Sasori of the Red Sand's voice was icy. "If we're not going to capture the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, then what are we going to Konoha for?"
Obito Uchiha said, "To travel."
Ōtsutsuki Obito said, "To work security."
They spoke at the same time, then turned to glance at each other.
Adult Obito Uchiha from the mission-scroll world practically wanted to kneel to Ōtsutsuki Obito from the quiz world. His own "we're going sightseeing" excuse was already flimsy enough. And this other version of him actually wanted to send Akatsuki to Konoha as security guards?
Even Jiraiya couldn't take it and muttered, "You really can come up with anything, kid."
Ōtsutsuki Obito felt wronged. In their quiz world, Akatsuki really had ended up doing security work…
"Go gather intel," Pain said at last.
It was the only answer that sounded even remotely acceptable.
Since Pain couldn't stray too far from Nagato, they all traveled via Kamui. The only difference was this: Ōtsutsuki Obito sent the others, while Obito Uchiha sent Nagato, Pain, and Konan.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Kimimaro stayed with Nagato's group.
Seeing the real Nagato up close, Jiraiya couldn't help feeling for his student. All the frustration he'd carried over what they'd done these past years softened into something closer to pity.
No one spoke. Nagato was still sunk deep into the plan—collect the tailed beasts, make the world feel pain—unable to see the road beneath his feet.
But Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Obito Uchiha could all tell.
And as for the earlier suggestion—reviving Yahiko—Konan was tempted.
Not because she was small-minded, but because she knew exactly what she wanted. She'd stayed at Nagato's side through all of Akatsuki's actions because she didn't want him to be alone, and she couldn't bear to lose the last family she had.
And she knew only one thing could truly wake Nagato from hatred and change Akatsuki.
Yahiko's return.
She still remembered…
Yahiko, her, Nagato, Kyūsuke, and Daibutsu running across the rivers of the Land of Rain for peace, the first light of dawn cutting through the darkness.
From today on, our organization will be called "Akatsuki."
...
By the time they reached the Land of Fire and drew near Konohagakure, it was already afternoon. Autumn wasn't especially obvious in Konoha, but by four or five o'clock the sky had turned a dusky red.
"I'll go say hi to Minato-sensei first," Obito Uchiha said.
Bringing a whole group of missing-nin into Konoha meant he had to inform the Hokage.
He opened a Kamui entrance directly in the Hokage's office.
The hidden guards instantly appeared, drawing the blades on their backs.
"Who are you?!!"
Obito Uchiha was used to coming and going with Kamui, and Akatsuki didn't exactly do etiquette. Getting stopped by Konoha ANBU like this left him awkward for a moment. He even wondered if he should step back out and, you know, knock politely…
Minato Namikaze waved a hand, signaling them to stand down.
As always, his temper was gentle. "What is it, Obito?"
Facing the Minato-sensei of his own world always made Obito Uchiha unable to lift his head. Even though he'd already decided that once he obtained Nagato's Rinnegan he would revive Kushina, there was still one thing he could never make up for—the twelve most important years that Minato and Kushina had been absent from Naruto's life.
"I have a new mission, Mi—Fourth Hokage-sama."
Outside, he still habitually called him Minato-sensei, but standing in front of him like this, the guilt made Obito Uchiha feel like he didn't deserve to call him that anymore.
"Just call me the way you always have," Minato Namikaze said. "Is this about your new mission?"
"Huh? Ah… yeah."
Knowing Minato-sensei could sense the chakra flow on the mission scroll, Obito Uchiha took it out and opened it.
"It's an A-rank mission. Akatsuki is in my Kamui space right now."
[Mission Rank: A-rank] [Mission Content: Please have all Akatsuki members check into the Missing-nin Inn.]
Seeing the A-rank mission ordering Akatsuki to stay at the Missing-nin Inn, Minato Namikaze didn't look surprised at all. He still wore that warm smile.
"You can keep them under control, right, Obito?"
That only made Obito Uchiha more uneasy. Minato-sensei clearly hadn't meant anything by it, but Obito Uchiha still felt like he was being reminded of his old role behind Akatsuki.
"Don't overthink it. Managing those missing-nin is your job, and Captain Yamato's," Minato Namikaze continued. "And remember to tell Kakashi beforehand. That's his home. Whether they can stay there is something you need to confirm with him."
Then Minato Namikaze winked at him.
"And don't go easy when you collect rent. An S-rank missing-nin organization should be pretty loaded."
After all, he was back to being Hokage. The village's finances and tax revenue still mattered.
Adult Obito chuckled along. "That guy was already lazy enough, and now he's living the landlord life while he's still young."
