A few minutes before Madara and the unknown figure clashed...
Kaito activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, his crimson eyes sweeping over the gathered Uchiha. Shadows stretched across the compound, their flickering lantern light casting wavering reflections on tense faces. He could see doubt, fear, and the weight of history pressing upon his clansmen's shoulders.
With steady resolve, he spoke, his voice cutting through the heavy silence like a blade.
"The time for survival is now. The Uchiha will not be wiped out like helpless prey. As a bearer of the Mangekyo Sharingan, I swear to you—we will not fall to this treachery. Follow me beyond Konoha's walls, and we will carve our own destiny."
For a moment, there was stillness. Then—
A resounding cheer erupted, shaking the night. A surge of pride coursed through Kaito as the Uchiha elites roared their defiance, their voices thundering in unity. The fire of their ancestors burned in their eyes.
Then—
The shift was almost imperceptible. A ripple in the air, a disturbance in the chakra around them. Kaito's keen eyes caught the flicker of movement before the darkness itself seemed to come alive.
A hundred masked figures emerged like wraiths from the shadows.
The ANBU had arrived.
With a flicker, Kaito vanished, reappearing at the vanguard. His form blurred as he struck with ruthless precision, weaving through the ranks of assassins like a specter of death. The clash of steel against steel rang out, accompanied by the sharp intake of final breaths. Moonlight cast jagged shadows over the battlefield, illuminating a massacre in motion.
One by one, the masked warriors fell.
Then—
A pulse of ominous chakra prickled at Kaito's senses. His gaze snapped toward the source. A foreign presence. A hidden threat.
Swoosh—
He vanished, chasing the unseen enemy.
Present time…
The ruined streets lay bathed in silver moonlight, the air thick with the scent of charred wood and blood. Amidst the destruction, a lone figure stood, his crimson Sharingan glowing ominously beneath his mask.
"Damn you, Uchiha Kaito."
Kaito narrowed his eyes at the masked man, his muscles coiled like a spring.
"Who are you? And why do you serve the traitor, Itachi?"
A low chuckle echoed from beneath the mask—dark, mocking, laced with amusement and something else.
"Ha-ha-ha... I am Madara Uchiha."
Obito's voice dripped with arrogance, but Kaito didn't miss the subtle undertones—the hidden lie.
Kaito scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? You think whispering threats from the shadows makes you Madara? Spare me."
Obito's laughter deepened, sending an involuntary shiver down Kaito's spine. The sheer weight of his presence pressed against the night like a smothering veil.
Kaito frowned and murmured to his system, "Display Obito's stats."
Name: Obito Uchiha
Bloodline Limit: Intermediate Sage Body (transplanted Hashirama cells), Mangekyo Sharingan (one eye)
Chakra Quality: Tokubetsu Jonin
The information flashed across Kaito's vision, confirming his suspicions. The moonlight cast a cold glow over Obito's masked visage, accentuating the smirk tugging at his lips.
"You've grown strong, I'll admit," Obito mused, his tone almost conversational. "But in the end, only one Uchiha has ever truly piqued my interest."
Kaito's jaw clenched. "Itachi."
Obito's smirk widened. "Smart boy. Three months later, he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. From then on, my focus was on him. But you… you've been full of surprises."
The air grew heavier, thick with unspoken tension.
Kaito exhaled sharply, his lips curling into a slow, sardonic grin. "You're mistaken if you think I'll fall for your lies."
Obito let out a low chuckle. "Believe what you want. It won't change reality."
His Sharingan spun violently, and in an instant, his right eye transformed into a Mangekyo of three sickles.
"With this Mangekyo Sharingan, do you still doubt me?"
Kaito scoffed. "You think flashing your Sharingan is proof? Where the hell did you even get that eye? Let's get one thing straight—you are not Madara Uchiha. So quit playing dress-up."
A flicker of fury crossed Obito's lone eye, his smirk faltering for the first time. "You…!"
Kaito, already bored of the exchange, reached into his pouch, fingers curling around several shurikens. With a flick of his wrist, the blades sliced through the air at deceptive angles, each aimed at a precise blind spot.
Clang—
The projectiles phased through Obito effortlessly, vanishing into the void of his intangible body before clattering uselessly to the ground.
Obito smirked, slow and knowing. "You still don't understand the difference in our strength. Your attacks are meaningless."
He let the shurikens slip from his grasp, the metallic clinks lost in the eerie quiet of the night.
"I must admit, though," Obito continued, tilting his head, "your talent intrigues me. Why waste it fighting for a lost cause? Join me."
Silence.
The weight of his words lingered between them. The moon hung high, bathing the two Uchiha in cold silver light. A crossroads lay before them.
Kaito inhaled deeply, his senses sharpened. The scent of night-blooming flowers mixed with the iron tang of blood. His gaze, unwavering, locked onto Obito's.
"I stand for the Uchiha," he declared. "Not for cowards who hide behind masks and stolen names."
Obito's Sharingan spun dangerously.
"Then tonight, your foolishness will be your grave."
A gust of wind swept through the battlefield, rustling the fallen leaves.
In the silence that followed, the battle truly began.