A pillar of fire shot skyward at a speed visible to the naked eye, colliding head-on with the slowly descending giant spiral wheel. In an instant, a bright light bloomed across the night sky, and an utterly terrifying explosion tore open midair.
Gale-force winds swept through; the roofs of many Konoha houses were blown away, and people could not even stand steady. After an unknown stretch of time, the wind finally subsided, leaving a ruined Konoha in its wake.
Kiyosuke cleared his throat as he looked around and called out loudly,
"Any ninjas who can still move — rescue the civilians! Medical ninjas who can still fight, first treat your own wounds. You're going to be exhausted after this, so get supplies moving."
With Tsunade absent, Kiyosuke had no choice but to command Konoha's shinobi to spring into action and focus on rescuing the townsfolk.
"Naruto, come on — let's go!" Naruto said.
"All right! Obito!"
"Coming, coming!" The insubstantial form of Obito ran over, much to Naruto's surprise.
"You're Obito?" Naruto asked.
"Yes!" Obito nodded, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have dragged you into this world, but it was to prevent my exposure. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm glad to see them, even if I…" Naruto fell silent for a moment and said, "Let's go. Let's deal with that guy first."
"Wait."
Kiyosuke produced a scroll, snapped it open, and pulled out a garment.
It was the Fourth Hokage's cloak.
"What's that…" Minato looked over. Isn't that the Fourth Hokage's cloak?
"That's right. This is Naruto's father's cloak — the Hokage cloak of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. It was damaged during the Nine-Tails' rampage, so I kept it and had it repaired. Naruto, put it on."
"All right!"
Naruto donned the cloak. It really did make him look a lot like his father.
"Sensei…" Obito stared at Naruto and murmured. He thought back to how, because of him, their teacher had died. Grief welled up and he secretly wept.
"Don't dwell on that. It's not your fault," Kiyosuke comforted him.
"Don't worry about that. As long as it's not your fault, that's what matters."
"Oh."
"Wait — Menma, you can't go!" Kushina rushed over and stood in front of Naruto, refusing to let him go on the mission.
"I'm sorry, but I have to save people!"
Minato said, "We need to wait for the right moment to counterattack! Now is not the time!"
"Why not go save them?"
"No. We're not that noble. We can't sacrifice ourselves for others. Even as shinobi, aside from our power, we are not different from ordinary people." Perhaps that was the difference between the Minato in this world and the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze.
"How can it be like this? But…" Naruto tried to argue, only to be cut off by Minato. "What if you die? We don't want to lose you, my son."
Naruto pressed his lips together, remembering his father's brave figure in battle, and said,
"I'm sorry, but I'm not really your son. My father and mother died fighting to protect Konoha and to protect me — they're my heroes. Kiyosuke raised me, and since I'm not married yet I can't just stay here. I'm sorry. I am Naruto Uzumaki, son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki!"
"Kiyosuke! Obito! Let's go!"
"All right!"
"Then let's go. It was good to meet you, Sensei. I'm sorry you couldn't stay with Naruto because I was used." Obito removed his mask, revealing his injured face. He bowed deeply to Minato and Kushina, then put his mask back on and led the two of them toward Konoha's vault.
They weren't his real teacher and teacher's wife, but they were no different to him. Apologizing like this eased his heart a little — a debt he could never repay in his lifetime.
The three of them took the Book of the Vermilion Moon and headed for Uzumaki Menma's hideout.
Uzumaki Menma's refuge was another world — Minato's former training ground, now his base. Sakura was bound atop a high platform.
The three appeared at the gate. Obito said,
"That masked woman has my other Sharingan in this world. She's not going to be easy."
"Hey, hey — could it be you yourself, Obito? Maybe you've been feminized!" Kiyosuke teased with a grin.
"What a joke. How could that happen? I'm not a jutsu user! The limited Tsukuyomi is a miniaturized version of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Very few can be affected. It manifests what you desire in your heart and pulls you into this mirror world. I'm not a jutsu user — otherwise Rin would already be married to me!"
Feminization — that's perverse!
"Hah?" Kiyosuke mocked. "Married to Rin? Didn't you practically live with her back in Konoha? You're still a kid. You and I are the same age; you're a great magician now."
"…"
Kiyosuke never had anything nice to say.
"You're here, Obito!" the masked woman stepped out and called him by name.
"You exposed yourself?"
"No way!" Obito shook his head. "I won't be exposed! Wait — Kiyosuke, did you ever go to the Konoha hospital before?"
"I did."
"Did you see Rin?" Obito's voice trembled as if afraid.
Kiyosuke's pupils constricted. "No. Could it be…"
"You're right — this woman is Rin!!!"
"Hehehe, you figured it out, my dear Obito!" The masked woman removed her mask, revealing a face Kiyosuke and the others all knew well. The pattern in her right eye was exactly the same as Obito's Mangekyō.
"It really is Rin!" Obito took off his mask and bit his teeth. "How did you become like this?"
Rin didn't answer. Instead she asked,
"And you? How are you alive again? Back then, apart from your head, the rest of your body was crushed. You shouldn't have survived. On your deathbed, you chose to entrust your Sharingan to me and Kakashi. Obito, what happened to your body?"
This illusory form… could it be a ghost?
"Of course this is a special situation. Rin, what are you doing?" Kiyosuke asked.
"I'm going to destroy this damned world. It took Obito from me, so I'll destroy it!" Her gaze softened as she continued, "Obito, I will avenge you soon!"
"Even though that's touching, Rin, stop it. You can't succeed like this!"
"Hahaha — I will succeed, because I have a wonderful partner!"
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