Minato Namikaze quickly grasped the broader vision behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan.
It was the best way to ensure Konohagakure would no longer be consumed by the flames of war, allowing everyone to return to peace.
"Lord Third, I won't let you down," Minato vowed silently to himself.
Once they left Konohagakure, the group swiftly dashed through the mountain forests.
Outside the village, several clean, wide roads had been constructed.
However, this mission required discretion to avoid attracting attention.
Those warmongering fanatics who opposed the end of the conflict were likely to cause trouble.
"Let's rest here for a bit," Minato said after two days of travel, leading the group to a small village for resupply.
Constantly eating soldier pills would only heighten the tension in their war-strained nerves.
An occasional homecooked meal could evoke a touch of warmth in a ninja's heart, preventing them from sinking into the darkness of this grim world.
"Sensei Minato, I'm stepping out for a bit," Shimizu Uchiha said, glancing around at their surroundings.
By sheer coincidence, they were near the orphanage run by Yakushi Nonou.
"Sure, just be back soon," Minato replied cheerfully.
Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara exchanged puzzled looks.
What was Shimizu up to?
But Shimizu's figure quickly disappeared as he sped toward the town.
"Is that the orphanage?" Rin asked uncertainly.
"Shimizu Uchiha… he doesn't seem like an Uchiha at all, having such a kind heart," remarked a jonin trailing behind, genuinely perplexed that the Uchiha Clan could produce such an outlier.
"Of course. All my students are kind-hearted people. Once we've rested, let's go check it out too," Minato said with a smile.
As a commoner whose parents had long since passed, Minato was, in a way, an orphan himself.
Inevitably, he was curious about how other orphaned children lived.
Rin nodded slightly.
Truthfully, the idea of a cold, almost demonic person like Shimizu voluntarily visiting an orphanage felt ironic.
Could it be that she had misjudged him? Did Shimizu actually have a warm side she'd never noticed?
At this thought, Rin clenched her fists.
If that was true, then why had she always been subjected to Shimizu's subtle manipulations?
"Alright," Kakashi said tersely.
The more he observed Rin, the heavier the guilt and shame weighed on his heart.
Leading the way, Shimizu headed toward the orphanage.
However, his gaze wasn't fixed on the road ahead but darted to the shops on either side, as if searching for someone.
When he passed a ramen shop, Shimizu paused.
"Need something, sir?" Yakushi Nonou asked, looking up from cleaning bowls.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw Shimizu.
"Shi… Shimizu, what are you doing here?"
"I'm on a mission and happened to pass by. I was planning to visit the orphanage and ran into you, Nonou-nee," Shimizu said, feigning surprise.
A flush of embarrassment crossed Nonou's face, her hands hesitating as she held a bowl.
"Have you finished cleaning the bowls?" a voice called from the kitchen, likely belonging to a stout, middle-aged woman.
"Coming!" Nonou replied, casting an apologetic glance at Shimizu.
Shimizu waved it off, waiting for her outside.
It was almost closing time, so Nonou soon emerged from the shop.
She kept her head slightly lowered as she walked with Shimizu toward the orphanage.
Glancing at Shimizu, who was now taller than her, Nonou's eyes flickered with hesitation.
Sensing something, Shimizu turned to her and asked, "Nonou-nee, are you still short on money?"
"…Yes," she admitted softly.
"Times are tough, aren't they?" Shimizu sighed, as if hinting that his own funds were tight.
Nonou's cheeks reddened slightly.
Working odd jobs to support the orphanage barely covered the costs of food and drink for a few children.
With over a hundred children at the orphanage, the expenses added up to a significant amount.
When she saw Shimizu, she hadn't intended to ask for help, but deep down, she couldn't help hoping he might offer some support.
Nonou felt a pang of shame.
The two soon arrived at the orphanage.
"Dean!" Kabuto Yakushi called out, spotting Nonou from afar and running over.
"Kabuto, you've gotten thinner," Shimizu remarked, eyeing Kabuto's gaunt cheeks and frail frame, pretending to be puzzled.
