A dark cave.
This was the Akatsuki organization's temporary base.
White Zetsu, Tobi, emerged from a pile of dirt overhead.
He gestured wildly, shouting in an exaggerated tone.
"Obito! Obito! Great news!"
The man he called Obito wore a tiger-striped mask.
Uchiha Obito sat silently on a rock, seemingly meditating with his eyes closed.
The swirling Tobi circled around him.
"It's incredible! The new daimyo of the Land of Fire has clashed with your Konoha's Hokage!"
"I heard that Root leader, Danzo, tried to cause trouble at the coronation ceremony, but the Third Hokage personally ripped out his heart! Pfft, blood splattered everywhere, it was so exciting!"
"I wonder if a person whose heart is ripped out still poops, if—"
"What happened to Konoha?" Uchiha Obito interrupted Tobi's rambling description, his voice icy.
"Oh, oh, the entire Konoha is in chaos now!" Tobi immediately returned to the main topic, his tone becoming gleeful. "The Hokage's orders aren't being listened to outside the Hokage building anymore!"
"Also, also, the Uchiha clan is scrambling to send beauties to the daimyo, the Hyuga clan's faces have turned pale with worry, and even the Ino-Shika-Cho families are starting to waver!"
Listening to Tobi's story, the single eye beneath Uchiha Obito's mask instantly filled with crimson.
"A chance! This is a chance!" Uchiha Obito suddenly stood up, his voice hoarse and frantic. "I'll go destroy that hypocritical village right now!"
"Calm down, Obito."
Black Zetsu emerged from the ground at his feet, stopping him. "You're too impulsive."
The Sharingan in Uchiha Obito's eye spun wildly, slowly forming into a Mangekyo, his tone grim. "Konoha's internal strife—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Do you dare to stop me?"
"A chance?"
Black Zetsu let out a mocking laugh. "You underestimate Konoha too much!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi may be old, but his strength is still there."
"More importantly, Minato Namikaze..."
"That man's Flying Thunder God Technique has already surpassed the Second Hokage."
"As long as he's in Konoha for one day, it's impossible for you to come and go as you please in Konoha."
Seeing Obito's eagerness for revenge and his strong killing intent, Black Zetsu's speaking speed quickened.
"And Uzumaki Kushina."
"Don't forget, she's not only the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, but she herself is also a member of the Uzumaki clan with powerful sealing techniques."
"If you go now, it's meaningless except to die!"
Hearing the words "to die," Uchiha Obito didn't get angry but laughed instead, his laughter filled with madness.
He murmured, "Die? Dying is good. If I die... I can go see Rin."
Black Zetsu was silent for a moment, realizing that simple threats had no effect on him.
"Have you forgotten our plan?" Black Zetsu grew anxious.
"The Eye of the Moon Plan? I haven't forgotten!" Uchiha Obito remained stubborn. "It doesn't matter without me. You can find other people!"
Black Zetsu's voice suddenly became sharp. "What about your revenge for Rin? Are you just going to die miserably with empty hands and go see her? Tell her that you couldn't do anything for her?"
"Rin's death, this world's fault—is it just going to be forgotten like that?"
The name Rin, like a sharp dagger, pierced deeply into Obito's heart.
He trembled all over, and the killing intent around him became even stronger.
Watching Obito ignite with hatred again, Black Zetsu knew the time was right.
His tone shifted, becoming cold and tempting.
"Forcing your way in is the lowest form of revenge."
"I have a better plan, one that will make Minato Namikaze taste the same despair as you."
Uchiha Obito suddenly turned his head, his crimson Sharingan staring intently at Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu spoke unhurriedly. "Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina are husband and wife, right?"
"They'll have their own child sooner or later."
"And when a jinchuriki gives birth, the seal within her body will weaken to its extreme."
"At that time, the Nine-Tails seal will be at its weakest."
The air in the cave seemed to freeze.
Uchiha Obito's breathing became heavy.
He understood Black Zetsu's intention.
"At that time..."
Black Zetsu's voice was like a devil's, filled with extreme malice. "We will extract the Nine-Tails from Uzumaki Kushina's body, and then let that tailed beast, which represents hatred and destruction, roar freely in Konoha, in front of his wife, and in front of his newborn child."
"Let him personally watch everything he wants to protect be crushed to dust on the same day."
"Let him also taste the pain of helplessly watching his beloved die."
"This is the most perfect revenge against Konoha and Minato Namikaze."
Obito's body began to tremble uncontrollably from excitement. "And Kakashi..."
Black Zetsu added, "That's right, and Kakashi. They'll all experience the same despair as you from losing their precious things, and the entire Konoha will be buried with you!"
"Heh heh... heh heh heh heh..."
Uchiha Obito let out a low laugh, growing louder and louder, eventually turning into a wild laugh.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Good! Good plan!"
"Let's do it!"
Beneath the tiger-striped mask, that Mangekyo Sharingan spun wildly.
Uchiha Obito's last shred of humanity was completely burned away by the flames of revenge.
He looked toward Konoha, full of anticipation.
Evening.
Konoha Village.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the Hokage Rock red.
Minato Namikaze left the Hokage building and walked aimlessly through the village streets.
The banners of the izakaya fluttered in the evening breeze. The tempting aroma of barbecue drifted from the grill, and the clear laughter of children chasing and playing was still crisp.
Everything was as usual.
But everything had also changed.
All that liveliness, laughter, all that Konoha spirit—now felt out of place with him.
He saw a few civilian genin who had just graduated from the shinobi academy, their faces filled with excitement, gathered together in a heated discussion.
"Did you hear? The daimyo is personally giving funds to support the geniuses in our village! We won't have to work so hard on missions to save money for shinobi tools anymore!"
"More than that! My second uncle's cousin said that if you can be selected as one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, you can receive a large sum of money every month! Even higher than the reward for an A-rank mission!"
"That's the strongest guard beside the daimyo. If we can be chosen, we civilian shinobi will truly make a name for ourselves!"
"Really? Then I have to hurry and sign up. I don't want to pick up trash and look for stray cats anymore!"
These bursts of joy and longing pricked Minato Namikaze's heart like needles.
Once upon a time, becoming a member of the Hokage's personal guard was the glory of all shinobi.
Once upon a time, fighting for the village was a natural belief.
Now, the daimyo had merely wiggled a finger.
The hearts of the village people no longer belonged to the Hokage.
Minato Namikaze clenched his fists, his sharp fingernails digging deep into his palms.
The stinging pain, however, was not as great as the bitterness in his heart.
He abruptly turned around, no longer walking in the direction of home.
He was going to find the Third Hokage.
He was going to ask him what all of this was about! What should be done!
But just then, he suddenly stopped.
In his line of sight, the ramen shop on the street corner glowed with warm light.
A red-haired woman with a ponytail sat inside.
It was Kushina.
She was happily chatting with Teuchi, a steaming bowl of ramen in front of her.
Feeling watched, Uzumaki Kushina turned her head, and her beautiful eyes instantly lit up.
"Minato! Here! Here!"
She waved her arms energetically, a happy and bright smile on her face.
That smile cut through the busy street and lit up his heart, which was almost swallowed by gloom.
In an instant, all the frustration, anger, and confusion vanished.
Looking at his wife's smiling face, Minato Namikaze's clenched fists slowly relaxed.
It turned out.
What he had to protect had always been here.