At dawn, a refreshed Shinji returned to the hot spring inn with Minato, who was reeking of alcohol and had dark circles under his eyes.
After setting down his old comrade, Minato headed straight for the men's bath. From his weary back, it was clear that he had completely given up trying to complain about Shinji's peculiar tastes.
...
The task Minato received from Nagato was to blow up a shrine in a small country. With Shinji's advanced Flying Thunder God technique, this trivial task was completed effortlessly on their way back from the teahouse.
Compared to this insignificant task, Shinji was now more intrigued by the mission Juzo Biwa had in the Land of Water. With the obsessive Uchiha Itachi replaced by Moryo, would Juzo Biwa still meet his end?
"Mr. Anri, please be mindful of your status and refrain from doing things that don't befit your position."
At the dining table, Minato's expression was somewhat stern.
"Huh? Status?" Shinji was momentarily taken aback, but he didn't care much and waved it off. "Little Minato, get ready. We're heading to the Land of Water the day after tomorrow."
"The Land of Water?" Minato was puzzled.
"I have a feeling that something wonderful might happen if we go."
While Shinji could use space-time ninjutsu to complete tasks quickly, it took other Akatsuki teams much longer to reach their destinations.
It took them several days just to travel to the mission sites.
"Be careful on the mission. Don't die so easily. If you dare die casually, I'll kill you!"
On the way to the Land of Tea, Kakuzu glared fiercely at his teammate. If this fool died, Kakuzu would be left without a partner! Then the leader might pair him with that damned Evil of this World, who was always plotting against him! If that happened, he might not survive the first day due to various "accidents." This was a development he absolutely couldn't allow!
His teammate, Bao Hongyihao, was stunned. Why was his usually harsh and abusive teammate suddenly showing concern? And what did he mean by "if you die, I'll kill you"? How could he kill him again if he was already dead? Resurrect him just to kill him again?
"Do you understand?!"
"Oh... Oh. I got it."
Bao Hongyihao scratched his head and reluctantly agreed.
Though unsure of the reason, his usually indifferent teammate seemed to show some genuine concern today. Maybe after spending so much time together, they had developed a deep bond of comradeship!
Yeah, it must be because of that!
As the saying goes, perseverance turns iron into a needle. Maybe Kakuzu-senpai had come to appreciate him because of his long-term good behavior. Who would've thought Kakuzu-senpai had a soft spot too?
...
Three days later, at night.
In the forests outside Kirigakure, the Land of Water.
Standing on a tree, Shinji watched with interest as Mei Terumi and two unknown Kirigakure ninjas swiftly and covertly moved through the forest on a secret mission unknown even to the Mizukage.
After observing for a while, Shinji lightly tapped Minato's shoulder.
"Little Minato, understand?"
"No."
Sensing what was coming, Minato shook his head without hesitation. So, that's what he meant by a beautiful encounter the other day?
No way. This time, he wouldn't be an accomplice! The guilt from his previous misstep still lingered and deepened over time. He wouldn't make the same mistake again!
This time, he absolutely wouldn't repeat his error!
"Little Minato, you've become bad. Now you even lie."
Seeing Shinji's regretful face, Minato felt bitter and frustrated. Didn't Shinji realize the problem with his requests? Asking him to do things that were just wrong!
"Really not going?" Shinji asked again.
Instead of answering directly, Minato tried to persuade him, "Mr. Anri, if you really want to have fun, why not go to a place like that? You can do whatever you want there!"
"I'm tired of it."
"You..."
Minato clenched his fists, though he didn't say more, he thought to himself: Tired of those places, but not tired of behaving inhumanly? This is the third time already. My apprentice counts as one, Kurenai half, and now this makes two and a half. Didn't you say 'there's no three without four'?
"Little Minato, last chance. Are you coming?"
Minato shook his head, his conflicted expression and clenched fists showed his sympathy for the female Kirigakure ninja's impending fate.
"Fine, if you're not coming, just stay put and keep watch."
"Mr. Anri, I hope you'll reconsider! For you, it might be a moment's pleasure, but for that girl..."
"Really? But this doesn't sound like the words of someone who caused the death of a million people by acting on a whim."
These words struck Minato hard, his guilt instantly overwhelming him. The sheer number of a million weighed heavily on him, making it impossible to ignore.
Understanding the theory of stopping at the right moment, Shinji smiled and looked back at Mei Terumi, who was rapidly moving through the foggy forest.
"Well, things always happen unexpectedly..."
Minato, puzzled, watched as the two Kirigakure ninjas with Mei Terumi suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground!
...
The timeline bugs in Naruto are hard to explain, especially regarding Kirigakure. For example, when exactly was the Fourth Mizukage Yagura controlled by Obito's genjutsu?
Also, there's the matter of Mei Terumi noticing the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage during the Third Shinobi World War and having Ao use the Byakugan to break it.
If you try to explain it, you can only say that in the original work, Obito didn't stay in Kirigakure for long periods. This allowed Mei Terumi and others to find an opportunity.
If Obito had stayed in Kirigakure for extended periods, the higher-ups would have had no chance to break Yagura's genjutsu. Any disturbance would have been quickly detected and dealt with by Obito.
This time, for some reason, Obito often stayed in Kirigakure. This meant Mei Terumi and others faced great difficulties in acting without being noticed.
As a result, tonight, Mei Terumi, who planned to meet with Ao to take action, was caught by Obito.
...
Pulling out the blood-stained black rod, Obito watched Mei Terumi collapse, showing no pity.
Although this woman was tough, with two Kekkei Genkai, she was no match for his space-time ninjutsu and a single Izanagi. He didn't need much effort.
Just one Sharingan was enough. Madara had plenty in his collection; he could just get another one. But he wouldn't let go of Kirigakure, the source of Rin's tragedy, so easily!
Want to break the genjutsu on the Mizukage? Have you asked my permission? Or Rin's? Be good toys and don't overthink it.