Kakashi pondered for a moment, then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he snapped his head up to look at Diarmuid's back. "You're so strong, and a true friend of Konoha, why not lend a hand and help us take down the Nine-Tails?"
Diarmuid turned his head to look at Kakashi, his expression unreadable. "You know, are you sure you don't want to join the Yorozuya? Someone like you, with a screw loose, a slight self-destructive streak, and skin as thick as a fortress wall, would be very welcome."
Kakashi was speechless.
Before he could respond, Diarmuid continued, "Even among friends, clear accounts make for long relationships, right? The Nine-Tails is currently a 'wild' entity. If I help you take it down, do I get to keep it?"
Kakashi blinked, then sighed. "Of course not..."
"Then why should I bother? As a friend, giving you some pointers is already plenty. Besides, I came here with my own agenda." Diarmuid turned back toward the battlefield, only to freeze.
Wait. I just turned my head for a second, how did Obito and Minato both vanish?
"What agenda?" Kakashi asked curiously.
Diarmuid improvised smoothly. "To test out that 'Madara' fellow. He has a very troublesome space-time ninjutsu. Normally, he's impossible to catch, but with Minato here, it might be possible..."
It was total nonsense, of course. Why would he waste energy trying to capture Obito? But since he had already made contact with Kakashi, he had to provide a logical reason for his presence to ensure he didn't seem suspicious.
I, Diarmuid, didn't come to Konoha to plot against you; I'm here to track down this "Madara." Whether they believed it or not, Diarmuid certainly made himself believe it.
Furthermore, Konoha's power would inevitably be crippled after tonight, requiring massive post-disaster reconstruction. Minato might still die, and a new Hokage would have to be chosen. In such a state, no rational leader would choose to provoke a monster even more dangerous than the one they just fought. If he offered an olive branch now, Konoha wouldn't refuse it.
Even if Danzo suspected Diarmuid regarding the theft of the Scroll of Seals, especially since he had appeared in the village, Danzo likely wouldn't say much. Compared to the scroll, Danzo valued his relationship and mutual interests with Diarmuid far more. He might even help Diarmuid cover his tracks.
"I need to check on that guy's situation." Diarmuid didn't want to waste more words on Kakashi. With a Lightning Body Flicker, he vanished.
His Observation Haki flared out, enveloping a massive area including and far beyond Konoha. A moment later, he sensed the presence of Obito and Minato in a dense forest outside the village.
…
"Are you an Uchiha?" Minato stood with a Flying Raijin kunai in one hand, while the other held a seal. He stared intensely at Obito.
Through multiple exchanges, neither had gained the upper hand due to their respective space-time abilities. However, Minato felt something was off. This guy knows me too well. There was a strange sense of familiarity in their movements. The masked man seemed to anticipate his next moves as if he had studied his entire combat style. Is it the Sharingan? Or is he truly an Uchiha master hidden within the village who has been gathering intelligence on me?
"Uchiha?" Obito held two kunai connected by long chains. He murmured the name before letting out a cold laugh. "I suppose you could call me that. I haven't introduced myself, have I, Lord Fourth... My name is Uchiha Madara!"
Surprise flashed through Minato's eyes. Uchiha Madara?
In that split second of distraction, Obito moved, lunging at Minato with explosive speed.
But Minato's guard had not truly slipped. As Obito charged, a sharp glint appeared in the Hokage's eyes. If you're familiar with my rhythm, then I'll give you something new.
There was a technique he had mastered recently: Flying Raijin: Level 2. He had rarely used it in front of others.
He hurled the Flying Raijin kunai directly at Obito's head.
Obito didn't dodge. He continued his charge, reaching out with one hand. If he could just touch Minato, he could use Kamui to lock down the Hokage's space-time, making escape impossible. Once he had a physical hold, Obito had a dozen ways to end him instantly.
The moment the kunai reached Obito's head, Kamui activated, and the weapon passed harmlessly through his intangible form. At the exact moment of passage, Obito materialized again, a look of triumph gleaming in his eye as he reached for Minato's torso.
