Jin could understand Danzō's reasoning.
He could not accept his methods.
First—if Danzō reignited large-scale war between Konoha and Iwagakure, Minato's path to becoming the Fourth Hokage would be delayed indefinitely.
That alone made it unacceptable.
Second—if Konoha wanted Iwa to concede more, all it needed was strength and firmness.
Iwagakure was the one on the losing side.
They should be the anxious party—not Konoha.
Hiruzen and Danzō represented two extremes.
Blind compromise.
Relentless escalation.
Neither was correct.
Jin's trip to the Land of Rain had two purposes:
Stop Danzō—and if possible, leave him there.
And attempt to alter the fates of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
There was a third reason as well.
Uchiha Obito.
If the timeline aligned as expected, Obito should now be operating near Nagato.
Jin wanted to see how far the boy had progressed.
In the original course of events, Madara Uchiha had selected Obito from the shadows.
Through calculated manipulation, Obito had "died" during the Kannabi Bridge mission—
Only to reemerge as Madara's proxy.
Jin had known this would happen.
And yet—
He had chosen not to warn Minato beforehand.
Why?
Because Madara's depth was immeasurable.
No one knew what contingencies he possessed.
If Jin forcibly altered that event too early—
Even if he pulled Obito out—
Another shadow could rise.
An unseen enemy was far more troublesome than a known one.
There was another reason.
Minato's squad had needed that crucible.
Back then, Minato's team had serious fractures.
Kakashi Hatake had spiraled into rigid coldness after his father's suicide.
He clung to rules to suppress grief.
It was Obito's apparent "death" that shattered Kakashi's narrow worldview.
"Those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."
Without that moment—
Kakashi might never have changed.
And Obito himself?
He had been the weak link of the team.
An Uchiha by blood—
Yet a so-called failure.
In truth, his talent was extraordinary.
But it required trauma to awaken.
Without Madara's manipulation—
Obito might never have realized his potential.
However—
Power was only half the problem.
His mind was the greater issue.
When the girl he loved died—
His instinct was not to seek resurrection.
It was to destroy the world.
That logic alone spoke volumes.
Both Madara and Obito had been deceived.
Yet Madara's reputation was often judged more leniently.
Why?
Because Madara never forced Obito's hand.
The attack on Konoha during Kushina's childbirth—
The Nine-Tails incident—
Those were Obito's choices.
Stains no argument could erase.
Because Jin knew the future, he could not look at Obito without bias.
He didn't want resentment clouding judgment.
So he had decided—
To return the choice to Obito.
If, after experiencing everything, Obito still chose to unleash the Nine-Tails—
Then he would already be halfway dead in Jin's eyes.
If, when confronted by Minato face-to-face, he still refused to turn back—
Then Jin would act without hesitation.
But if Obito chose differently?
Then perhaps—
Kakashi would walk fully in the light.
Obito would rise as a true powerhouse.
Madara's grand design would collapse before it matured.
And Konoha's future would shift.
As for Rin—
Rin Nohara had been the only truly innocent one among them.
Used completely as a pawn.
Her death had triggered Obito's fall and Kakashi's despair.
Jin had not interfered at Kannabi Bridge.
But he had made… adjustments elsewhere.
Now, Rin was both dead—
And not dead.
At least until Obito stepped onto the stage Jin had prepared for him—
She remained "dead."
Jin had done what he could for his clansman.
As for Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—
Their case was different.
They were victims long before they became threats.
Yahiko was sacrificed.
Konan followed.
The true pivot was Nagato.
He and Obito were both teacher-slayers—
But not comparable.
Nagato's parents had died at the hands of Konoha shinobi.
His homeland had been ravaged by war between greater powers.
His best friend had died due to a Konoha-backed scheme.
From his perspective—
Hatred was not abstract.
When Jiraiya infiltrated Amegakure as a Konoha ninja—
They stood on opposing sides.
It was not personal.
It was positional.
Nagato fought for Yahiko's dream.
Jiraiya fought for Konoha.
Even then, Nagato had shown restraint.
He initially fought using only the Animal Path.
Jiraiya had multiple opportunities to retreat—
Yet chose to stay.
So Jin did not despise Nagato.
Remove the tragedy—
And perhaps he would never become Pain.
Perhaps Akatsuki would remain what it once claimed to be—
A neutral force striving for peace without extremism.
Minato exhaled slowly.
"Danzō's approach is too extreme."
He had calmed now.
Danzō's intention—to secure Konoha's interests—was not inherently wrong.
But his means—
Were unacceptable.
Peace purchased with endless corpses was hollow.
Reigniting war meant sacrificing comrades again.
Danzō treated people as expendable bargaining chips.
Minato's eyes hardened.
That—
He would never allow.
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