While Black Zetsu was conversing with Diarmuid in the Hidden Rain Village, the Hidden Leaf also welcomed an uninvited guest.
On the Hokage Rock, the face of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had not long been completed. At this moment, a figure appeared abruptly atop the monument.
As if time and space had been warped, the masked Obito stood there, looking down at Konoha with a gaze full of complex emotion and nostalgia.
"Minato-sensei... you finally became the Hokage after all," Obito murmured softly.
In his eyes, there was longing and remembrance, but it quickly curdled into jealousy and hatred.
Why? Why did it have to be me who suffered? The Yellow Flash... was late after all.
However, Obito soon suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart, returning to a state of cold, detached calm. Standing at this height, his gaze swept over the village before coming to rest on a specific spot.
The Memorial Stone.
There, the heroic spirits of Konoha rested, receiving the village's veneration. If he remembered correctly, his own name was carved there: Uchiha Obito.
He had heard of this while in Madara's cave. At the time, he had been quite happy; even though he was "dead," the Third Hokage had kept his word and made him a hero of Konoha. He had even felt a secret thrill, wondering what shocked faces his friends would make when he returned to the village after recovering.
But times had changed, and there was no going back.
Uchiha Obito was a hero of Konoha, but the person standing here now called himself Uchiha Madara.
Yet, what drew Obito's attention most was not the stone itself, but the two figures standing before it.
He knew them both. One was a green-clad, perpetually high-spirited youth who could be considered his friend: Might Guy. The other was a silver-haired man wearing a mask, standing there in silence: Hatake Kakashi.
Once, Kakashi had been the rival Obito chased and a person he recognized from the bottom of his heart as a best friend. Even at the moment of his "death," Obito had entrusted everything to him.
But in the end, that trust had been betrayed. Kakashi failed to protect Obito's "world," he had even destroyed it with his own hands.
The moment he saw Kakashi, a storm of complex emotions flashed through Obito's eyes. He knew rationally that it wasn't Kakashi's fault, as Rin's death had been her own choice. But why was it that his heart couldn't find even a sliver of room to forgive him? Why was it that every time he saw his former best friend, his only urge was to destroy this world?
"Ugh..." Obito reached up to clutch his chest; the pain was physical.
"Rin..." he whispered.
As if the name itself provided infinite strength, the pain gradually subsided, and his eyes refilled with resolve.
"I will definitely create a world where you exist, Rin," he murmured.
Then, his form began to spiral and warp, vanishing from the Hokage Rock.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Minato suddenly turned his head toward the window, looking across the distance at the Hokage Rock. However, when he looked, there was nothing to see.
Minato frowned slightly, whispering to himself, "Was it an illusion?"
"What's wrong? Feeling restless?" Hiruzen, who was sitting in the office smoking his pipe, looked up and asked with a chuckle.
Hiruzen had suggested several times that he no longer needed to assist Minato. He had already passed on the necessary experience and techniques. Without question, Minato was already a fine Hokage.
Yet, perhaps out of a sense of filial piety or genuine respect, Minato continued to invite Hiruzen to the office every few days to seek guidance on his work. The reason was sound: he worried he was too young and might overlook certain details, so he wanted the Third Hokage to act as his advisor.
Thus, while Hiruzen was officially retired, he had never truly left the center of power. This was likely one of the reasons he was able to swiftly retake control after Minato's eventual sacrifice.
Hearing Hiruzen's teasing, Minato turned back sheepishly and scratched his head. "I was just a bit distracted..."
"That's normal. I was the same way back then. When my Biwako was pregnant with Shinnosuke, I was often restless too, hahahaha," Hiruzen laughed.
(Note: Hiruzen clearly has two sons. One is Konohamaru's father and the other is Asuma Sarutobi. While Konohamaru's father's name hasn't been officially revealed in Boruto, he is established as an elite Anbu Jonin. Here, we'll use the popular fan-name 'Shinnosuke' for him.)
Minato smiled and nodded. "Yes. I used to be quite focused, but now I often find myself thinking of Kushina. I wonder how she's doing at home, if she's tired, and I even have these irrational fears, like what if she accidentally trips or something."
Months had passed, and recently, Uzumaki Kushina had become pregnant. The news was kept highly confidential. Even though Kushina wasn't showing yet, she rarely left the house. They feared hidden spies in Konoha might deduce her due date.
Unlike her son Naruto, Kushina's status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not common knowledge. Konoha officials never publicly announced it. Consequently, Kushina never faced the bullying associated with being a Jinchuriki. At most, she was teased as a transfer student for her hair color, a problem she solved by pummeling the bullies, earning the nickname "The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero."
Though not official, many high-level individuals were aware. It was obvious Kushina was the perfect candidate, being of Uzumaki blood and having lived with Uzumaki Mito of the Senju clan for a long time.
Currently, the village held no great animosity toward the Nine-Tails. The "Nine-Tails Incident," the catastrophe that would scar the village, had not yet occurred. The tragedies involving the deaths of Umino Iruka's parents and others hadn't happened, so the people felt no hatred.
Regardless, as the Jinchuriki, she couldn't roam freely; it was too risky if someone with ill intent targeted her. Those who knew her due date were strictly Minato and Hiruzen's inner circle, people who were completely trustworthy.
For instance, Hiruzen's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, was tasked with assisting the delivery. Then there was Jiraiya, who learned the news via a messenger toad while searching for Orochimaru. He planned to check on Kushina if he couldn't find his former teammate soon. Kakashi, as Minato's disciple, was also in the loop.
Even Danzo was kept in the dark about the details, showing that Hiruzen's distrust of him had already taken root.
"That... is the tension and anticipation of a first-time father, hahahaha," Hiruzen teased.
Minato scratched his head and smiled again, adding with a hint of excitement, "Yesterday, Hiashi-sama did me a favor and took a look... he said it's a boy."
Minato had been eager to know the gender early. Yesterday, it was finally confirmed: Kushina was carrying a son.
"Is that so?" Hiruzen said with surprise, then asked with a smile, "Have you thought of a name?"
"I have some ideas, but I want to wait until Jiraiya-sensei returns," Minato replied shyly.
Indeed, he had a name in mind from Jiraiya's book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. The protagonist was named "Naruto," and he loved it. It carried his hopes for his son, that he would become a great ninja who never gave up.
'To never go back on my word, that is my nindō.'
…
While Minato and Hiruzen chatted, Guy and Kakashi were paying their respects at the Memorial Stone.
"Are you here to see Obito and Rin again, Kakashi?" Might Guy asked softly, looking at his friend. Even a hot-blooded guy like him remained quiet here out of respect for the dead.
"Yeah. And you? Here to see Duy-jisan?" Kakashi asked in return. They hadn't planned to meet; it was a coincidence.
Guy nodded. "Yeah, to tell my old man the news."
"Speaking of which, I haven't congratulated you on becoming a Jonin, Guy," Kakashi remembered.
A smile broke across Guy's face. "I came to report that good news to my dad today, hahahaha." Even though he laughed, he kept his voice down.
"I thought it would take another year or two for you to become a Jonin. I didn't expect it to happen so fast... was it because of that person?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah. Originally, I was only good at Taijutsu. It would have taken a long time for the village to recognize me as a Jonin. But as you said, Diarmuid-sama gave me those ninjutsu scrolls... because of those, I was able to make Jonin so quickly," Guy admitted openly.
"Sama?" Kakashi looked at him with surprise.
"Well, he is my benefactor. It's only right I address him as 'sama,'" Guy said without hesitation.
Kakashi thought about it and didn't press further. "I suppose so."