"Alright, Minato-sensei. I'll go let Kakashi know."
"Mhm."
Obito Uchiha pulled himself into the Kamui space in his right eye and vanished in front of Minato Namikaze and the Hokage guards.
With the Fourth Hokage back in office, several of the former Fourth Hokage's advisor-guards—including Genma Shiranui—had also returned to duty as special jōnin bodyguards.
When they heard Minato Namikaze call him "Obito," a few of the Konoha ninja who'd been Obito Uchiha's peers felt something twist in their chest.
Wait, that guy…
Wasn't he the Ninja Academy's number-one latecomer and dead last from their year?!
No wonder he had a Sharingan.
And that scar… that had to be from the Kannabi Bridge mission.
Back when they'd gone over to Kakashi's place to hang out, they'd seen a Young Obito who'd come through from the Kannabi Bridge era. When they'd been told the "masked man" who caused the Fourth Hokage's death was Obito, none of them could believe it.
Now that Obito from their own time had shown up, there was no room left for disbelief.
The three guards exchanged looks. In the end, Genma Shiranui couldn't hold back and spoke up.
"I don't understand, Fourth Hokage-sama."
"Hm?"
"Why did you forgive Obito Uchiha? He caused your death, your wife's, and so many Konoha ninja."
One of the peers closest to them had lost Kurenai Yūhi's father during the Nine-Tails incident.
"Yeah… even for me, it's hard to forgive him," Minato Namikaze said.
"Then…"
"Forgiving and letting go aren't the same thing," Minato Namikaze replied. "Even if I don't forgive him, the most I can do is kill him. And whether it's me, Naruto, or anyone else in the village, revenge won't bring redemption."
Genma Shiranui fell silent. He understood what the Fourth Hokage meant… but he couldn't fully grasp it. Compared to the Hokage's perspective, he was only a bodyguard.
"By the way," Minato Namikaze continued, "what was Obito like as a kid? You were his peers—you'd know better than I do. Stubborn, hardworking, never willing to lose. He valued his comrades more than anything."
The guards drifted into memories of their youth. Outside the academy, almost every time they saw him, he'd have an old lady on his back, and both hands full of bags.
He was either helping someone, or on his way to help someone.
He was clearly weak, but he still took on burdens far beyond what he could handle, just to help. That was why they still couldn't understand how that Obito could later do what he did.
"Obito took a long detour and stopped being Obito Uchiha," Minato Namikaze said softly. "Now the real Obito is back. That's a lot better than only waking up at the very end, when there's almost nothing left you can do."
With that, the Fourth Hokage smiled and sent the three back to their posts.
Genma Shiranui and the others left feeling dazed. The Fourth Hokage-sama sounded like he'd lived through far more than they'd ever imagined, like he already knew the future.
...
On the other side, Adult Obito suddenly popped out right next to Kakashi.
Startled, Kakashi almost sprayed his freshly swallowed hot tea all over Obito's face.
"Oh. Rare to see you with your face uncovered," Kakashi said, forcing himself to stay calm. "I'm a person too, you know. I need time to relax."
"What do you mean, 'I'm a person too'…?" Young Obito grumbled, eyeing the hot tea in Kakashi's hand and the plate of senbei off to the side.
"Are you an old man or what?!"
"Well…" Kakashi took a tactical sip. "Want a cracker?"
"Yes."
Sitting on the engawa with a cup of hot tea, red maples in the yard.
Eating a senbei, thinking about nothing at all, just watching maple leaves drift down one by one… it made life feel oddly comfortable.
Having Obito back at his side again, Kakashi couldn't help feeling grateful to fate.
"So what do you want?" Kakashi asked.
Obito's face was sour. "I brought you some business."
"You've switched to being a pimp now?"
"Tch! Watch your mouth! It's your inn, okay?" Adult Obito hesitated. "I brought you some guests."
Kakashi gave him a sidelong look. "Do I look like an innkeeper?"
Kakashi had the day off. Rare leisure. He was wearing a blue yukata.
Young Obito looked him up and down so blatantly that Kakashi was about to get annoyed, and then Obito finally delivered his verdict.
"All you're missing is a hot spring."
"…"
"Can we get to the point?" Kakashi said. "Why are you here? A mission?"
"Yeah. My mission scroll got a new mission. It's about the inn."
That inn had been built by Yamato, and Kakashi owned half of it.
Kakashi kept that thought to himself.
"What kind of mission? Increase revenue?"
"Uh… basically. They've got money. You can fleece them."
"Who are 'they'?" Kakashi asked, already getting a very bad feeling.
Even so, he still didn't expect Obito to have the nerve to say it out loud.
"The entire Akatsuki organization."