Where there's light, there's always darkness...
A snowfield shook violently as a sea of trees erupted—thick trunks surging like living serpents, binding the Five Kage and their guards.
"Damn it! You're just some walking kindling—don't underestimate the Raikage!" A roared voice rang out as the Fourth Raikage burst free of the wood holding him down. But no sooner had he broken loose than even more, thicker trees surged up and restrained him again.
Obito stood high above, on top of a massive tree branch, arms folded, his gaze cold and detached.
"That technique..." Minato Namikaze murmured, eyes narrowing. "It can't be mistaken. That's Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence—the First Hokage's signature technique."
With a flash of yellow light, Minato vanished from the grasp of the wooden bindings using the Flying Thunder God Technique. Reappearing nearby, he helped the other Kage and guards escape one by one.
Obito didn't move. He simply stood there, looking down like a quiet observer.
"Damn Uchiha! You've humiliated me—come down here and fight like a man!!" the Raikage bellowed, glaring up at him.
Obito's tone remained calm. "I've already said—I'm not here to fight you. Otherwise, what I used just now wouldn't have been Deep Forest Emergence... it would've been Flower Tree World Blooming."
Raikage sneered. "Bluffing again? You just summoned a few damn trees. If you won't come down, I'll go up and cut you to pieces!"
Minato quickly interjected, "Everyone, he's not exaggerating. Flower Tree World Blooming unleashes a wave of paralyzing pollen. No matter how fast you are, once that pollen hits, it's over. The fact that he's not using it means he doesn't want an all-out fight."
Raikage's jaw clenched. "Damn Sharingan... damn Wood Release!"
He stopped struggling.
"The Fourth Hokage still understands things best," Obito remarked as he slowly sat down on the massive branch.
"Obito..." Minato said, choosing the name carefully, "...you escaped our coordinated strike earlier using Wood Clone Technique, didn't you?"
Obito raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You noticed? Yes—it was a Wood Clone. It can use all my Sharingan abilities and jutsu. Even if it's hit by a powerful attack, it won't vanish—unless…"
"...Unless the clone is killed," Minato finished, eyes narrowing.
He's not just using the First Hokage's techniques... He's mastered high-level Wood Release. Flower Tree Blooming... Wood Clone... and possibly the Wood Dragon, the Wood Golem too.
With a slow whoosh, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, levitated into the air with his hands behind his back. "According to the intelligence we've gathered, Obito did gain access to some Wood Release abilities. But this? This level... How is that possible?"
Minato replied gravely, "I fear... he's obtained the First Hokage's complete genetic material."
Ōnoki's eyes widened. "Impossible! Haven't you Konoha people tried hundreds, thousands of times and failed? Are you saying this man succeeded?!"
"This only proves one thing..." Minato said, clenching his fist. "Obito may surpass both Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. His power now is even greater than when he defeated the Third Hokage. I'm not even sure I could stop him..."
Obito gave a faint smile. "I only acquired this strength recently. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't have dared stand before all five of you like this."
Using a Wood Clone as my avatar was the right choice, he thought. With Minato's battle instincts and Ōnoki's Dust Release, I would've been in serious danger otherwise.
Ōnoki scowled. "Then why show yourself now? Just to flaunt your strength?"
Obito chuckled. "Do I seem that bored to you? I came here to make an announcement—one that will shake the structure of the entire ninja world."
Raikage scoffed. "You're full of yourself. Say whatever nonsense you want. I'm ready to laugh."
Obito raised a single finger. "I, Uchiha Obito, hereby declare the establishment of the Sixth Great Ninja Village—Yin Village. I am its First Shadow."
The Five Kage froze, stunned.
"Are you out of your mind?! You think you can just start a village and call yourself a Kage?! What country would dare recognize you—an enemy of the entire ninja world?!" Raikage shouted.
Obito smirked. "Your ears are as broken as your arms, Thunder Shadow. I'm not proposing anything. I'm announcing a fact."
"You mean your Yin Village already exists?" Ōnoki asked.
"Correct," Obito said coolly. "Just half a day ago—while you were on your way to this summit—I razed Takigakure to the ground and built my village atop its ruins."
Shock rippled through the group.
"Impossible!" someone cried. "Takigakure is the strongest of the minor Hidden Villages! They had tailed beasts! They were even stronger than Amegakure, where Hanzo the Salamander ruled! How could they be wiped out so easily?!"
"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Obito replied calmly. "But the truth doesn't wait for your belief. By now, your countries and villages should already know. It's only you here who are still in the dark."
At that moment, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, crossed his arms and spoke up. "I can back up part of what he's saying. On my way here, I saw a beam of light from an enormous explosion in the direction of the Land of Waterfalls. It lined up exactly with Takigakure's location."
The others fell silent. Reality sank in.
"So what? The Land of Waterfalls is a small country. Even if you set up a village there, what gives you the right to stand equal to us?" Raikage growled.
Ōnoki nodded. "Exactly. Hanzo of the Salamander was stronger than many Kage, but he never earned the title. You're just another rogue ninja playing god."
Obito laughed softly. "That's why I brought something interesting for you all to see."
He bit his thumb, wiped it with blood, and began forming hand seals: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram…
Summoning Jutsu!
Boom!
An immense wave of chakra surged forth, shaking the ground. From the rising white smoke came a terrifying presence.
Raikage's eyes went wide. "That chakra… the Eight-Tails?!"
Obito smiled. "I'm not done yet."
He performed another summoning.
Boom!
Another massive chakra signature erupted beside the Eight-Tails. When the smoke cleared, the Five Kage stood in stunned silence.
"That's… the Seven-Tails from Takigakure?!"
Obito now stood with two of the most powerful tailed beasts—second only to the Nine-Tails—by his side.
"You five love to use tailed beasts to maintain balance among your villages. You've bent over backward to find new Jinchūriki. But honestly? It doesn't have to be that complicated."
His Mangekyō Sharingan flared beneath the mask—its pupil power surging outward like a tidal wave.
Both the Seven-Tails and Eight-Tails opened their mouths in unison, gathering dense black-and-purple chakra—
—Tailed Beast Bombs!
"He's... controlling both tailed beasts at once... with just his eyes?!"
The two massive orbs launched into the sky—arcing over the Five Kage before slamming into the distant mountain range.
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions shook the earth. A column of light rose hundreds of meters into the air. The mountain was vaporized. The Kage watched in stunned silence as the shockwave swept across the horizon.
Obito looked down at them all, eyes gleaming.
"Well? Now... am I qualified to be called Shadow?"