Kisame 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 Kisame—appear to be rogue ninjas. Are you simply allowing them to leave ?"
Chiga glanced at the speaker and replied calmly, "Kisame 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 me, the Hokage!"
With narrowed eyes, Chiga activated the Human Path of the Rinnegan, extracting the man's soul. Through the memories he scanned, he confirmed 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 homes—something 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 meant 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.
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 time since I rested like that."
Chiga chuckled softly. "Glad to hear it. Rest well. How is Kisame?"
"He's staying with me 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 Kisame'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 Kisame. If he remains, when you become 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 mean that legend?"
Itachi paused. "Do you know of him?"
"Indeed. But he is not the real Madara Uchiha." The most update n0vels are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
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 mean... 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 agreement, understanding how disorienting something like that could be. Chiga leaned back, eyes drifting to the window.
"Itachi, now that you and Kisame disappeared from Rotative detail, Obito likely will not sit idle. He may come to Konoha himself soon."
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 Kisame 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 moment, Obito spoke grimly, "It seems I must go to Konoha myself and see."
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