Uchiha Naka Shrine.
At the center of the shrine, the atmosphere was tense.
Obito—once Yamato Arata in another world, now fully inhabiting Uchiha Obito's body—stood among the shadows, listening in silence.
The gathering of Uchiha clan members buzzed with rising discontent. Furious voices echoed through the hall. But when Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader, slowly opened his eyes, the voices hushed. His gaze shifted toward his wife, Mikoto, standing behind the crowd.
She looked visibly worried. Her hand gently rested on her slightly swollen belly. She was several months pregnant.
Beside her stood a five-year-old boy—Itachi Uchiha. His small hand clasped Mikoto's fingers with a sense of maturity beyond his years.
"Itachi," Mikoto murmured, her voice laced with concern.
"Mom," Itachi said softly but firmly, "no matter what happens, I'll protect Sasuke."
A flicker of warmth touched Mikoto's expression. "We don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet. How do you know it's Sasuke?"
Itachi just smiled gently, offering no reply.
Itachi… such a thoughtful child, Mikoto thought.
Fugaku turned his gaze back to the clan and raised his voice.
"Everyone, listen to me."
The murmuring quieted. All eyes turned to the clan head.
"The village is in a state of crisis. If we take any reckless action now, it will only deepen their distrust of us and place the Uchiha in an even more dangerous position."
"Captain! We've already been pushed to the edge. How much worse can it get?!"
"That's right! If we keep swallowing our pride, the higher-ups will think we're spineless. That would be the real disaster!"
Fugaku's voice rang out, firm and commanding: "Then answer me this—if a war breaks out now, what are the chances of Uchiha winning?"
Silence fell. Many clan members lowered their heads.
They couldn't argue. The Uchiha clan's future rebellion was only considered possible because of the presence of powerful shinobi—Itachi, whose talent was unmatched and had already gained the trust of the upper ranks, and Shisui, the "Body Flicker," whose strength rivaled even the most elite ninja in the village.
But now, Itachi was still a child, his talent yet to be recognized. And Shisui had not yet made a name for himself.
"Even so…" someone muttered under their breath, still unwilling to give in.
Fugaku cut him off. "I know what you're thinking. The Third Hokage has been seriously injured, but don't forget—Tsunade has returned to the village. She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage, one of the Legendary Sannin, and her strength is immense. Do you really think we have the upper hand?"
"But what about the Fourth Hokage…"
"Have you all forgotten who the Fourth Hokage is?" Fugaku's sharp words jolted the room.
The Yellow Flash.
"That man—no matter where he is—can appear at any spot in Konoha in the blink of an eye!"
"Besides, as Hokage, he oversees every corner of the village. Do you think he'd leave the village without making arrangements? I'm certain he's already placed operatives throughout Konoha."
His words quelled the flames of rebellion.
It was all true.
"Damn it! Are we—the proud Uchiha—really going to bow to the Senju's rule?!"
"Wait, Captain! What about Uchiha Yu? He's one of us—he defeated Hanzo, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Mizukage, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, and even the Third Hokage himself! Why don't we bring him back to the clan? With his help, we could actually win this!"
The moment that name was spoken, the room stirred.
"That's right! I can't believe we didn't think of him!"
"If Uchiha Yu returns, what are the Sannin to us? What is the Yellow Flash to us?!"
Hidden among the trees nearby, Obito—still known by many as "Uchiha Yu"—sat calmly, popping a small snack into his mouth as he watched the commotion unfold through a crystal ball.
"A single leaf can blind the eye and block out the sun," he muttered. "The Uchiha… they really are short-sighted. Their Sharingan sees everything—except what matters."
"To me, only Itachi and Shisui are worthy of admiration."
"Hmm? Itachi and Shisui?" asked the woman beside him—Yugao Uzuki.
Obito tilted the crystal ball to show her a different view—two children sitting quietly at the back of the room.
"See them?"
"They're just kids," Yugao said.
"These two will one day shake the entire shinobi world. As for how I know…"
"Don't tell me—your overpowered Sharingan showed you the future again?" Yugao teased.
Obito chuckled. "Ah, you're too sharp. You already know what I was going to say."
Back inside the shrine—
"Are you all blind?" Fugaku's voice thundered again.
"Captain?!"
"Uchiha Yu… Whether he shares our blood or not—do any of you know his true background? His motives? His power? We know nothing, but he knows everything about us. Working with someone like that would be like dancing with a tiger. It would drag the Uchiha straight into the abyss."
He paused, eyes hard.
"That's why we must not ally with him. In fact, we need to distance ourselves from him. I've told the village elders many times—Yu's name does not appear in our clan's registry. Not in the past. Not now. Not ever in the future."
"I forbid anyone from mentioning him again. If anyone disobeys, they'll be severely punished!"
"Then what should we do, Captain? Just keep swallowing our pride?"
Fugaku considered for a moment.
"I'll seek negotiation. The Third Hokage is reasonable, and the Fourth—he was personally mentored by the Third. They both inherited the same ideals. The true cause of our clan's current situation lies with others in the leadership. If we can gain the trust of both Hokage, change is possible."
"That's all. Meeting dismissed."
The shrine doors opened, and clan members slowly filed out, expressions mixed with doubt and frustration.
"Captain Fugaku is too cautious…"
"He's just scared for his unborn child. Hmph, if that kid were to die, maybe he'd finally stop hesitating," one clan member muttered darkly.
The words sent a chill through several others, whose eyes gleamed with something dangerous.
In the woods, Obito's gaze sharpened as he watched the flames flicker.
"Hah. It's that guy again. First he tried to rally them in my name, now he's sowing division. He must be Danzo's spy, planted in the Uchiha. He's getting impatient."
"The Uchiha are on the verge of rebellion," Yugao said.
"Why would Danzo want that?" she asked.
Obito didn't answer.
Because last time, I scared Danzo. Now he's desperate to harvest more Sharingan for his experiments…
But Obito needed Danzo alive—for now. He had a purpose. Only in chaos would Shisui and Itachi awaken their Mangekyō Sharingan.
Suddenly, in the shadows behind the departing crowd, a young man paused, sensing something.
"Shisui, what's wrong?" Itachi asked.
"…Nothing. Just a feeling," Shisui replied. Then added quietly, "Itachi, tell your father to protect Aunt Mikoto. Something feels off. There might be people planning to spark a coup… by attacking the unborn child."
"I know," Itachi said. His voice turned sharp. "I won't let anyone harm Sasuke."
"…Your eyes, Itachi!" Shisui exclaimed.
A single tomoe glimmered faintly in Itachi's Sharingan.
Obito smiled.
Worry… It's what forces people to grow.
As he and Yugao prepared to leave the area, a group of shinobi suddenly appeared before them.
"Well, well… the infamous Uchiha Yu," a familiar voice said as one figure stepped forward.
Kakashi Hatake.
"You certainly don't know how to keep a low profile."