"Are you sure it's fine to just let him go like that, Yorin?"
After Obito left, Shisui dropped from a treetop and asked.
With Wood Release and Kamui shaking the whole area a moment ago, there was no way Shisui would just sit back.
Love the mission or love your brother—there was nothing to decide.
Leaving meant the caravan was exposed and the job might fail, but Shisui knew what mattered. A mission is a mission, a brother is a brother. If helping a brother makes the mission fail, then let it fail.
If anyone tried to spin it, the New Konoha Times wasn't for show. Feed the cats extra matatabi liquor, have them work overtime, and print every blunder by Danzō, the Third, and the rest of the elders. Let's see them explain then.
Blame Shisui for failing a mission to protect a comrade, like they did to White Fang. How big do their faces have to be.
And by the way, back then the only reason you few old men lived was because the Second stayed behind. The genius who created Flying Thunder God, who beat Mangekyō with a mortal body, got himself killed covering you. Was White Fang's case worse than yours. He took responsibility and killed himself. How do you still have the nerve to be alive.
"Thanks, Shisui. Let's head back and talk on the way."
They hadn't ended up trading blows, but Yorin still thanked him—unlike White Fang's teammates who sold him out. Shisui nodded and they set off while Yorin gave him the short version.
When he finished, Shisui was at a loss for words.
"So his girlfriend died and now he resents the world. Obito really is…"
"The key is the clan tablet. You've seen it, right."
Shisui fell silent, then said yes.
"Read what you want, but don't go back to it. The text was altered long ago. Infinite Tsukuyomi won't create a perfect world. It will end the shinobi world."
"Then why not tell Obito."
"You can't reason with a madman."
Shisui paused. He had heard the second half of the talk and Obito hadn't sounded insane, but besides madman, he had no better word for that clown. How big does your heart have to be to empathize with him. Right, Naruto.
They returned to the caravan heavy-hearted and met the owner's long, wounded stare. While Shisui was gone to back up Yorin, the man had prayed to every god he knew, begging not to draw another bandit raid or they would all be laughing their way to a collective game over.
Luckily, that didn't happen.
Rain's rogue bands were many, but not endless. Yorin and Shisui had already mowed down the nearby crews, so no one else struck the road. Yorin had worried they might bump into an Akatsuki monster, but they didn't. Nagato and Konan had no interest in seizing a convoy of luxury goods. To Rain's people, that cargo was useless. So Yorin and Shisui cleared through.
Shisui grudgingly accepted Yorin's plan not to poke Amegakure, Hanzō, or Akatsuki. The brothers finished an A-rank escort without a hitch and hurried back to Konoha to turn it in.
The tens of thousands of ryō were nothing. The problem was Rain's unrest and the twin headaches called Akatsuki and Obito.
The first were the Fourth's senior classmates. The second was the Fourth's pupil. Both had eyes on the Hokage's wife to rip out the Nine Tails and give Minato the three midlife joys.
Even Yorin winced for him. To keep Minato from rolling his eyes into the hospital, Yorin decided to start with sugar and share the good news.
"The good news is that Hanzō of the Salamander is completely washed out. He's a shut-in who can't be bothered to move."
Minato let out a long breath.
A small village led by an Kage-class, even super-Kage-class, is a real nuisance. Back then the Sannin together couldn't beat him. Hearing that such a terror had gone limp and retired would warm any Hokage's heart.
"That's more like it. Everyone keeps their heads down and the world stays peaceful," Minato said. "All right, that's the good news. What's the bad."
"The bad is…" Even Shisui felt sorry for him. "The bad is that thing you asked us to look into—we've got it. The one who slaughtered until Danzō ran for his life is the same group your Anbu can't get a read on lately.
Because of Danzō, their view of Konoha is awful. Borderline hostile."
Yorin laid out Akatsuki and how Danzō's botched collusion with Hanzō got flipped on him. Minato's relief curdled into worry.
"I see. Awful. I knew he was a bastard, but not that much of one. Akatsuki used to be neutral, even fond of Konoha thanks to Jiraiya-sensei. Now, thanks to Danzō, we're staring at two Kage-class threats."
Yorin knew Nagato was beyond Kage, and with the Six Paths even further. But it's hard to picture what you've never seen. Tell Minato the whole truth and he wouldn't buy it. He'd accuse Yorin of taking Akatsuki's money and shilling for them.
Knowing they'd butchered scores of Anbu and sent Danzō and Hanzō running was more than enough to make Minato worry his hair off.
"It's definitely bad… I'll send envoys and shinobi to sound them out. Any more bad news. Say it all. I can take it."
"You say that, but…"
"Maybe give it a minute."
Yorin and Shisui traded a look. They were worried about the Fourth. Akatsuki was terrible, but not exactly his cross. They could all hang it on Danzō and call it a day.
Obito, though, was Minato's business. His own disciple, his dearest family. He wanted to kill his teacher's wife, steal the Nine Tails, and wreck Konoha.
If Danzō learned this and pressed Minato, could Minato say he didn't know.
Even he wouldn't believe himself. Picture Danzō taking it to the Daimyō of Fire and demanding that Minato take responsibility like White Fang once did—the thought alone made Minato's heart go cold. His head buzzed. He felt faint.