The one most shaken by Kirito's words wasn't anyone else—it was Hatake Kakashi.
At that moment, Kakashi's mind felt as if it had been struck by lightning. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were now vacant, filled with shock and disbelief. Memories, buried and suppressed for years, came rushing back in an overwhelming torrent.
Meanwhile, Kirito's words continued to ripple through the battlefield.
Even the man claiming to be Uchiha Madara froze momentarily. Behind his mask, no one could see his expression, but the tension in his posture was evident.
"Wait, what did Kirito just say?"
"Obito? Who's Obito?"
"Does anyone know this Obito?"
Whispers filled the battlefield as the name spread like wildfire.
"Uchiha Obito? Isn't he from Konoha?"
"Yeah, I remember now. He was Hatake Kakashi's teammate and a student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
"Wasn't he killed during the Third Ninja War?"
"That's right! The boy who always wore goggles and dreamed big… they said he was crushed by a boulder."
The realization hit like a shockwave.
"Wait... is Kirito saying this masked man is Uchiha Obito pretending to be Madara?"
The whispers grew louder. The truth, so long buried, was slowly unraveling. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, narrowed his sharp eyes, observing the supposed "Madara" with newfound suspicion.
For Hiruzen, the mention of Obito sparked memories of old reports. He had personally reviewed the boy's death during the war—a tragic loss that had barely been mourned beyond his surviving teammates and teacher. But now?
If this masked man truly was Obito, why had he turned against Konoha?
As the puzzle pieces connected, Hiruzen felt the weight of unanswered questions. Was this a result of Konoha's decisions, like the destruction of the Uchiha clan? Or was it something deeper, something older?
Yuhi Kurenai, standing among the gathered shinobi, wore an expression of disbelief. "Obito?" she murmured. "He was such a bright, hopeful boy…" She trailed off, her eyes flickering toward Kirito, who seemed so certain.
Even Orochimaru, infamous for his detached amusement, narrowed his eyes in thought. His tongue flicked out in curiosity. **Obito… pretending to be Madara?**
The idea intrigued him.
A slow realization dawned: the masked man was two generations younger than Orochimaru. Obito had been Minato's student, while Minato had trained under Jiraiya. Jiraiya had been Orochimaru's peer.
Was this "Madara" really just a junior shinobi putting on a performance? Orochimaru chuckled darkly at the thought.
The battlefield grew silent as all eyes turned to the masked man. Even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and his brother, Tobirama, exchanged confused glances. The details of this era were unknown to them, but curiosity shone in their eyes.
In the stillness, Kakashi finally stirred. He moved swiftly to Kirito's side, his hand gripping Kirito's arm with an almost desperate force.
"Kirito," Kakashi said, his voice trembling, "what are you saying? This… this man… Obito? No, it's not possible."
Kakashi's words wavered, his usually calm demeanor shattered. "I saw him die. I saw his body buried beneath the rocks. Obito… he couldn't have survived."
Memories flooded Kakashi's mind—Obito's smile, his optimism, and those final words: *"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum!"*
Kakashi's hands trembled as those words repeated endlessly in his head. Could that bright boy, who had once believed in Konoha and its ideals, really have fallen so far?
Kirito's calm, steady gaze met Kakashi's turmoil-filled eyes. "Kakashi, if you want to know the truth, use the Mangekyō Sharingan. You'll sense it for yourself."
The battlefield held its breath as Kakashi hesitated, then slowly removed the headband covering his Sharingan.
The moment his Sharingan locked onto the masked man, something shifted. The red, three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as Kakashi's Mangekyō glowed with power.
Kakashi's voice broke through the silence, trembling with disbelief and anguish. "You… you have Obito's chakra signature. You're… Obito, aren't you?"
At those words, the masked man stiffened. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, with an almost theatrical gesture, he raised his hands to his mask and removed it.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The face beneath the mask was older, scarred, but unmistakable. It was Obito.
The revelation shook the battlefield to its core. A boy who had once dreamed of being Hokage now stood as an enemy to the very village he had once sworn to protect.
The silence was finally broken by Kirito's calm voice, cutting through the chaos like a blade:
"So, Uchiha Obito… what will you say now?"