Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the rooftop of the Hokage Building, gazing into the distance with a solemn expression. Beside him, his long-time comrades, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, also clad in their military attire, listened as he spoke gravely:
"That red-gold attack in the sky... I recognize that chakra. It belongs to Yuma.
And as for that colossal blue warrior… I'm sure you both recognize it as well, don't you?"
Hearing this, Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement. "We all saw that nearly 300-meter-tall Susanoo when we were younger.
After all… the Valley of the End isn't far from the village.
But I never imagined that Uchiha Yuma—just a fourteen-year-old kid—would already possess the strength to defeat an aging but still formidable Uchiha Madara.
It's truly…"
It's truly terrifying.
At that moment, Mitokado Homura couldn't help but feel a deep fear of Uchiha Yuma.
Was this even human?
Could a mere fourteen-year-old truly wield such monstrous power?
The sheer size of Madara's Susanoo—nearly 300 meters tall—indicated that even at his old age, his strength still retained 70–80% of what it had been in his prime.
A being of such size and power could shake the earth with a mere step.
And yet, Uchiha Yuma had appeared, neutralized the Nine-Tails, and erased the massive blue warrior from existence—all within ten minutes.
Defeating an elderly Uchiha Madara in such a short time…
This meant that Uchiha Yuma was on an entirely different level.
A level beyond what mere mortals could comprehend.
And deep in his heart, Mitokado Homura understood the source of his own fear.
Because…
It was only natural to fear a god.
Koharu Utatane, seeing her old friend's hesitant expression, immediately understood what he was thinking. She sighed softly and said:
"Don't overthink it. I've analyzed Yuma's actions extensively since he became Minato's disciple.
Yes, his power is overwhelming, but there's no need to be afraid…
From everything we've seen, he is a person who follows order and kindness."
As a woman, Koharu had observed Uchiha Yuma with a keen eye.
And she had noticed something crucial—he adhered to a strict moral code.
It was this realization that put her mind at ease regarding him.
In fact, she deeply respected such a person.
After hearing Koharu's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but smile with a hint of pride.
"Exactly. And now, I assume none of you have any objections to my decision to make Yuma Minato's disciple."
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt immensely pleased with himself.
Years ago, he had marveled at Uchiha Yuma's rapid growth, believing that one day, the boy might reach a level comparable to Madara.
But who could have predicted this?
Yuma wasn't just growing—he was evolving at an unprecedented rate.
In the blink of an eye, he had gone from a mere Chūnin-level ninja to a warrior capable of single-handedly defeating his greatest concern—an elderly but still mighty Uchiha Madara.
Hearing this, Koharu turned to look at Hiruzen, noting his pleased expression. She chuckled lightly and said:
"In this regard, I must admit you were right, Hiruzen.
Your foresight in choosing Yuma as Minato's disciple was as sharp as ever.
And compared to Danzo… he's infinitely superior."
She truly believed this.
If Danzo had seen Uchiha Yuma now, his expression would undoubtedly be twisted in envy and resentment.
The old Danzo might not have reacted this way, but after years of controlling the Root and becoming increasingly paranoid, there was no doubt—he would despise the mere sight of Yuma's overwhelming strength.
And sure enough, it was just as Koharu suspected.
At that very moment, in the depths of the Root base, Shimura Danzo, along with the reincarnated Senju brothers, had also witnessed the blinding flash of red-gold sword light streaking across the sky.
Danzo hailed from the Shimura clan—a clan with no special bloodline or Kekkei Genkai.
And because of that…
The fact that he had risen to become one of Konoha's highest-ranking officials, even becoming a rival to Hiruzen, was proof of his sheer talent and cunning.
His combat ability may have declined with age, but his instincts remained razor-sharp.
As a practitioner of Wind Release techniques, he wasn't on par with true sensory-type ninja, but he had honed a certain level of perception over the years.
And now, standing beneath that sky filled with Yuma's overwhelming chakra…
Danzo felt a chill run down his spine.
He had long considered Uchiha Yuma to be a major threat, and he had carefully studied the boy's chakra signature.
How had he obtained such information?
Heh…
As a high-ranking Konoha official, obtaining a chakra record of that troublesome brat was a simple matter.
But now, seeing Yuma's power firsthand—so great that it distorted even the heavens themselves—Danzo's expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he took a step forward, leading the reincarnated Senju brothers at a faster pace toward the Uchiha compound.
Somewhere in the Uchiha Compound
In a secluded part of the Uchiha district, far from the bustling village, a masked Uchiha stood in front of a small, familiar house.
He held a gunbai (war fan) in one hand, his fingers brushing against the key hidden beneath a flowerpot by the door.
Just as he was about to insert the key into the lock, a voice spoke from behind him.
A voice that sounded exactly like his own.
A voice filled with suspicion and caution.
"Who are you? Why are you trying to enter my house? And… that key… Only Rin and I should know about it."
Hearing this, the masked Uchiha slowly turned around.
And there, standing before him…
Was himself.
The Obito of this world.
As their gazes locked, the masked Obito frowned slightly.
Then, with an unimpressed tone, he asked:
"Why are you dressed so poorly?"