Outside, Obito appeared before everyone, the remnants of his shattered mask barely clinging to his face.
His single visible eye burned with fury as he glared at Naruto. "Interesting," he muttered, his voice thick with suppressed rage. "So it has come to this."
Naruto smirked. "Ask yourself: are you really happy living behind that mask?"
Kakashi stood frozen, his hands trembling at his sides as he stared at the face before him. Even with the remaining half of the mask obscuring his features, there was no mistaking him.
"You... you are..."
Obito's expression twisted into something venomous as he pointed a shaking finger at Kakashi. "Shut up! Don't say that name!" His voice cracked with emotion. "That person died at Kannabi Bridge! You, of all people, have no right to say that name! You betrayed him! You failed to keep your promise! You don't deserve to speak his name!"
Kakashi flinched as if struck, his entire body stiffening. He watched in horror as the last fragment of the mask crumbled away, revealing the full face of his old friend—his brother in all but blood.
"You... you are... Uchiha Obito!"
Obito's lone eye, filled with hatred and pain, locked onto Kakashi's. "I told you not to call me that!"
His hands formed a rapid series of seals. The air around him distorted as he unleashed his fury.
"Fire Style: Storm Dance!"
A violent inferno erupted, merging with a howling wind to form a blazing vortex that roared toward Kakashi, intent on consuming him whole.
And Kakashi? He did nothing.
He stood there, unmoving, as his lips barely whispered, "It's my fault... I failed him... I failed to protect them all..."
Shikaku's sharp voice rang out. "Protect the Hokage!"
The Anbu Black Ops leaped into formation, ready to intercept.
"Stand down!" Naruto's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
He raised a single hand.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A pulse of force erupted from his palm, warping the air itself. The vortex of flames twisted violently before scattering in all directions, embers raining down upon Konoha's rooftops.
The leader of the Anbu guard shot Naruto a sharp look before quickly forming his own seals. "Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
A torrent of water surged from his mouth, drowning the scattered flames before they could spread further.
Naruto turned back to Kakashi, resting a firm hand on his shoulder. "Kakashi-sensei, this isn't your fault. You were played, just like everyone else."
Jiraiya's gaze lingered on Obito, his brows furrowed in thought.
Tsunade noticed. "What's wrong?"
Jiraiya sighed. "I met this kid a couple of times. He was Minato's student. A brat with big dreams. But… he died during the Third Great Ninja War. Or at least, that's what we thought."
Tsunade's face darkened. "Then this means… the Fourth Hokage's death was because of him."
Jiraiya's expression was grim as he gave a solemn nod.
Tsunade's hands clenched into fists. "This generation is seriously messed up. First Orochimaru betrays the village and kills the Third Hokage. Then Nagato, another one of your students, slaughters an entire village. And now, Minato's own student is responsible for his death? What the hell is wrong with people?!"
Jiraiya could only sigh in agreement.
A deafening explosion suddenly rocked the village.
A massive mushroom cloud of dust and debris rose into the sky near Konoha's gates.
"What now?!" the Anbu leader demanded.
Their answer came in the form of an ear-splitting roar.
Through the settling dust, they saw the towering form of the Eight-Tails, locked in an intense battle against a colossal, armored Susanoo.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sasuke…? When the hell did he get this strong?! He was getting his ass kicked by me not too long ago! And now he's got Bee on the ropes? Damn…"
Obito scoffed. "Naruto, don't get too comfortable. I might not be able to defeat you right now, but that doesn't mean I'm out of options."
With that, he activated Kamui, his body distorting as he began to fade from existence.
But before he disappeared completely, his eye locked onto Naruto's.
"I will come for you again."
Naruto merely smiled. "Good luck with that."
Obito vanished into his own dimension.
Kakashi suddenly snapped out of his daze. "Wait!"
He lunged forward as if to chase after him, but Naruto grabbed his arm.
"Kakashi-sensei, your fight with him will happen when the time is right."
Kakashi's hands trembled at his sides. His expression was a storm of emotions—guilt, rage, grief.
His gaze drifted toward the battle raging at the gates, his resolve hardening.
"I won't let any more of my friends be lost. Not again."
Without another word, he vanished in a flicker of movement, heading toward Sasuke's battlefield.
Meanwhile, the remnants of White Zetsu's army began a slow retreat.
Shikaku, observing the battlefield through the reports relayed by Yamanaka Inoichi, let out a relieved sigh. "It seems Naruto's revelation about their leader forced them to pull back."
Tsunade's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Order all Konoha forces to clean up the battlefield. Push them back. Don't leave a single one behind. No survivors. No risks."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
As the shinobi of Konoha surged forward, the battlefield was once again set into motion. The battle for Konoha was not yet over—but the tides had begun to turn.
---
Check out other novels
Naruto: l Aspire To Become Hokage Man
🚨🆕Haikyuu: To The Top 🆕🚨
To Get This Week Bonus Chapter - 100 Power Stones
Dear Readers
For 120 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