternal happiness.
This was Obito's "love" for Rin.
It was also why he refused to disturb her grave. He didn't know that Rin's grave was actually empty. Rin was currently serving as Hiruko's maid, working hard to forge a new future—and perhaps even trying to win the heart of the man who had handed her a beam of light in the darkness.
Despite the surprising modernization of the Land of Fire, Obito viewed it as a superficial mask. The "man-eats-man" nature of the shinobi world remained unchanged.
"Where did you get that Sharingan?" Shisui Uchiha shouted, his sharp gaze filled with killing intent—and a hidden trace of excitement.
According to Hiruko's analysis, the visual prowess of this masked man was identical to Kakashi's, as if they originated from the same pair of eyes. Furthermore, after Kakashi had been injected with the Life No. 3 serum, his massive chakra boost had unexpectedly triggered his own Mangekyō form, allowing him to use a unique space-time ninjutsu that warped the air.
Minato Namikaze, usually the most mild-tempered of men, felt a surge of cold fury. He was 90% certain this "intruder" was the student he thought he had lost. Yet, beneath the anger, there was a flicker of relief—he's alive. But clearly, the boy had been corrupted by someone else's poison.
Obito remained silent for a moment before throwing back his hood, his crimson eye locking onto the crowd.
Kakashi's heart hammered against his ribs. "Obito... is that you?"
"Who are you really? You can't be Madara Uchiha; he's been dead for years," Minato pressed.
"Is that so? Perhaps not," Obito replied noncommittally in a deep, hollow voice. History books might say Madara was dead, but the man had only truly passed recently after sowing the seeds of discord between the Uchiha and the village.
"What is your goal?" the young Shisui demanded. The relationship between the village and his clan had finally begun to thaw under the Fourth; this masked man was trying to burn that bridge back down.
"Little brat, are you questioning me?" Obito growled. He didn't want these interlopers interrupting his reunion with his sensei. Maintaining his "Madara" persona, he unleashed his chakra.
It hit the clearing like a mountain collapsing, a physical pressure that kicked up a gale. Some of the standard Anbu retreated a step, but the heavy hitters stood their ground. Raw chakra volume didn't win battles; if it did, humanity would never have captured the Tailed Beasts.
"Have you been away from the world so long that you've forgotten fear? It seems I must remind you," Obito's voice was cold, echoing as if from the depths of an abyss.
He raised his right hand, fingers hooked like claws. Heat gathered in his lungs, warping the air.
"Fire Style: Bomb Blast Dance!"
He wove a sign, and a spiraling torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, twisting into a massive flaming dragon. Driven by the swirling vacuum of his Kamui, the fire and wind fed into each other, ballooning in scale until a towering fire tornado threatened to consume the entire battlefield. The ground cracked and charred; the air itself distorted under the extreme heat.
The Leaf ninjas scrambled to retreat, but the fire spread too fast!
Obito hadn't intended to stay long, but since the Leaf had come prepared, he couldn't just vanish like a coward. That wouldn't fit the "Madara" brand. He sneered behind his mask. If they wanted a fight, he'd give them a tragedy.
"Sealing Tech: War Shield!"
Just as the flames were about to incinerate the front line, a figure blurred in front of Minato—one of Hiruko's biological constructs! There was a mechanical whir and a flash of light.
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