Uchiha Kei: Game Dev in the Shinobi World

Kakashi and Obito swallowed hard.

The two boys—shaped by the system's balance adjustments—were now under enormous pressure. Before them stood a man with spiky long hair and a white spiral mask, staring them down.

Behind the spiral mask, his Sharingan gleamed with a three-tomoe pattern, exuding a sinister, terrifying aura that weighed heavily on them. Obito, upon seeing the mask, couldn't help but recall the spiral monster who attacked him previously. However, the aura was different, so he didn't make the connection.

These two brats had shown up here because of a continuation from their earlier exhibition match. Having argued again over who truly won, they decided to settle it in the game.

Since both were under Uchiha Kei's care, the staff didn't hesitate to treat them as VIPs. They were granted access to a special mode, allowing them to enter the LAN system and enjoy exclusive content.

Thus, they loudly jumped into the game, declaring, "Go big or go home!" and entered an 8-player free-for-all.

They expected to curb-stomp newbies and then settle their own match in the finale.

Indeed, most opponents were rookies—but not all rookies were created equal.

To their surprise, one of the so-called newbies was a top-tier predator.

Now, Kakashi and Obito felt like silver-ranked players diving into a bronze pond only to find a grandmaster lurking there.

Then they noticed the player tag: "Ghost of the Uchiha."

Kakashi glanced sideways. "Obito, is this guy from your clan?"

Obito scratched his head. "Uh… never seen him before. That porcupine-head hairstyle is way too distinct. Even with the mask, you'd recognize him. Maybe he disguised his hair too?"

No one could answer.

Meanwhile, the terrifying "top predator"—Madara Uchiha—moved. As he crushed another unlucky player, he lunged toward the rest.

This old legend was completely fired up beneath that cold exterior. He just wanted everyone to join him in a dance of death.

Instinctively, Kakashi and Obito raised their weapons. Madara's pressure was immense—they could feel defeat looming. But having died many times in the game already, they were far from afraid.

The same couldn't be said for others.

Despite knowing it was a game, most players couldn't suppress their instincts. The overwhelming aura Madara exuded was just too much.

Even weakened by game mechanics, his sheer presence—shaped by years of dominance over the shinobi world—remained.

Having just brutally crushed a top-level jonin player, Madara's intimidation was maxed out.

Two nearby players didn't hesitate. They turned and ran.

This wasn't a decision. It was a primal, hardwired instinct—ancestral fear encoded in their DNA.

Madara was disappointed. Deeply.

This was killing his mood. The Shinobi Asura wanted more dance partners, not cowards.

So, despite Obito and Kakashi standing closer, he ignored them and chased the runners.

Obito blinked. "Uh… did we just get ignored?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. He's just more annoyed by cowards. That fits my stereotype of the Uchiha clan perfectly…"

Obito: "So… should we wait here?"

Kakashi gave him a look. "Wait? What are you thinking, benchwarmer? This is a rare chance to face a top-tier opponent. We go all in."

Obito: "You mean…?"

Kakashi stared toward Madara's direction. "He clearly wants to beat everyone. Even if it's 2-on-1, he won't back down. Facing an enemy like this is a rare chance."

Obito's eyes lit up.

The two quickly began strategizing. To them, planning a team fight was natural—even if it was a game, they were still shinobi. And no one ever said pre-planning was cheating.

Meanwhile, Madara took time to deal with the runners. Though all players had jonin-level stats, some had specialties—still, the differences weren't huge. It took effort to catch and eliminate them.

After that, he encountered two more players and disposed of them easily. But they were less skilled than the first jonin scout, so he didn't find any satisfaction.

Thus, Madara headed for the final two.

On the eastern side of the island map, by some palm trees and a cliff, he found them.

Immediately, his combat instincts noticed the terrain was special—clearly chosen for tactical advantage. These two had been waiting. They were ready.

His mood, once dulled, now reignited with anticipation.

