"The Fifth Hokage…"
Sunagakure.
Perched on the rooftop of the Kazekage building, Obito sat with folded arms, staring at the intelligence report Zetsu had brought him. Beneath the swirling spiral mask, his expression was incredibly complex.
He had once been a hot-blooded boy shouting about becoming Hokage. But the brutal realities of the world had taught him that was nothing more than a brainwashing tactic used by those in power to control the masses.
A Uchiha could never become Hokage—just like how Kakashi had promised to protect Rin.
Utterly ridiculous, completely impossible.
Yet now, the Uchiha Clan—the very clan that had been endlessly suppressed by the Hokage faction—had truly risen. Their clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, had actually become the Fifth Hokage.
This development sent a ripple through Obito's heart.
If even the Uchiha could become Hokage… what about Rin?
The evening glow on the horizon reminded him of Rin's smile—beautiful, dreamlike, fleeting.
"If the Hyūga hadn't defected at the last moment, what we'd be seeing now wouldn't be Fugaku's inauguration, but Konoha torn apart by civil war."
Zetsu emerged beside Obito and tossed him a scroll.
"Latest intel—Yuki Yoru took Hyūga Hiashi's daughter as his disciple. That's probably why the Hyūga supported the Uchiha during the Hokage election."
Snapping out of his wistful haze, Obito furrowed his brow and opened the scroll.
After a long moment, he closed it and shut his crimson eye.
"So both the Uchiha and the Hyūga are within his grasp…"
"As it stands—yes," Black Zetsu said solemnly. "If we don't act soon, Kirigakure's influence will continue to grow."
"And what exactly can we do?"
Obito's tone was self-mocking.
With the forces and resources they currently held, they were no match for Yuki Yoru. In Obito's mind, that man had already surpassed even Madara in terms of strength and influence.
Against someone on that level, they were utterly powerless.
"Any news on the Tailed Beasts?"
Obito changed the subject, clearly uncomfortable continuing the conversation about Yoru.
"Still nothing," said White Zetsu, shaking his head. "I've searched nearly the entire shinobi world, but I haven't turned up anything. Three-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails—not a single one. It's like they've vanished from the world."
"Even when my clones pick up hints, by the time we investigate, we always come up empty-handed."
"Tailed Beasts can't die permanently. Even if they're killed, they'll eventually resurrect."
"But that resurrection takes time…"
Obito's eye narrowed. "You're saying… they're in the process of reviving right now?"
"Possibly. Or maybe they've been captured by Kirigakure and sealed away," White Zetsu said. "But the most likely scenario is that they're still in the revival phase. I've turned the world upside down and come up with nothing. Even when we do get intel, we always end up chasing ghosts."
"If I had to guess, someone's hunting the Tailed Beasts. Every time one revives, they appear immediately and take it out."
"They don't want the power of the Tailed Beasts to exist at all. That's the only explanation for why those five are stuck in an endless loop of revival and death. And this tactic… it completely derails our entire plan."
"Yuki Yoru…"
Obito clenched his fists. If anyone in the world could understand their plan and act with such precision to destroy it at the root—it would be him.
As long as that man lived, everything they'd planned was doomed to fail. They couldn't take a single step forward.
But… what could they do about Yoru?
Right now, their strongest asset was Nagato.
But in the Iron Country battle, even Nagato—hailed as their ultimate weapon—had been completely dismantled. Even if he had recovered now, and even improved somewhat, could he defeat Yuki Yoru?
Obviously not.
"Yoru! Yoru! Yoru!!"
Obito's frustration boiled over. He slammed both fists into the railing.
"How the hell does he know about our plan?!"
By exterminating the Tailed Beasts, their entire foundation had been shattered. No matter how much they built up in secret, it would all be pointless.
"It was Orochimaru. He defected," said Black Zetsu quietly. "And before I lost the spores I planted on him, I detected that he went to Kirigakure."
"What?!"
Obito froze.
They had gone to great lengths to recruit Orochimaru into Akatsuki—he had even gone himself.
They gave him everything—cells from elite ninja across the five great villages, intel on Nagato's condition, data on the Rinnegan…
All to bring the former Sannin into the fold.
And now?
The bastard had joined, taken the benefits, and defected to the Mist in a matter of days?!
Obito felt his rage spike—his whole being trembled.
What the actual hell?!
"Even so," Black Zetsu continued, "the research data Orochimaru left behind is still useful. If we can utilize it properly, we might have a chance."
"What research could possibly help us turn this around?" Obito scoffed. "Unless we gain a power greater than Yoru's, everything is meaningless! But is there even anyone left in this world who can defeat him?"
"Not you, not me, not Nagato… not even Madara if he were resurrected. Not even the First Hokage could beat that guy!"
"…What if it was the Sage of Six Paths?"
Obito paused mid-sentence, stunned.
"Wait, what did you just say?! The Sage of Six Paths?!"
"See for yourself." Black Zetsu pulled out a scroll.
He had edited this one heavily, taking Orochimaru's research as the base and filling in the rest with his own agenda.
Obito hesitantly took the scroll and began reading.
Moments passed.
His expression beneath the mask grew darker, more serious, more intense.
At last, he rolled it up and clutched it tightly.
"Is it feasible?"