"N-no… I've just been trying to lose weight," Kabuto said with a forced smile.
In truth, he'd been skipping meals to ease Nonou's burden.
"What do the kids here usually eat, Nonou-nee?" Shimizu asked.
"We have steaming rice and vegetables every day," Kabuto interjected, trying to paint a brighter picture.
"I see," Shimizu replied casually, glancing at Nonou.
Her worried expression betrayed the reality behind Kabuto's embellishment.
"Nonou-nee, mind if I stay for a meal?" Shimizu asked suddenly.
Nonou nodded in agreement.
It was just one extra bowl, and they could manage for a single meal.
Half an hour later, it was time to eat.
A plump nun handed out bowls and chopsticks, while an elderly man with glasses served the food.
Shimizu took a bowl, but calling it "food" was generous—it was more like watery gruel.
With a gentle shake, the bowl sloshed with water, the sparse rice grains visibly floating.
The side dish was cheap root vegetables, and with Shimizu's keen sense of smell, he detected a faint off odor.
These were likely low-quality vegetables, bought at the cheapest price possible.
"Sorry for the poor hospitality," Nonou said, holding a bowl with the same meager contents as Shimizu's and the children's.
"It's fine," Shimizu replied, finishing the meal in a few bites.
Honestly, this meal was less nourishing than a single soldier pill.
One soldier pill could leave you feeling full, at least.
As night fell, the elderly man collected the dishes, and the nun gathered the children to tell them stories.
In the orphanage's first-floor living room, Nonou and Shimizu stood together.
"Here, take this," Shimizu said, handing her a sealing scroll containing fifty thousand ryo.
Nonou stared at him in shock, biting her lip, her brows furrowing.
"Nonou-nee, your life is too hard."
"No, this is…" she began.
"You don't want the kids to go hungry, do you?"
"It's too much. I'd feel guilty accepting this," Nonou said with a sigh.
Shimizu had helped the orphanage several times, and this debt of gratitude was growing heavier.
"Just be happy, Nonou-nee," Shimizu said.
Before she could react, she felt something cold and warm in her hands.
The cold was the sealing scroll.
The warmth was Shimizu's hand.
She looked up, meeting his expectant gaze.
"How about this? Give me a hug, and we'll call it even," Shimizu said, his voice tinged with hesitation and unease.
Before Nonou could respond, he stepped forward and embraced her.
Nonou stiffened.
Having spent so much time with children, she wasn't used to being this close to a young, robust man like Shimizu.
His warmth and scent seeped through her clothes, and just as she moved to push him away, she noticed his body trembling slightly.
Her eyes shifted to his face, catching the glimmer of tears in his eyes and a trace of sadness on his handsome features.
Her heart softened.
She realized that Shimizu, too, was a child—an orphan.
Perhaps he, too, longed for someone to love and care for him, to offer him warmth.
A wave of pity and maternal affection surged within Nonou.
She relaxed, returning the embrace and gently patting his back, as if comforting a wounded child.
"Thank you, Nonou-nee," Shimizu said after a long moment, finally pulling away.
The sudden loss of warmth made Nonou feel a chill as the night breeze swept over her.
In truth, she had always been alone.
It was only after coming to the orphanage that she formed so many bonds.
"If my future wife could be like you, Nonou-nee, I'd be happy," Shimizu said.
"Haha, your future wife will be far prettier than me," Nonou replied with a laugh.
But when their eyes met, she glimpsed a hint of desire in his gaze.
Puberty, perhaps?
Nonou knew her mature figure could stir the hormones of a young man like Shimizu.
But was that really the look in his eyes?
Before she could be certain, she noticed a group approaching in the distance.
She quickly adjusted her nun's habit, ensuring nothing was out of place.
Shimizu stood calmly, unfazed.
The approaching group was Minato and the others.
Upon arriving, they saw the children's living conditions and each donated a small amount.
Ninjas typically didn't carry much money, and in their haste, none had brought as much as Shimizu.
After a while, Minato and the others left, and Shimizu followed.
