The Uchiha clan's sacred treasure — the Uchiha Flame Fan, forged from the roots of the God Tree — had, at some point, appeared in Obito's hand.
A terrifying suction force erupted from it. The power of the Kekkei Tōta that could obliterate all power in the world was like a deflating balloon, its chakra completely absorbed and devoured by the Flame Fan.
The source of the Rinnegan's power was the Ten-Tails.
And since the Flame Fan was forged from a branch of the Ten-Tails, it naturally possessed the ability to absorb chakra. While its power wasn't overwhelming, it was more than enough to deal with any technique below the level of the Six Paths.
"I only drink milkshakes!"
With a swing of the Flame Fan in his hand, Obito unleashed a raging storm of flames, surging toward Ōnoki.
Caught off guard, Ōnoki barely had time to raise an earthen wall in front of himself. But how could a mere barrier withstand the rebounded chakra of the absorbed Dust Release?
The surging chakra shattered the earth wall. Ōnoki's body was thrown into disarray in the violent windstorm. Fortunately, his earlier rock armor provided some defense, leaving him only battered by the residual gusts rather than sustaining any real injuries.
"The Flame Fan…"
Looking rather disheveled, Ōnoki landed on the ground, his gaze fixed on the fan in Obito's hand. Combined with the blood-red Sharingan in the man's eyes, he froze for a moment.
A tangled mess of thoughts surged into his mind like a tide — memories he least wanted to recall in his lifetime, a nightmare he could never truly dispel.
"Where did you get that Flame Fan…?" Ōnoki growled, his eyes locking onto Obito. "Who exactly are you?"
If there was one person in this world who understood the Uchiha the most, aside from that white-haired Second Hokage, the "Monkey" Third Hokage, or that "Dakness" Danzō—it was this aged Third Tsuchikage before him.
The deep impression and shock that Uchiha Madara had once left on him were etched into his heart, giving him an unparalleled understanding of the Uchiha.
As far as he knew, when Madara Uchiha left Konoha back then, he had taken the Flame Fan, the symbol of the Uchiha clan leader, with him. This was also why the Uchiha clan had never displayed this Flame Fan in the following decades.
Yet here it was now, in this man's hand!
And coupled with his actions — controlling the Mizukage, manipulating the Kazekage, instigating a Shinobi World War…
The darkness in Ōnoki's gaze grew heavier, his small frame even trembling slightly.
"Who am I?"
Seeing Ōnoki's expression, Obito let out a cold laugh. "Haven't you already guessed the answer?"
"Impossible! Madara Uchiha has long been dead! He died at the hands of Hashirama Senju! Don't you dare try to play tricks on me!" Ōnoki shouted, face full of disbelief.
"Hehe, since you're still alive, why do you think I would be dead?"
Obito continued to put on Madara's persona, his tone indifferent: "You've seen it yourself — the cells of White Zetsu are filled with unimaginable vitality. With that kind of power, extending one's life is the simplest thing in the world."
"This… this is impossible!"
Muttering in shock, Ōnoki subconsciously took a step back, his gaze flicking toward the "White Zetsu" he regarded as the key to revitalizing Iwagakure.
Even if he didn't want to believe it, the facts were right before him.
The fear and nightmare of being intimidated by Madara Uchiha when he and his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, visited Konoha back then, once again surged into his heart.
"Now!"
Obito's Mangekyō contracted sharply, releasing a massive wave of ocular power that surged toward Ōnoki.
Feeling his resolve waver, Ōnoki cursed inwardly and tried to channel chakra to resist. But from the shadows, Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes, releasing an invisible force.
The two forces, one visible and one invisible, overlapped and intertwined, instantly shattering Ōnoki's mental defense and chakra barrier.
Under those blood-red eyes, Ōnoki's consciousness gradually sank...
"Lord Third!"
A belated arrival — Kitsuchi burst through the door, glancing over the chaotic battlefield with a frown of alarm. His eyes quickly found Ōnoki in the wrecked chamber.
