On the battlefield against the Iwa Ninja, at a certain Konoha encampment.
"Kakashi, Rin... where is Obito?" Minato Namikaze asked, looking at the two young ninja before him.
Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara were consumed by grief. Not long ago, their comrade Obito Uchiha had died. Kakashi's left eye now held Obito's Sharingan.
"Could it be..." Minato thought of a possibility. He looked at them intently. "Kakashi, tell me."
"Minato-sensei... Obito is dead," Kakashi said, his voice thick with sorrow.
"I see." Minato took a deep breath. "Kakashi, Obito gave you the Sharingan in your left eye. Make good use of it. You two should go down and rest for now."
"We understand, Minato-sensei." Kakashi and Rin turned and left the tent.
"Obito..." Minato thought of the lively boy. While Obito's strength hadn't been considered formidable and he wasn't exactly a genius among the Uchiha Clan, Minato had always liked his cheerful personality and his willingness to sacrifice everything for his comrades.
He never expected Obito Uchiha to fall in this Great Ninja War.
Minato had seen countless Konoha ninja die on this battlefield, but everyone has their own bonds. Obito was his disciple.
"Obito." Minato took another long breath and stood up, looking out the window at the war-torn landscape. "We will end this Ninja World War quickly. I promise."
In this battle, Konoha had achieved a strategic victory. The Leaf's reinforcements had heavily damaged the Iwa Ninja, forcing them to retreat back into the Land of Earth.
During this campaign, the Yellow Flash Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique became legendary among both Konoha and Iwa ninja alike. Minato had established a staggering record of military achievements.
Although he still could not be compared to Tianyuan, the title of the "Yellow Flash" began to spread far and wide.
In Konoha, within the Hokage Building office.
"Konoha is no longer at a disadvantage." Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief. The previous standoff with Kumogakure had reached a balance, largely due to Tianyuan's significant assistance.
During that particular Kumogakure counter-offensive, the first batch of Konoha reinforcements had nearly been annihilated. Fortunately, Tianyuan arrived just in time.
At the same time, the Iwagakure offensive had been extremely dangerous, but the ninja stationed there had managed to hold their ground.
"Minato Namikaze... Jiraiya's disciple." Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a faint smile.
Heroes are most likely to emerge during war, and Tianyuan was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them. Minato and the others had also performed exceptionally well.
Their military exploits were brilliant. Not only had they killed many enemy ninja, but they had also pulled Konoha back from the brink of disaster. In this recent clash with the Iwa Ninja, Minato's performance was truly commendable.
"I hope this Ninja World War ends sooner rather than later," Hiruzen said in a heavy tone.
A war like this caused immense damage to both sides, especially since Konoha was dealing with three different ninja villages at once. Even if those three villages suffered higher casualties, there was ultimately no benefit for anyone involved.
Somewhere within the Land of Earth, inside a secret underground space.
"Ugh... where am I?" Obito Uchiha slowly opened his eyes. He realized he could still see out of his right eye. "Where is this?"
He tried to move but found that his body felt paralyzed.
"Little fellow, don't move. Your body has only just begun to mend. It will take some time to recover." An aged voice echoed through the room as an old man slowly walked to Obito's side.
"How do you feel?" the old man asked.
"Aren't I dead?" Obito was confused. He clearly remembered being crushed by a massive boulder.
"I saved you," the old man said slowly.
"You saved me? Thank you! I have to go see Kakashi and Rin right now... I have to tell them I'm alive!" Obito's face lit up with excitement. He hadn't expected to survive.
"Your body can't move yet. Wait until you're better," the old man said, glancing at him.
"Who are you, exactly?" Obito stared at the elder.
"My name is Madara Uchiha," the man replied calmly.
"Impossible! Madara Uchiha was killed by the First Hokage!" Obito's expression turned into one of utter disbelief.
The history regarding Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage was common knowledge in Konoha. Following the Battle of the Valley of the End, Madara was supposed to be dead.
"What you see and hear is not always the truth," Madara said flatly.
"What do you want from me?" Obito asked.
"What is your name, little one?" Madara glanced at him.
"My name is Obito Uchiha," he replied.
"Hmph. Obito, is it? My wish is to achieve world peace. This was the dream Hashirama and I shared... and it will be achieved through the power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi." Madara proceeded to explain some of his past and his grand plan.
"No, no! I don't want any part of that! I'm leaving!" Obito shouted after hearing Madara's words. "Besides, Konoha has Tianyuan now. He's incredibly powerful. He has your power and the power of the First Hokage. You probably aren't even a match for him!"
"Is that so?" Madara chuckled softly. Although Tianyuan possessed a Mangekyo and Wood Release, he likely didn't have the Rinnegan yet. Madara still maintained his confidence.
"Stay here for now," Madara said indifferently. "Zetsu, keep an eye on him."
"Yes, Madara," White Zetsu replied. Madara then walked toward a certain wall.
Deep in the shadows, a massive wooden statue with a sorrowful expression stood tall. This was the Gedo Mazo, the husk of the God Tree that had its Chakra extracted. The rich life force contained within the Gedo Mazo was the very reason Madara Uchiha was still alive.
"Obito, was it?" A cold glint flashed in Madara's eyes.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).