Kisa finally followed Itachi back into Konoha. A curious onlooker couldn't resist asking Chiga, hovering as the newly appointed Hokage:
"Chiga-sama, those two—Itachi and Kisa—appear to be rogue ninjas. Are you simply allowing them to leave like this?"
Chiga glanced at the speaker and replied calmly, "Kisa is a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. That has no bearing on Konoha. As for Itachi, he is not rogue. He's served on secret missions for years, and now he has returned to his village."
The skeptic pressed on, unconvinced: "But harboring a Missing‑Nin from Mist will surely anger them. What if they—"
Buzz! Before he could finish, a force yanked him toward Chiga. Seizing him by the neck, Chiga said icily, "I don't care what the Hidden Mist Village thinks. But you seem quite displeased with , the Hokage!"
With narrowed eyes, Chiga activated the Human Path of the Rinnegan, extracting the man's soul. Through the mories he scanned, he confird the man had been a subordinate of an Anbu Captain he had eliminated. No wonder he had dared to speak up. Extracting the soul fully, he discarded the body like trash.
Silence fell. Chiga glanced at ruins nearby, then brought a foot down sharply. Miraculously, rows of wooden houses sprouted from the ground around them, elegant and restored.
Tsunade gasped in awe, "The Wood Release technique of the First Hokage!"
Yamato, watching, was equally stunned. Though he could perform Wood Release thanks to Hashirama's DNA infused in him, he could feel the vibrancy and profound Yang chakra underlying these hos—sothing only Hashirama's Wood Release achieved. The First Hokage's wood jutsu combined Earth and Water Release plus a potent Yang Release, effectively making it a Kekkei Tōta rather than just a regular Kekkei Genkai.
For the villagers, Wood Release wasn't a matter of lineage—it ant tangible shelter and hope. Grateful whispers echoed through the crowd, elevating Chiga's prestige as Hokage far beyond any spoken "Will of Fire."
When he had finished, Chiga turned and departed. Konoha shinobi remained to tidy up the aftermath.
The Next Morning
In Chiga's office, he looked at Itachi with warm authority. "How did you rest last night, Itachi?"
Itachi's complexion glowed with restful relief. "Thanks to Chiga-sama, I slept deeply. It's been a long ti since I rested like that."
Chiga chuckled softly. "Glad to hear it. Rest well. How is Kisa?"
"He's staying with for now."
"Oh? He won't be leaving?"
"He said—as a supervised guest—he cannot leave casually."
Chiga shook his head in amused recognition of Kisa's unflinching integrity. Itachi bowed respectfully, "Thank you again, Chiga-sama, for sparing his life."
With a modest wave, Chiga replied, "No need for thanks. I respect Kisa. If he remains, when you beco Anbu Captain, assign him to your unit."
"Yes," Itachi nodded, "if he agrees."
Then, with seriousness, Itachi added: "Chiga-sama, one more report—I haven't yet told you everything. There is a person in Akatsuki claiming to be Uchiha Madara. He seems to actually be the true mastermind."
Chiga raised an eyebrow. "Uchiha Madara? You an that legend?"
Itachi paused. "Do you know of him?"
"Indeed. But he is not the real Madara Uchiha."
Itachi's expression shifted in surprise. "Then who is he?"
Chiga offered a knowing smile. "You likely have heard of him. He's actually Uchiha Obito."
"You an... Obito Uchiha? Didn't he die during the Kannabi Bridge incident?"
"He didn't die. He was rescued by Madara, awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—though only one eye initially—and eventually took on Madara's identity. His ability 'Kamui' allows spatial Ninjutsu capable of teleportation and intangibility—truly difficult to counter."
Itachi nodded in agreent, understanding how disorienting sothing like that could be. Chiga leaned back, eyes drifting to the window.
"Itachi, now that you and Kisa disappeared from Rotative detail, Obito likely will not sit idle. He may co to Konoha himself soon."
Agakure
As usual, Pain (Tendo) stood atop a statue in the village center. Behind him, the space warped and Obito stepped through.
Pain spoke without turning: "Uchiha Itachi and Kisa went to Konoha—and now we have lost contact."
Obito bowed his head slightly. "I know already. Damn. I told them not to touch Konoha yet!"
Pain's voice turned cold. "What good is that now? If they were captured, our intel might be compromised."
Obito grimaced behind his mask. He's just a puppet, he thought—but then realized I am also a puppet.
Twelve years earlier, Madara had rescued Obito, implanting his ideals and vision on him—a string pulled from the grave to drive the Eye of the Moon Plan forward. Now those strings were dangerously close to unraveling.
After a mont, Obito spoke grimly, "It seems I must go to Konoha myself and see."
_____
Support & Read chapters in advance on patreon.
patreon/Zphyr
Reviews
All reviews (0)