Three days later, the Land of Taki was officially renamed the "Kingdom of Darkness," once again stirring up a wave of shock throughout the ninja world.
This was the first time a nation's name had shifted so close in spirit to that of a hidden village.
According to the announcement from the daimyo of the Land of Taki, the previous Takigakure Village had plotted a coup—and very nearly succeeded. It was only thanks to a single ninja, Uchiha Obito, that the rebellion was suppressed. As a reward for his heroic deeds, the daimyo had decided to rename the country in Obito's honor.
Naturally, the people—who still trusted the daimyo they had always supported—voiced no objections. On the contrary, many praised him for his wisdom.
And just like that, Uchiha Obito went from being the so-called invader of the Land of Taki to a national hero of the newly formed Kingdom of Darkness, a living legend.
The Hidden Shadow Village (Anyin) that Obito had established quickly rose to even greater fame.
Ordinary civilians who had once fled Longyin Village began returning to what was now Anyin Village. After all, Takigakure had been branded a rebel village. Those still associated with it would only suffer persecution.
To the common people, it didn't matter whether it was called Takigakure or Anyin Village. What mattered was that the village provided their livelihood and security.
And so, commercial activity in Anyin Village gradually resumed and returned to order.
Even Obito hadn't expected such a result. His only motivation for confronting the daimyo had been his dissatisfaction with the limited authority he'd been granted.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Sometimes, power really does move faster than strength.
Whether the daimyo acted out of self-preservation or something else, the outcome was favorable. The man even sent a personal letter to thank Obito.
Because if Anyin Village wanted to continue to grow, it couldn't afford to lose the support of the nation's ruler.
The daimyo, despite holding a lofty position, quickly accepted the new reality and pretended as though the events of three nights prior had never occurred. After witnessing Obito's overwhelming strength firsthand, he realized he had far too many reasons to rely on him.
Two more days passed.
The daimyo's mansion sent a construction fund for the village—a full 500 million ryo—which was half of what Kakuzu had once embezzled. That alone showed the daimyo's sincerity.
But financial support wasn't all. Due to a shortage of manpower in the Hidden Village, the daimyo also sent over a group of orphans. Obito personally inspected each one, keeping several hundred who showed potential to awaken chakra. The rest were given financial aid and sent elsewhere.
Those orphans would be the first generation of true Anyin Village shinobi. When they grew up, they would become the backbone of the village.
That was the internal development. Externally, the village also attracted attention.
One day, a red-haired woman arrived at the village gates carrying an infant girl in her arms. She asked to meet Uchiha Obito.
As soon as she laid eyes on him, the woman fell to her knees.
"Please," she begged, "please take in my child!"
"Stand up and talk," Obito said. "What happened?"
Still kneeling, the woman lifted her clothes. Her body was covered in horrifying bite marks.
Obito's eyes narrowed. This pattern...
"I'm from the Hidden Grass Village," the woman explained. "I was born with a rare bloodline. If someone bites me, they can absorb my chakra and heal. When I became pregnant, they killed my husband and abducted me."
She clutched the baby tightly.
"I endured everything for my child... But it seems she inherited this cursed bloodline too. I won't live much longer, and they want her. I escaped with everything I had. Please... give her a place to live."
Obito looked at the red-haired infant.
"What's her name?"
"Her name is Karin," the woman said.
Of course…
Obito asked, "Why come to me?"
The woman smiled weakly. "After I escaped to this land, I heard stories of your strength... and of your honor. I believed I could trust you. In truth, I had no other choice."
Obito nodded, and Mao Yue Xiyan stepped forward, gently taking the swaddled child from her arms.
"You can stay too," Obito said.
"I have no more ties to this world," the woman whispered. "With my daughter safe, I can finally rest."
Blood dribbled from her lips. She collapsed.
Xiyan bent down, checked her breath, and shook her head.
"She poisoned herself…"
Obito muttered, "Bury her properly. As for the child—I'll raise her. I'll teach her ninjutsu myself."
From behind him, Tobi (A Fei) approached and said, "That chakra absorption ability, the red hair... There's no doubt. She's from the Uzumaki Clan."
An Uzumaki... Karin—the girl who once loved Sasuke deeply—has now ended up here. Fate is strange indeed.
But fate had more in store.
That same night, under the full moon, Ghost Lantern Mangetsu arrived at the village.
"You're quicker than I expected," Obito said.
Mangetsu grinned. "After seeing your display at the Five Kage Summit and then looking at my own Mizukage... It was obvious. If there's any future for us, it's following you."
"A wise decision," Obito replied.
It was ironic. Not long ago, he had returned both the Explosive Sword and Bluntsword to Kirigakure. Yet here was Mangetsu, bringing with him five of the Seven Ninja Swords—everything but Samehada and the Thunder Sword.
If Yagura found out, he'd likely cough up blood in rage.
"What about Kisame?" Obito asked.
"He left too," Mangetsu replied. "But he said he wanted to join the Akatsuki."
"As I thought... That's the path he chose."
"Oh, and this is Suigetsu—my little brother. You mentioned him before, so I brought him. If Yagura caught wind of him being special, he wouldn't let Suigetsu live."
A small figure peeked from behind Mangetsu. He had the same light blue hair, the same sharp teeth, and wide, innocent eyes. He sucked on his fingers as he looked up at Obito.
After Karin, now Suigetsu too…?
Then Mangetsu's tone shifted. "By the way, a rather troublesome group came with me. They're waiting at the village gate."
"Oh?" Obito raised an eyebrow. "Let's go meet them."
At the gate, Obito saw them.
A group of wild-looking men stood in formation. They had ancestral hairstyles, red dots between their brows, and frenzied expressions.
"The Kaguya Clan of Kirigakure?" Obito's eyes darkened.
"Jie jie jie!" The leader laughed. "Lord Uchiha, after hearing about your greatness, we knew—you're the God of War sent to guide us! We live to fight! Give us a mission! Let us kill!!"
"Jiejiejiejie!!" the others cackled behind him, sounding like absolute madmen.
The Kaguya were born warriors. Unlike the Uchiha, who fought with strategy and passion, the Kaguya lived only for bloodshed. They existed to fight, and without it, they went mad—even if it meant their own destruction.
Obito had no plans to start a war right now. He knew—if he didn't give them what they wanted, they'd rebel sooner or later, just as they had in Kirigakure.
"So... you want to fight?"
Zzzch!
Beneath the mask, twin Mangekyō Sharingan lit up.
Susanoo—unleashed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sword swung.
Flesh and blood splattered across the battlefield.
"Such power—jie jie jie!" the Kaguya roared in ecstasy, laughing even as they died.
But Obito wasn't interested in power like this. These lunatics weren't the type of warriors he needed.
"You didn't hesitate at all," Mangetsu remarked, grinning with sharp teeth.
Obito turned away without a word.
Waaah! Waaah!
Suddenly, a baby's cry rang out from the mound of corpses.
Obito stopped, walked over, and bent down.
A silver-haired infant lay there, wailing. His small, pale face bore the unmistakable red marks of the Kaguya Clan.
Obito lifted the swaddling cloth. A nameplate hung at the infant's waist:
Kaguya Kimimaro.
"…So, fate really works like this, huh?" Obito murmured.