Uchiha Obito still couldn't wrap his head around it. Hatake Kakashi – his former teammate, his squad leader – how had he become an S-rank missing-nin?
The war between the Land of Stone and the Land of Fire was already intense, but now the Land of Lightning had suddenly joined the fray, severely escalating the territorial conflict.
Amidst this, the Land of Stone actually proposed a temporary ceasefire with Konoha, and shockingly, the Third Hokage seemed inclined to agree!
This was akin to nurturing a tiger that would later cause calamity. The frontline commanders and senior Jōnin vehemently opposed it. They argued that Konoha should capitalize on the Land of Lightning attacking the Land of Stone, sending troops deep into Stone territory. They could then sit back, watch Lightning and Stone tear each other apart, and emerge as the final victor, like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The opposition was primarily led by the Elder Council and Root, while the faction favoring caution was headed by the Third Hokage. Ultimately, the Third Hokage temporarily yielded, agreeing to continue the war with the primary goal of eliminating the Land of Stone's remaining forces before dealing with the Land of Lightning.
Just as things settled, the Land of Water, which had previously withdrawn from the conflict, showed signs of re-entering. The Fourth Mizukage sent another message, expressing extreme anger over the "Konoha missing-nin incident" involving Kakashi. He claimed they had already dispatched four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to apprehend him and demanded Konoha send personnel to assist.
Furthermore, he specifically requested two individuals: Konoha's "Yellow Flash," Namikaze Minato, and Uchiha Obito.
Everyone in Konoha knew it was a trap.
A trap aimed squarely at Namikaze Minato. The previous Mizukage had clashed with him while reinforcing the battlefield, failing to gain any advantage and suffering heavy injuries instead.
This incident was widely discussed among the Land of Water's upper echelons. The Land of Water's Daimyō was reportedly furious, demanding an explanation from the Mizukage – what use was a Kage who couldn't even defeat an ordinary Jōnin from the enemy side? Unexpectedly, the Third Mizukage died the very next day.
The official story was that anger over the missing-nin news caused his death, but the true circumstances remained unknown. The Fourth Mizukage, upon discreetly investigating the "missing-nin's" identity, immediately recognized this as a golden opportunity.
Konoha would surely take the bait.
The reputation of the "Yellow Flash" was immense. High command in the other four great nations had issued standing orders: "Anyone encountering the Yellow Flash in battle may immediately retreat without being charged with desertion."
It had even reached a point where some ninja boasted about simply having survived an encounter with Namikaze Minato.
Such was his intimidating presence.
The Third Hokage had already internally decided to nominate either Namikaze Minato or Jiraiya for the position of Hokage. Orochimaru was also considered, but his close ties with Danzō of Root caused the Hokage to temporarily place him lower on the list of candidates.
Danzō was suited to lead the Anbu, but not to be the public face of the village. Whether this decision held any deeper meaning was anyone's guess.
Before sending Minato and Obito on the mission to the Land of Water, the Third Hokage summoned them back to the village to explain the situation in detail. The Fourth Mizukage had issued an ultimatum: if Namikaze Minato didn't come to capture his "student," the Land of Water would declare war on the Land of Fire.
Minato indicated his understanding. Obito, meanwhile, was already itching to give Kakashi a piece of his mind – or rather, a thorough beating. If Kakashi wouldn't return willingly, Obito was prepared to break his arms and legs and drag him back.
The two departed immediately, crossing the Land of Fire's border and traveling through the Land of Whirlpools. There, they were met by a two-man Jōnin team from the Land of Water sent to escort them.
Minato sensed the immense chakra within their escorts, his nerves tightening slightly.
"Your reputation precedes you, Jōnin Namikaze Minato," greeted a man with small eyes, shark-like features, blue-tinged skin, and sharp teeth – Hoshigaki Kisame.
"You're the escort team from Kirigakure?" Minato asked calmly.
"That's right. My name is Hoshigaki Kisame, and this is Akebino Jinin," Kisame replied, flashing a wide grin as he introduced his colleague. "Don't let his appearance fool you, he's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"And you?" Minato inquired, looking at Kisame.
"Me? I'm just an ordinary ninja."
Minato remained silent. In his assessment, the man calling himself "ordinary" exerted far more pressure than the actual member of the Seven Swordsmen – an aura almost comparable to the Third Mizukage he had previously fought.
Kirigakure has hidden dragons and crouching tigers, Minato thought. This journey would be anything but easy.
Uchiha Obito, however, cared little for these details. Only three people in the entire ninja world could stir his emotions so intensely: Rin, Kakashi, and Minato-sensei.
He had no worries about his teacher, and Rin was safe within the medical corps. That left only Kakashi. Just thinking about him made Obito's temper flare.
He was a Jōnin now, no longer burdened by the inferiority complex of his past. Even if his strength wasn't quite equal to Kakashi's, the gap wouldn't be vast. Cooperating with his sensei, they could definitely bring him back to Konoha.
Moreover, Obito, having significantly improved, didn't believe for a second that he was weaker than Kakashi anymore. Since awakening his three-tomoe Sharingan, his progress had been astronomical, advancing leaps and bounds daily. Based on the level Kakashi displayed at Kannabi Bridge, Obito felt confident he could defeat him with one hand.
"Sensei, how much longer until we arrive? I can't wait to beat him up!" Obito asked impatiently.
Minato felt a headache coming on just hearing Kakashi's name. A confrontation was inevitable. He worried about going too hard on his student and earning the ire of Obito and Rin. Then there was the issue of clearing Kakashi's name after bringing him back to Konoha. He was now a genuine S-rank missing-nin; mere words wouldn't whitewash his record.
Perhaps I need to accelerate my plans to become Hokage, Minato mused, contemplating how best to petition the Third Hokage, the Elder Council, and the Daimyō.
"We'll be there soon," one of the Kirigakure ninja answered Obito's question.
The ship pitched and rolled on the open sea, surrounded by numerous islands dotted with Kirigakure encampments. Minato mentally mapped the terrain. Under the cover of observation, he discreetly moved to the ship's railing and dropped one of his signature three-pronged kunai into the water, marking the location.
The Third Hokage had warned him: there was a high probability Kirigakure was targeting him, using the capture of his student as a mere pretext. Unaware of Kakashi's current true strength, Minato doubted his student could cause significant trouble within the Land of Water on his own.
Yes, even now, I believe this is Kiri's conspiracy, Minato concluded. A plot to frame both Kakashi and myself, and drag the entire Land of Fire into their mess.
What clever scheming.
His sharp mind pieced together the connections. He had already absolved Kakashi of any wrongdoing in his thoughts. It all made sense: Kiri must have had a medical team save Kakashi after Kannabi Bridge, then deliberately brought him to the Land of Water and leaked information about his presence. How else could his student suddenly appear in a Kirigakure Genin exam?
Having reached this conclusion, Minato's wariness towards the surrounding Kirigakure ninja intensified. Bringing Obito along was likely intended to tie my hands, to prevent me from escaping.
Just then, a familiar sensation washed over Minato – the distinct feeling of being watched intently.
This feeling... We've arrived.
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