Nonou gazed at the sealing scroll in her hand, a complex guilt weighing on her.
This lonely boy must be seeking her approval, repeatedly offering money to help the orphanage.
Then she recalled the look in Shimizu's eyes.
Was it really just approval?
A single hug in exchange for fifty thousand ryo.
It made her feel like she was taking advantage of this boy.
Under the moonlight, Nonou stood lost in thought, clutching the scroll.
She wondered what she could possibly offer Shimizu in return.
Unfortunately, Shimizu had already carved his own path in medical ninjutsu, and she had little to offer there.
In other areas, she was even less qualified—rumors among ninjas praised Shimizu's Body Flicker Technique, claiming he was among the fastest in the shinobi world.
"Dean…" Kabuto called, stepping out from the house.
It was almost lights-out time. Why was the dean still at the door?
"Kabuto, go back to bed," Nonou said softly, closing the door.
Meanwhile, Shimizu, now far away, allowed a faint smile to curl his lips.
A kind-hearted person like Nonou could never stand to let him give so much without reciprocating.
The desire he'd deliberately shown had planted a seed in her heart.
This time, it was a hug. What would it be next time?
Nonou's boundaries would gradually erode.
Shimizu wasn't worried that she'd stop needing his help once her financial situation improved.
After the war ended and peace treaties were signed, subsidies for the orphanage would dwindle.
Orphans were never in short supply, whether in times of war or peace.
The financial gap would only grow wider.
Her need for money would grow greater.
Great enough that she'd have no way to repay him.
"Did you see that red-haired guy's eyes?" White Zetsu emerged from the ground, pointing ahead.
"Are those the Samsara Eyes…?" Obito Uchiha, cloaked in a black robe and inhabiting Tobi's body, observed from behind a cliff.
"Those are unmistakably Madara's eyes, transplanted into him when he was young," White Zetsu explained, sharing the secret.
Few were privy to the truth about the Samsara Eyes.
It was Madara's greatest secret and the cornerstone of his plan—only the Samsara Eyes could cast the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life to revive him.
Without it, Madara's death would be final.
"Nagato has the blood of the Uzumaki Clan. Besides Madara, he's the only one who can summon the Gedo Statue," Black Zetsu said, his half-black, half-white form speaking through the black side.
While a few Uzumaki Clan members remained scattered across the world, Nagato was the most suitable.
Kushina Uzumaki might also be a viable candidate for the Samsara Eyes, but she was too conspicuous, constantly monitored by Konoha. As the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, giving her the Samsara Eyes risked her becoming uncontrollable.
Obito recalled Madara's words.
In his battle with Hashirama Senju, Madara had acquired Hashirama's cells.
Transplanting them into his wounds initially yielded no results, but as Madara neared the end of his life, the Samsara Eyes… awakened.
Without the powers of both the Uchiha and Senju, the Samsara Eyes could not be unlocked.
"Senju…" Obito muttered, frowning.
It would take too long.
He didn't want to wait until he was old and frail to awaken the Samsara Eyes.
Being controlled by Madara wasn't the outcome he wanted.
He needed to find a way to remove Madara's influence and become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki.
Then, he'd exact revenge on Shimizu.
Even if this world was an illusion, Shimizu's desecration of Rin was unforgivable.
He had to be punished—by Obito's own hand.
"For now, we'll follow Madara's plan and bring Nagato to our side," Obito said, stepping forward without hiding.
"Hey, what are you doing? Shouldn't we… make a plan first?" White Zetsu asked, stunned.
Obito was walking straight toward them?
"No need," Obito replied coldly.
The three figures taking shelter from the rain immediately noticed Obito.
As he reached the base of the cliff, Nagato Uzumaki fixed him with a wary stare.
"Who are you?"
"Uchiha Madara."
"Madara?" Nagato said skeptically.
Uchiha Madara was a figure from decades ago. If he were alive today, his voice wouldn't sound so young.
"You dare claim to be Madara? Are you a criminal or just a fool? What's your goal in approaching us?"
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