"What?!"
"This is... the legendary power of our clan's bloodline—Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
"Oh my god, how can this be?! Obito—how old is he now?"
"Twelve or thirteen... and he's awakened the Mangekyō?"
Gasps echoed throughout the room as shock rippled across the faces of the Uchiha high council. Their eyes widened, jaws slack, staring in disbelief at the young boy standing before them.
The young clansman who had previously mocked Obito now felt like he was being glared at by a venomous snake. Those deep crimson eyes, swirling with ominous tomoe, were unmistakable.
There was no doubt about it—this was the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The eldest among them, a gaunt old man seated at the head of the elders' platform, stood up with trembling limbs. His sharp gaze softened with emotion, and the typically cold aura surrounding him melted into unrestrained excitement. Tears welled up in his aged eyes.
"My Uchiha... we are rising again! This is Mangekyō! Mangekyō!!"
The man shouting in joy was none other than Uchiha Setsuna, the leader of the Hawk Faction within the clan. A hardcore radical, Setsuna was known for being a staunch supporter of Uchiha Madara's ideals. Years ago, he had attempted to instigate rebellion within the clan, for which the Second Hokage had imprisoned him.
Now, in the face of the escalating war and looming crises, the Third Hokage had no choice but to release him under the condition that he earn merit while still technically serving his sentence.
Despite his years in prison, Setsuna's influence had not waned. The moment he was released, the Hawk faction rallied around him, reinstating him to his former position as a senior elder.
Fugaku, the clan head, had no intention of letting Setsuna regain power, but he was walking a delicate political tightrope. With tensions high and opinions divided, Fugaku was forced to make compromises to keep the clan stable.
Under ordinary circumstances, he would have watched Setsuna's theatrics with concern. But now, Fugaku's attention was entirely consumed by the boy in front of him—Uchiha Obito—and the storm of emotions the sight had stirred in his heart.
The second pair of Mangekyō.
He had never expected to witness not one, but two Mangekyō awakenings during his leadership of the Uchiha.
The heavens are watching over our clan.
"Obito, you..."
Fugaku's voice trailed off as he looked at Obito, his expression a tangled mix of shock, pride, anxiety, and sorrow.
If Obito had come to him in private and revealed this secret, Fugaku would have urged him to keep it hidden. As the only Uchiha to have earned a position among Konoha's upper ranks, Fugaku understood all too well the political landscape.
Despite his loyalty and service, the upper echelons of the village—Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—had always harbored deep mistrust and veiled hostility toward the Uchiha.
Fugaku had gently brought this up to the Third Hokage on several occasions, couching his concerns in cautious language. Every time, Hiruzen had responded with sympathetic words and vague reassurances... but nothing had ever changed.
Fugaku knew the truth.
As the direct successor of the Second Hokage, the Third Hokage would never truly challenge his predecessor's legacy—especially when that legacy had instilled a deep-seated fear of the Uchiha's power.
That was why, whenever the Uchiha were needed on the battlefield, Fugaku personally led them. He had hoped that by achieving outstanding military merit, the clan might gradually improve its political standing.
He also believed that when Hiruzen eventually stepped down, Minato Namikaze—Fugaku's own brother-in-law—would become Hokage. That bond, combined with their service to the village, might finally earn the Uchiha the fair treatment they deserved.
He even held a glimmer of hope that someday, an Uchiha could become Hokage.
The dream had burned within the clan for generations. As one of the two founding families of Konoha, the Uchiha had long yearned for their turn at the helm.
But this—Obito's public display of Mangekyō—threatened all of that.
It would only stoke the fear in the hearts of Konoha's top brass, reignite memories of Madara, and, worst of all, stir the Hawks into action once more.
If the Hawks pushed too far too fast, they could drag the entire clan into direct conflict with the village leadership.
That was precisely why Fugaku had never revealed even to his own wife that he, too, had awakened Mangekyō.
Yes—Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan as well.
And yet, he had kept it secret all these years for the good of the clan.
But now...
"Is he qualified to sit here now?"
Kakashi's light voice broke through Fugaku's heavy thoughts.
"Yes! Of course!" Uchiha Setsuna stood before Fugaku could respond, his voice echoing with vigor.
"If Mangekyō doesn't qualify someone, then who among us does?!"
Setsuna strode toward Obito, eyes gleaming, and smiled in a rare display of warmth. "Obito, what a good boy. I held your father in my arms when he was still in diapers! I never imagined you'd grow up to be such a fine man so quickly."
"Come, come, sit next to Grandpa."
Setsuna waved affectionately, motioning Obito to sit beside him.
Everyone watching felt a collective twitch in their eyes.
Was this really the same grim, militant elder they had known all these years?
"Disgraceful child! Why haven't you apologized to your brother Obito yet?!" Setsuna suddenly snapped at the young Uchiha who had mocked Obito earlier.
Ah. There's the Elder Setsuna we know.
The crowd breathed a silent sigh of relief. That earlier warmth had felt far too bizarre. This stern version felt far more familiar.
The shamed young clansman, now red in the face and burning with embarrassment, looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. He might've ignored Fugaku's orders before, but Setsuna's wrath was something else entirely. If he defied him now, no one would come to his defense.
Swallowing his pride, the young man bowed deeply to Obito—who was nearly a decade younger—and forced out a humble apology.
"Brother Obito... I'm sorry."
Obito, standing tall and calm, gently reached out and helped him up.
"It's fine. We're all family here. You're still young. I understand. Just be more careful in the future."
His words were noble, generous.
Everyone in the room was stunned. Was... was this really the Obito they knew?
Kakashi blinked in disbelief. The Obito he remembered would've gloated or cracked a dumb joke.
When their eyes met, Obito shot him a sly wink.
Kakashi's heart sank.
Oh no. This goofball has learned how to act!
How long has he been around Madara? What else has he picked up?!
His mind spiraled in dismay. If even Obito could master political theater, what hope did he have?
And just when the atmosphere seemed to calm...
Kakashi dropped another bomb.
"Oh yeah, there's one more thing. Obito also killed the Fourth Mizukage—Yagura."
The room froze for a heartbeat.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
"Obito killed the Fourth Mizukage?!"
"You're not serious! That's... that's a Kage-level enemy!"
Uproar exploded across the hall. If the Mangekyō had stunned them, this news utterly shattered their understanding of the world.
Killing a Kage? That was an achievement on par with a legend. The Fourth Mizukage was the leader of a Great Nation's Hidden Village—equal in rank to the Hokage himself!
If Obito truly accomplished that... then even the Third Hokage might not be a match for him.
"Silence!!"
Fugaku barked, his aura surging outward like a thunderclap. The entire hall fell silent in an instant.
He turned to Obito, his voice low, trembling with anticipation.
"Obito... did you really kill the Fourth Mizukage?"
Obito hesitated. Facing Fugaku's burning gaze, he felt uneasy.
But it was too late to back out now.
He nodded.
"Mm."
"Hiiiissss—!"
A collective gasp surged from the crowd.
Obito's Mangekyō was already terrifying.
But now, with the strength to take down a Kage?
He wasn't just a prodigy. He was a force of nature.
A living reminder of why the world once feared the name Uchiha.
Mangekyō Sharingan—how terrifying indeed!