At noon, Obito stood atop the tallest building in Konoha, gazing across the village toward the Hokage Rock carved into the mountainside.
He was no longer Yamato Arata, a lonely teenager from another world. He now inhabited the body of Obito Uchiha, a legendary figure with a tragic fate. And though this wasn't his original home, standing in the village evoked a strange sense of belonging.
Konoha had recently signed a truce with Iwagakure, ending the Third Great Ninja War. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had stepped down, and Namikaze Minato had become the Fourth Hokage. The newest face on the Hokage Rock belonged to him—freshly completed.
If Obito had no purpose here, he might have taken time to explore the village that once meant everything to the original Obito. But now wasn't the time for nostalgia.
Beneath the village lay the hidden headquarters of Root, the covert black-ops faction within Konoha. Unlike the sunlit world above, this underground labyrinth was always shrouded in shadow—a fitting reflection of the organization's nature.
In front of Obito stood two Root guards, clad in standard ANBU armor and white animal masks.
"Who goes there?" one asked, his voice alert but composed.
This was Root—bold intrusions were rare and met with swift retaliation. Given Obito's mask and appearance, they assumed he was a member of the ANBU directly under the Fourth Hokage, sent with official orders.
But they didn't lower their guard. Danzo, the leader of Root, had always been at odds with the Hokage's administration.
Obito didn't come to talk. His eyes narrowed behind the mask, and the three-tomoe Sharingan lit up—bright, hypnotic.
A genjutsu.
The guards froze in place, eyes glazing over as they slipped into illusion.
"Where is A?" Obito asked coldly.
"Second underground floor… training room," one replied in a trance.
Perfect, Obito thought. So he's still here and hasn't been sent out on a mission.
"And Danzo?"
"Danzo-sama is out…"
Danzo was currently away, secretly meeting with Orochimaru at a newly established base.
Obito didn't care about that. He was here for one reason—to retrieve Yamato.
The guards collapsed unconscious. Obito stepped past them and moved deeper into the compound.
In the surveillance room, alarm bells rang.
"Intruder alert!" a ninja shouted.
With a flurry of movement, Root members rushed to intercept the mysterious figure. Some moved along the walls, others hung upside-down from the ceiling. All eyes focused on Obito with hostility.
Obito strode forward across the wide trestle bridge like it was his personal path, unbothered by the gathering threat.
"You've trespassed in Root territory. Prepare for punishment!"
Kunai and shuriken flew from every direction—but they passed clean through Obito's body, embedding harmlessly into the wood behind him.
"What?! They went right through him!"
"That's impossible. He's solid—I can sense his chakra!"
"Some kind of ghost technique?"
Above, a brown-haired ninja calmly analyzed the situation. He formed a hand seal and cast a mind control technique.
Obito slowed briefly, feeling a presence intrude into his consciousness.
Ah… a member of the Yamanaka Clan. Their Mind Transfer Technique.
"Now!" the other Root members shouted. "He's immobilized! Attack!"
They launched a coordinated assault—but once again, every strike passed right through Obito.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Singing Technique!" Obito formed a series of hand seals, then exhaled four massive fire dragons in all directions.
Screams echoed through the underground hall. The entire chamber lit up with roaring flames. Only quick intervention from water-style users saved the squad from total annihilation.
"Fū! What happened?!"
"His mental strength is overwhelming," said the Yamanaka ninja. "He broke my technique in seconds!"
"Damn it! Why would someone attack while Danzo-sama is away?!"
A nearby shinobi—young and dressed in black—stepped forward. "Fū, use your Mind Transfer again. Just a few seconds will do. I'll kill him instantly."
Fū hesitated. "But—"
"Just trust me."
The young man stripped off his shirt, revealing skin crawling with black insects. He was Torune Aburame, a rare type within the Aburame Clan—one who hosted nano-sized, poisonous bugs within his body. Both he and Fū would one day serve as Danzo's personal bodyguards—but for now, they were still unseasoned.
From the ceiling, Fū formed the hand seal again, locking eyes on Obito. Torune dashed forward.
But Obito wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice.
His left eye spun. Mangekyō Sharingan—Kamui!
Snap!
Fū's body froze. His head was instantly sucked into the Kamui dimension. Blood sprayed as his decapitated body collapsed to the ground.
Torune passed through Obito without resistance—his technique missed.
In the split second they crossed paths, Obito placed his right hand on Torune's shoulder.
Kamui activated again—this time from his right eye. Torune's body twisted, spiraled, and vanished.
"Argh! My hand! It burns!" cried Zetsu, who was still fused with Obito's body. Torune's nano-insects were so potent they even damaged him.
Obito calmly assessed the battle. Kamui can make me intangible, but mental techniques like the Yamanaka Clan's still work. I'll need to be cautious around strong genjutsu users.
He looked down at Fū's corpse. To awaken the Eternal Mangekyō, I'll need another pair of powerful eyes. Perhaps… his.
The remaining Root members trembled in fear. Two elites had been obliterated in mere moments.
"Who is this guy?!"
"If he could kill Fū instantly, none of us stand a chance."
Obito didn't respond. He wasn't here to kill—unless forced. But in Root, fear was the only language. He needed them to stay back.
Then he spotted him.
A short ninja standing near the back. Codenamed "A." Later known as Tenzo in the ANBU, and finally Yamato, captain of Team 7.
This was his target.
In the original story, Yamato had a peaceful ending. But now… he's the key to what I need. He's a stepping stone.
Obito began walking toward him.
"Your story ends here, A. You're mine."
"No! We can't let him do whatever he wants in Root!"
The others launched another wave of attacks. But without Fū, they were useless. Blades, fire, wind—everything passed right through Obito.
A tried to resist. "Wood Style: Great Forest Technique!"
Thick tree limbs burst from his sleeves and snaked toward Obito.
"He has to go tangible to attack!" someone shouted. "Now's our chance!"
They launched a combined ninjutsu assault from behind.
Obito smirked under the mask.
Susanoo.
A towering blue skeleton flared to life around him, bones shielding him from every direction.
Its massive hand grabbed the wooden limbs in front and crushed them effortlessly.
"What the hell?!"
The chakra skeleton reached forward, grabbing A and binding him in a crushing grip.
"So strong..." A muttered before losing consciousness.
The trees retreated. Obito slung the unconscious Yamato over his shoulder. He looked back at the smoldering ruins of Root's headquarters and the shocked, powerless shinobi behind him.
"Farewell."
With a low hum, his body vanished into Kamui's swirling vortex.
That day, Obito left behind a nightmare that Root would never forget.