Inside the Hokage's office, Minato was buried under a mountain of paperwork.
As the "Fastest Man in Konoha," his reviewing speed was certainly not slow, but he couldn't withstand documents being delivered in pile after pile. In the end, Minato slumped powerlessly against the back of his chair.
He tilted his head back and let out a sigh.
"This job as Minister of Administration is no joke. Back when I was Hokage, I wasn't even this exhausted!"
"What's wrong? Thinking of throwing in the towel already?"
Kaito suddenly appeared in front of Minato, startling him so badly that he sprang up from his chair.
After steadying himself, Minato complained at Kaito,
"Kaito, can you stop popping out of nowhere like that? You scared me half to death!"
Kaito just spread his hands with a nonchalant look.
"Like you're one to talk—your Flying Thunder God isn't any better. And you dare call me scary?"
"At least my Flying Thunder God needs a seal. Why don't you need one? Don't tell me you've managed to improve on the Flying Thunder God again?"
"I'm not using the Flying Thunder God at all. Even if I explained the principles to you, you wouldn't get it."
"Che, fine, don't tell me. But you should at least say what this jutsu's called, right? Let me evaluate it!"
"No thanks. Save your names for yourself."
Minato's naming sense was infamous across the entire shinobi world. The fact that Naruto ended up with a relatively normal name was already a miracle.
If Minato had named him according to his usual style, Naruto would probably be called something like: Super Invincible Spiral Flash Clone Kid!
Minato bristled at Kaito's dismissal, about to argue further, but Kaito raised a hand to cut him off.
"Alright, enough nonsense. I brought someone for you to meet."
"Hm? Who? Don't tell me you roped another rogue ninja back here?"
Kaito arched his brows, then opened his dimensional gate. He grabbed Minato by the collar and tossed him inside.
It was Minato's first time entering Kaito's dimensional space. He looked around curiously—dark green surroundings filled with glittering treasures stacked everywhere, dazzling his eyes.
When Kaito stepped in after him, Minato couldn't help asking,
"Kaito, which shinobi village did you rob this time?"
Rolling his eyes, Kaito replied irritably,
"Rob? These were things I stumbled on by accident. And who told you to focus on this anyway?"
As he spoke, he pressed down Minato's head and directed his gaze toward a corner.
There, Obito was bound tightly by black rods, staring blankly at Minato.
When Obito saw Minato's eyes on him, he trembled and asked,
"Minato… sensei?"
Minato fixed his gaze on him for a long while before hesitantly asking,
"You are… Obito?"
Obito gave a stiff nod. His expression grew complicated as he looked toward Kaito.
"You used the Rinne Tensei?"
In Obito's understanding, the only jutsu that could truly bring someone back from the dead was the Rinne Rebirth of the Rinnegan. Madara had even planned to make Nagato use it to revive him.
But the cost of Rinne Rebirth was too heavy—the caster had to give up their life. Yet Kaito looked very much alive and kicking.
Had Madara given him false information?
Then again, if Rinne Rebirth required death, Madara himself had likely never used it. Errors in intelligence were understandable.
Obito quickly pieced together his own explanation for Minato's "resurrection." At the same time, Minato was also wondering how Obito had "come back."
His voice trembled with excitement as he turned to Kaito,
"Kaito, you were the one who brought Obito back, right? Thank you so much!"
Hearing Minato's words, a wave of guilt welled up inside Obito. After all, it was because of him that Minato had died that night.
Kaito shook his head.
"This student of yours never died in the first place. And during the Nine-Tails' Rampage, you two actually crossed paths."
"Nani?"
"He was the masked man. Ringing a bell now?"
"What did you say!?"
Minato stared at Obito in disbelief. Under his gaze, Obito silently lowered his head—the meaning clear without words.
After a moment of silence, Minato asked,
"Obito… can you tell me… why did you do it?"
At those words, Obito suddenly lifted his head, his voice filled with hatred.
"To change this hellish world!"
His face was twisted and feral, utterly unrecognizable to Minato.
In Minato's memories, Obito was the hot-blooded boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage, who treasured his comrades, who loved Konoha. Compared to that youth, this Obito was like a stranger.
The two master and student stood there in silence.
Kaito shook his head softly. He stepped forward, meeting Obito's eyes.
"What you've been seeing… is it really the truth?"
Obito froze.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Heh. Madara must have left a curse mark on your heart, right?"
"…You even know that?"
"I know more than that. I also know Rin had the same curse mark implanted in her heart back then."
"Nani!?"
"Surprised? Haven't you ever wondered why Rin let Kakashi pierce her chest? Because she knew she was already being controlled. It was her choice!"
Obito's eyes went wide. He could never forget that scene—the moment that pushed him from two-tomoe straight to the Mangekyō.
From then on, he had given up on this world and walked the path Madara had set for him.
But now he was hearing there had been another truth—that Rin had been marked, just like him!
Obito's voice shook.
"Who… who placed the curse on Rin? Don't tell me it was…"
He had thought of a name, but couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.
Kaito spoke it for him.
"You already know the answer. The one who cursed Rin was Uchiha Madara."
The name made Minato's eyes widen.
"Uchiha Madara? He's still alive?"
Kaito shook his head.
"He's dead. But he can be revived anytime—because he left behind a pair of Rinnegan."
"Nani!? Madara awakened the Rinnegan too!?"
"Mm. Once Akatsuki gathers all the Tailed Beasts, that will be the day of his resurrection."
Minato's face grew heavy. Only now did he realize there was such a terrifying enemy lurking in the shadows of the shinobi world.
He pressed further.
"Why does he want the Tailed Beasts? To rule the world?"
"He's not that petty. His true goal is to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, trapping everyone in a dream world—so he can create what he calls a perfect reality."
Kaito then turned to Obito, who had been silent for a long time, and asked,
"Am I right?"
Obito gave a stiff nod. His parched lips moved, and he whispered,
"Wouldn't a world like that… be beautiful?"
Kaito smirked with disdain.
"Living in a false world isn't without its charms. But do you even understand what the essence of the Infinite Tsukuyomi really is?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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