"Minato-sensei, this is the place."
Obito finally arrived at their destination, guided by Ah Fei's directions.
Minato nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the mountain ahead. From the outside, there were no visible signs of the base beneath being hollowed out. As expected of Uchiha Madara—always cautious and meticulous.
Minato thought silently to himself.
It was clear that the path into the base had been blocked. Any attempt to force an entry would definitely alert those inside.
"Minato-sensei," Kakashi said, stepping forward. "I'll send a clone in using Earth Style to sneak in and investigate. That way, if there's any danger, we'll be prepared."
Minato turned and nodded. "Alright. Be careful."
He was well aware of Kakashi's proficiency with Earth Style. After all, not just anyone could carve a dog's head into a mud wall like that.
"Don't worry, Sensei."
Kakashi formed several hand seals and split off a Lightning Style Shadow Clone, which immediately burrowed underground to scout ahead.
A tense silence followed.
Ten minutes later, Kakashi's eyes flickered as he received feedback from his clone.
The underground base was completely deserted?
Although he had suspected that Madara, having been exposed, would take precautions, he hadn't expected him to be able to move the enormous Ten Tails so quickly.
Unless… he really does have tens of thousands of White Zetsu at his command!
If that's true, then Madara's hidden strength is far more terrifying than they had anticipated.
Kakashi maintained a calm expression, masking his surprise.
"Minato-sensei, the base is empty."
"Oh? They've already withdrawn... Let's go take a look."
Minato made a prompt decision.
In truth, he had been hoping for a direct confrontation with Uchiha Madara, to gather information firsthand. But now that the enemy had retreated, their only option was to investigate what traces remained.
Soon, the group stood before a cold stone chair—the one where Madara had once spent countless hours.
"Obito," Minato asked quietly, "is this the chair you said Madara never left? The one he used to stay alive by channeling the Gedo Statue's power?"
"Yes, Sensei," Obito said, his voice bitter. "He sat here every day, completely still."
Since Kakashi had revealed the truth—that Madara had manipulated him from the beginning—Obito had stopped referring to him as "senior." Now, he regarded the old man with only anger and hatred.
Madara had nearly made him kill Kakashi with his own hands.
"According to you, the Gedo Statue is a thousand meters tall," Minato said, his gaze sharpening.
"And Madara, having long run out of natural lifespan, was wholly dependent on it to survive. There's no way he could have moved something that massive on his own—unless he had enough White Zetsu assisting him."
Minato quickly pieced the puzzle together from the details he'd gathered so far.
As expected of Minato-sensei… he's sharp.
Kakashi inwardly praised his teacher's quick thinking.
"Afei," Minato said, turning to the masked Zetsu, who was busy sniffing around the area for traces of his kind. "How many White Zetsu had Madara produced by the time you left?"
"Huh? Wait a second…"
Ah Fei paused, then held up his hands and began counting his fingers.
"One… two… three… four…"
"..."
Everyone's expressions darkened.
"Never mind that," Minato interrupted, realizing it might take the creature an hour just to finish the count. "Let me ask a different question. If I told you to move the Gedo Statue, how many Zetsu would it take?"
"Ah! I know this one!" Ah Fei jumped up, excited. "You'd need at least 6,000 hooligans!"
"Six thousand?!"
Minato's heart skipped a beat.
Obito had already told him on the way that Ah Fei was different—stronger than most White Zetsu.
If that estimate was accurate, then Madara might have upwards of 8,000 or even tens of thousands of White Zetsu under his control!
That number was staggering.
Tens of thousands of White Zetsu would mean an army equivalent to the combined strength of a major hidden village!
What's more, he had seen Ah Fei's Mayfly Technique firsthand. If he didn't deliberately activate his sensory perception, it was nearly impossible to detect him, even if he was right beneath their feet.
Perfect for espionage. Perfect for sabotage.
Madara could easily place White Zetsu in every major nation—listening in on military discussions, stealing secrets, perhaps even silently assassinating villagers while they slept.
