For Hamaki Mimura, Minato Namikaze and the people with him had vanished only minutes ago. Now they suddenly reappeared. Were they using the Flying Thunder God to jump back and forth between multiple battlefields?
"Minato, what is this—"
Hamaki Mimura glanced past Minato's shoulder and immediately noticed it. Great, there was another Kirigakure missing-nin, and this one even had a shark-like face.
Since returning to Konoha, Itachi Uchiha no longer wore the Akatsuki cloak and had removed his forehead protector. Kisame Hoshigaki, however, still often kept his Kirigakure missing-nin headband.
"The last time you came, there were three more kids with you," Hamaki Mimura said. "Why are they missing now?"
Hearing that, Minato Namikaze and Adult Kakashi immediately realized something.
This was the same parallel world they had visited before. The world of Minato from the Kannabi Bridge Timeline, along with Obito, Young Kakashi, Rin, and the others.
That meant Obito and the rest…
They had very likely been transported directly to their mission location.
The moment that thought occurred to him, Adult Kakashi's anxiety spiked.
"Minato-sensei!"
Minato shook his head, his expression grim.
"I can't sense the Flying Thunder God marks on them."
That meant Obito and the others were now beyond Minato Namikaze's sensory range.
Naruto, desperate to help, immediately shouted, "Then let's start running! We can think of another way while we're moving, dattebayo!"
"Naruto's right," Minato said with a nod. He hastily exchanged a few words with Hamaki Mimura, then led everyone in the direction of the Kannabi Bridge mission site. They burst into motion using chakra-enhanced speed, moving as fast as Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura could possibly keep up.
Getting to experience such an interesting time travel again… Kisame Hoshigaki's small, shark-like eyes gleamed with calculation.
"Kisame."
At the rear of the group, Itachi and Kisame were running together when Itachi suddenly spoke.
"Hm? That's rare, Itachi," Kisame said with a grin. "You don't usually start conversations."
"If his promise to you was a lie," Itachi said calmly, "or if he himself was being deceived… what would you do?"
The "he" he referred to was naturally the Masked Man, or rather, Obito Uchiha of this world.
"Are you worried about me?" Kisame chuckled, baring a mouthful of jagged, shark-like teeth. "There's nothing to do about it. Whether we're missing-nin or not, ninja are just tools that carry out missions. Serving an organization or serving a village, it's all the same."
He said it casually.
Yet Itachi could hear something else in those words. A bleakness Kisame himself might not even be aware of. Disappointment with the shinobi world, and despair toward his own existence.
"If you truly were a tool without humanity," Itachi said, "then it wouldn't matter where you are. But you can still make choices according to your own will."
After saying that, Itachi stopped speaking to Kisame and accelerated, following Minato Namikaze and Kakashi Hatake at full speed.
Watching Itachi's back, Kisame suddenly remembered something Itachi had said when they first became partners.
Only when death draws near can a person truly see themselves clearly.
Because we can make choices, that's why humans are human, not ninja tools… right?
As he watched the Konoha ninja rushing ahead, Kisame felt an unexpected weariness, similar to what Zabuza had once shown. A strange desire to rest.
"Dad! How much farther until we reach the place where Obito and the others are doing their mission?!" Naruto shouted as he leapt through the brush, keeping pace with Minato Namikaze and Kakashi Hatake.
His stamina was clearly the best. Sasuke, and especially Sakura, were already struggling just to keep up, with no spare energy left to talk.
"Originally, it was a two-and-a-half-day journey," Minato said. "But after two days… no, after one and a half days, I should be able to sense the Flying Thunder God marks I placed on them."
One and a half days.
Adult Kakashi clenched his fists tightly.
Rin, Obito, and the version of himself from that world… please don't walk the same path they did.
...
On the other side, Obito found himself transported into a forest.
Judging by the species and height of the trees, this was exactly the spot where he had been before his first crossing into Naruto's parallel world.
