"Ah, I feel so much more relaxed now~"
In early August.
Just as the three little ones successfully took down their sixth target in some part of the ninja world after parting ways with Shinji, Minato, standing within the borders of the Land of Hot Water, was left speechless watching Shinji stretch his body and sigh in contentment.
Indeed, Shinji seemed much more relaxed. Considering his activities throughout the trip mainly consisted of eating, drinking, and ★★, how could he not be relaxed? Minato grumbled internally.
Of course, this wasn't even the most unacceptable thing for Minato. The most unbearable part was that every time they stayed somewhere overnight, Shinji would purposely arrange their rooms next to each other!
Almost every night, Minato couldn't sleep because the noise from the next room was simply too loud! And it seemed intentional, as Shinji always chose inns with poor soundproofing!
Thanks to this, Minato hadn't had a good night's sleep in several days! There was a way to sleep soundly—by sleeping on the streets—but...
Minato felt he couldn't leave Shinji's side, fearing something catastrophic might happen if he wasn't around.
After spending so much time with Shinji, Minato gradually sensed the sporadic killing intent radiating from him. If left unchecked, it might result in the massacre of an entire village.
At least with Minato nearby, he could try to dissuade him.
Aside from this, another thing on Minato's mind was the Fire Worship Cult. Many of the small countries they passed, caught between the great nations, followed this religion.
Some were just like the radical faction they encountered before, while others were simply ordinary followers. However, regardless of being radical or moderate, these countries, plagued by war and internal strife for years, found peace through this religion.
The radicals would commit atrocities against anyone who wasn't a part of their faction, blaming all their sins on the evil god Angra Mainyu.
On the other hand, the moderates would curse the evil god daily, proclaim their own goodness, then go about their daily labor and farming. Their neighborhoods were harmonious, without quarrels or conflicts.
Seemingly different, they both firmly believed they were good.
The two factions constantly clashed, and conflicts between countries following these different factions were frequent.
From what Minato had learned, years ago, both the radicals and moderates belonged to the same Fire Worship Cult. The cult was reestablished after thousands of years to provide solace to those tormented by war and poverty.
And it succeeded. Because of the cult's spread, internal conflicts in these small countries gradually subsided, and people began to recover and resume farming. Peace returned.
However, some opportunistic members distorted the teachings. They blamed all the world's evil on the legendary dark evil god Angra Mainyu, also known as Ahriman.
Even their own evil deeds were attributed to Angra Mainyu, leaving them guilt-free. They believed they were good, even facing death.
It turned out that when bad people found a reason to justify their actions, they became incredibly reckless. Eventually, they split from the original Fire Worship Cult, forming the New Fire Worship Cult and quickly growing in power.
Today, the number of countries following the New Fire Worship Cult equals those of the old cult, leading to constant friction and several small-scale wars.
However, for now, both sides are in a period of relative growth and development. A full-scale war may come, but not yet.
"Are you writing a dissertation in your head?"
Shinji's words snapped Minato back to reality. Seeing Shinji's strange expression, Minato scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
"Hurry up. I need to finish compiling the textbooks for those kids before they return. If I don't hurry, I might not make it in time."
"Mr. Anli, don't you also know the Flying Thunder God technique? Wouldn't using that help you get to where you want faster?"
Shinji shook his head and sighed, "Minato, I choose to walk for a reason. Actually, I'm practicing Earth Style along the way."
"Earth Style?"
Minato looked skeptical. All this time, he had never seen Shinji use any kind of ninjutsu.
In fact, he had never even sensed Shinji's chakra!
"Didn't you know? I've been using it all along."
"Uh... I didn't notice."
"You're really slow, aren't you? Haven't you seen me use that Earth Style jutsu often? The Earth Style: Water Defense Technique!"
Watching Shinji make a circular shape with one hand and stick up his index finger with the other, Minato's first reaction was that Shinji indeed didn't know any of the twelve-hand-seal ninjutsu. After all, that hand seal wasn't among them.
But then, Minato realized something and fell into a silent, expressionless state. After nearly two seconds, he lowered his head and sighed internally.
Great...
Is understanding him faster a sign that I'm beyond saving?
...
At the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire.
Uchiha Obito, a man who had no choice but to temporarily leave Kirigakure in the Land of Water because of the relentless pursuit by Kakashi, who embodied unwavering persistence and tenacity.
Obito was puzzled. How did Kakashi track him down to the Land of Water? How was he exposed? Was it due to the special sensing abilities of the Sharingan? Why didn't he have such a sense?
Could it be a mental connection?
After effortlessly eliminating a few Konoha ninja patrolling the border, Obito sat on a tree branch, contemplating.
