Konohagakure, Land of Fire
More names had been added to the solemn Memorial Stone. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was now facing an unprecedented shortage of personnel. Even the Hokage's direct guard, the Anbu, had been fully deployed on missions without exception.
Kakashi Hatake, the prodigious shinobi who had just become the youngest Jonin in history, had fallen during an operation to strike the enemy's rear lines.
The Third Hokage, showing his age, lit the pipe held between his lips and exhaled a heavy cloud of smoke.
On the desk lay the mission report submitted by Minato Namikaze.
Through the window of the Hokage's office, much of Konoha could be seen. Despite the ongoing Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Fire—already the strongest among the Five Great Shinobi Countries—remained relatively untouched internally.
Most of the fighting was concentrated along the borders of the major nations. It was the smaller countries caught in the middle that were truly ravaged by the war.
Reports from scouts and the Anbu reduced human lives to mere numbers.
Beyond those who perished directly in the conflict, many more fell victim to bandits, rogue ninja, and marauders who thrived in the chaos. These ruthless individuals, devoid of any moral compass, repeatedly pushed the boundaries of human cruelty, committing acts unimaginable to those bound by ordinary ethics.
"Is the Hatake line now extinguished?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Kakashi Hatake was the last descendant of the Hatake clan."
"Sakumo once told me... that Kakashi would surpass him, becoming a great tree that shelters Konoha."
"Lord Hokage, there's no need for grief. A genius unable to endure the crucible of war is ultimately nothing more than mediocre."
Hearing such words from the Anbu operative beside him, the Third Hokage tapped his pipe sharply and turned to face the man.
"Which squad do you belong to?"
"Squad Two, sir."
"Squad Two..."
The Third Hokage murmured the words, then dismissed the Anbu member from the office.
After handing over the mission report, Minato Namikaze felt a heavy weight in his heart. The mission had initially been classified as A-rank, not expected to involve large-scale ninja clashes. With most of the Land of Earth's forces deployed to the front lines, it was unforeseen that they could still spare troops to extensively protect their supply lines. Although the mission succeeded, the outcome was unbearable for the entirety of Team Four.
It should have been an S-rank mission. If the intelligence had been more accurate... there would have been no casualties at all.
The only sliver of good news was that Obito Uchiha had awakened his Sharingan—and directly to three tomoe. The feat stunned the entire Uchiha clan, instantly marking him as one of their elite.
Kakashi's death had profoundly impacted Obito. The once slightly goofy, boastful, and perpetually late boy was now consumed by a grim darkness, relentlessly requesting high-difficulty missions against the Land of Earth from the Hokage.
Only when Rin was near did his burning desire for vengeance subside, even if just slightly.
Minato paused his steps. In the distance, the figure standing beneath the Memorial Stone seemed to merge with his own thoughts.
A light rain began to fall, scattering the villagers who, protected within Konoha, remained largely oblivious to the war's harsh realities. Children laughed as they splashed through puddles, splattering mud on themselves, only to be scolded and led home by their parents.
A little girl skipped over, holding a bouquet, and approached the silently standing Obito Uchiha.
"Big brother, a lady asked me to give you these flowers."
The little girl finished speaking, carefully shielding the blooms from the rain with her hand as she offered them to Obito.
He took them, his voice hoarse as he spoke.
"Thank you."
Bending down, Obito placed the bouquet at the base of the Memorial Stone. He then saw Minato, and on the other side, Rin Nohara.
Minato met Obito's distant gaze. After two seconds, he looked away, understanding the unspoken blame in the boy's eyes. Kakashi had carried one of his marked kunai; Minato could have easily gone with them.
But it was too late for regrets. It wasn't just that Obito found it hard to forgive him; Minato himself was trapped in a spiral of negativity.
Only by becoming Hokage... Only by becoming Hokage can I change this war, can I gain the standing to negotiate with the other villages.
Obito walked over to Rin's side. The fact that this girl was still alive was the greatest solace in his life.
"Rin, you didn't bring an umbrella?"
Rin shook her head. She started to say something, then quickly closed her mouth, reaching out instead to gently embrace Obito.
"Don't die."
"I won't."
Obito patted her back reassuringly.
He understood Rin's worry perfectly; his mission requests had already been approved.
Three consecutive high-intensity S-rank missions, all involving direct combat against elite forces from Iwagakure.
If he returned alive this time, he would be directly promoted to Jonin.
What did such a record mean for a Genin?
Obito couldn't care less about titles like "genius." All he wanted now was to make those Iwa-nin pay the price.
The girl before him was the last tether holding his sanity in check. If anything happened to her, Obito didn't know what he would become.
"Could you apply to join the Medical Corps?"
Rin nodded.
Joining the Medical Corps wasn't necessarily safe; the field medics often faced dangers exceeding even those of some combat units. True safety lay within Konoha's internal medical division.
Rin understood Obito's implication clearly. She also knew the feelings the boy held for her.
Precisely because of this, she didn't want to be a burden, didn't want to be the one always protected.
Rin joined the field Medical Corps.
Obito's knowledge from written exams was notoriously poor. He surely wouldn't know the difference.
High above, the three faces carved into Hokage Rock watched over everything. The rise or fall of Konoha rested in the hands of this young generation.
The two walked together through the streets and shared dinner at a small eatery.
As they ate, Obito meticulously watched Rin's every expression, every movement, making her feel a little self-conscious.
After bidding Rin farewell, Obito returned to the Uchiha Compound.
The current head of the Uchiha clan had convened a meeting of all elite members possessing the three-tomoe Sharingan. The topic was leveraging the war to advance the clan's interests.
Obito listened, feeling drowsy and somewhat amused.
He felt little sense of belonging to the Uchiha clan. After his parents died when he was young, he had lived with his grandmother, who wasn't even from the clan. Since her passing last year, he had survived on village subsidies.
Before, when Obito was considered a failure, the clan had left him alone. Now that he possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan, they summoned him in the name of the family.
These hypocrites make me sick.
The wrinkled faces of the elders felt like an insult to the heroes who had died on the battlefield.
Obito swore silently to himself.
If I ever become Hokage, the first ones I'll investigate and purge will be the Uchiha.
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