Although Uchiha Hikaru thought this in his heart, considering the gravity of the current situation, he decided to let it go. If he truly wanted to act, it would have to wait until the matter of Obito was resolved.
If he didn't kill that man, he would never feel at ease, and peace would remain forever elusive.
...
On the other side, Itachi had already gathered several ANBU captains, handed them scrolls containing the relevant intelligence, and explained the mission with a serious expression.
"Senior Kakashi, Senior Gai, Senior Asuma, this intelligence mission is of utmost importance. You must deliver it directly to your respective Kage."
"Kakashi-senpai will go to Kumogakure, Gai-senpai to Iwagakure, Asuma-senpai to Sunagakure, and I will head to Kirigakure."
"It's best to depart immediately after gathering your teams. The sooner we act, the better."
Gai, who usually carried a youthful grin, now wore a solemn expression. Even he understood the seriousness of the matter.
"Don't worry, Itachi. For the sake of our villages, I will push myself to the limit and complete this mission!"
Kakashi and Asuma also nodded gravely.
"I understand." x2
Not long after, all four departed with their respective teams.
Kakashi set out quickly with Sasuke, Sakura, and Team 7's temporary member, Sai.
Sasuke had been promoted to Jonin a year ago. In terms of strength alone, he rivaled Kakashi. His lack of mission experience had prevented him from being recognized as an elite Jonin, but his three-magatama Sharingan, mastery of lightning and fire-style ninjutsu, and Uchiha-style shuriken techniques made him one of the most formidable new-generation ninjas in Konoha.
Sakura had also been promoted to Jonin under Tsunade's guidance, mastering super strength techniques and medical ninjutsu.
Sai, on the other hand, still carried the trauma of his younger years under Danzo's training camp. Though he had mastered the secret technique of his ink-based beasts and possessed Jonin-level strength, he was often isolated due to poor relationships with other shinobi, leaving him frequently excluded from team activities. Tsunade, however, entrusted him to Kakashi, confident that Kakashi could guide him out of the darkness within.
At first, Kakashi had hesitated. He couldn't explain why he felt liberated after experiencing the intimate paradise, but somehow, he had emerged from his own shadows. It was a truth that could be felt but not spoken.
The four had not traveled far when Sasuke noticed something different in Kakashi's demeanor.
"Teacher Kakashi, this mission… it must relate to your former best friend. The Konoha rebel, the Uchiha traitor—Uchiha Obito?"
Kakashi looked at Sasuke with surprise but composed himself, hesitated, then shook his head.
"To be honest, I don't know. The mission is simply to deliver the information we have to the Raikage immediately. The rest has been delivered by your brother Itachi, Asuma, and Gai. The assistant even had to personally go to the Land of Rain."
"Today, I think only Obito could make the Five Great Nations so vigilant."
Kakashi lowered his head slightly, a shadow of shame crossing his face.
Whenever he thought of Obito, memories surged:
In the ninja world, shinobi who fail their missions are called trash—but those who cannot even cherish their comrades are worse than trash.
This creed had guided Kakashi through life, yet the one who taught it had fallen from Konoha's sacrificial hero to the world's most infamous traitor. And then there was the scene where Rin used her own Raikiri to commit suicide.
Sasuke, standing nearby, was consumed by turmoil and rage, his eyes shifting to the three-magatama Sharingan. He clenched his fists, voice burning with hatred.
"A traitor to the Uchiha, a criminal who disrupts the peace of the ninja world and shames our clan. Sooner or later, I will kill him with my own hands!"
Sakura silently observed Sasuke's profile, cheeks flushed with infatuation.
Even in righteous fury, he was breathtaking—his jawline and neck forming a perfect golden ratio, a divine creation that seemed to illuminate her very life.
Sai, wearing a stiff smile, struggled to respond appropriately. According to a book he had read, "One Hundred Tips to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Ninja," tip 38: when a friend is angry, comfort them and remind them not to worry.
Sai tried, his voice slightly stiff.
"Sasuke, don't worry. Even if you can't defeat Obito without the Mangekyō Sharingan, I believe that Senior Uchiha Hikaru will be able to when the time comes."
Sai felt proud of himself, thinking he had gone beyond the book's advice—comforting Sasuke and invoking the strength of the one he admired most. But the murderous glare from Sasuke gave him pause.
Hmm? What's this murderous aura? Is this how Uchiha show loyalty to their friends? Maybe I should read the next book Nidaime-sama published: No One Understands Uchiha Better Than Me.
"Sai! How many times must I tell you—if you don't know what to say, just stay quiet!"
