"No more hiding. Clean up the entire Uchiha clan at maximum speed. Tell that guy inside that if he keeps dragging his feet, his little brother is going to be home before he's done!"
Danzo issued the order to his subordinates in a sinister, low voice.
"Understood, Lord Danzo!"
In truth, Uchiha Itachi didn't need Danzo's reminder to pick up the pace. However, the sudden appearance of the Sky Screen roused many of the sleeping Uchiha, increasing the difficulty for both him and the Foundation. Fortunately, Itachi already dealt with the most troublesome elders; otherwise, things would have been far more complicated.
In the Hidden Mist Village, Raikage A, who had only recently turned in for the night, threw on a cloak and stepped outside. He crossed his arms and stared up at the sky.
"What is this thing now? Could an Uchiha be behind this?"
As far as he knew, the only thing in the Ninja World capable of causing a phenomenon this grand was the Uchiha's legendary Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Could it be that the Uchiha are attacking? No, that doesn't make sense. But then again, those Uchiha are a bunch of lunatics. Anything is possible."
Even with his vast experience, A couldn't be certain. He promptly ordered a village-wide lockdown and commanded his subordinates to bring the Jinchuriki to him immediately. In the entire village, he was the only one capable of suppressing an out-of-control Jinchuriki head-on; they were only safe by his side.
At the Hidden Stone Village, Onoki shared the suspicion that the Uchiha were involved.
"I'm nothing but old bones, and they won't even let me get a good night's sleep."
Onoki hovered in mid-air, his expression grim as he watched the Sky Screen shift like an unfolding scroll. It reminded him of the overwhelming power he felt when facing Uchiha Madara—a presence so vast it stifled any will to resist.
What kind of power is this, dwelling in the heavens?
Sunagakure also began its lockdown.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Mizukage remained completely unresponsive, acting as if the object in the sky was beneath his notice. This was yet another disappointment for those who still held out hope for him. Left with no choice, the village elders stepped in to maintain order.
In the Hidden Rain Village, Nagato gazed through layers of buildings at the celestial structure.
"I cannot expel it from my mind, yet it does not harm me. No... I've found it possesses no capacity for attack or Genjutsu. It seems to be nothing more than a screen."
"Even your Rinnegan cannot see through it...?" Konan's eyes flashed with worry. Whether this sudden omen was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.
"Do not worry. No matter what it is, it cannot defy the power of a God!"
Konan nodded. No one could stand against the power of the Rinnegan. In this era, Nagato was, for all intents and purposes, a God.
In a corner of the Uchiha Clan Grounds in Konoha, Uchiha Obito—hidden behind his swirl mask with only one eye visible—stared at the Sky Screen in silence.
"Who are you? Why are you here? Are you with those attackers?" An Uchiha, awakened by the Sky Screen and out on patrol, discovered the suspicious Obito and shouted a furious interrogation.
As the Uchiha attacked, Obito didn't even flinch. The blow seemed to pass right through a phantom; the fist went straight through his body. In that same heartbeat, Obito's hand clamped onto the man's face.
A swirl appeared instantly, and the Uchiha was swallowed by the vortex, vanishing without a trace. Obito hadn't even moved his feet.
"Heh, this certainly wasn't in the plans. Which Uchiha's masterpiece is this?" Zetsu emerged from the ground with a chuckle.
"Regardless of who it is, they cannot stop our plan," Obito said coldly.
"I hope so."
Black Zetsu, attached to White Zetsu, felt a deep sense of unease. This thing... even with the Mangekyo Sharingan, it shouldn't be possible to create something on this scale.
Back in Konoha, the Third Hokage and Danzo were also convinced this was a desperate move by some Uchiha—a flare meant to drag Konoha's dirty laundry into the light.
The Third Hokage could only deploy the Anbu stationed outside the Uchiha district to maintain order throughout the village, ordering the various clans to stay indoors.
Every village went into lockdown. Fearing it might be a precursor to an attack or a medium for a mass Genjutsu, leaders ordered their subordinates not to look up. Some were even ordered back into buildings to avoid being bathed in the golden light.
The problem was, closing one's eyes or retreating indoors only made it worse.
The Sky Screen appeared directly in the mind; you couldn't block it out. As time passed, people realized they could interact with the screen-like object using their thoughts.
Suddenly, the Sky Screen stopped shifting. The golden light receded, and the screen fixed itself firmly in the heavens. No matter where you were or where you looked, it was there.
The next second, a line of text materialized:
[FIRST HONKAI IMPACT!]
Unknown Ninja: "First Honkai Impact? What does that mean?"
Unknown Ninja No. 1: "First Honkai?"
Unknown Ninja No. 2: "What is Honkai?"
Unknown Ninja No. 3: "Collapse?"
As the text appeared, a flood of Bullet Chat comments began to scroll across the screen. Some came from nameless Ninja, others from legends known throughout the world, and even from the Kage themselves.
The comments of high-status or powerful individuals featured distinct visual effects—fire, lightning, water, sand, or rock—and were prefixed with their names, making their identities obvious.
Unknown Ninja: "Amazing! I didn't even speak, but my thoughts appeared on the screen!"
Deidara: "Whoa, this is actually pretty interesting! If I could blow this thing up, it would be the ultimate art!"
Unknown Ninja No. 1: "I object! Why does he get a name and I'm just a number?"
Onoki: "Deidara? Where are you? Get back here this instant!"
Unknown Ninja #: "Look at his status vs yours. You really think you're on their level?"
Deidara: "Old man, you're such a buzzkill. Why would I come back?"
Onoki: "You unfilial brat!"