[Naruto's Home]
After kneading water balloons all day, Naruto returned home a bit tired.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Naruto."
Seeing his mother busy by the stove again, Naruto hurried over, "Mom, what's for dinner today?"
"Tonight it's eel rice, already done, go wash your hands."
"Perfect!"
Naruto relaxed. At least his mom hadn't tried any complicated dishes today, otherwise he wasn't sure whether the result would be edible.
"Mom, the principal taught me a new jutsu today."
While washing his hands and bringing the dishes to the table, Naruto said this.
Kushina feigned ignorance, "What jutsu?"
"Rasengan."
"Hmm! Do you know whose signature jutsu the Rasengan is?"
"Of course! The principal said it's the Fourth Hokage's signature jutsu, told me to learn it well."
Kushina's expression turned gentle, "Then you must not know, this jutsu's original name was: Halo Frozen Dessert Hair Whorl Jiraiya Twin Formula Sphere." [T/N: Its canon. Minato is infamous for his naming sense.]
Naruto's face went a little blank, 'What kind of name was that?'
"That name is so lame and so long? Rasengan sounds better!"
Kushina covered her mouth and laughed, "Of course, Rasengan is the name I gave it."
"Hahaha! How would Mom name the Fourth Hokage's jutsu?", For a moment Naruto didn't connect the two.
Kushina smiled warmly at Naruto, "Because this jutsu was created by the Fourth Hokage for his wife, of course his wife named it."
Naruto's face suddenly went stiff, his mouth opening wide, "Mom, are you saying… you mean…"
Kushina didn't keep teasing and directly said, "This jutsu was created by your father, the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb, and made for me."
"My father is the Fourth Hokage?"
"How could my father be the Fourth Hokage?"
Naruto's eyes were full of shock; no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't believe his father would be the Fourth Hokage.
He was the son of a Hokage, and had lived through those days.
Mothers know their children best; Kushina immediately saw what Naruto was thinking.
She looked at him gently, "Your father Minato and I sacrificed our lives to seal the Nine-Tails into you, for the peace of Konoha."
"But the Third Hokage chose to conceal your origins so that you would be dependent on him, thereby controlling you."
Naruto's eyes flared, filled with disgust.
"Sit down and eat. I've told you before, Sarutobi Hiruzen is not a good person."
"Do you see him more clearly now?"
In these matters Naruto was much more mature than in the original timeline.
The Third Hokage's already bad image was now even more repulsive.
Naruto had been through many storms and could restrain his emotions; he sat down.
His mother had cooked; he had to eat first.
'Damn Sarutobi Hiruzen!'
Seeing his blood rush to his face and his eyes redden, it was clear he still couldn't fully contain his temper.
Kushina served him a piece of eel, "Eat first, then I'll take you to meet Minato."
Naruto exhaled, thinking she meant the memorial stone.
"I know, Mom."
Naruto fell silent and began to eat.
———
For over two whole years, Kakashi hadn't seen Obito again.
The previous matters had ultimately faded away unresolved.
Kakashi tried to convince himself to accept the new world instead of being trapped in memories.
Just because Rengoku hadn't told him everything didn't mean Kakashi didn't believe it.
With Kakashi's intelligence, he didn't ask Rengoku further. He tacitly accepted that those things had been Obito's doing.
Partly he was plunged into a deep abyss of pain, partly he walked into a new world.
Kakashi chose to accept the new world.
He didn't know Rengoku's final goal.
But if Rengoku became Hokage, he would surely be cleaner than Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After leaving the Hokage's office Kakashi walked home slowly.
When he reached a small alley, a shadow rose from the darkness nearby.
Kakashi did not panic; he knew this was Rengoku's shadow clone technique.
"Elder Rengoku."
Rengoku's clone hadn't followed Kakashi all the way, since there were still barriers and the like near the Hokage building.
"I just reported today's intelligence to the Third Hokage."
Rengoku nodded slightly. Now that Nagato had recovered, holding the Water of Life, the Uchiha clan would explode into development.
They could continue to apply pressure on the Third.
"After Sasuke recently learned Chidori, you should report to the Third Hokage."
"Tell him that Naruto already knows the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato is his father."
Kakashi looked at Rengoku a bit surprised.
Rengoku added, "Say some things to put pressure on him."
Kakashi was no fool and immediately said, "Understood, Lord Rengoku."
Rengoku patted Kakashi's shoulder, then melted back into the shadows and disappeared.
It was inconvenient to talk at the training ground, so he'd specially used a clone to convey the instructions to Kakashi.
———
[Mountains' Garveyard]
A huge Outer Path statue sat on the plinth like a sculpture.
Black Zetsu stared at the Outer Path statue, somewhat dazed.
'Mother… I will definitely save you.'
At this moment Tobi crawled up from the ground beside him, "Ugh, I'm exhausted."
"Can't these people with kekkei genkai just stay together? I have to go find them all."
Black Zetsu turned his head, "Are their positions all locked down?"
Tobi leaned on the nearby step, "They're all being watched, we can move at any time."
"Now that Nagato has slipped out of our control, what's the next plan?"
Black Zetsu snorted coldly, "Those eyes weren't his anyway, how could they be out of my control?"
"Obito is so timid now, not convenient to carry out the next step of the plan."
Tobi found these idle days a bit boring.
Although Obito had found a way to deal with Amaterasu, against the Uchiha clan he was still at a disadvantage.
Obito, unwilling to take risks, always wanted more trump cards before making a move.
If the Uchiha clan were wiped out, there would be no problem.
But now the Uchiha clan hadn't been wiped out, and they couldn't rally Madara's banner.
Obito's combat power didn't have the upper hand before the Uchiha.
Obito's approach was a bit conservative.
The sudden rise of Uchiha Rengoku had become the largest variable in Black Zetsu's plan.
"…Also, Nagato and the others might be hiding in the Uchiha territory."
Tobi exaggeratedly shouted, "How could Nagato possibly be in the Uchiha territory?"
Black Zetsu snorted, "Not long ago Nagato used the Rinnegan and consumed a lot of pupil power."
"The direction is toward Konoha."
"Right now Obito is like a shrinking turtle; we don't even know how much of his information has been exposed."
"This way we can only be passive."
"If we don't pressure Obito, he will always cower and wait for me to recruit people."
Tobi grew interested, "What are you going to do?"
Black Zetsu glanced at the black cloud robe with red flames on his body.
"We are still the Akatsuki organization for now."
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