Behind him was a bamboo grove. He and Kakashi hadn't been separated for long.
Rin…
Right. Rin had been captured by the Iwagakure ninja.
Obito's thoughts spiraled into chaos, tangled with urgency.
He was anxious for Rin's safety, and unsettled by what Adult Kakashi had said. That he himself would soon sacrifice his life.
It wasn't that he was afraid of death. He just couldn't understand it.
How could someone who had already died beneath a pile of rubble crawl back out and become an enemy of the world?
If he had returned to Konoha earlier, wouldn't they have been able to go rescue Rin together? Then the tragedy where Kakashi failed to save her wouldn't have happened.
Rin wouldn't have died. Kakashi wouldn't have become so hollow and desolate.
Alright, even if that sharp tongue was annoying, he still preferred the tsundere Kakashi who never spared anyone's feelings.
"What are you spacing out for, idiot?"
As Obito was thinking about Kakashi, that very voice suddenly sounded behind him, startling him badly.
Young Kakashi's breathing was clearly unsteady. It didn't take much thought to know he had chased him down at full speed.
Before Obito had crossed into Naruto's world, the two of them had argued fiercely over whether to save Rin first or complete the mission, even going so far as to part ways.
Now that Kakashi had caught up, it could only be for one reason.
They were going to save Rin together.
The gloom in Obito's chest instantly cleared, and he flashed Young Kakashi a wide grin.
"See? You get it now. My choice was the right one!"
"Quit talking nonsense. Speed up!" Young Kakashi shot him a glare. "If you dare die, I'll—"
He'd never really threatened anyone before. Halfway through, he couldn't find the words, got irritated with himself, and stormed ahead instead.
Young Kakashi overtook Obito and rushed toward the Iwagakure direction.
"Oh!" Obito answered, immediately accelerating as well.
The two pushed forward at full speed until they were close to the Iwagakure outpost, then stopped and swiftly hid themselves.
"Found it," Obito whispered.
Kakashi pressed a hand against Obito's shoulder. "Calm down. I'm the team leader. I'll handle the strategy."
Without hesitation, Obito nodded. "Yeah. I'll follow your lead."
Even though there were only two of them, their coordination was seamless. They trusted each other completely, embodying the teamwork Minato Namikaze had emphasized time and again, though it had rarely come so naturally.
"There are at least two enemies inside," Kakashi said quietly. "Rin is in their hands. We can't rush in."
Recently promoted to jōnin and now leading a team on his own, Young Kakashi continued, "I'll use a Shadow Clone to draw at least one of them out. We take him down silently. Fast. He can't be allowed to send a signal to his partner."
"Then don't use Chidori," Obito warned. "That's way too loud."
"Relax. It's not fully complete yet, but my other self and I have already been developing a new Lightning Release technique."
"Honestly, having just one Sharingan is still pretty cool," Obito said, suddenly feeling relaxed talking like this with the genius Kakashi. "I wouldn't even mind giving you one of mine."
"Heh. Spare me. I don't want to walk the same path as Naruto's world," Kakashi replied.
Obito's eyes sharpened. "Exactly. We absolutely won't end up on that world line!"
The two stared at the Iwagakure outpost and lightly bumped fists.
"Go!"
Shadow Clone Technique!
In an instant, another figure appeared beside the silver-haired boy.
Obito Uchiha.
"Why did you turn into me?"
"You look dumber," Kakashi replied calmly. "Less likely to raise suspicion."
"What?!" Obito hissed under his breath, furious.
But neither of them wasted time arguing.
The Shadow Clone took position, and the two of them quickly concealed themselves.
Smack—
The Shadow Clone, wearing Obito's face, slapped his own cheeks.
"Calm down, calm down. I'm Obito Uchiha, of the elite Uchiha clan!"
Inside the outpost, two Iwagakure ninja who were interrogating Rin with genjutsu heard the noise.
Taiseki, who specialized in the secret Camouflage Concealment Technique, spoke up.
