Naruto: Getting Observation Haki By Sacrificing The Byakugan

"In that case, let's proceed according to the plan. Madara Uchiha is almost here. I'll intercept him before he reaches the village. I'm leaving the rest to you."

"You can go with peace of mind, Aoba. We'll protect the village. After all, I'm the Hokage. Even if it costs me my life, I won't let any harm come to Konoha."

The speaker was Minato Namikaze. Yet, despite his reassuring words, Aoba Kawaki felt a vague sense of unease.

But it didn't matter. With his strength, he didn't expect anything to go wrong.

Aoba Kawaki departed, and the other elite shinobi also began to leave Konoha in turn. Each carried a specially crafted artifact that could bypass the village's barrier through predetermined points. This contingency ensured safe evacuation routes in the event of unforeseen developments.

As Aoba moved farther from the village, he didn't wait to spot Madara. Instead, he immediately unleashed his strongest technique.

"Hyakushiki Kannon!"

A golden, hundred-armed Avalokiteśvara statue erupted behind him in response to his shout.

Perched atop the radiant construct, Aoba Kawaki released his full chakra presence, overwhelming the surroundings.

Back in the village, several ninja shuddered at the magnitude of the chakra they sensed.

"Hokage-sama," one shinobi asked, "isn't Aoba-sama being reckless? Shouldn't he wait in ambush or prepare?"

"Hmph."

Before the comment could continue, Qingke, one of Aoba's most loyal supporters, gave the speaker a cold glare.

"Aoba-sama's methods are far beyond your understanding. Do not question his intentions."

Rebuked, the ninja swallowed his retort and said nothing more.

Minato sighed and offered a calm explanation: "At that level of power, strategy shifts. Hiding or ambushing makes little difference. Facing the enemy directly sends a message—to allies and enemies alike."

Minato was right. In the shelters, civilians watched from long-range viewing screens. A gasp spread through the crowd when they saw the golden statue rise into the sky.

"Look! That's Aoba-sama's jutsu! With him fighting for us, the village will be safe!"

Excitement spread as others echoed the sentiment. Anxiety slowly gave way to hope.

The shelters had been equipped with broadcast systems—another one of Aoba Kawaki's innovations. He insisted that if Madara Uchiha ever attacked Konoha, it would be a moment of historic significance—and an opportunity to inspire.

While other Konoha leaders were on edge over Madara's arrival, Aoba was already planning how to turn the event into a moment of triumph.

"This is either brilliant or insane," muttered Sarutobi Hiruzen, watching the live feed from a command shelter. His expression was complicated.

Originally, Hiruzen had intended to join the battle himself, but Aoba politely declined, saying the elderly Third Hokage should focus on strategy and evacuation coordination.

Not far from the Sarutobi compound, the Uchiha clan's non-combatants—women, children, and the elderly—had gathered in their own shelter.

In the center sat a young Itachi Uchiha, protecting his mother Mikoto and infant brother, Sasuke.

"It's okay, Mother. Principal Aoba is strong. He'll defeat Madara and keep the village safe."

He called Aoba "Principal" because he studied at the ninja academy that Aoba founded.

"Yes…" Mikoto forced a smile, though her thoughts were elsewhere. As the wife of the Uchiha patriarch, she feared more than just Madara's wrath—she worried how the village would judge the Uchiha after this night.

I just hope things don't spiral out of control…

Suddenly, a voice called out: "Look! The feed changed!"

Sure enough, the camera view switched. It no longer showed the statue from below but now followed Aoba from his vantage in the sky.

This wasn't done with a drone—Aoba had developed a tiny autonomous puppet camera just for this. Knowing Madara was close, he'd activated it to capture what could become a legendary battle.

"Madara Uchiha! Since you're here, don't skulk in the shadows. A legend like you wouldn't be so cowardly, would he?!"

Aoba's voice echoed across the land.

From the horizon, a low, disdainful scoff answered.

"Hmph. It's been decades since I walked this land, and yet Konoha produced a junior who barely piques my interest."

With those words came a colossal chakra surge. In the distance, an immense blue glow illuminated the sky as Madara summoned a perfect Susanoo—its colossal wings spreading wide as it rose from the earth.

The titanic armored figure flew toward Aoba's golden statue, its movement slow and deliberate but unstoppable.

All across Konoha, breath was held as the audience stared at the broadcast, frozen in suspense.

Even Aoba, ready atop his Kannon, felt a rare tension—but what surprised him was that Madara stopped several hundred meters away rather than immediately striking.

Though it seemed distant, for constructs of this scale, they were already within engagement range.

"Your name is Aoba Kawaki, isn't it?" Madara's voice carried. "You were quite impudent, but I'll overlook it—just this once. I find you interesting. So… shall we talk?"

Aoba blinked. Wait... Madara Uchiha wants to chat?

Was it his appearance? His power? Or perhaps something else—could Madara have discovered his hidden identity?

Unlikely. If that were the case, Madara's tone wouldn't be so casual.

"The famed Asura of the Shinobi World wants to talk with a nobody like me? That's rare. What do you want to discuss, Madara-sama?"

