Uchiha Obito's figure slowly vanished before Namikaze Minato's eyes. As the space around him rippled and calmed, Minato's expression grew dark with gravity.
"space-time Ninjutsu…" he murmured under his breath. "Obito…"
Having studied the Flying Thunder God Technique to mastery, Minato's sensitivity to any space-time fluctuations was unmatched. Just from a single brief use of Obito's technique, he could already discern its essence.
And judging by the boy's calm, practiced manner of departure—no seals, no hesitation—Obito's command over that mysterious jutsu was no less refined than his own. Perhaps… even superior.
Minato didn't know much about the Uchiha. He had been a civilian-born ninja, not raised among the great clans, and the number of Uchiha who could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in recent generations was vanishingly small.
For that reason, he never once thought to connect Obito's newfound ability to a bloodline limit.
Still, even without understanding the source of Obito's power, this short encounter had confirmed one thing beyond doubt—Obito was alive.
And beneath that mask, Minato had felt something else: rage and hatred burning as deep as any flame.
He didn't yet know how that fury would manifest—but he knew it would.
"A world where Rin still exists…"
That phrase lingered in his mind.
"Could it be… the Scroll of Seals?"
The thought came unbidden. The Scroll of Seals contained countless forbidden techniques—many dangerous, many incomplete. Among them were jutsu said to call back the souls of the dead.
Though the technique had been banned by the First Hokage before completion, its mere existence made such a goal conceivable.
If Obito truly sought to recreate a world with Rin in it, then stealing that knowledge would make terrible sense.
Thinking of this, Minato's brow tightened. Without another moment's hesitation, his body shimmered in a flash of golden light—Flying Thunder God.
When he reappeared, it was in the Hokage's Office.
Sitting behind the desk, temporarily handling the duties of village leader, was Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage looked up sharply, instantly sensing the weight in Minato's chakra.
"Minato! Why are you here? Don't tell me—Kushina—"
Minato should have been by his wife's side, strengthening the seal during her labor. For him to appear here now could only mean—
Hiruzen's mind leapt to the worst possibility. His wife, Biwako, was one of the medical-nin assigned to assist with Kushina's delivery. If something had gone wrong with the seal—if the Nine-Tails broke free—
But Minato quickly shook his head.
"It's not about Kushina."
His tone was calm, but edged with tension.
"Lord Third, do you remember my former student—Uchiha Obito?"
"He didn't die on that battlefield. He survived… somehow."
"And now, he's mastered a high-level space-time Ninjutsu—and has appeared in Konoha."
"Uchiha Obito…"
Hiruzen repeated the name softly.
Even after all these years, it was one he hadn't forgotten—not because of the boy's strength or talent, but because of his eyes.
Obito's Sharingan had been the first Uchiha eye to ever be passed to someone outside the clan.
He remembered all too well the heated negotiations that had followed, when Minato and he had worked tirelessly to protect Kakashi's right to keep that eye.
If not for Obito's dying wish—and Hiruzen's delicate mediation—the Uchiha would have reclaimed it long ago.
"Obito?" he said slowly, disbelief flickering across his features. "You mean… he's alive? You've seen him yourself?"
"Impossible…"
Even for a man who had seen countless strange things, the revelation stunned Hiruzen. But as he thought back to the reports from Kannabi Bridge—the collapsed cave, the crushed body, the blood-soaked rocks—his sharp mind began to turn.
A wound like that… and he survived?
Then why hide all these years? Why resurface now—and in secret?
Minato told him everything—how Satoru had first sensed the anomaly, how he himself had set the Flying Thunder God trap, and how Obito had appeared right into it.
When he finished, Hiruzen sat in silence for a long while, pipe resting forgotten in his hand.
The air in the office grew thick.
At last, he exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his voice grave.
"Minato… tell me something."
"Do you think the Uchiha Clan knows that Obito is alive?"
Minato blinked. "The Uchiha Clan?"
As Tobirama's student, Hiruzen had inherited a certain wariness of the Uchiha. He didn't share his master's open hostility, but the seed of suspicion remained.
To him, this was a matter that could either be minor—or catastrophic.
If it was just a single rogue chunin who had miraculously survived and turned traitor, it was nothing more than a small betrayal.
But if the Uchiha as a clan were involved… the entire affair took on a far darker meaning.
"Uchiha…"
Even Minato hesitated. He couldn't completely dismiss the possibility.
Hiruzen frowned, eyes narrowing. "If they knew, and chose to hide it…"
But before he could finish, Minato interrupted with an easy smile—the same warm, unshakable confidence that made him beloved by so many.
"The Uchiha are part of Konoha's family, Lord Third. They wouldn't do anything to harm the village."
"And as for whether they know—well, that's simple enough to find out."
"I'll go speak to Clan Head Fugaku tonight."
Minato's way was straightforward—he preferred honesty over suspicion.
He had the power, the reputation, and the courage to deal with most problems face-to-face.
Hiruzen, by contrast, had learned the art of caution. He had risen to power not through battlefield glory but by Tobirama's appointment—at a time when the village teetered on collapse.
His instinct was always to stabilize, to avoid risks, to move only when sure.
Minato's decisiveness often both impressed and unsettled him.
"You… really plan to just go and talk to Fugaku?" he said, half exasperated, half amused.
Minato grinned lightly. "Of course."
For a moment, Hiruzen stared at him—then chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Young people…" he muttered. "Your courage sometimes puts us old men to shame."
His expression sobered again. "And Kushina?"
Compared to the "little chunin" named Uchiha Obito, Hiruzen was far more concerned about the state of Konoha's jinchuriki.
"She's fine," Minato replied. "The baby's due next month. Everything is stable for now."
"I'll return to her side as soon as I finish with Fugaku."
He trusted the precautions he'd set in place—ANBU guards, Biwako's medical expertise, and the instant response he could provide through Flying Thunder God.
Even if Kushina went into early labor, he could be there within seconds.
"Would you like me to accompany you?" Hiruzen offered after a pause.
When dealing with a clan as proud and powerful as the Uchiha, it was wise to tread carefully.
The Third Hokage might have stepped down, but his presence still carried weight.
"Of course, Lord Third," Minato said, inclining his head respectfully. "I'd appreciate your help."
Hiruzen smiled faintly.
Sometimes, Minato's humility made it difficult to entrust him with full authority—but it also reminded Hiruzen why he had once believed so firmly that this young man could lead the village into peace.
Outside, the sun was sinking below the horizon.
Soon, Konoha would be shrouded in twilight—and beneath that calm, unseen shadows were already beginning to stir.
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