"There's a chance," said Black Zetsu. "The plan is to use the descendants of the Sage as a base, employ Hiruko's Chimera technique as a bonding agent, and fuse all the bloodline powers of the Six Paths' lineage. From there, the bloodline reverts to its origin, breaking the cocoon, and gives birth to a living Sage of Six Paths."
"If we can meet all the conditions, it's possible—though the success rate is extremely low."
"A living Sage of Six Paths…"
Obito whispered the title. For any shinobi, it was almost divine.
His hands gripped the scroll tightly.
That damn Orochimaru… he'd been researching something this dangerous the whole time? The man's ambition was beyond anything Obito had anticipated.
And yet… thanks to that snake, Obito—who had been teetering on the edge of despair—now saw a new path forward.
"The heavens never seal all exits. If I keep moving, the road will appear beneath my feet!"
"Zetsu! Start gathering all known descendants of the Sage of Six Paths!"
Obito inhaled deeply, his Sharingan burning red.
He wouldn't just be Uchiha Madara reborn.
He would become the new Sage of Six Paths!
Seeing Obito's fighting spirit reignite, Black Zetsu—whose face revealed nothing—secretly let out a breath of relief.
Obito might be a moody, overly dramatic childish at heart, but he was still the keystone of Black Zetsu's thousand-year plan.
If Obito broke down, the entire operation would fall apart. And with the threat of Yuki Yoru hanging over them, a single mistake could ruin everything.
Who knew how long it would take to regroup if things failed?
Fortunately, there was still a chance.
The "Artificial Six Paths" plan he'd given Obito was viable, albeit with a microscopic chance of success.
"Still… I can't put all my chips on Obito."
"Yuki Yoru… it looks like I'll need a contingency plan."
Black Zetsu's eyes flickered as he began planning.
If Obito failed… he'd have no choice but to resurrect Madara early.
...
Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure…
The whole shinobi world had been stirred by Uchiha Fugaku's rise to power.
Every major village stayed silent, carefully observing Konoha's next moves.
Except for Kirigakure, who had openly congratulated Konoha on its new Hokage.
Uchiha Fugaku responded with equal warmth, and promptly began negotiations with Kirigakure's envoy, Hōzuki Mangetsu, to advance the joint infrastructure project between the three nations.
Wait, wasn't Fugaku the one who had loudly opposed this plan before? The one who'd roasted Hiruzen Sarutobi for pushing it?
Wrong!
Nothing in this world is ever truly black or white. Everything has two sides.
Though the plan seemed entirely disadvantageous to Konoha on the surface, it also came with significant benefits:
It relieved employment pressure among Konoha civilians and shinobi, expanded trade between the Land of Fire and the Lands of Wind and Water, and stimulated economic development.
"In the past, I thought as the Uchiha clan leader. My perspective was too narrow."
"But now, I think as the Hokage!"
"I was wrong to blame Lord Sarutobi. My lack of experience led me astray. From now on, I will humbly learn, broaden my vision, and handle every matter with wisdom—for the sake of Konoha and the Land of Fire!"
That's what Fugaku declared, even issuing a self-criticism edict to publicly admit his past mistakes.
He emphasized that the three nation infrastructure alliance was critical to long-term cooperation between Konoha and Kirigakure.
Rumor had it that after hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed up three pints of blood, passed out cold, and nearly didn't make it.
...
Inside the Hokage Office.
Fugaku leaned back in his brand-new Hokage chair, his stern face tinged with contentment.
To be honest, the Hokage's office wasn't anything special—his old Police Force office was far more comfortable.
But it was the feeling of sitting here…
This was the seat. This was the taste of power.
He had accomplished what even his legendary ancestor, Madara, had failed to do.
His name would be forever etched in the history of the Uchiha Clan—glorious and eternal.
"Hokage-sama, the envoy from Kirigakure has arrived."
Fugaku snapped out of his reverie at the knock on the door. Uchiha Inabi, currently acting as Hokage secretary, entered.
As the saying goes, "New king, new court." With Fugaku's rise, the Uchiha clan had entered Konoha's political center in full force.
Those who had supported the Uchiha during the election—like the Hyūga—were granted real authority.
Meanwhile, clans like the Nara, Akimichi, Inuzuka, and Aburame maintained their original roles. But the Sarutobi and Shimura clans saw drastic changes.
Especially the Sarutobi Clan.
Upon investigation, what Fugaku discovered shocked him:
This tiny clan, which had only joined Konoha during its early formation, had somehow ballooned into a massive power bloc. They controlled more than half of Konoha's important positions and much of the commercial sector.
"He who steals a coin is punished; he who steals a nation becomes a lord."
The Great Thief of Konoha—Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Thankfully, with Fugaku now in charge, everything would change.
With the Fifth Hokage's arrival, the darkness and filth in Konoha would be purged beneath the light of the Sharingan!
With the Fifth Hokage's rise, Konoha would no longer belong to the Sarutobi clan—it would belong to all of Konoha's people!
"Greetings, Hokage-sama."
Hōzuki Mangetsu stepped into the room with a grin and gave a slight bow.
Fugaku stood up with a warm smile. "Mangetsu, no need for such formalities between us."
"Ahh, personal relationships are one thing—but in work, proper protocol is a must."
"Haha, quite right. I've just taken the throne—still getting the hang of things."
"Oh come on. You've got plenty of time. If Sarutobi could be Hokage for over thirty years, why not a full forty for you, Fugaku?"
"Hah! If young talents rise up, I won't cling to power."
"Hahaha! You're too modest!"