Seeing that, despite his disheveled state, he had no obvious wounds, she exhaled in relief.
"What happened, Lord Third? What's going on here?"
"Nothing."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ōnoki said slowly, "Just some fool who came seeking death."
Kitsuchi blinked, then noticed several pure white bodies lying before him — identical to the White Zetsu clones they'd captured before.
Had members of the same organization come to the rescue?
No… this chakra signature, this identical appearance… were these clones? Special copies?
"Alright, Kitsuchi, tidy up this pla— ow, my back!" Ōnoki's calm smile suddenly twisted into a grimace as he clutched his lower back.
Kitsuchi's face darkened with exasperation. He quickly stepped forward to help support him. "Please, take it easy. Still, with these specimens, you could probably get some treatment. At the very least, your old back should be curable."
"Don't joke around. The priority now is executing the Rock Guard Project!"
"…Yes, yes."
"You brat… forget it. Take these things back for research. We'll have some extra material to work with."
"Understood."
After a brief exchange with his son, Ōnoki lightly rubbed his lower back and flew toward the Tsuchikage's office to handle official business.
Meanwhile, from the shadows, Obito took the chance to survey Iwagakure's current state.
The more he saw, the deeper his frown grew.
Iwagakure's weakness exceeded his expectations. This village, once a great power rivaling Konoha and Kumogakure, was now in even worse decline than Sunagakure.
At least Sunagakure had a "gold-miner" Kazekage to prop things up. Iwagakure had nothing.
No Tailed Beasts. No elite shinobi. No core leadership. No promising successors. Skyrocketing budget deficits. A collapsing domestic economy.
And this was five or six years after the Third Shinobi War!
Obito even suspected that what he was looking at wasn't one of the Five Great Villages at all, but some war-torn small nation like Kusagakure or Yugakure.
Without Ōnoki — that stubborn rock — Iwagakure would've already fallen out of the Five Great Villages, in even worse shape than Sunagakure.
"So, same as with Suna? Let them recover for a bit?" Black Zetsu suggested.
"No."
Obito shook his head decisively.
Sunagakure had Rasa, the gold-miner, so economic recovery wasn't an issue. Iwagakure only had mineral resources.
And with both Sunagakure and Kirigakure already making it clear that someone was stirring up trouble, there was no way to control Iwagakure the same way he had those two.
Obito's eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on a set of documents on the desk. The tight frown from Iwagakure's dismal state slowly eased.
"The Rock Guard Project…"
"Ōnoki, you've just solved a huge problem for me."
The so-called Rock Guard Project aimed to create artificial humans to alleviate Iwagakure's current dire situation. Even before Obito's arrival, Ōnoki had already been considering using White Zetsu cells for this project.
"What's your plan?"
"Fully push the Rock Guard Project forward — use it as a cover for my Ascension Ritual!" Obito put down the scroll and spoke slowly.
Creating artificial humans — especially copies of Iwagakure's leadership — was no simple task.
It would require massive amounts of chakra. Obito could easily manipulate the process, diverting the chakra from the Rock Guard Project for his own use.
…
Just like Sunagakure's Blood Sand Policy, as a project critical to the village's future, the Rock Guard Project received full support from Iwagakure's leadership.
Resources from across the village were funneled toward it. With Ōnoki's approval, the project advanced unimpeded, all efforts focused on its research and development.
Iwagakure's science division might not rank high among the ninja world, but in this project, it was as if they'd unlocked their "chakra pathways" — every few days, a new breakthrough emerged.
The results were so impressive that even initially skeptical elders became convinced when they saw the derivative products: "Wound-Healing Spray," "Severed Limb Restoration," "Prosthetic Simulation," and more.
Damn, Iwagakure is full of scientists!
With rapid research feedback and ever-increasing political support, the project's momentum only grew.
Eventually, word of the Rock Guard Project spread beyond the upper ranks — even chūnin and genin knew of it.
