"That's right. Zabuza did kill over a hundred comrades during the graduation exam," Kakashi said.
"But what was the outcome? It forced Kirigakure to abandon that rule where killing your comrades was required to become a ninja."
Naruto gasped. "Kakashi-sensei! Are you saying that guy orchestrated that massacre just to force the Mizukage to abolish that brutal graduation exam?!!"
"You've got to be kidding!" Sasuke shouted. "Who massacres everyone just to force the Mizukage to change the rules?! What kind of lunatic would even talk to you?!"
Obito glanced at his fellow clan member and pondered. "When I entered their base disguised as the Fourth Mizukage, everyone fled as if they'd seen a ghost. Some were so terrified they took their own lives... This Yagura Karatachi is nothing like the person Minato-sensei knew. Even a vengeful spirit wouldn't be as vicious as him."
"So that demonic man, Zabuza, had no choice but to use such methods to end the cruel rules of Kirigakure?" Rin looked at Minato Namikaze and asked.
Minato replied, "You have to break it to rebuild it."
"If a Kage instills such terror in the ninja of Kirigakure, then extreme measures are indeed necessary to resolve a rotten system." He continued, "Moreover, when I brought Obito back, I saw a boy standing beside Zabuza who looked pure. That boy's eyes... they were eyes genuinely willing to die for Zabuza."
"If the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza, truly slaughtered indiscriminately out of pleasure, that boy should have feared the Fourth Mizukage like everyone else. He wouldn't have stood beside Zabuza—or even slightly ahead—willingly, acting as his shield, his weapon."
Naruto tilted his head. "A pure boy?"
Minato nodded. "His clothing, height, build, and voice all point to him being the ninja who took Zabuza away that day, posing as a Kirigakure ANBU."
"Ah! That masked man!!"
They instinctively looked at the scroll in their hands—that SSS-rank mission.
Minato's brow furrowed slightly. "I think there's a possibility we misidentified him. The masked man in this SSS-rank mission likely isn't referring to that boy."
Kakashi questioned doubtfully, "Why do you say that, Minato-sensei?"
Young Kakashi followed suit, looking over intently.
Minato Namikaze explained, "First, when we encountered that boy, he wasn't wearing a mask. Yet the mission scroll specifies we must kill or rescue the 'masked man.' This implies the 'mask' is a crucial symbol for him, suggesting he typically wears it when meeting others."
Obito pondered, "That does seem to be the case. The others at the base likely see his true appearance daily, not the masked version."
Minato nodded. "Second, while that boy is powerful and possesses great ninja talent, he's too clean-cut. His innate potential alone wouldn't reach the standards of an SSS-rank mission."
He glanced at the gold coins worth one million kan before Obito. "If a mere D-rank mission can command a bounty matching the peak of an A-rank, then I suspect the reward for an SSS-rank mission transcends monetary value. It could be an unparalleled ninjutsu, or perhaps an invaluable Kekkei Genkai..."
Kakashi's voice grew solemn. "If the bounty is truly at that level, what must the 'Masked Man' have done—or be about to do—to warrant such treatment?"
"And most crucially," Obito persisted, utterly perplexed, "why are the missions about killing and saving? Why must mine be the opposite of Naruto's?"
He had never encountered such opposing missions for teammates in Konoha.
Minato Namikaze nodded. "So we should indeed try to speak with Zabuza. Let's complete this A-rank mission first."
Kakashi fully unrolled the scroll. "Based on past experience, the scroll's seals will gradually unlock later. We don't necessarily need to prioritize this SSS-rank mission. There's no time limit anyway. We can gather intelligence slowly and see."
Young Kakashi glared at him. "Then what about the mission at Kannabi Bridge?! What if Konoha gets overrun by Iwagakure?!!"
"That matter was out of your hands the moment you arrived here, wasn't it?" Kakashi replied. "There'll always be a solution."
Obito muttered, "I've been thinking about that concept of Space-Time Ninjutsu Minato-sensei mentioned last time..."
"What Space-Time Ninjutsu concept?" Naruto squinted, struggling to recall anyone ever mentioning such a thing.
Minato briefly reiterated the logic: apples rot, or they get eaten after being stored in the refrigerator.
Obito: "If we truly can't return, and Konoha ends up losing its position in this Third Shinobi World War, then it makes no sense for Kakashi here to claim we didn't lose the war. Therefore, altering history to change a specific future or erase an alternate world can be ruled out. That leaves only the possibility of parallel worlds."
Young Kakashi stared at him in surprise. "Who knew you could actually think for once, you jerk. But I've thought about this too, and my conclusion is the same as yours. If the time we return to isn't the same as when we left, then parallel worlds are the only remaining possibility."
Rin nodded. "Exactly. It's also possible that both exist simultaneously—both the parallel world concept Minato-sensei mentioned, and the moment we return being the same as when we left!"
Seeing that the three had thoroughly analyzed the spacetime logic, Minato praised them.
"Next, Kakashi and I will go meet Zabuza. As the only jōnin among the remaining members, Young Kakashi, you will lead the others in training. Understood?"
"Roger that!" Young Kakashi stood straight, his slender frame stiffening at the command, completely putting aside his earlier disdain for reading the erotic novel's text aloud.
After Minato and Kakashi left, the two of them first strategized their approach for negotiating with Zabuza, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly reach Zabuza's stronghold!
When Minato had escorted Obito away, he'd left a Flying Thunder God seal in Zabuza's room!
"Sword of Love"!