At this moment, Obito Uchiha was dark, twisted, mad, and bloodthirsty. Curled up deep within the cave, his expressionless face stared into the distance with pitch-black eyes, gazing at the horizon. He listened to the waves crashing against the rocks, feeling as if he were in a different time and space from the rest of the world.
Just yesterday, Sasuke Uchiha had shared with them the secret to sinking into stillness within the darkness.
Without thinking, Obito's mind wandered back to the dream he had when he first arrived in this future world...
He knew that in this future, both he and Rin were dead.
He even knew that he had died during the original Kannabi Bridge mission, and that he had given his newly awakened Sharingan to Kakashi as a jōnin gift.
Regarding this, Obito felt more frustration at failing to fulfill his dream of becoming the first Uchiha Hokage.
Yet, trading his own life for Rin's and that dim-witted Kakashi's chances of survival was something Obito Uchiha found deeply gratifying and even a bit prideful. Particularly, the thought of that fool Kakashi finally seeing him in a new light... still sent a little thrill through him.
But Kakashi never mentioned Rin's death.
Obito didn't dare ask.
Especially after that particular dream...
He couldn't bring himself to recall that dream in front of Rin, Kakashi, Minato-sensei, or Naruto.
That night, he found an excuse to slip away and attempt to recall it in secret.
Though the very thought of remembering such a scene made him uneasy, he knew he had to try for the sake of the mission.
But...
As he slipped into a state near darkness, his mind began to show him strange images beyond his control.
He wasn't sure if he was asleep, or still awake, or somewhere between both.
The dream was pitch black. Snow-white humanoid figures like ghosts loomed, and an ancient Shinigami leaned on his scythe like a cane.
Once again, he saw Kakashi thrusting his Raikiri into Rin's heart.
But this time, he clearly saw the people surrounding Rin and Kakashi...
They were from Kirigakure!!!
The ninja of Kirigakure!!!
No matter how much he tried to resist imagining it—the possibility that Kakashi would abandon Rin under the pursuit of the Kiri ninjas!
Yet, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, this possibility was an obsessive thought that wouldn't leave him. Like a nightmare, fragments of their argument at Kannabi Bridge—whether to save Rin first or complete the mission—repeated in his mind.
In the midst of this chaotic turmoil, Obito wasn't sure if he had lost consciousness for a moment or if he had fallen asleep.
He was jolted awake by the screams echoing in his mind!
It was as though he had truly become the 'Yagura Karatachi,' standing in the shadowy basement of the Mizukage's Tower, torturing newly captured renegade ninja!
Iron rods, black and cold, were thrust into the non-fatal parts of their bodies, likely aimed to stimulate their pain receptors and make them suffer!
The fury in the darkness had nowhere to go! The despair of losing a loved one! Watching the most important person to him kill the one he cherished most—he didn't know where to direct the agony in his heart, but one thing was certain: he couldn't kill that most important person.
Yes.
It wasn't Kakashi who was wrong.
It was this world.
Something had to be wrong with this ninja world for Kakashi to have killed Rin.
He didn't know why, but he was sure that the image in his mind of Rin's death would pull him deeper into darkness and chaos...
Then he seemed to hear a voice in his mind:
"Rin, I will create another world with you in it."
"Heroes..."
"...will never again need to repent before the Memorial Stone..."
...
Minato found Obito in the cave on the ocean cliff. Upon seeing Obito's condition, his eyes narrowed sharply. He told Naruto and the others to wait outside and made his way inside.
"Obito."
"I'm going to talk to Zabuza." In the darkness, Obito Uchiha didn't even call him "Minato-sensei." Instead, he stood up and walked straight toward the cave exit.
As he passed Minato, there was no trace of the respect he once showed.
Glancing at Naruto Uzumaki, Obito's blood-red Sharingan made Naruto instinctively step back, his body moving half a step away in fear.
Only after Obito had left did Minato pat Naruto on the shoulder. "Something's off with Obito. Can you make your way back on your own? I need to follow him to make sure he stays safe."
Naruto nodded firmly. "Is he stuck in that darkness too? Can't he find his way out?"
He had come out to train that morning, partly to solidify his chakra control, and partly to ease the feelings of nearly losing himself in that dark place.
Minato frowned and nodded. "Probably. Be careful on your way back." He handed Naruto a kunai with the Flying Thunder God technique. "If you encounter any danger, use the chakra control technique you've learned to channel the right amount of chakra into this kunai."
Naruto nodded, though his expression was one of half-understanding. Minato ruffled his hair before vanishing in an instant. Naruto watched in awe. "The Fourth Hokage's speed is insane! He really is like a flash of lightning!"
...
When "Yagura Karatachi" reappeared at Zabuza's hideout, the Kirigakure ninja, having learned from their previous encounter, didn't panic this time.
A few rushed to the top floor to warn Zabuza, while the others nervously inquired about the visitor's intentions.
"Get out—"
Obito fought to suppress his urge to kill!
But the images of Rin's death, Kakashi's agony, and the ANBU wearing the Kirigakure masks assaulted his mind!
Kill them... Kill them...
That thought and fury transformed into pure killing intent! Just that single word, "Get out," made the Kirigakure ninja realize—
The man before them was the true tyrant of Kirigakure— the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi!!
Zabuza listened as his incompetent subordinate breathlessly reported that another Fourth Mizukage had arrived at the gate, though he wasn't sure if it was real or not...
As he was about to scold the subordinate for disturbing him with baseless reports, he heard a terrified scream from the open doorway.
"It's real!! It's the real Fourth Mizukage!!!"
Zabuza's pupils contracted sharply!
"What?!!"