This power could tilt the balance of the world.
And worst of all—Konoha had no way to track such a phantom enemy.
If the Hokage were informed of this now, he might lose sleep for days.
As for Danzo… he would no doubt seize this opportunity to place even more pressure on the Uchiha clan.
If that happens… then Fugaku's position will become even more difficult…
Minato sighed inwardly, imagining the pressure his old friend might soon face.
Suddenly, Kakashi's voice broke the silence.
"Minato-sensei, could I ask you not to report the Uchiha Madara matter to the Hokage—at least not yet?"
Minato looked at Kakashi sharply.
"Why do you say that? You know that under shinobi regulations, something this serious can't be hidden."
"I understand, Sensei," Kakashi said, his tone calm and clear. "But listen to my reasoning."
He took a breath and began his explanation.
"Based on Obito's description, Madara's ultimate goal is to collect the nine Tailed Beasts. But in his current state, there's no way he can achieve that himself."
"It would be foolish to think he could rely solely on White Zetsu to kidnap Jinchūriki from ninja villages. He knows that."
"From the fact that he manipulated and kidnapped Obito, it's clear he's searching for a successor—someone to carry on his will. And that successor must obviously be a fellow Uchiha."
Kakashi's gaze turned serious.
"But even assuming he finds someone else like Obito, it would take years to train them and launch any kind of large-scale operation. That means Madara is going into hiding again—to rebuild, to gather strength."
"In other words, we still have time. If we act too hastily now, we might do more harm than good."
Kakashi paused, then added with emphasis:
"If the high command learns about Madara now, the Uchiha clan will be blamed. And Obito—who's inherited Madara's legacy—will definitely be watched, restricted, and possibly imprisoned."
Obito, standing beside them, was stunned. He hadn't expected Kakashi to speak up for him like this.
"Minato-sensei," Kakashi continued, "Third Hokage is old. In my judgment, within a year of the war ending, he'll name you as his successor."
"When that happens, you'll have more authority. You'll be able to handle this in a way that helps Obito, protects the Uchiha, and prepares for the true threat."
His youthful voice echoed in the stone chamber.
Minato stood frozen for a moment, absorbing everything.
He hadn't expected Kakashi—so young—to analyze the political dynamics of the village so clearly.
If everything he said was true, and he already had Fugaku's support, then Minato himself stood to benefit politically.
But if hiding the truth now caused a critical failure later…
"Kakashi, you make some good points," Minato said at last. "But rules are rules. As shinobi of Konoha—"
"A shinobi," Kakashi interrupted softly, "is someone who endures what ordinary people cannot."
"Madara's plan is terrifying and vast—it could end the world. If Danzo learns of it, do you really think he won't use it to eliminate the Uchiha?"
Minato opened his mouth to reply but hesitated. "Danzo… he's doing this for Konoha—"
"Sensei," Kakashi cut in gently, "I respect the Third Hokage and the elders too. But this could decide the future of the entire Uchiha clan. Please… think carefully."
"Besides, do you really think Hokage-sama wouldn't share this information with Danzo?"
He didn't say the last part aloud—but everyone could almost hear his silent thought: Those two are so close, they could share a bed!
Minato closed his eyes for a long moment, deeply conflicted.
He had always respected the system. He believed in unity and transparency.
But now, Kakashi had pointed out a truth he could not ignore.
If his report led to further division in the village, or worse—the destruction of the Uchiha clan—then all his ideals would be meaningless.
He wanted unity. He wanted a Konoha where no one was marginalized.
"All right," Minato said at last, opening his eyes.
"After the war, I will conduct my own private investigation. Depending on what I find, I will decide whether or not to report this to the higher-ups."
Kakashi let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you, Minato-sensei!"
He understood how difficult this decision had been. If Konoha were to suffer because of withheld information, Minato's political career would be over.
Even if he did become Hokage, he might have to resign immediately afterward.
But in that moment, Kakashi realized—his teacher wasn't just a powerful shinobi.
He was a man who could carry the burden of the entire village.
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