On the high mountain outside Konoha Village, Obito stood quietly with his hand pressed against the trunk of a tree, overlooking the Hidden Leaf below.
A faint breeze passed. After a few minutes, his hand slowly phased through the bark and emerged on the other side.
He narrowed his eyes in thought."So, the time limit for intangibility is five minutes. Once it's forcibly released, I'll need another five to reset..."
With a soft rumble, Zetsu emerged from the ground nearby.
"So this is where you vanished off to. Konoha's been thrown into a bit of chaos. The Third, Fourth, and a whole squad of Jonin are mobilizing. Was that your doing?" Zetsu asked.
"Yeah," Obito replied with a smirk. "Just dropped by for a bowl of ramen… and gave Danzo a little warning."
Zetsu moved beside him, gazing down at the Hidden Leaf."You only gave him a warning? No fatal blow? I assume the conditions weren't ideal."
Obito nodded. "Exactly. If the opportunity had been right, I would've removed that cancer from Konoha myself. But after tonight, I doubt he'll dare target the Nine-Tails again—at least for now."
"Hmph. Still sounds like you're not completely satisfied," Zetsu remarked.
Obito's tone turned cold. "Konoha is a deeply-rooted structure—an alliance of power, politics, and control. You can't topple that with brute force alone… not unless you attain the power of the Sage of Six Paths."
Zetsu gave him a sideways glance."You aiming for that level? Then why not start collecting the Tailed Beasts? Become a Jinchūriki like Madara planned."
Obito shook his head. "Madara turned Rin into the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki. She's dead. Without her, the Three-Tails won't reappear for another ten years. Even if I captured all the others, I couldn't form the Ten-Tails without it. So there's no point in rushing the Jinchūriki path now."
His gaze sharpened."Instead, I've decided to establish my own Hidden Village. Nagato's Akatsuki operates from the shadows. Mine will stand in the open."
Obito's plan echoed the failed ambitions of Orochimaru, who once formed the Sound Village to destroy Konoha. During the Chunin Exams, he even allied with the Sand Village—but still failed.
But Orochimaru's failure wasn't just because the Third Hokage sacrificed himself. The real problem was the weakness of Sound Village—it was never a true military power.
Obito wouldn't make that same mistake. His village would rival the Five Great Nations. A true superpower.
"A village of your own, huh? I like the sound of that!" Zetsu said with uncharacteristic excitement.
Obito smirked. "Once I obtain the full power of the First Hokage, we begin."
"So… about half a month from now," Zetsu mused.
Obito nodded."But first, I have to tie up some loose ends. There's something I need to take care of."
With that, he activated Kamui, warping away with Zetsu.
Back in the underground base, Obito changed into a new outfit—armor from the Warring States era, the same style Uchiha Madara once wore. With his long black hair and the armor strapped to his back, he truly looked like Madara reborn.
It wasn't an act of imitation. His destination required this appearance—it would give him the upper hand.
"You want me to wrap around you?" Zetsu asked.
"No. I want to experience battle firsthand this time," Obito replied.
Letting Zetsu enshroud him would enhance his Wood Release and defensive capabilities, but something about it felt hollow. The fights ended too quickly. He craved the heat of battle—the rush. That was the Uchiha way.
"Suit yourself," Zetsu shrugged, donning a black cloak.
"Where are you going?" a voice called out.
Obito turned to see Mao Yue Xiyang approaching.
"You want to come?" he asked, surprised.
She remained silent, eyes lowered. Her silence was answer enough.
Last night, Orochimaru's killing intent had shaken her to her core. Despite being Obito's captive, she would rather follow him than remain near Orochimaru. And deep down, she still hoped to find a weakness—maybe even a chance to escape.
Obito considered it, then said,"Fine. But it's a long journey. Go prepare."
"Can't you just use that eye technique of yours to teleport us?" she asked, testing the waters.
"I haven't marked our destination yet," Obito replied coolly.
"Oh," she said, turning to prepare.
Zetsu watched her go."You're surprisingly open about your powers. Isn't that dangerous, especially with someone who still wants to kill you?"
"A true powerhouse isn't afraid of being understood," Obito said confidently. "Even if she knows everything… she still won't be able to defeat me. Besides, I doubt she'll stay my enemy for long."
Zetsu blinked. "I'll never understand humans. I just like poop."
Obito ignored the comment."Anyway, we're going to retrieve a pet."
"A summoning beast?"
"Not quite. Since Kushina's pregnant, the Nine-Tails is off-limits. But the Eight-Tails... he's the next best thing."
Obito planned to head to Kumogakure and capture the Eight-Tails—not to become its Jinchūriki, but to control it as a summoning beast, the same way Madara once controlled the Nine-Tails.
Zetsu tilted his head. "Why not grab the Two-Tails too? With your eye power, controlling two Tailed Beasts shouldn't be hard."
"If I take both, the balance among the five great nations will collapse. That would trigger another war."
Indeed, the tailed beasts were distributed among the villages to maintain military balance and a fragile peace. The Land of Lightning, home to Kumogakure, had two Tailed Beasts. If one was lost, the balance would wobble. If both disappeared, war was inevitable.
"Aren't you the peace-loving type?" Zetsu teased.
Obito scoffed."Not at all. I just don't want the war to begin prematurely. If the Jinchūriki die, the tailed beasts die too. The more chakra a beast has, the longer it takes to resurrect."
The Three-Tails would take ten years to return. Others, decades. The Nine-Tails? It could take centuries.
Obito's gaze turned deadly serious."This fake peace must be preserved… at least until the day my Rinnegan finally awakens."
Behind the wall, Mao Yue Xiyang pressed her ear to the door, cold sweat running down her back.
And so, the three of them began their journey toward the Land of Lightning.
But the Fire and Lightning countries didn't share a border. The fastest route would take them through the Land of Water.
That meant passing through the Mist Village during its bloodiest era—under the rule of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura. It was known as the "Village of the Bloody Mist," a place where outsiders were hunted down without mercy.
Danger lay ahead.
And Obito welcomed it.
The next night, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, Obito stood before a thick, ominous fog that stretched as far as the eye could see.
From beneath his mask, his Sharingan burned with excitement.
"Don't disappoint me… Bloody Mist."