Uchiha Obito's figure slowly vanished from Namikaze Minato's sight. Sensing the spatial fluctuation as Obito left, Minato's eyes showed a look of solemnity.
"A Space-Time Ninjutsu, huh..."
"Obito..."
Minato, who himself practiced the Flying Thunder God Technique, was exceptionally sensitive to Space-Time Ninjutsu. Obito had only used Kamui once in front of him, yet Minato immediately understood the essence of the technique Obito used to depart. Moreover... judging by Obito's composed demeanor upon leaving, his proficiency in Space-Time Ninjutsu was not low.
The fact that he could use such a technique without hand signs meant his skill was perhaps even greater than Minato's!
The Fourth Hokage's knowledge of the Uchiha Clan was not extensive. On one hand, he was a ninja of common birth, so his understanding of great clans like the Uchiha was limited.
On the other hand, very few Uchiha had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in recent years. This meant there hadn't been any strong Uchiha using the Mangekyō Sharingan, which prevented Minato from linking Obito's ability to the bloodline limit.
However, despite this, this brief meeting finally allowed Minato to confirm the fact that Obito was still alive. Furthermore... from Obito's words, Minato could sense the immense anger and resentment hidden in his heart.
He had no idea how this anger and resentment would be unleashed.
"Create a world with Rin...."*
"Is the target the Forbidden Scroll of Seals?"
Incomplete and non-comprehensive intelligence naturally makes it impossible to draw accurate conclusions. Simply inferring Obito's objective from his final words, Minato naturally thought of the Forbidden Scroll of Seals in Konoha, which documented countless forbidden techniques.
The scroll did contain some techniques capable of resurrecting the dead. However, that specific jutsu had been halted by the First Hokage during its development and remained incomplete.
But the existence of such a Forbidden Jutsu did make Obito's wish potentially achievable. This was why Minato would jump to this conclusion.
After a moment of contemplation, Namikaze Minato directly used the Flying Thunder God to leave the training ground.
The matter concerning Obito must be taken seriously. If someone who had mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu were to target the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, the scroll could indeed be stolen. If such an inhumane Forbidden Jutsu were to fall into the wrong hands, it could bring endless disaster to the world.
When Namikaze Minato's figure reappeared, he was already in the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sitting behind the desk handling Minato's paperwork, sensed his presence. He looked up and saw Minato's solemn expression, which immediately caused his heart to tighten:
"Minato, why are you back?!"
"Is something wrong on Kushina's side..."
Minato should have been by Kushina's side, helping to reinforce the seal during her delivery. His sudden appearance here gave the Third Hokage an ominous feeling, causing him to worry. His wife, Biwako, was one of the medical ninjas helping with Kushina's delivery, and if the Nine-Tails' seal failed, it meant his wife would also be...
"It's not a problem with Kushina."
"Third Hokage, do you remember my former student, Uchiha Obito?"
"He didn't die on the battlefield all those years ago. He survived due to some circumstance."
"Now, he has mastered a profound Space-Time Ninjutsu and has appeared in Konoha."
Uchiha Obito...
Even after all these years, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not unfamiliar with this name. It wasn't because Obito's talent left a deep impression on Hiruzen, nor was it because of his strength. It was purely because of Obito's eye—it was the first time an Uchiha's Sharingan had been passed on to an outsider.
Years ago, both the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage had negotiated with the Uchiha Clan for a long time regarding Kakashi's Sharingan to successfully protect Kakashi's possession of it. Otherwise, that eye would have been taken back by the Uchiha long ago.
"Uchiha Obito?"
"He's still alive? You saw him? How is that possible?"
Even a knowledgeable person like the Third Hokage was stunned upon hearing this news, but he quickly regained his composure.
He recalled the intelligence regarding Uchiha Obito's death. Since he was the one whose Sharingan was passed on, the Third Hokage had naturally thoroughly investigated Obito's death before negotiating with the Uchiha. Kakashi was able to keep that eye in no small part because of Obito's dying words.
"To survive those injuries... he was able to live..."
"If he's alive, why hasn't he shown up all these years?"
"And why is he appearing in Konoha now? What is he up to..."
The Third Hokage was filled with questions. Since Minato intended to discuss how to handle this matter, he began to recount in detail how Shinichi had detected Obito's presence and how Minato had set a trap to "catch" him in the act.
Listening to Minato's account, the seasoned Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a strong aura of conspiracy enveloping Konoha. After Minato finished, Hiruzen lowered his head in deep thought. After a long while, he asked somewhat uncertainly:
"Minato... do you think the Uchiha Clan knows that Uchiha Obito is hiding in Konoha?"
The Third Hokage was growing suspicious of the Uchiha Clan. He was a student of the Second Hokage, Tobirama.
Although he didn't constantly shout "evil Uchiha" like Tobirama, the master's influence meant the Third Hokage harbored a certain degree of caution towards the Uchiha Clan. Minato was not an outsider, so Hiruzen didn't hide his apprehension.
In the Third Hokage's view, this matter could be major or minor. Minorly, it was just a "deserter incident" where a Chūnin who luckily survived the battlefield coveted the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. However, once linked to the Uchiha Clan, the nature of the incident changed completely.
"The Uchiha Clan..."
Even Minato, upon hearing this speculation, couldn't immediately make a judgment and couldn't directly deny the possibility.
"If that were the case..."
Before the Third Hokage could finish, Namikaze Minato suddenly broke into a cheerful smile, interrupting him:
"The Uchiha Clan is a part of the Konoha family and would never do anything detrimental to the Village."
"Whether the Uchiha Clan knows about this is not difficult to verify, is it?"
"I'll go meet with Clan Head Fugaku tonight!"
Minato's way of handling things was different from the Third Hokage's. He disliked being secretive and preferred to be direct. With his strength and reputation as a foundation, he was confident he could resolve most matters through negotiation.
However, unlike Minato, who rose to power through strength and military achievements, the Third Hokage ascended to the position through the Second Hokage's designation during a tumultuous time when Konoha could have collapsed at any moment. Therefore, the Third Hokage preferred "stability" and caution in his methods.
"You..."
"Well..."
Hearing that Minato planned to talk directly to Fugaku, even the Third Hokage was momentarily speechless. However, he soon shook his head and chuckled bitterly. He sometimes couldn't match the boldness of the younger generation.
"Is everything alright on Kushina's side?"
Compared to that "mere Chūnin" Uchiha Obito, Hiruzen was clearly more concerned about the Jinchūriki's situation.
"Yes, her due date is next month."
"The fetus's condition is stable, so there's no need to worry for now."
"And I will return immediately after I meet with Fugaku."
Minato was confident in Kushina's situation. After all, she was protected by many Anbu, and with a medical ninja of Biwako's caliber present, even if Kushina went into labor early, the Anbu would notify him immediately, and he could quickly return with the Flying Thunder God.
"Do you need me to accompany you?"
Facing a great clan like the Uchiha, Hiruzen was fully on guard. Speaking of which... because the Uchiha Clan had served as the Konoha Military Police Force for years, their relationship with the ordinary citizens of the Village was becoming increasingly strained. The proud Uchiha were slowly being isolated by the people of the Village, and this was not a good thing.
"Yes, that would be greatly appreciated."
Minato did not refuse, nodding with a smile. Sometimes, his excessive humility prevented the Third Hokage from confidently entrusting all authority to him.
If you want to read more, join my Patreon/kazama677
120+ advanced chapters available