"I'll take care of him. You continue the genjutsu interrogation."
"Got it."
"Get the information quickly. Camouflage Concealment!"
Taiseki blended into the environment like a chameleon, slipping silently out of the base.
Meanwhile, the Iwagakure ninja with the spiky hair, whom he had called Kakkō, still hadn't noticed anything unusual about Rin Nohara…
Hidden in the shadows, Obito cast a quick glance at Kakashi beside him.
The two of them communicated through their eyes and expressions.
'What are you doing?! I'm not usually this stupid!!'
'You've got some nerve. Don't you know that's exactly how you used to be?'
'What?!'
'Shh, don't make a sound—'
The Shadow Clone, wearing Obito's face, shouted, "I'm going in!!"
"Going where?"
Taiseki appeared behind Shadow Clone Obito as his Camouflage Concealment was_looped_!
A sharp kunai was about to stab straight into the clone!
Young Kakashi appeared at that very moment.
A silver-white chakra blade slashed down viciously toward the Iwagakure ninja, Taiseki!
Kakashi's sharp, ferocious gaze locked onto the enemy, as if declaring his resolve to change the future.
"Ka… Kakashi?! Why are you—"
"Well," Kakashi said calmly, "with a crybaby like you, how could I, as the captain, ever let you handle things alone?"
Even though Kakashi was clearly talking to his own Shadow Clone, the real Obito, still hidden among the leaves according to the plan, felt his chest tighten with a strange, aching warmth.
If his own impersonation of Yagura Karatachi had been flawless—
Then Kakashi's portrayal of "Obito Uchiha" was just as perfect. Even the genuine article couldn't find a single flaw.
"Silver hair… and that silver chakra blade?!" Taiseki stared at Kakashi in shock. "Don't tell me… you're the White Fang of Konoha?!"
"This blade belonged to my father."
Hearing that, Taiseki visibly relaxed. "I see. So you're the White Fang's son. Then there's nothing to be afraid of."
"Secret Technique: Camouflage Concealment."
Taiseki vanished in front of Kakashi and the Shadow Clone.
"As expected," Kakashi said quietly. "His shape and scent are completely gone. We can only track him by changes in airflow and sound."
At that very moment, Taiseki had already closed in on them without a sound.
"Obito, behind you!!"
…
If the Obito standing behind Kakashi had been the real Obito Uchiha, then the instant Kakashi shouted that warning, he would have already pulled Obito away and stepped forward to face the enemy himself.
He might even have hesitated for a split second to save Obito, letting the enemy slash his left eye and rob him of his vision.
But—
Taiseki's attack stabbed straight into the black-haired Uchiha youth's body.
Bang!
The Shadow Clone dispersed instantly.
That shout of "Obito, behind you!" hadn't been meant to warn the Shadow Clone to dodge.
It was a signal for the real Obito Uchiha.
Hidden among the leaves, how could Obito fail to understand it?
At that moment, the two of them moved as one, their intentions perfectly aligned, every action echoing the other's will.
Kill.
No matter how shocked Taiseki was, it was already too late.
Like a hunter focused on its prey, never noticing the danger closing in from behind.
Behind him, Obito Uchiha, crimson Sharingan blazing, drove a kunai viciously into the center of his back.
"Damn it… you two little brats…"
Unfortunately, the strike was just slightly off. It didn't pierce his heart.
The wound in Taiseki's back was deep, but not immediately fatal.
Clutching his kunai, he twisted and thrust it straight toward Young Kakashi's head.
This was a common tactic in wartime. Even if you die, you take one more enemy with you. The moment your opponent lets their guard down is the best chance to strike.
"——!"
Kakashi—
The Masked Man's silhouette flashed before his eyes. Rin's smile. Adult Kakashi's sorrow.
Time…
Seemed to slow to a crawl.
The sharp kunai drew closer and closer to Young Kakashi's right eye.
"Kakashi!!!!"