In the Land of Wind, Kaguya's body abruptly came to a halt.
"What are you doing?"
"Testing a move."
"You're using me as a test subject?"
"I consider you one of my own."
"Do you really want to share a body with me?" Kaguya replied dryly. "Only someone like me would tolerate it—anyone else wouldn't even put up with it."
Has he already grown this restless after just a few months?
"I've already devoured Toneri's spiritual form. In this regard, I should be stronger than most, shouldn't I?"
After a brief silence, Kaguya said, "You're only talking about standards in the Ninja World, and even then, you might not surpass everyone."
"Kaguya, after you retrieve the Ten-Tails and eliminate our enemies in the Ninja World, what do you plan to do next?"
She didn't answer, stepping forward into the blood-smeared underground ruins.
---
Konoha.
The forehead protector he wore still slanted sideways over his brow, covering his left eye.
Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, lost in thought, caught between memories and uncertainty.
"Rin..."
His gaze drifted toward the stone originally belonging to Obito Uchiha, making his emotions even more complex.
"Obito..."
Even though he isn't dead, why won't he show himself? Why hasn't he returned to Konoha? Is it because of Rin?
Watching him quietly from a short distance away was Izumi Uchiha.
"Kakashi, why don't you go look for that person?"
"I don't know where to search," Kakashi answered.
Izumi didn't say anything else and just stood there silently.
A long time passed; the shadows across the ground stretched long, then shortened, then lengthened again.
Finally, Kakashi turned around—and sure enough, Izumi was silently standing behind him.
Sighing deeply, Kakashi began walking away, heading toward his home.
As expected, Izumi followed close behind.
When he reached his doorstep, Kakashi stopped and couldn't help asking, "Why have you been following me all this time?"
"Just like Sasuke is to Itachi, you, Kakashi, are the only remaining bond that Obito Uchiha left behind in this world. He will definitely come find you," Izumi said quietly, her eyes flashing with a hint of melancholy.
It was Obito who saved Itachi, so if we can find him, we'll discover Itachi's whereabouts.
"..."
Touching his left eye, Kakashi gave a slight shake of his head. "No, he won't appear again."
Izumi remained silent.
"Besides, nothing like that has happened yet. Are you planning to live in my house by following me around like this?"
[Whoosh]...
Without expression, Izumi instantly disappeared via Body Replacement Technique.
Whether it was for Kakashi or for the sake of honoring the late Rin, Izumi firmly believed that Obito Uchiha would one day return. That conviction had grown stronger ever since she reviewed the records on Obito.
That's why the Uchiha clan members can't move on—they're always consumed by their obsessions.
Watching the figure vanish, Kakashi wore an expression of helpless resignation. He knew full well that Izumi must be hiding somewhere close by...
This wasn't the first day—or even the first week—it had been going on. Ever since she woke up, she'd become like a stalker, constantly trying to shadow him whenever she got the chance.
Outside the village of Konoha,
Minato Namikaze stood hesitating, gazing toward the village entrance.
"Can I really bring myself to do something like that?"
"Aww, come on. The Fourth Hokage actually wants me to dig up graves?"
Heaving a heavy sigh, he reappeared at his long-abandoned home.
This place where he once lived still bore many of his Flying Thunder God markings.
"Strange... I sense some fluctuations in the barrier..." one member of the Barrier Division suddenly said.
"Someone sneaked in?"
"The Fourth Hokage, did Lord Hiashi or anyone else mention allowing someone access today?"
"Not that I know of."
"Let's report this to Lord Hiashi."
After exchanging glances, one ninja from the Barrier Division headed toward the Hokage Building.
"Intruders?" In the Hokage office, Hiashi—temporarily substituting for Tsunade—rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Whether Tsunade cared about this or not, as her temporary replacement, he definitely should; otherwise, it would be considered negligence of duty.
"Besides the regular patrol ninjas," he said, "send extra personnel to investigate thoroughly."
These so-called patrol ninjas were essentially similar to the Uchiha clan's former security unit, except they only performed basic surveillance work without enforcement authority, thus rarely causing conflicts with villagers.
The night deepened, shadows stretched across flickering lantern lights.
On the streets, a few pedestrians wandered about in small groups. Konoha's cemetery was even more deserted than usual.
Minato Namikaze stood silently before Rin Nohara's memorial stone, letting out a quiet sigh.
When shadows flickered under dim lantern light, his striking golden hair caught the eye of patrolling ninjas.
Normally there weren't too many guards stationed around the cemetery, but after Kaguya mentioned this place to Tsunade, several additional patrols had been assigned here.
"Who's there?" The Byakugan ninja shouted uncertainly while stepping forward.
Quickly retreating, Minato silently slipped behind a large tree.
"Strange, did I imagine it...?" she murmured, just as a figure flashed behind her.
Startled, barely managing to raise her arms, she received an elbow strike from Minato and lost consciousness.
Tossing her aside, Minato approached Rin's gravestone, hesitated for a moment, then knelt down.
"I'm sorry, Rin..."
The coffin was unearthed, revealing a familiar face beneath.
Footsteps echoed through the stillness...
Hearing them, Minato couldn't help but smile bitterly.
It seemed like the villagers hadn't let him down just yet…
"Obito Uchiha, finally decided to show up for your dead comrades, huh?"
A clear female voice reached his ears. For a moment, Minato looked surprised, then frowned.
Obito? Visiting the cemetery this late? Or maybe she mistook him for someone else?
He turned around slightly.
The instant their eyes met, both figures froze simultaneously.
"Fourth Hokage?" Izumi hesitated, taking several steps closer to get a better look at his face.
Minato, meanwhile, focused on the Three-Tomoe Sharingan swirling within her eyes. "Another surviving Uchiha clan member?"
"You shouldn't have known anything about what happened afterward... Also, what exactly are you doing?"
Izumi glanced at the already disturbed grave.
Saying that, she created a Shadow Clone.
Frowning, Minato watched the clone run further away before returning his gaze to Izumi herself.
"Never mind... I'll just knock him out."
He mumbled under his breath.
Izumi was gazing at him, her eyes flickering with thought.
Should she waste her strength on him? Itachi, I must save my final strength for you!
[Genjutsu: Sharingan!]
Meeting Izumi's gaze, Minato Namikaze first froze briefly. When he realized it was a genjutsu, he activated the Nine-Tails' chakra and quickly broke free.
As his vision returned to normal, Izumi was already rushing toward him with a kunai in hand.
---
"Hokage-sama, the Fourth has appeared!" Izumi's clone barged into Tsunade's mansion and pushed open her door, speaking in a flat tone.
"The Fourth?" Tsunade did a double-take, still in her pajamas.
"He's at the cemetery. Go check it out yourself." With that, she vanished before Tsunade could react using Body Replacement Technique.
"This kid, who does she think she is, trying to act so mature?" Grumbling to herself, Tsunade changed into casual clothes and headed to the cemetery alone.
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