(Subhead: Loyalty!)
Over the next few days, Uchiha Yorin stopped dropping in on Minato and started running nonstop between Anbu, the Uchiha clan, and the Youth Officers Corps.
He wasn't some rank-and-file Anbu anymore—he was the damned Anbu Commander, first chair of the Cheka Committee, head of the Gestapo, and grand high Tonton Macoute—high office, heavy workload.
Step one: recruit talent. After months of growth and courting, the Youth Officers Corps had spread beyond the Uchiha.
Plenty of young, hawkish Konoha shinobi dissatisfied with the status quo joined up. They were exactly the talent pool Anbu needed.
Some truly respected Uchiha Yorin—thought "Yorin-nii is invincible." More were just along for the ride—dragged in by buddies, or because Yorin actually delivered bags of rice to their families.
Either way, after a rousing speech in the brewery near the Uchiha industrial park, even a burnout like Kakashi felt a spark stir in his chest.
Extinguished hot blood seemed to light again.
This was Yorin's new routine, refined from his time "out there" as Akatsuki—smacking corrupt officials and preaching. Your average young ninja had never seen anything like it—they got swept right up.
Right when the crowd's blood was up, Yorin-nii handed out extra stipends—cash, miso, and a sack of rice carried up several flights.
Then off came the Konoha green vests, and on went the Uchiha Cat-Textiles' latest gray greatcoats with eagle-crest caps.
Belt buckled, boots laced. Red-lined black sleeve-guards on. One by one, the shinobi slipped into a fever—arms lifted forty-five degrees—shouting:
"LOYALTY!"
"Yes—loyalty! Loyal to what? Not to me—to Konoha! To the people!"
Cloak swirling, Yorin rang out: "This world is sad, wrong, twisted!
"To set it right is our generation's mission!!
"Why do shinobi struggle, sacrifice, die on the battlefield? For money? For themselves?!
"No. For ordinary missions, maybe. But in world war, we throw that away—our mission is noble!
"We fight not only for Konoha—not only for the Land of Fire. We fight for all the world's people!
"As the strongest shinobi village, we bear the duty to end war forever—in our time!
"We will launch a war to end all war!
"We will end war by war!
"We will, with force, bring the other villages to heel—no—save and govern them!
"When Konoha's banner flies over the Five Great Lands—
"When Konoha's army grinds down the pitiable remnants of the other four villages—
"When it's all over, today's pain and sacrifice will buy a better world:
"A world unified under Konoha's flag!
"Decades from now, when you sit at your grandson's bedside, you can proudly say: in the greatest war, you charged at the front!
"You are a hero!
"Not only Konoha's hero—the world's hero!!""
His speech burned—infectious.
Forget the fresh recruits—even a seen-it-all veteran like Tsunade felt woozy—drifting off to join the chant.
"LOYALTY!"
…
Sometimes Minato came to inspect; seeing the energy, he felt satisfied—entrusting Anbu to Yorin had been right.
Uchiha Fugaku, though—was a headache.
They'd promised to open Police Force slots to other clans and commoner shinobi—why wasn't it happening?
It wasn't for Yorin's lack of trying. Minato knew he'd banged the table with Fugaku multiple times; the clan council had convened and reconvened. The elders were stubborn.
Uchiha controlling Anbu—sending their youths to be "Gestapo"—they were fine with that.
Opening Police slots? Not a chance. Yorin fumed and called them senile layabouts.
"If only Yorin were Uchiha clan head, this would be smoother," Minato thought—and then further:
"What if I made Yorin Hokage, and I went back to being a regular jōnin—would everyone be happier?"
With those complicated feelings, after dismissing the crowd, Minato stopped Yorin to keep talking Obito.
In a few days, he'd finally cooled—found his aim and plan again.
"If we can take him alive, do it. If not… then…"
Yorin: "Then let him run?"
"…"
After a few seconds, Minato nodded—painfully.
More than worry for Obito, he worried about Kiri.
"Our border skirmishes with Kumo haven't stopped. Add Kiri, and Konoha faces two fronts again."
He said, "We have to hold Kiri back—even if it means using schemes I'd rather not."
Yorin: "Don't weigh yourself down. You're Konoha's Kage. Everything you do is for the village."
He squeezed Minato's shoulder. "You won't regret it."
Minato: "Yes—because I'm Hokage."
A righteous echo of Danzō and the Third. They locked eyes—conviction passing between them.
They both knew: killing Obito is easy; capturing him alive is not. Kamui's defense and escape power is second to none. Even with Flying Thunder God, Minato would struggle.
Which is to say: Obito's escape is almost certain.
On Nine-Tails Night—after Naruto is born—intervening in Kiri goes on the docket.
Minato: "Then it's decided. Next we boost intel on Kiri."
Yorin: "Exactly. If war breaks out—where does it happen?"
Minato: "…"
Yorin: "…"
After a few seconds, they both said: "Uzushio."
Yes.
If Kiri and Konoha go to war, the battlefield will be the small, pitiable, ruined homeland of the Uzumaki—the Land of Whirlpools.