Mainly, he felt frustrated. For years, Kakashi had been like a dog, always sniffing him out no matter where he went.
Several times, Obito, pushed to the brink of collapse, had considered killing Kakashi but couldn't bring himself to do it. Because of his feelings, he couldn't be ruthless.
And then there was Black Zetsu, always reporting too late, only informing him of Kakashi's approach at the last moment, forcing him to flee in a panic.
A few more encounters, and his identity would be fully exposed, which wasn't ideal. He didn't want that.
He wanted that moment when he would dramatically unmask himself at the end, declaring with madness: "You didn't see this coming, did you, Kakashi!"
How was he exposed?
A mental connection? Intuition?
Does he have feelings for me?
Somehow, thinking this, Obito felt a complex mix of emotions and recalled the night they celebrated his sensei's child's birth.
Kakashi suspected me, but Sensei never doubted me that night.
If only you had recognized me then...
You wouldn't have thanked the wrong person.
"Obito, two Konoha ninjas nearby seem to have received the distress signal from the squad you killed. They're on their way here."
"They sent someone back to Konoha to report. We should leave before it causes a big stir."
The voice from the emerging black-and-white plant indicated to Obito, who withdrew from his drifting thoughts.
"No matter. I'll kill this person and then leave."
Obito, using Madara's voice, spoke calmly. Killing Konoha ninjas was a good stress reliever, just like tormenting the people of Kirigakure.
...
Yūhi Kurenai, whom Obito recognized as a contemporary.
Though she was nowhere near as good as Rin in any respect, she had a diligent suitor from a noble family. Of course, that suitor was far inferior to Obito himself.
Except for his father, he was nowhere near Obito in any aspect!
Appearance, ninjutsu, taijutsu, popularity in the ninja academy—he lagged far behind in every way. Especially in looks, Obito was unmatched among his peers.
Even Kakashi could only follow behind and eat his dust.
As for Rin, she was also a rare beauty.
Back then, Rin and I were the ideal couple, envied by everyone in our cohort and all of Konoha.
Yes, I can keep this part of the Infinite Tsukuyomi as it is, without much alteration, just minor tweaks.
Hidden in the shadows, Obito decided in his heart, refocusing on Yūhi Kurenai inspecting the corpses.
At that moment, a bold idea flashed through Obito's mind!
Of course, it wasn't a vile plan involving cuckoldry. He simply wanted that noble suitor to feel the pain of losing his beloved.
He wanted him to feel agony! To tear his heart out!
He wanted him to experience despair! To remember it for life!
Everything they enjoyed now came at Rin's sacrifice! Those who don't understand that deserve death!
"All pierced through the heart with a single strike. Such a ruthless method!"
Squatting down, Yūhi Kurenai muttered with a grave expression while examining the bodies.
Recently, there had been many similar deaths among Konoha ninjas. Although the enemy's identity remained unknown, it was evident they were targeting Konoha in revenge.
"If you had chosen to return with your companion, foolish woman..."
A man's voice from behind made Kurenai's pupils contract, and her heart skipped a beat!
She hadn't expected the killer to still be there!
She had been careless!
...
Near the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire, not far from the hot spring inn, Shinji stood silently, his eyes half-closed, watching Yūhi Kurenai's fading last breath, her pupils dilated and vacant.
Beside him, Minato, now with black hair, also remained silent.
"Minato, believe me, even though I've thought about doing this, it wasn't me this time."
"I know..." Minato sighed, rubbing his forehead.
I just think it's too coincidental! Minato added internally.
"Forget it, I can tell you don't believe me. To prove my innocence, I'll pretend I didn't see anything."
Watching Shinji walk away without hesitation, Minato felt conflicted. From the current situation, Kurenai had no more than twenty seconds left to live.
And these were irreversible twenty seconds, with her chest fully pierced and all vital organs severely damaged, coupled with massive blood loss...
She's doomed. Let's prepare for her funeral.
"We're almost there. Hurry up, Minato."
"Okay..."
Minato responded quietly, understanding that the only person who could save Kurenai now was Shinji. Even Tsunade couldn't do as much as he could.
But asking Shinji to save her would be pushing Kurenai into another kind of hell...
"Mr. Anli, do you remember our bet..."
"I remember, but I don't want to discuss it now."
"Can't we talk about it a little?"
"There's a saying that goes, 'once bitten, twice shy.' Go away."
"Didn't you like her a lot?"
"I've changed my mind."
Minato: ...
You sure change your mind fast!
In the end, unable to bear the palpable resentment from Minato, Shinji mercifully stabilized Kurenai's condition.
As for the payment, she would have to settle it herself once she woke up.