Once the village saw the practical benefits of the spin-off products, nearly every shinobi in Iwagakure threw their support behind it. The project rolled forward in full force.
While Iwagakure was heavily engaged in the Rock Gaurd Project, the shinobi world was also in turmoil.
Three Kage, including the Fourth Mizukage, the Fourth Kazekage, and the Fifth Hokage, all accepted the Fourth Raikage's invitation to go to the Land of Lightning to hold a Kage summit to discuss the future development of the shinobi world and to fight against the evil Akatsuki organization.
After the battle at the Gold Sand Fortress, countless factions in the shinobi world reached a consensus: the Akatsuki were a threat to the entire world and had to be destroyed at all costs.
Not just because they had attacked Sunagakure, disrupted a Chūnin Exam attended by three Kage, and slaughtered countless shinobi and civilians…
But also because of Yoru's revelations — the Akatsuki's ambition to collect all the Tailed Beasts, and the terrifying power of their leader, Nagato.
Even though Nagato had been defeated by Yuki Yoru, everyone already knew of Yoru's overwhelming strength — acknowledged as the strongest in the shinobi world.
One godlike existence was already enough; no one wanted another to rise.
The terrifying might of Susanoo Golem made many recall the days when Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama had ended the Warring States era. Now, that same force seemed to be concentrated in one man. That could not be allowed to stand.
The Akatsuki, and Nagato with his twisted ideals, had to be eliminated.
"The Land of Lightning's scenery is quite nice," Terumī Mei said lazily, leaning deliberately against Yoru's shoulder as their carriage rolled along. She gazed out the window with satisfaction. "Feels much better than the Land of Water."
"Compared to an island nation like the Land of Water, some areas here are indeed better. But go deeper inland, and it's not much different from our home," Yoru replied, trying to move his arm but finding it trapped in Mei's embrace. He could only enjoy the softness while admiring the scenery.
Along the way, he'd noticed many shinobi — all ANBU, and most jōnin — carrying traces of spiritual power within them.
It was clear the Fourth Raikage had fully realized the benefits of spiritual power and was promoting it widely.
Hmm… when the time comes, I'll give Raikage the Blut Vene (Calm Blood Dress) and then the Blut Arterie (Active Blood Dress). That should speed things up. Before long, the Land of Lightning will be a Quincy stronghold.
...
Inside Kumogakure—
At the entrance of Kumogakure Village, Raikage, clad in his Kage robe, stood waiting with his assistant and a group of high-ranking Kumogakure shinobi.
Given Raikage's temperament, even though he had proposed the Kage Summit, he would never personally come to the village gates to welcome guests.
But among the arrivals was Yuki Yoru. In the current political climate — and with the Raikage having acknowledged Yoru's strength — he had swallowed his pride and come to greet them.
The gate was crowded with Kumogakure shinobi, at least a hundred in formation, with curious civilians gathered behind them — much like when Yoru had gone to Sunagakure.
The Fourth Raikage stood tall, watching the distant road, listening to reports on Yoru's location while quietly discussing with Dodai at his side.
"Are you sure, Dodai? You know what the consequences will be if this goes wrong."
"Relax, Lord Fourth. I've already got the intel." Dodai grinned, glancing at the road before lowering his voice via chakra transmission. "For men, there are only a few things they truly care about: power, wealth, status… and beauty."
"Yuki Yoru is the strongest in the world. Kirigakure's economy is booming. With Konoha and Sunagakure under his sway, the entire shinobi world is basically his to command."
"I spent quite a sum on the black market to get this intel — turns out the Fourth Mizukage loves beautiful women. Samui will be exactly his type. And since she's now training in spiritual power, all we have to do is use that as a pretext. He won't refuse."
"…Let's hope this works," the Raikage muttered, eyes glinting.
He knew the importance of spiritual power — and from his intel, Konoha and Sunagakure were already training it.
If Kumogakure wanted to get ahead, they'd have to make their move through Kirigakure.