Without Uchiha Andrew's intervention, there was no one on the coalition side capable of stopping Obito from using Kamui. They could only watch helplessly as the remaining members of the Akatsuki vanished before their eyes.
Still, not everything was lost. At least five of the Paths of Pain—excluding the Deva Path—remained on the battlefield, one for each of the other villages to study.
The reason Andrew hadn't used his "Heaven's Judgment" lightning technique to trap Obito wasn't because he wanted the Akatsuki to escape—it was because, frankly, he was exhausted.
Even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, which removed the crippling drawbacks of the regular Mangekyō, his eye techniques still consumed immense chakra and pupil power. This time, the Deva Path was far from Nagato's true body, and the range of Andrew's time-stopping technique had been unprecedentedly huge. On top of that, targeting so many individuals at once—ranging from Sannin-level fighters to entire coalition squads—put him under immense pressure.
The strain was so great that, immediately after releasing the time stop, Andrew collapsed unconscious.
Ohnoki and the other Kage understood what had happened. Just moments earlier, the Akatsuki had been preparing to unleash their most devastating attack, and it was Andrew's pupil technique that prevented the Immortal Eye's power from being unleashed. They had seen the blood seeping from his eyes; it was clear the price had been steep.
Although he hadn't summoned Susanoo during the battle, the sheer power of his eye technique spoke for itself. Forcing the Rinnegan's ability to a dead stop was more impressive than any flashy display they could see with their eyes.
Not long after, reinforcements from each village arrived. They began combing through the wreckage of the Rain Village, searching for survivors and tending to the wounded.
The surviving Kage and representatives gathered in what was left of a meeting hall. The mood was grim—almost suffocating.
The outcome of the war was difficult to even discuss. For the coalition, the situation was beyond embarrassing. With the exception of Kirigakure, the other four villages' forces had been nearly obliterated. In total, fewer than thirty survivors remained from what had once been elite armies numbering in the hundreds.
"Damn it!" The Fourth Raikage slammed his fist against the table, his voice thick with frustration. "I didn't expect the Immortal Eye to be this terrifying! The strength—and the ruthlessness—of the Akatsuki surpassed everything we imagined!"
He knew the damage done to their side was catastrophic. If Andrew hadn't stopped the Immortal Eye's release, their losses could have been even worse—possibly fatal for all remaining forces.
The Raikage made a mental note: from this day on, the Akatsuki would be considered a top-level threat by the Five Great Villages. Even without the Rinnegan, their strength was far too dangerous to underestimate.
Ohnoki and Terumi Mei stayed quiet. Mist Village had also suffered heavy losses, but compared to the other villages, they had fared far better. Still, Terumi Mei wasn't feeling lucky—Akatsuki's strength meant any future encounter could be just as disastrous.
After all, the coalition this time had been made up of the best from every major village. On paper, they were stronger than any single great nation's forces… yet the battle had ended in humiliation.
For Sarutobi Shinnosuke of Konoha and Baki of the Sand Village, returning home would be painful. In their contingents, aside from themselves, not a single shinobi had survived. Explaining that to their leaders would be like walking into their own execution.
Then Andrew spoke up, his voice calm but firm:
> "You were too reckless in this war. You charged into the Rain Village without knowing enough about the Akatsuki's defenses. That ignorance allowed their traps—like the exploding tag fields—to cause maximum damage. If you had allowed sensory teams to properly scout the area, that initial blast wouldn't have taken so many lives."
His words carried weight. There had been an element of calculation on his part during the battle, yes—but it was still true that the coalition commanders had underestimated their enemy.
Whether it was the Raikage, the Tsuchikage, or Mizukage Terumi Mei, all three had failed in the same way. They hadn't treated the Akatsuki as a true war opponent, instead seeing them as just another dangerous organization to be crushed with overwhelming force.
Perhaps their earlier victories had given them false confidence. They had expected an easy battle, not a grueling war against an opponent that could match, and even surpass, a great nation.
The end result was clear—because of their arrogance and prejudice, a winning situation had turned into a stain on their reputations. The Five Great Villages had attacked a single organization and failed to destroy it, even allowing its leaders to escape.
Then Ohnoki suddenly turned to Andrew.
> "Regarding the Rinnegan… did the Uchiha truly reveal all the information you had?"
The lack of intel had been a serious issue. The coalition had been unprepared for the Akatsuki's tactics, from the exploding tags to the puppet army—and especially for that last, interrupted Rinnegan technique. The sheer pressure of its chakra had been overwhelming even before it was unleashed.
For Ohnoki, it was suspicious that Andrew had reacted so perfectly at the last moment to stop it. If the Uchiha had known more than they'd admitted, it would mean they had withheld critical information from supposed allies.
Andrew didn't get angry. Instead, he spoke evenly:
> "Yes, we noticed the Akatsuki earlier than most—but at that time, the Uchiha didn't have the strength to investigate them fully. You all know the reason why."
The room went silent. Everyone knew the "reason"—Konoha's politics had weakened the Uchiha clan before this war.
Andrew continued:
> "When we finally could investigate, we weren't ahead of you by much. The only reason we knew slightly more was because of Uchiha Obito's involvement.
As for the Immortal Eye—it was nothing but a legend until recently. We had no way to understand its true power. And remember—each Mangekyō user has unique abilities. Who could guarantee the Immortal Eye would work the way it did today?"
Then his tone hardened:
> "Another thing—you seem to forget that I wasn't here as part of your coalition. The Uchiha are not bound to you by alliance. I warned you about the Akatsuki as a courtesy, not as an obligation. I didn't tell you to attack them, and I never agreed to supply you with intelligence."
His meaning was crystal clear—the coalition had lost, and they had no right to push the blame onto the Uchiha. This was business cooperation, nothing more.
> "We Uchiha were not part of this war," Andrew concluded coldly, "so why should we bear your blame?"
The hall fell silent. No one could answer him.
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