Reincarnation in the Pure Land and the Impure World
Does Obito Want to Kill Jūzō Biwa?
Naruto wondered if he had misheard. In his memory, Jūzō Biwa was a former ninja of Kirigakure. Disillusioned by the brutal reign of the Fourth Mizukage, he defected and joined the Akatsuki.
Logically, Jūzō's situation was similar to that of Kisame Hoshigaki, and he should have been considered one of Obito's close allies.
But why would Obito want to kill Jūzō?
Naruto frowned as he recalled the mission where Itachi Uchiha and Jūzō infiltrated Kirigakure. Theoretically, the Mist Village was already under the influence of Akatsuki, so there should have been no need to dispatch members to investigate the whereabouts of the Tailed Beasts.
The most plausible explanation was internal strife within Akatsuki—divisions between Nagato's faction and Obito's faction.
Although Jūzō was technically under Obito's command, he might have suspected the truth—that Obito had been controlling the Fourth Mizukage from the shadows, turning Kirigakure into the infamous "Village of the Bloody Mist." If Jūzō had attempted to return and expose the conspiracy behind Kirigakure's descent into madness, then Obito had every reason to silence him.
Realizing this, Naruto nodded at Obito, signaling his agreement.
Obito gave him a deep look before activating Kamui. His figure blurred, twisting into a spiraling vortex. In the next instant, he reappeared behind Naruto, kunai raised, aiming for a decisive strike.
Naruto, having anticipated the attack, formed a fist with his right hand. A burst of chakra surged forth like a whip, slicing through everything in its path—reinforced concrete walls, wooden furniture—splitting them clean in two. At the same time, a Rasengan coalesced in his left hand.
"Are you abandoning our cooperation?" Naruto asked coldly.
Still intangible, Obito's voice remained steady. "Cooperation requires strength. Besides, you must pay a price for killing so many of our subordinates."
With that, he phased out of the Mizukage's office and vanished into the swirling vortex of his Kamui.
Once Obito was gone, Naruto ordered his shadow clones to gather any valuable information left in the building. He stood motionless for a moment, gazing in the direction where Obito had disappeared, deep in thought.
Inside him, Kurama's voice rumbled with frustration. "Naruto, why didn't you attack the masked man just now? He's the reason for your miserable childhood—our greatest enemy!"
Naruto's expression was serious. "Kurama, I want to kill him more than anyone, but now is not the time. I'm not confident I can defeat him, and I can't stop him from using his space-time ninjutsu to escape."
"More importantly," he added, "the Uchiha clan possesses a technique called Izanagi, which allows them to rewrite reality itself."
---
The Threat of the Masked Man
Watching Naruto's calculated approach, Minato Namikaze, who had been observing through the Reanimation Jutsu, sighed.
His son was right. The masked man who had attacked Konoha years ago—the same one who had controlled the Fourth Mizukage—was after the Tailed Beasts to revive the Ten-Tails. He was a massive threat to both Naruto and the village.
This was precisely why Minato had always been against Naruto leaving Konoha. As the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Naruto was a prime target. If he lacked proper guidance, he could easily be led astray.
Yet, seeing his son's maturity and strength, Minato realized Naruto was no longer a child. While his decision-making still showed some inexperience, he could no longer be treated as a naive boy.
After a moment of silence, Minato stepped forward and addressed both Naruto and Kurama.
"Kurama, Naruto isn't wrong. Fighting a ninja who controls space-time techniques is reckless unless you have a sure-kill move."
"A temporary alliance is a wise choice," Minato continued, "but I don't recommend using Genjutsu to manipulate Kirigakure's leadership."
Kurama scoffed, looking at Minato with disdain. "Well, if it isn't the Fourth Hokage himself. How kind of you to offer advice to tailed beasts and rogue ninjas."
Ignoring Kurama's sarcasm, Naruto turned to Minato and asked, "Yondaime, if an enemy is in another dimension, can your Flying Thunder God Jutsu still reach them?"
Minato placed his hands on his hips, pondering the question. "I've never tested it, so I can't say for sure. But why are you asking? Do you plan to use the Flying Thunder God to counter the masked man?"
Naruto nodded. "If the technique can cross dimensions, it would be the perfect way to counter Kamui."
Minato hesitated before responding, "I can teach you how to use the Flying Thunder God, but don't get your hopes up too much."
"It requires incredibly fast reflexes and precise spatial awareness. Even traveling within the same space is difficult. Attempting it across dimensions is like... well, it's as risky as Tsunade-sama's gambling addiction—"
Before he could finish, Naruto shot him a look. Minato quickly clarified, "I'm not trying to discourage you. If you want, I can also teach you other ninjutsu and taijutsu."
Kurama suddenly cut in. "Naruto's had the ability to see through people's intentions since he was a child. Minato, you're not being honest. You want him to master the Flying Thunder God so he can return to protect Konoha."
Minato wasn't surprised by this accusation. He truly had no ulterior motives; he was simply willing to teach his son.
Kurama snorted but then glanced at Naruto, who seemed deep in thought.
---
The Mystery of the System and Reincarnation
Naruto had displayed numerous inexplicable talents since childhood—learning the Hyūga's Gentle Fist, mastering Uchiha techniques, knowing about Shisui's whereabouts. These abilities were mysteries even to Kurama.
But none of it affected their relationship. Trust didn't mean revealing everything. Just as Kurama hadn't told him everything about the Sage of Six Paths, Naruto hadn't disclosed all his secrets either.
However, something strange had happened twice since leaving Konoha.
The system he had relied on to gauge people's favorability had failed twice—once with Ashina Uzumaki, the old leader of the Uzumaki Clan, and now with Minato. In both cases, there was no visible rating for their favorability.
This suggested two possibilities: either the system was malfunctioning, or it was related to Edo Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu).
After all, both Ashina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze were dead, yet their souls had been revived.
Naruto recalled an old legend—when a powerful ninja died, their soul wandered in the Pure Land. If they were resurrected, could it disrupt his system's ability to assess them?
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