"Shua——"
Minato reappeared, having swiftly returned after safely placing Naruto and Kushina.
"I wanted to come back quickly and understand why the First and Second Hokage are here. And who exactly is Wakato?"
But then, he noticed the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, already there and seemingly being 'scolded' by Tobirama.
It was difficult for Minato to step in.
He quietly approached, staying silent to listen.
"Monkey, I already know about the mirror. But since the Nine Tails is out of control, why haven't you let the Uchiha clan's ninjas join the fight? You're aware their Sharingan has a special effect on tailed beasts."
"Um..."
Sarutobi hesitated; the decision wasn't his alone.
It was a choice made by Konoha's leaders, fearing the Uchiha clan might secretly control the Nine Tails if they fought it.
However, Sarutobi wasn't about to blame Danzo and the others now, so he had to take responsibility, replying:
"The Nine Tails is influenced by Sharingan, so I worry about Uchiha..."
Before Sarutobi could finish, Tobirama cut him off angrily:
"Are you dense? Even if Uchiha is behind it, would letting them fight the Nine Tails make the situation worse?"
"Ah... this..."
Sarutobi was momentarily stunned but then began to understand.
Whether or not Uchiha ninjas were controlling the Nine Tails, allowing them to join the fight couldn't worsen things.
The Nine Tails was already being controlled.
Maybe some of the Uchiha clan members would be taken down in the battle, reducing their overall power...
Why didn't I think of that?
What a blunder. Have I become... a fool?
Seeing the bewildered Sarutobi, Tobirama's frown deepened in frustration.
He recalled Sarutobi's brave, self-sacrificing spirit from 34 years ago.
How could he have grown so cautious and timid?
People often become more anxious as they age, but shouldn't a Hokage retain their courage and decisiveness?
"I was wrong!"
Facing Tobirama, Sarutobi had no choice but to admit his mistake honestly.
"But, who could be controlling the Nine Tails? Even with Sharingan, it would take an immensely powerful ability..."
Minato stepped in.
"A masked man wearing tiger-like stripes with a Sharingan."
"And he's incredibly strong, with mysterious powers and abilities to manipulate space and time."
"He killed several Third Hokage Anbu, bypassed top-secret barriers, knew the Nine Tails seal would weaken during Jinchūriki's childbirth, released the Eight Sign Seal, and controlled the Nine Tails. He can even come and go freely from the village's barriers..."
This time, having not used the Ghoul Seal, Minato was finally able to share information about Obito with Konoha.
Hearing all this, Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.
"Impossible! How could a ninja like that exist?"
Ninjas who match even two of these criteria are rare, let alone all of them.
The fact that he could pass through Konoha's Great Barriers suggests he's not from another village. It's unbelievable!
"It's possible! I know of someone who fits the description."
"Minato, are you thinking of Uchiha Madara?"
"Yes, he's the only one who matches all the conditions."
"It's not possible! He's... he's been dead for ages! First Hokage, Second Hokage, you know..."
Sarutobi couldn't believe it; he knew too well the terror and power Madara wielded.
"That isn't Madara!"
"If it were Madara, he wouldn't need the Nine Tails to destroy the village."
Hashirama's voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
No one understood Madara better than Hashirama, and with a glance, he was sure the masked man wasn't Madara.
If it were truly Madara, Minato would not have defeated him…
"My brother's right. That's not Madara. It's more likely a young Uchiha."
Tobirama was also confident, being one of the few who truly understood Madara.
In fact, Tobirama's knowledge of Madara even surpassed Hashirama's in certain areas, as evidenced by the forbidden techniques he developed for Uchiha.
"How is that possible? What young Uchiha could hold such knowledge and strength?"
Sarutobi was once again shocked, even suspecting if it was Fugaku, the clan leader, who had secretly trained a powerful hidden weapon.
"There's no need to guess. That person is Uchiha Obito."
Wakato couldn't be bothered to hide Obito's identity, revealing it outright.
His goal was to help the Fourth Hokage Minato unify the Fourth Hokage World. He wasn't here to cover for Obito.
In fact, with all the Akatsuki intel, Minato alone might be enough to destroy the entire Akatsuki organization at this stage!
"My student, Obito?"
"Yes."
Both Minato and Sarutobi were stunned, in disbelief.
Hashirama and Tobirama, who had never met Obito, didn't know him at all.
"Impossible! Obito died in battle!"
"Did you find his body?"
Minato recalled the aftermath of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, where they had searched for Obito's remains.
All they found was a scorched battlefield with an indistinguishable charred corpse, possibly due to the anger of Iwa Ninja. Konoha didn't investigate deeply.
They merely collected the charred remains and placed them in a tomb.
Looking back, there were indeed some things they overlooked.
"But the masked man and Obito have different builds. They don't look like the same person."
"And Obito wouldn't have a reason to attack me…"
With Madara's modifications and the enhancement of White Zetsu cells, Obito's voice, physique, power, and appearance had drastically changed.
Unless Minato had eyes that could see through everything, how could he recognize Obito?
Moreover,
Minato couldn't imagine his heroic student, who died in battle, would turn and attack him and Kushina.
"I've given you the truth. How you verify it is up to you. I'm not an endless source of answers."
Wakato said coldly, maintaining his detached demeanor.
It would make it easier to manage things with Minato later on.
"Alright, I'll find a way to verify it."
Minato didn't hesitate. Wakato had saved him and his wife, giving him no reason to lie.
Since he was alive, there would be time to uncover the truth.
...
"Hmph. Those troublesome Uchiha…"
Tobirama snorted, still showing his disdain toward the Uchiha.
Hashirama frowned and scolded, "Tobirama!"
Taking the cue, Tobirama changed the subject and turned to Minato.
"Fourth Hokage, where is your Anbu team?"
They had observed everything yet hadn't seen any support from Minato's Anbu. How could the Fourth Hokage operate with no Anbu backup?
"I only recently took over as Hokage; my Anbu team is still being assembled."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
While this was partly true, he knew better than to share every detail.
Tobirama glanced at Sarutobi, immediately suspecting something.
How could a Hokage assume the role without an available team of Anbu?
Even though the Third Ninja War had just ended, leaving heavy losses across all villages, it wasn't to the extent that Konoha couldn't muster a few groups of elite Anbu.
When the Nine Tails first attacked, Sarutobi's Anbu had been among the first to rush in, sacrificing themselves…
"Sarutobi, I'll assign a group of Anbu ninjas for the Fourth Hokage's use."
"Yes!"
Sarutobi agreed instantly without any hesitation.
Danzo was there as well; he couldn't possibly say no in front of Tobirama.