With two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan appearing simultaneously, Ōnoki could no longer contain his shock. His expression hardened as he locked eyes with one of them and exclaimed,
"You are a rogue ninja of Konoha! Uchiha Itachi!"
When Itachi defected, Ōnoki had seen his portrait circulated among the villages. That sense of familiarity he had felt earlier now made sense. With the Mangekyō Sharingan fully revealed, he was certain of Itachi's identity.
Chiga glanced calmly at him and said,
"Itachi is now the Anbu Captain of Konoha, not some rogue ninja."
Sasuke's Sharingan activated at once. Although his Three-Tomoe eyes looked weak compared to two Mangekyō, it was still a clear statement that he was Uchiha.
Ōnoki's mind reeled. Konoha had suddenly appeared with not one, not two, but three Uchiha! Had the Uchiha Clan truly risen from the ashes?
Mei Terumi and Black Earth were just as stunned. No wonder these three carried such an imposing aura—they were all Uchiha.
Boom!
A burst of force cracked the walls as A, the Raikage, leaped forward. His face was grim, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he fixed on Chiga. The memory of their earlier clash was still fresh: a shinobi known for unmatched Taijutsu had been completely overpowered by a single Uchiha.
The crowd had yet to fully recover from the sight.
Chiga looked at A indifferently and asked,
"Do you still want to fight?"
A's fists clenched tightly, his body surging with power. He was ready to attack again, but Darui suddenly appeared beside him, shaking his head. His calm temperament allowed him to see what A could not: another fight would only bring humiliation.
A exhaled heavily, twin streams of breath escaping his nostrils, before finally lowering his hands. Darui guided him back, though his eyes shifted uneasily toward Hī.
Hī's face was blank, his movements stiff. Darui's expression darkened as he realized what had happened.
"He's trapped in Genjutsu!"
Darui immediately bowed toward Konoha's side.
"Hokage-sama, it was our mistake just now. Please, have your subordinate release Hī from the Genjutsu."
Itachi's Mangekyō spun slowly as he glanced at Chiga. With only a slight nod from Chiga, Itachi released the illusion. Hī staggered, nearly collapsing, but Darui caught him.
The realization hit them hard. Hī, one of the Cloud's few Genjutsu specialists, had fallen effortlessly to Itachi. His defeat meant the Hidden Cloud had lost completely in this confrontation.
Minato sighed softly.
The Uchiha Clan is truly a treasure of Konoha… yet the village destroyed it with their own hands. Thankfully, Chiga still remains.
But the tension in the air was far from over.
Space itself distorted, and a masked man appeared, standing on the table with chilling composure. He wore the black cloak with red clouds of the Akatsuki.
A shot up from his seat, roaring,
"You're Akatsuki!"
The masked man turned his head slowly, his single Sharingan gleaming. A's eyes widened in horror.
"You… you're Uchiha too!?"
The masked man's voice was cold.
"Hmph, I am Uchiha Madara."
Ōnoki froze, disbelief etched into every line of his face. Three Uchiha had been shocking enough—but now one stood before them claiming to be Madara himself!
The room descended into a strange silence. His appearance was openly hostile, his very presence a declaration of war, yet none dared to move recklessly. The weight of the Uchiha name held them back.
Chiga, however, remained calm. He knew Obito's true identity, but letting him continue his performance served his own interests.
The others hesitated, but fear restrained them. A moment ago, A had been humiliated twice by Uchiha power. No one wanted to be next.
Obito himself was briefly unsettled. He had practically thrown provocation in their faces, yet they sat frozen, silent and cautious. Was the name Uchiha Madara truly this overwhelming?
His gaze shifted toward Chiga, who gave him a small, approving nod. That reassurance was enough. Obito's confidence returned.
He turned back to A, his voice cutting through the silence.
"The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki is still in your village, isn't he? Hand him over."
The words ignited A's fury. Though Killer Bee was not his blood brother, their bond was as strong as family. To threaten him was unforgivable.
Lightning surged as A's body exploded into motion, his leg sweeping toward Obito with crackling force. But his strike passed through nothing. Obito's body blurred into intangibility, and A spun awkwardly from the momentum.
Gritting his teeth, he attacked again, fist slamming forward—only for it too to phase harmlessly through Obito's form.
The other Kage joined in, their techniques filling the hall—sand, lava, and even Dust Release tearing across the space. But when the smoke cleared, Obito stood untouched in the center of the table, his gaze mocking.
Kamui's intangibility was too unfair. Unless he made a mistake, none of them could touch him.
Seeing this, the four Kage returned to their seats, their eyes shifting to Chiga.
Chiga rose slowly, Mangekyō gleaming as he said,
"Do not waste your strength. This is a space-time ability of the Uchiha Clan. No matter how much chakra you expend, it will not harm him."
Obito smirked.
"As expected of one of my clan. You understand far better than these fools."
"You—!" A's temper flared again, but the humiliation of being powerless silenced him.
Mei Terumi frowned, her voice cautious.
"As fellow Uchiha, you must know how to counter him, don't you?"
Chiga chuckled softly, his gaze unreadable.
"Of course."
At that moment, Obito understood the signal. His body began to fade into Kamui's distortion. His voice rang out firmly before he vanished completely.
"I have no interest in fighting my own clan today. I am here as Akatsuki to declare war on the Five Kage. We will meet again on the battlefield."
The space rippled once more, and he was gone.
The remaining Kage exchanged tense looks. To them, Obito's retreat appeared to be out of fear—fear of Chiga.