"Does Brother Uchiha Hikaru need to take action against Obito? Even without a Mangekyō, I can handle it with my jutsu!"
"It's just an Uchiha traitor. Nothing to worry about. Just keep quiet."
Sasuke spun around angrily and increased his pace.
Sakura: As expected of Sasuke, even anger suits him~
Kakashi looked at Sai, exasperated.
"Sai, who taught you that? It's too rigid and just hit Sasuke's sore spot."
Sai was confused.
"I comforted him and reminded him of the strength of the person he admires… how did I offend him?"
Kakashi rubbed his forehead silently.
"Yes, but together it comes off differently. You implied Sasuke is weaker than Obito and needs Uchiha Hikaru to clean up his mess."
Sai nodded thoughtfully.
"It seems some books can't be trusted…"
"What book?"
One Hundred Tips on How to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Ninja.
Kakashi sighed. Among the preliminaries, he had no idea how Sai could fall for such nonsense.
"Friends only need sincerity, no need for overly polite words."
"Is that so…" Sai pondered quietly.
...
...
...
One day later, in the Hidden Cloud Village, Itachi arrived at the Raikage's office with Uchiha Inahime, Hyuga Kamado, and Aburame Shino.
Ai, the Raikage, felt a subtle unease. The news of graves of former Jinchūriki and the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers being robbed had just reached him. Could Konoha already know? Could spies have been placed in his village?
Despite appearing irritable and direct, Ai was keenly perceptive, understanding human nature well enough to govern effectively.
"Uchiha Itachi, what brings you to the Hidden Cloud Village? Is there intelligence from Konoha you need to deliver?"
Itachi placed the scroll on Ai's desk.
"Lord Raikage, this is the information Uchiha Hikaru ordered to be sent to the other four nations."
Ai unfurled the scroll and read. The more he read, the more alarmed and embarrassed he became.
"How did Konoha know our graves were robbed…"
The three behind Itachi were speechless. Itachi stared at the Raikage silently, unwilling to reveal he had used genjutsu to gather information.
The news was unprecedented: not only the Nine-Tails but the possibility of reviving the Ten-Tails.
He could only be grateful that only his village's graves had been disturbed. With Konoha's intelligence, the other villages would now fortify their own.
...
"In fact… the tombs of Sunagakure's previous Jinchūriki have also been desecrated."
"But revealing it would damage the Sand Village's reputation, so we kept it secret. Honestly…"
"I didn't even know the Ten-Tails existed. I thought even if Senior Fenpu was resurrected via Impure World Reincarnation, we could seal him again."
Rasa smiled wryly. Asuma quietly lit a cigarette, offering comfort.
"The problem isn't huge. So far, only Kumogakure and Sunagakure have lost their Jinchūriki tombs. It's manageable."
...
"It's fine, Mizukage-sama. Only Kirigakure and Kumogakure have lost their Jinchūriki graves. Precautions are sufficient."
Kakashi forced a reassuring smile. Behind him, Sasuke glared away angrily, Sakura remained enamored, and Sai stayed silent as instructed.
Of the nine tailed beasts, including Kinkaku and Ginkaku, only five were missing. With increased security, the remaining graves were safe.
Mei Terumi smiled bitterly.
"The lapse is mine. For two years, Kirigakure focused on building the cross-sea bridge, leaving little manpower. Moreover, we didn't know who desecrated the tombs, so we couldn't act. I never imagined it would be Uchiha Obito…"
...
"Uchiha Obito dug up our ancestral graves!?"
Might Guy, accompanied by Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee, went to Ōnoki's office. After reviewing the scroll, Ōnoki's mind went blank.
"I thought nothing serious would happen… I buried the news… didn't expect this disaster…"
Even Guy froze, youth and energy vanished from his expression. After a few seconds, he raised a thumb with a dazzling grin.
"Stupid tape, Tsuchikage-sama! No matter how strong Uchiha Obito is, he couldn't have desecrated all the Tailed Beast Jinchūriki tombs of the Five Great Nations. Come on, Ollie!"
...
"Konan, Nagato, if nothing unexpected occurs, Obito has gathered the chakra of all the tailed beasts. My inference: he intends to feed White Zetsu or use other means to revive the Ten-Tails forcibly."
Nagato and Konan stiffened. Nagato clenched his fists.
"Has that Uchiha Obito appeared in the ninja world again?"
"But your intelligence says only Kumogakure's Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, and the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, were stolen?"
Nagato paused. Uchiha Hikaru shook his head helplessly.
"How could I not know their tricks? That man is like a cockroach. Wherever you look, every corner is filled. This is the worst-case scenario, but likely."