With the promise of the Fourth Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha's desire for revenge had steadied considerably. He had always known the vast gap between himself and Itachi... He couldn't pinpoint the exact magnitude, but it was undeniably an insurmountable chasm. Thus, his thirst for vengeance had always left him restless and impatient.
Now, with the Fourth Hokage being the first to share the history of Konohagakure and the Uchiha Clan with him, Sasuke realized that as the last surviving Uchiha, he knew almost nothing about his own clan's past. How could he understand Itachi Uchiha's motives for exterminating the Uchiha Clan? How could he speak of revenge, let alone reviving the clan?
"What the hell are you yelling about?!"
Naruto, Obito, and Young Kakashi approached, drawn by Sasuke's earlier shout. Sasuke's temper had calmed.
"Nothing."
Naruto didn't think much of it.
"Um, um! Hey, Fourth Hokage guy, Obito seems to be having trouble getting the hang of impersonating the Fourth Mizukage, huh?"
Obito replied, "I can handle the personality Minato-sensei described before, but a madman, bloodthirsty, dark, vengeful person? I've never even met someone like that!"
This persona was completely opposite to Obito's own nature. He and Naruto had tried for ages, but the effect kept veering toward a comedic tone, never returning to seriousness.
While 'madman' and 'bloodthirsty' didn't quite fit, Sasuke had some experience with 'dark' and 'avenger' traits.
"Try imagining the most terrifying and despairing scenario you can."
For Sasuke, it was that moonlit night. He had returned just two hours late. The clan streets were deathly silent, littered with corpses... To this day, the sealed Uchiha Clan compound remains colder by four or five degrees than the outside world, like lingering vengeful spirits waiting for him to avenge them.
Just conjuring these images plunges Sasuke into darkness, transforming him into a vengeful avenger, weighed down by hatred and the burden of restoration, each step a struggle.
Naruto tried it as instructed. The most agonizing and despairing feeling for him was knowing he'd done nothing wrong, yet still enduring everyone's hatred and rejection.
Simply because…
…
Mizuki: "That means... the demon fox sealed by the Fourth Hokage is dwelling inside you!!!"
…
"Naruto, Naruto!!"
Minato Namikaze placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, calling out two or three times before pulling him back from his reverie.
Still caught between light and darkness, Naruto Uzumaki looked at Minato's face and instinctively asked, "Why...?"
Neither Minato nor Sasuke understood what he meant. Naruto, who wanted to ask "Why seal the demon fox inside me?", didn't press further.
Sakura thought Naruto was just spacing out.
Sasuke, however, understood the meaning of 'darkness' and 'hatred' better. Seeing Naruto's reaction, he knew the boy had truly been plunged into the chaos of darkness moments ago. But what hatred could Naruto possibly harbor, being alone? This puzzled Sasuke.
Meanwhile, Obito's expression stiffened slightly.
"I'm a bit tired today. I'll think it over once I get back, Minato-sensei." He chuckled awkwardly a few times before falling silent.
In truth, Obito knew exactly what the most terrifying image for him was, but with Rin and Kakashi right beside him, he couldn't quite enter that state.
Minato and the young Kakashi glanced at the time, agreeing that today's training had surpassed their expectations. It was time to head back for dinner.
With so many people around, Minato used kunai to take down a few small wild beasts along the way as an extra snack.
After dinner, everyone returned to their quarters to rest.
The next morning, Naruto and Obito were nowhere to be found at breakfast. Minato asked the teenagers sharing their quarters, Kakashi and Sasuke.
Young Kakashi: "Obito didn't come back last night."
Sasuke: "Naruto left early this morning."
"Could they have been so exhausted from training that they fell asleep outside?" Minato muttered to himself, then waved and headed out to look for the two.
Naruto was indeed exactly as Minato had guessed. Young Kakashi had observed Naruto's training and realized that because of the excessive chakra within him, Naruto struggled more than others to maintain balance. As a result, even a simple technique like the Clone Jutsu was difficult for him to grasp.
In an attempt to build momentum and become familiar with chakra control, Naruto had gone to the forest early that morning to practice.
When he became tired, he lay down on the ground and drifted into a light nap.
A particularly beautiful young woman woke him, and he even volunteered to help her gather medicinal herbs.
"Is there someone especially important to you?"
Naruto thought of Sasuke, Sakura, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Grandpa Hokage, and finally the face of the Fourth Hokage. He answered seriously, "Yes!"
"Then, as long as you strive to protect them, you will grow stronger one day."
"Of course!"
"Remember this: Where someone thinks of you is where your heart truly belongs."
Naruto listened, still a bit dazed. As the woman turned to leave, she brushed past Minato Namikaze, who had arrived just in time.
The instant her hand neared Naruto's neck, a cold gleam flashed from the kunai in Minato's hand. Fortunately, her choice was the right one. Because Naruto had once been furious with her for easily 'killing' Zabuza, the woman chose to spare him. Minato, in turn, chose not to intervene.
"Thanks," Minato murmured softly, referring to her words to Naruto before leaving.
She smiled. "I just felt it was the right thing to do."
Both of them knew each other's identities, but neither believed this was the time for a fight.
Of course, the "woman" knew full well she stood no chance against the blond man before her.
Later, Minato Namikaze and Naruto Uzumaki found Obito Uchiha in a coastal cave.
Obito's condition was so shocking that even Minato, a man who had experienced the Third Shinobi World War and completed hundreds of A-rank missions and dozens of S-rank missions, was taken aback!