The Third Hokage's face was ashen as he stared at the mysterious Uchiha.
That superb space-time ninjutsu, paired with that single Sharingan, confirmed beyond a doubt the identity of the culprit behind the Nine-Tails disaster years ago.
Shimura Danzo, however, remained indifferent. Even if the Nine-Tails incident had nothing to do with Uchiha Fugaku, the perpetrator still hailed from the Uchiha clan. For him, that fact alone was sufficient justification for his suspicions.
Given the current tension on the continent, the Leaf could not afford further internal strife. Danzo, though a hawk of the purest water, understood that Konoha was in no position to withstand a Sand invasion while tearing itself apart.
Uchiha Itachi's decision to expose Obito was born from his deep concern for the village. If a bloody conflict erupted between the clan and the leadership, it would trigger a new Shinobi World War. To prevent this, he had risked everything to redirect all animosity toward Obito.
Uchiha Kaede, on the other hand, felt a twinge of disappointment. Obito was far too simple-minded to have been lured into Itachi's trap so easily.
This setup would likely de-escalate the tension between the Uchiha and the Leaf, stalling the inevitable explosion.
As a mastermind behind the scenes, Obito felt exceptionally stifled. Not only were his carefully laid plans being dismantled, but he was now being besieged by the very people he sought to manipulate. His expression was grim—though behind the mask, no one could see it.
"Who are you?" the Third Hokage asked slowly, stepping forward.
Obito gave a cold sneer. "I am... Uchiha Madara."
One had to admire Obito's commitment; even standing before the Third Hokage and the clan elders, he insisted on maintaining the charade.
"Nonsense!" Hiruzen barked.
Such a claim might fool an ordinary clansman, but it wouldn't work on the veterans who built Konoha.
They remembered the sheer, world-shaking majesty of the real Uchiha Madara. There was no way that legendary figure would turn into a secretive, masked freak lurking in the shadows.
Fugaku, as the Clan Head, glared at the masked man. "Kaede, take him down."
"Understood!"
Kaede lunged forward, his arm swinging in an arc of raging fire. He struck with the speed of a meteor, the brilliance of the flames illuminating the night streets.
BOOM!
Obito condensed black formulas in his palm, and the collision of their fists sent a violent shockwave through the area. The wind howled as the ground beneath their feet cratered and sank.
As their powerful chakras clashed, their Sharingan met. In that instant of visual contact, an unspoken understanding passed between them.
However, the flames around Kaede grew even more violent. Enveloped in high-temperature energy, he looked like a demonic deity as he tore into Obito with a savage punch.
Obito's body shuddered as if hit by an explosion. His muscles and fascia vibrated from the impact, and a searing pain coursed through his meridians. He was inwardly shocked; Kaede's Fire Style, bolstered by the Ace cells, was overwhelmingly aggressive.
Obito retaliated. Amidst a flash of cold light, the hairs on Kaede's arm stood on end. A sharp, buzzing sound filled the air as invisible static surrounded them.
Obito produced a black rod imbued with a silver lightning-like glow, emitting a specialized current designed to disrupt chakra perception.
Affected by the current from the rod, Kaede retracted his reach and condensed a small, crimson-red fireball in his palm.
Seeing this, the Leaf high command felt a collective "toothache." Was this fireball a modified version of the Great Fireball that had once leveled a Loulan merchant building?
BOOM!
The fireball exploded. Obito refused to take it head-on; he phased into intangibility, and the silver current from his rod surged, transforming him into a lightning-shrouded figure as he charged forward.
Intangibility to ignore physical attacks?
The display of Obito's ability made Hiruzen and the others knit their brows. As old foxes of the shinobi world, they were content to watch and gather intelligence while Kaede did the fighting.
Their tactical analysis was sharp: Kaede's offensive was relentless, but Obito was using his "phasing" and specialized tools to negate the damage. Even if he wasn't Madara, his strength was undeniable. It was no wonder the Fourth Hokage had struggled against him.
A flash of dark light appeared. Obito used his space-time ability to project black rods at Kaede, forcing him to step back.
Kaede responded by gathering a massive amount of flame, slamming it directly into Obito's electromagnetic projection.
As the explosive air currents dissipated, Obito's form vanished like a cloud, reappearing ghost-like behind Kaede. Dozens of black rods streaked out in all directions, targeting not just Kaede, but the surrounding Leaf officials as well.
Wait—this is a Genjutsu!
Obito's eyes sharpened. The environment and atmosphere shifted abruptly. As the Third Hokage and the others quickly formed seals to break the illusion, Obito had already vanished from their sight.
Only Kaede remained motionless, his body pierced by a "real" black rod, seemingly trapped in the Genjutsu. Fugaku flickered to his side and performed the release for him.
A moment later, Kaede "recovered," but Obito was long gone.
He used space-time ninjutsu to retreat?
The ability to phase and teleport made him nearly impossible to defeat. From the start, the Leaf elders hadn't expected to capture an Uchiha who could bypass the village barriers at will; they were merely there to document his abilities.
The atmosphere became awkward. Though they had driven Obito away, the Leaf realized they had no effective way to intercept or track such a foe.
However, Kaede could feel Itachi's gaze burning into his back.
He suspects something...
During the fight, Kaede hadn't shown his full strength. Instead, he had provided a constant, flashy combat performance to give Obito the window he needed to escape.
Obito had sensed this intent, and the two had essentially put on a show before Obito "miraculously" retreated.
While Kaede's acting was subtle, Itachi—who knew Kaede's true capabilities—didn't believe for a second that Kaede had been pushed to his limit.
That man's Genjutsu shouldn't have trapped him for that long, let alone required Father's help to break. He was intentionally letting the masked man go...
Itachi watched Kaede, his mind racing. Kaede... do you still not want the clan and the village to find peace? What exactly are you trying to achieve?
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