With one glance at their avatars and usernames—pronounced "Kakashi" and "Obito"—he immediately recognized them.

No disguises. Their models were scaled-up versions of their younger selves. It was basically their real names.

Madara had long known of them. Obito was a key candidate in his heir plan. He'd just seen him this morning in Konoha.

And Kakashi? As Obito's most important partner, he'd be crucial if Obito were chosen as a successor. A potential piece to pull him into darkness. Of course Madara had done his homework.

Still, Madara never expected to meet them here—before the heir plan even began.

And now, these two brats were challenging him directly. He was thrilled.

"How amusing. You two want to challenge me?"

Arms crossed atop a boulder, Madara's grandeur mirrored his Fourth Great Ninja War persona. Looking down, he delivered his classic lines.

Kakashi and Obito, recognizing they'd been identified, weren't surprised. They hadn't disguised themselves, after all.

Kakashi's gaze was intense. Obito, however, was distracted.

"'Old man'? So… you're really an old geezer? Which Uchiha elder are you?"

Kakashi: "..."

Madara: "..."

Hey! Wrong focus! You're about to fight, and you're wondering if he's a grandpa?!

Madara replied, "My identity is irrelevant. As the name I chose for this genjutsu realm suggests—I'm merely a ghost of the Uchiha."

"Pick up your weapons and fight me with everything you have. That's all you can do in this illusion."

"Otherwise…"

Still delivering his strongman monologue, Madara jumped down and advanced slowly.

"Die here without complaint."

BOOM—

The pressure exploded.

It felt like facing an army of ten thousand. How was this even fair? Wasn't everyone supposed to be on equal footing in the game?

Was this… the aura of a true powerhouse?

Locking eyes, Obito and Kakashi shared a heavy nod. It was now or never.

Obito made the first move.

"Fire Style: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)!"

A fireball over five meters wide barreled toward Madara.

Madara snorted. "This is what passes for Uchiha fire style nowadays? Pathetic."

"Let me show you what real Uchiha fire style is!"

"Fire Style: Hōkō Mekkyo (Majestic Destroyer Flame)!"

A blazing wall of fire erupted from Madara's mouth, swallowing Obito's fireball and surging toward the duo.

Their eyes widened. "Nani?!"

Too dangerous. They couldn't block it.

Kakashi immediately cast "Earth Style: Doryūheki (Earth Style: Earth Wall)." A dog-head-carved barrier rose to shield them.

The flames collided. The wall began to melt.

Obito reinforced it with his own Earth Wall. Together, they barely held.

Even so, both were singed—losing a sliver of HP.

Shaken, Kakashi asked, "Obito… is Uchiha fire style really this strong?"

Obito stammered, "I-I don't know! None of the elders have fought in ages—I didn't know we had that kind of fire style!"

Kakashi muttered, "No wonder they're Konoha's most elite clan. The foundation runs deep."

Obito puffed up proudly. "Of course! We Uchiha are unmatched!"

Kakashi: "...That praise was for the clan, not for you. As the clan's bottom-feeder, don't get cocky."

Obito flared up. "You bastard, Kakashi! You wanna fight, huh?!"

Kakashi: "I'm just being honest."

Obito: "@#￥%…"

From a distance, Madara watched the bickering duo. He was mid-monologue, planning to sound cool, but now felt a sentence stuck in his throat.

Silence. Then rage.

When had Madara Uchiha *ever* been ignored like this?!

Screw the speech.

He charged.

But the instant he moved, the duo stopped arguing, turned in sync, and hit him with a combined Fire and Lightning Style combo—a massive fusion jutsu.

Even Madara paused.

So their fight had been a ploy. A feint.

"How interesting," Madara murmured, smiling. "Two brats with good teamwork."

Joy lit his eyes—finally, a real dance partner.

At that same moment, Uzumaki Kushina quietly logged into the LAN network of Ultimate Storm.

Along with her, the Nine-Tails also used their authority to disguise themselves and enter the game.