A few minutes before Madara and the unknown figure clashed...
Kaito activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, crimson eyes sweeping over the gathered Uchiha. Shadows stretched across the compound, lantern light flickering across tense faces.
He could see the doubt in their gazes, the fear tightening their grip on their weapons. The weight of history bore down on them all.
He exhaled slowly, then spoke, his voice sharp and unyielding.
"The time for survival is now. The Uchiha will not be hunted down 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 destiny."
For a moment, silence. Then—
A roar of defiance erupted, shaking the night. The fire of their ancestors burned in their eyes, their hesitation replaced by unshakable resolve.
And then—
A ripple in the air. The chakra around them wavered, disturbed by an unseen force. Kaito's heightened senses flared. He caught the flicker of movement before the darkness itself seemed to shift.
A hundred masked figures emerged from the void like specters.
The ANBU had arrived.
Kaito didn't hesitate. His form blurred, vanishing from sight. When he reappeared, he was already at the vanguard, his blade slicing through the first assassin before they could react.
System Alert:
Combat mode activated.
Engaging Predator's Instinct.
His world sharpened. Time seemed to slow as lines of movement, attack trajectories, and weaknesses illuminated in his vision. Every enemy had a pattern, a flaw—one he could exploit.
He moved like a phantom, slipping through gaps in their defenses with an almost inhuman fluidity. His strikes were precise, each one calculated to disable or kill with minimal effort. Steel met steel, the clang of blades ringing through the battlefield. Blood sprayed across the stone, the scent mixing with the acrid stench of burning torches.
A masked operative lunged from behind. Kaito didn't turn—he simply twisted his wrist, releasing a kunai backward without looking. The weapon struck true, embedding itself in the assassin's throat. The ANBU fell without a sound.
Then—
A pulse of ominous chakra. It coiled around him like a phantom whisper, sharp and unnatural. Kaito's gaze snapped toward the disturbance, his Mangekyo flaring. The enemy had revealed themselves.
He vanished, chasing the unseen force.
---
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 chuckle—low, mocking, brimming with amusement.
"Ha-ha-ha... I am Madara Uchiha."
The words dripped with arrogance, but Kaito felt the lie laced beneath them.
His Sharingan flickered, activating Predator's Instinct once more. Obito's presence pulsed in his senses—erratic, laced with deception. His chakra signature wavered, unstable yet powerful.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Scanning target…
Name: Obito Uchiha
Bloodline: Intermediate Sage Body (transplanted Hashirama cells), Mangekyo Sharingan (one eye)
Chakra Rank: Tokubetsu Jonin-level fluctuations, but… unstable.
______________________________________________________________________________
Kaito scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? Whispering threats from the shadows doesn't make you Madara."
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.