…
From the top of Konoha's high wall, Diarmuid watched from afar. He didn't intervene, instead using his Observation Haki and sensory abilities to "view" the scene.
When the kunai passed through Obito's head, Diarmuid gave a helpless smirk. "As I thought, his combat experience is still too shallow. Plus, the kid's grown too arrogant. The 'Yellow Flash' crossed the battlefields of the Third Great Ninja War without a single defeat. Would a man like that leave such an obvious opening?"
Obito was far too naive.
Minato hadn't believed the "Uchiha Madara" claim for a second. He had sensed that while the masked man knew him well, his actual combat movements were somewhat unrefined. He didn't fight like an old, seasoned veteran of the ninja world... he fought like a novice. Honestly, if it weren't for that bizarre space-time ninjutsu, Minato felt he could have finished him in two seconds.
Now, time was his enemy. He didn't know the state of the village, but he had to end this quickly, deal with the Nine-Tails, and perhaps, if he were fast enough, save Kushina. Thus, facing the "legendary" Madara, he deliberately baited the trap.
It worked perfectly. Obito's lack of experience led him right into it. Compared to his future self in the Fourth Great Ninja War, this Obito was still full of holes.
"Die!"
As the word left Diarmuid's lips, the Minato in front of Obito vanished.
"Crap!" Obito realized the trap too late.
The Yellow Flash lived up to his name; he was so fast that even a microsecond of error meant death. Minato appeared in a golden blur above Obito, catching the kunai in mid-air. In his other hand, a pre-charged Rasengan slammed into Obito's lower back.
Obito was driven into the ground by the impact, the pain nearly making him black out. In that moment of contact, Minato placed a Flying Raijin seal on Obito's body.
The blow seemed to shock Obito out of his manic frenzy. Without a word, he activated Kamui and fled immediately.
Minato hesitated but did not give chase. The Nine-Tails and Kushina were more important. He had already marked the masked man; he could find him anytime.
…
On the other side of the village, the Nine-Tails continued its rampage. Many ninja had already fallen, including the parents of a young Iruka Umino.
"Shinku, is it ready yet!? I can't hold this much longer!" Hiashi roared. A massive claw from the Nine-Tails swiped down toward him.
"Brother!" Hizashi cried out.
"Don't underestimate the Hyuga!!!" Hiashi shouted. Chakra condensed in his palm as he twisted his hips, striking upward against the descending claw.
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!!!"
With a ferocious roar, a beam of concentrated Chakra erupted from his palm, shredding part of the fox's claw and forcing the massive beast to stumble back.
In that instant, Yuhi Shinku sensed a shift. He completed his hand seals and barked, "Release!"
As he shouted, the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes finally flickered and faded. Shinku had sensed the ocular power of the genjutsu weakening, perhaps because the Fourth Hokage had succeeded, or perhaps because Hiashi's devastating strike had shaken the beast's focus.
But as the control broke, the Nine-Tails' eyes filled with pure hatred. It loathed the Sharingan, and by extension, it now hated all illusionists.
"ROAAR!!!" The Nine-Tails lashed out with its tail, a horizontal sweep aimed directly at Shinku.
This is bad... Shinku thought. He had exhausted his Chakra on the release. In the face of certain death, his thoughts flashed to his daughter, and then, inexplicably, he cursed under his breath: "Asuma, you brat... if you ever make Kurenai cry, I'll haunt you forever."
But in that final second, a calm, gentle voice reached his ears.
"Talking behind the back of the Lord Third's son isn't a very good habit, Shinku!"
"Lord Fourth!?"
An instant later, Shinku vanished, whisked away by Minato just as the tail smashed the ground where he had stood.
His life was saved.
It seemed that Diarmuid's presence, though it hadn't changed everything, had allowed some to escape a tragic fate. Though, surely, many others had encountered a death they were never meant to face...