Obito stared at Shuoye Uchiha's back, fists clenched tight.
He looked ready to strike again at any moment.
But reason restrained him.
If Shuoye could display that level of power in a single instant, how could he possibly leave such an obvious opening?
"A trap…"
Obito narrowed his eyes, then let out a cold snort and turned away.
Shuoye shook his head faintly.
What a pity.
If Obito had been just a little more reckless, there might have been a real chance to kill him.
Kamui—the ability to phase through space—was simply too unreasonable. It granted near-innate invincibility.
For now.
—
Far away in the Land of Lightning, inside the Hidden Cloud's council hall—
The village elder sat rigid on his throne, lightning chakra flickering faintly around him. The atmosphere in the hall felt suffocating.
Then hurried footsteps shattered the silence.
A shinobi burst through the doors, nearly stumbling.
"Elder! Disaster—!"
"We encountered an unprecedented enemy. The Raikage-sama… has been captured!"
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What did you say?!"
The elder shot to his feet, massive frame trembling with rage. Sparks danced in his eyes.
"Ay… captured? Impossible!"
But the report was real.
And it spread.
Across the Five Great Nations, shockwaves rippled.
—
Hidden Stone Village.
Inside a dim chamber, Ōnoki tapped the table lightly, eyes half-lidded in thought.
"So even Ay has fallen…"
The door opened. Two black-clad shinobi entered.
"Tsuchikage-sama, intelligence confirms Konoha has withdrawn its forces."
Ōnoki exhaled slowly.
"So Ay truly lost."
He paused.
"Inform the other leaders. A meeting at eight tonight. We will discuss countering the Hidden Mist."
"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama."
One shinobi left swiftly.
The other remained.
Ōnoki glanced at him.
"Dispatch a special strike unit. Secretly infiltrate the Land of Lightning's border. Wait for the right moment."
His tone turned colder.
The Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone had been enemies for generations.
If there was ever a time to strike—
It was now.
"Understood."
Ōnoki leaned back, gaze drifting toward the portraits on the wall—one of the Kazekage, one of Ay.
"The world is about to change," he murmured.
—
Hidden Sand Village.
Kazekage Rasa stood atop a dune, wind tugging at his robes as he looked into the distance.
"The Uchiha… have reached this level?"
"They captured Ay alive?"
His eyes hardened.
"This power must be controlled."
"If not, it becomes a threat."
He understood the truth clearly.
If the Uchiha continued to grow, the outcome would be simple:
Submission.
Or destruction.
Neither outcome benefited the Sand.
As Rasa considered his options, noise rose behind him.
He turned.
On a rocky rise nearby, an elderly monk lay half-reclined against stone. Wrinkles carved his face, yet his clouded eyes carried ancient weight.
The jade ornament at his waist shimmered faintly.
Rasa's pupils shrank.
"Shukaku… nearing its limit again?"
His voice was low.
The balance of power was shifting everywhere.
—
At the border of the Hidden Mist—
Minato Namikaze led a small squad on a mission far from Konoha.
When the report reached him, his expression changed instantly.
"Ay… captured?"
He fell silent.
"Shuoye…"
He spoke the name quietly.
He had always known Shuoye's talent was extraordinary.
But this?
Single-handedly capturing a Kage?
Even Minato felt the weight of it.
"We return immediately."
Golden light flickered.
In the next instant, Minato was gone—leaving only fading chakra traces behind.
—
Konoha.
Deep within the Hokage Tower, the meeting room felt frozen in tension.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the head of the table, fingers interlocked so tightly his knuckles had turned pale.
Beside him, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane wore equally grim expressions.
"Shuoye's merit exceeds our expectations," Homura said first, voice measured.
"But his existence is beginning to disrupt Konoha's balance."
"The Uchiha, empowered by him, are rising quietly."
Koharu nodded.
"Hiruzen… we must act."
"This is no longer the time for hesitation."
The weight of their words lingered.
Outside the window, the leaves of Konoha rustled softly in the wind.
Inside—
A decision loomed.
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