Even as he spoke, the camera feed continued. Aoba had no intention of cutting the broadcast—not now.

Madara's reply was calm and measured.

"Let's talk about peace in the shinobi world."

Aoba was speechless.

World peace? …Can we even air this kind of conversation?

Kawaki Aoba's expression was unreadable. After a moment of thought, he replied directly,

"Peace in the ninja world? I do have some thoughts. But I'm not sure if they'll interest someone like you… the Asura of the Shinobi world."

Uchiha Madara had only asked out of curiosity, never expecting anything worthwhile. But now, his interest was piqued.

"Oh?" Madara smirked faintly. "Then speak. Let's hear this 'peace' of yours."

Kawaki Aoba's next words, however, were destined to disappoint him.

"True peace in the ninja world, in my opinion, isn't all that difficult. It only takes three steps."

As he spoke, Aoba raised three fingers.

"Step one: Gather all those who genuinely desire peace, and declare to the world that all nations—big or small—are to be abolished. All lands will unite under one collective power.

Step two: Eliminate unstable elements. Cleanse the heretics who oppose this idea. Once that's done, the chaos in the shinobi world will naturally fade.

Step three: Governance. With my capabilities, once the first two steps are complete, this final step will be simple."

He looked directly at Madara.

"If Senior Madara is willing to return to Konoha, I believe true peace could be achieved very soon. So, what do you say? Interested?"

To speak so boldly, Kawaki Aoba had revealed part of his grand vision. As for how the other villages might react? Let them think what they want. If they dared to resist, he would find a reason to destroy them first.

After all, power justifies action.

On the other side, Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even tried to recruit this boy yet, and here he was trying to bring him back to Konoha?

The corner of Madara's mouth curled upward. His evaluation of Aoba rose ever so slightly.

"To have ambition like this at your age... Not bad. Truly not bad."

His tone was calm, but carried depth.

"But it's a waste to keep that ambition in Konoha. Come. Follow me. I'll show you what true peace means."

Kawaki Aoba: ...

True peace? You mean enslaving the world in an infinite dream under a tree?

He inwardly scoffed. To him, Madara's vision was pure lunacy. But beyond their ideological clash, what truly irked Aoba was the tone of Madara's words—as if he were a puppet, something to be used.

That thought made his eyes narrow.

A subtle shift in his chakra stirred the air around him. A deadly intent began to rise. Uchiha Madara, of course, noticed.

"You plan to fight me?" Madara chuckled. "Commendable courage."

His voice echoed across the field—and was picked up clearly by one of Aoba's surveillance orbs.

The live broadcast audience grew silent.

"He's actually going to fight Madara...?"

"If Lord Seiyu loses—"

"Shut it." A sharp voice interrupted. "Lord Seiyu is our legend. He won't lose!"

The screen shifted.

Kawaki Aoba was the first to move. He launched his Hundred-Armed Kannon, a towering golden construct, straight toward Madara's Susanoo. In the blink of an eye, it crossed hundreds of meters.

Hundreds of golden arms lashed out in a furious barrage. Though smaller than Madara's Complete Body Susanoo, the Kannon's sheer mastery of taijutsu compensated for the size difference.

"Uchiha Madara, enough talk. Let's speak through power. If you can defeat me, then we'll talk about peace again."

Aoba's voice echoed across the battlefield. His Kannon clashed with the Susanoo in a storm of blows, momentum surging in his favor.

The viewers watching from afar began to regain hope.

But it didn't last.

Madara's true strength began to emerge.

One wood clone. Then another. Then another.

Before long, twenty-five more Complete Body Susanoos erupted from the earth, surrounding the golden titan.

"You've got a lot of arms, boy," Madara laughed. "So let's match you. Twenty-six against one."

Aoba didn't flinch.

"Only twenty-six? I can manage."

He stood atop the Kannon with arms crossed, his tone calm.

"Talk when you land a hit, Senior Madara."

Even as the 26 Susanoos encircled him, the Kannon's defenses held. Not a single attack reached Aoba. His focus remained unbroken.

With composure, he even adjusted the chakra-linked lens to zoom in—broadcasting his unshaken confidence to the watching world.

In the command center, a nervous jonin asked, "Is Elder Seiyu really okay? He's holding off, but over time... won't even a small crack be fatal? Lord Hokage, should we intervene?"

The boldness was commendable.

But Tobirama didn't even look at him.

"No," he said flatly. "At their level, we'd just be in the way. Besides…" His eyes narrowed.

"Neither of them have even moved from their original positions. This is still warm-up."

Gasps rippled through the room.

If this was just warming up, then how terrifying would their true strength be?

No one noticed the shadow that flickered through Tobirama's gaze. His trump card—the Impure World Reincarnation of his brother, Senju Hashirama—had failed. Only that summoning failed. And Tobirama's instincts screamed the cause.

Madara.

He clenched his jaw in silence.

Back on the battlefield, Kawaki Aoba's voice rang out again.

"Senior Madara, your attacks seem rather ineffective. I could hold this out for three more days if needed."

He paused, then added coldly,

"But you… you're not young anymore. Or are you planning to let others intervene with underhanded tricks?"

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