The movements of Naruto had always been top secret within Konoha. Ordinary ninjas, or even elite Jonin who weren't involved in the matter, had no right to know the details.
However, one thing was recognized by the entire shinobi world: "A" had collected all the Tailed Beasts but had spared Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This was the exact reason Obito had come directly to Konoha to find Naruto.
The Konoha side was secretly lamenting their luck.
Because Shinji hadn't taken Naruto from the village itself, but from the isolated Mount Myoboku, the two consultant elders were unable to prove their innocence—even though they had already spinelessly chosen to submit.
Obito clearly didn't believe them.
He floated slowly higher into the air, beginning to build up his pupil power as he spoke: "Since you cannot hand over Uzumaki Naruto, then there is no longer any reason for Konoha Village to exist!"
"What!?"
"No, stop!"
"Dammit..."
Looking at Obito, whose chakra was surging more fiercely by the second, the Konoha ninjas below felt their souls tremble in terror. They didn't doubt for a second that Obito had the power to destroy the village; his previous strike had already proven it.
Watching the people of Konoha below—some in despair, some roaring in anger, some weeping—Obito's expression remained indifferent.
He was already prepared to resume the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan. In that illusory world, everyone would find happiness; to achieve that goal, destroying Konoha held no psychological burden for him. Furthermore, he didn't believe Koharu Utatane's explanation; he felt that as long as he destroyed Konoha, Naruto would be forced to reveal himself.
Seeing that Obito was playing for keeps, Jiraiya, pinned under the rubble, shouted: "What are you all standing there for? Run!"
The Konoha ninjas who could still move, or those who had just arrived as reinforcements, suddenly woke from their daze and began to flee in all directions in a frantic scramble.
Obito didn't stop them. He simply watched and enjoyed the moment. For someone who had always operated from the shadows and relied on underhanded tactics, this felt like a door to a brand-new world had opened.
"Is this the feeling of power?" Obito chuckled and whispered, "I truly am the savior of the shinobi world!"
Then, without further hesitation or concern for his pupil power, he prepared to launch a Shinra Tensei even more powerful than the last. This time, he intended to wipe Konoha off the map entirely.
On the ground, whether they were running for their lives or had given up, everyone looked up in despair at Obito in the sky, waiting for judgment to fall. At this moment, even time and space seemed to freeze.
"Become history, Konoha Village!" Obito laughed softly, spreading his arms: "Shinra Ten—"
Whoosh!
Before Obito could finish his sentence, a figure abruptly appeared in front of him and pressed a palm firmly against his face.
The sudden shock caused Obito to instinctively cancel the activation of Shinra Tensei. He looked at the person before him with wide, startled eyes. "A!?"
Undoubtedly, the person appearing before Obito was the arriving Shinji.
He hadn't expected Obito's initiative to be so high—barely having sealed the Ten-Tails and become a Jinchuriki, without even pausing for breath, the man had turned around and attacked Konoha. Shinji had initially gone to the ocean only to find it empty, which was why he had rushed back.
Obito quickly regained his senses. Seeing Shinji pressing a hand against his face, he flew into a rage: "You're seeking death! Do you think I'm the same as before!?"
With a roar, he swung a fist at Shinji.
Shinji didn't even acknowledge the punch. He simply slammed the palm holding Obito's head downward, driving him from the sky into the ground. With a thunderous boom, Obito was smashed into the earth!
This sudden turn of events left the people of Konoha dumbfounded.
A moment ago, they were on the brink of death, seemingly destined to become ghosts under Obito's dojutsu. In the next moment, the man who held their lives in his hands was pinned to the ground by "A," unable to move.
"Am I dreaming?" This thought flashed through the minds of everyone in Konoha simultaneously.
Glancing at the ravaged village, Shinji sighed. He opened a spatial gate, grabbed the still-dazed Obito, and vanished into it.
A Different Dimension.
Shinji stepped through the spatial gate and tossed Obito onto the ground. This was the same dimension where he had defeated Otsutsuki Isshiki—uninhabited and desolate, the perfect battlefield to deal with Obito.
Obito scrambled up and immediately retreated to a distance.
Crack.
The swirl mask on his face, unable to withstand the pressure from Shinji's hand earlier, shattered and fell to the ground, revealing the slightly startled face behind it.
Shinji said plainly, "The moment I look away, you go and cause a massive mess."
Obito looked around at the endless wasteland and smirked. "This place is good. No nuisances to interrupt us."
Shinji was speechless, though he didn't much care. The Uchiha were like this—occasionally plagued by inexplicable confidence—and the Obito before him was the most extreme case. Unlike Sasuke, who mostly wanted to change himself, Obito wanted to change the entire world to fit his desires.
However, it was precisely because Obito was so pure and extreme that the Sacrifice Plan had gone so smoothly. With anyone else, it might not have been possible to become a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and Otsutsuki-fy so efficiently.
At this moment, Obito, staff in hand, floated into the air once more. "Uchiha Shinji, we are now in the same realm. We can have a fair duel!"
Shinji shook his head and laughed. "The same realm?"
Even without consuming a Chakra Fruit, Shinji, as a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, was several times stronger than Obito. Furthermore, his Susanoo Tsukuyomi managed five pairs of high-level dojutsu—including the Kurogane, Tenseigan, and Rinnegan—making his pupil power incomparably greater than Obito, who possessed only a single pair of Six-Tomoe Rinnegan.