The explosion from the Uchiha clan drew the attention of many Konoha ninjas. Without waiting for Namikaze Minato's orders, numerous ninjas who heard the commotion in the village rushed toward the Uchiha compound.
Uchiha Obito had no missions during this period and was spending time with Kakashi and Rin. Upon hearing the explosion in the distance, though unaware of the situation, he immediately dashed toward the clan grounds.
Soon, Konoha ninjas gathered at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, only to be stopped by the clan's guards.
"What happened? Let us in!"
"Yeah! Don't block the way—what's going on?"
At the gate, the Konoha ninjas clamored at the guards, demanding entry. However, the guards remained resolute. Despite the increasing number of village ninjas, they showed no intention of allowing anyone in.
"Silence! I am under strict orders to guard this place—no one is allowed to enter the Uchiha compound!"
"This is a direct order from the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Raiden-sama!"
The guards stood their ground fearlessly, undeterred by the growing crowd.
"Fourth Hokage? Lord Raiden passed away long ago! What nonsense are you spouting? Move aside!"
"Yeah! Did Lord Raiden give you an order from the afterlife? Get out of the way!"
Rather than calming them, the guard's words only fueled the anger of some ninjas, who believed they were being mocked.
"Wait!" Just as the situation was about to escalate, Uchiha Obito quickly stepped forward, raising his arms to block the crowd.
"Everyone, calm down! The guard may not be lying!"
"The Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Raiden-sama, is truly alive and has returned to the village! Both Kakashi and Rin have seen him."
"If he gave this order, we should trust it!"
Having seen Uzumaki Raiden with his own eyes, Obito stood up to explain. Something about the situation felt off—since Uzumaki Raiden had issued an order, it was best to follow it without unnecessary complications.
Obito's words brought a brief silence to the scene. Over the years, Kakashi's team had completed numerous crucial missions. As the son of Konoha's White Fang, the genius Kakashi was well-known. Meanwhile, Uchiha Obito was regarded as an earnest young ninja, known for his honesty. Many trusted his character and believed that he wouldn't lie.
"Kakashi, is what Obito said true?"
"Is the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Raiden-sama, really alive and back in the village?"
Though most had already drawn their own conclusions, Obito's revelation was too shocking. Some still sought confirmation from Kakashi—after all, as the son of Konoha's White Fang, Kakashi wouldn't fabricate such claims.
"Yes," Kakashi answered simply, his firm tone sparking an uproar.
"It's true?! The Fourth Hokage is alive?!"
"This must be a directive from the village's higher-ups… There must be details about the battle we never knew!"
"This is groundbreaking news! We have to inform the others!"
Many recognized that Obito's revelation could significantly impact the village's power structure. The explosion in the Uchiha clan no longer seemed as urgent as before. Some began to disperse, and with their departure, the news of Uzumaki Raiden's return spread rapidly throughout the village.
Within the Uchiha Clan
Mikoto hurriedly left the shrine under Uchiha Fugaku's protection, rushing toward her home. She intended to seek Uzumaki Raiden's help for her husband.
However, she was unaware that Uzumaki Raiden was not at Fugaku's residence.
Meanwhile, at the shrine, the battle between Uchiha Fugaku and the rebels had entered a critical stage.
The sheer force of the Yasaka Magatama was immense. Thick dust filled the shrine's open area. A gust of cold wind swept through, clearing some of the smoke, revealing Susanoo's faint silhouette.
Moments later, the smoke fully dispersed, accompanied by a faint sound.
"It was blocked?" Uchiha Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he peered into the dust.
As expected, once the smoke cleared, Uchiha Susumu's Susanoo became visible. It had lost half of its body, showing significant damage. However, despite this, Susumu himself remained unharmed, looking only slightly exhausted inside Susanoo.
"Ugh—cough, cough!"
Uchiha Shin clutched his mouth, coughing violently as he struggled to stand. The burden of maintaining Susanoo was overwhelming for his frail, aging body—he could barely sustain it under Fugaku's assault.
"Brother!" Uchiha Kiyoshi called out with concern, glancing between his elder brother and Fugaku. As Kiyoshi's Mangekyō Sharingan activated, the space before Fugaku visibly distorted.
"What is this?" Fugaku immediately noticed the anomaly and tried to evade.
However, he was slightly too slow—one of Susanoo's arms completely vanished within the spatial distortion.
"Space-time ninjutsu?! How is this possible?"
Fugaku glanced at his now-missing Susanoo arm in shock, then turned his gaze toward Uchiha Kiyoshi. He quickly deduced that Kiyoshi's Mangekyō Sharingan ability revolved around space-time manipulation—the spatial severance he had just witnessed was undoubtedly Kiyoshi's Mangekyō technique.
"Troublesome…"
Fugaku assessed the situation carefully. Both Uchiha Susumu and Uchiha Kiyoshi possessed Mangekyō Sharingan, but while Fugaku had already analyzed Susumu's ability—likely controlling cold weapons—its proficiency was low, making it a limited threat.
However, he still lacked any insight into Susumu's second Mangekyō ability.
On the other hand, Uchiha Kiyoshi had now demonstrated his power—space-time ninjutsu. This was, without a doubt, the most dangerous threat Fugaku faced at the moment.
"Kiyoshi's casting speed isn't fast, and it seems to have a significant burden. He likely has a limited number of uses."
"It's powerful, but as long as I remain vigilant, dodging should be possible. The real concern is the second ability hidden within their Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Observing Kiyoshi clutching his eyes and crouching after using his technique, Fugaku glanced at his vanished Susanoo arm and exhaled slightly. Kiyoshi's technique was undeniably formidable—it had the power to bypass Susanoo's defense, boasting an exceptionally high attack potency.
However, the good news was that Kiyoshi seemed incapable of continuous usage, and the activation signs of his technique were glaringly obvious. As long as Fugaku remained cautious, evading it wouldn't be an issue.
Even so, Fugaku had no intention of allowing his opponents further chances to act. He aimed to eliminate any potential threats before they escalated. Once again, he channeled his Yasaka Magatama, this time targeting Uchiha Kiyoshi, the wielder of space-time ninjutsu.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
With a surge of pupil power, chakra flowed into Susanoo, launching a barrage of Yasaka Magatama toward Uchiha Kiyoshi. However, just before impact, the air in front of Kiyoshi twisted in an eerie manner. Within moments, the Yasaka Magatama vanished.
"It disappeared?!"
Fugaku's heart pounded in realization. In the next instant, an enormous and familiar chakra signature materialized behind him—a massive, spectral fist struck his Susanoo head-on.
A fiery explosion erupted.
"Boom!!!"
(End of Chapter)