"Huh?! Didn't you say Minato wasn't—"
Mid-sentence, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized what Kakashi actually meant by Naruto's identity being exposed. It wasn't about him being Minato and Kushina's son, but rather...
The Nine-Tails.
His expression darkened at once. "Who among the living knows?"
One of the things the Third Hokage regretted most regarding Minato was that news of Naruto being the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki had leaked. And after today, Minato would inevitably discover that Naruto had been treated even worse in Konoha than Kushina ever was…
Minato Namikaze was the person he had recommended as the Fourth Hokage, and he was Jiraiya's student.
He knew very well that for the gentle Yellow Flash, Konoha and his family were his bottom line.
This matter was likely to become… problematic.
The shift in the Third Hokage's demeanor left Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura completely confused.
Kakashi reported honestly, without concern. "Sasuke and Sakura already know. The others present were Minato-sensei from the era of the Third Shinobi World War, Obito from that time, myself, Rin… as well as Zabuza and Haku."
Tazuna and the bridge workers from the Land of Waves had also been there, but as ordinary civilians caught in the thick mist, they were far away. At least until the fog fully cleared, they couldn't have seen anything.
Hearing Kakashi and the Third Hokage's conversation, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately understood that the "identity" they spoke of referred to the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
A subtle tension fell over them.
The Third Hokage said, "Twelve years ago, I issued an S-rank prohibition: no one was to ever mention that the Nine-Tails was sealed within Naruto."
He looked at Sasuke and Sakura. "Now that you two know, it means you've taken on this S-rank prohibition as well. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
Sakura and Sasuke nodded obediently.
What they didn't understand was why the Fourth Hokage would seal the Nine-Tails inside Naruto. As classmates from the same Academy generation, they were painfully aware of how harshly Naruto had been treated.
Why had Konoha turned a living person into the prison of a monster, letting him live in the village yet allowing the cruelty of his circumstances to grow unchecked?
They had countless questions, but as genin, none of them dared ask further. Even so, this incident planted a particular thought in Sasuke's mind.
Putting together what the Fourth Hokage had told him earlier, and the fact that the Fourth Mizukage had been manipulated…
He realized that within the village—and in this world—there were far too many secrets he knew nothing about.
So the truth behind Itachi's massacre of the clan… he would have to uncover it with his own hands.
...
After leaving the Hokage's Office, Kakashi said he still had things to take care of and vanished before the three of them with a Body Flicker.
After receiving their mission payment, Sakura suggested going on a date with Sasuke, but he refused her immediately. Naruto then tried asking Sakura to eat ramen with him, only to be rejected as well.
The three went their separate ways home.
Yet after taking a bath and changing their clothes, they somehow all ended up gathering at Konoha's village gate at the same time.
Naruto even brought his treasured cup noodles.
Sasuke carried a bag of tomatoes and another bag of rice-ball musubi.
Sakura had told her parents she was going to visit her sensei's home. Worried their daughter might not be polite enough, Kizashi Haruno and Mebuki Haruno nearly made her bring the entire household along with her…
But when they reached the old Hatake residence, only Rin Nohara was there watching the place.
"Where's the Fourth big bro? And Obito and Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke added, "Zabuza and Haku aren't here either."
Rin poured each of them a cup of tea, smiling as she said, "Since it's inconvenient for them to enter Konoha, at the very least, they have to gather their own food. Everyone went off separately to look for something edible."
Basically, hunting and gathering.
"Speaking of Haku and Zabuza," Sasuke said, "does the Fourth really trust them enough to let them walk off wherever they want?" No matter how aligned their goals might be, those two were still ninja from the Land of Water.
Unexpectedly, the first to return were Zabuza and Haku—the ones Sasuke trusted the least.
Zabuza had clearly heard Sasuke's doubt the moment he walked in.
But aside from muttering "brat," he didn't say anything else. At his level, he wasn't about to waste energy arguing with a child. Besides, he and Haku really were living in the Land of Fire while still technically shinobi of the Land of Water.
He came back carrying a small wild boar, and Haku had gathered plenty of berries and vegetables.
"The field across from Kakashi-san's house has been abandoned for years, but you can still find some wild greens there," Haku explained.
Naruto joked, "Because Kakashi-sensei hasn't stood out in the fields on scarecrow duty for ages." (Kakashi = scarecrow)
"Who said I stand guard in a field?!" Young Kakashi returned with Obito Uchiha following behind him, both holding buckets filled with fish.
"Isn't the Fourth Hokage with you?" Sakura asked.
"Minato-sensei used Transformation Jutsu and Flying Thunder God Technique to go buy daily necessities," Obito said. "I heard that even across time and space, the markings he left in the village back then still work."
"Fourth big bro's Flying Thunder God Technique is seriously convenient, dattebayo!"
Young Kakashi corrected him sternly, "Both the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique were developed by the Second Hokage."
Obito nudged him and said not to be so stiff—there were no outsiders here, so he didn't need to be so serious.
"By the way, Naruto, you guys haven't taken the Chūnin Exams yet, right?" Obito suddenly asked.
Rin said, "Ah, the Chūnin Exams are usually around this time every year!"
Young Kakashi looked at the three of them. "Judging by age, you should've taken the Chūnin Exams already. But judging by strength… I have my doubts."
"What?!!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were all equally offended.
Obito and Rin quickly stepped between them and Kakashi to calm things down.
Rin said, "You should wait until your sensei comes back and ask him. For genin to take the Chūnin Exams, their jōnin instructor needs to submit an application to the Hokage…"
At that moment, the Kakashi being discussed stood before the Memorial Stone of Konoha.
A gentle breeze brushed past him. Minato Namikaze appeared behind him without a sound.
"Talking with Obito?"
"Yeah." Every time Kakashi came here, his mood always turned heavy.
Minato felt it too. "As your sensei, I'm sorry I couldn't protect all of you."
"It wasn't your fault. It was the Third Shinobi World War."
Without another word, Minato placed the fresh flowers he'd bought from Yamanaka Flowers before the Memorial Stone.
Many familiar names were carved into it—classmates, comrades, people he once knew well.
"Rin's name isn't here?"
"Rin…" Kakashi's voice tightened bitterly. "She died after running into my Raikiri. I didn't understand why. I could only build her a grave of her own."
Minato was silent for a while. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. You've carried sucha a burden all these years."
"What burden?"
Kakashi's tone was flat, but it was the stillness before a storm.
"..."
Minato didn't answer, but Kakashi already knew what his teacher meant by "burden."
Facing his sensei, he couldn't help but let out a low, restrained roar of frustration. "Whether it was you, Rin, Obito, or my father! Why am I always the one left behind?!"
The Kakashi of today held his emotions tightly under control. Even if grief and anger overwhelmed him, it would be released in only a single sentence—and carried silently in his actions for a lifetime.
"....I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize, Sensei. Just change the future of your world."
"Yeah. It's already changing." Ever since they saved even more Konoha shinobi from the Hamaki Mimura unit last time, the future of their world had already shifted drastically.
"Someone's coming." Minato disappeared beside Kakashi in a flicker.
Moments later, two figures approached—Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi.
Both carried flowers, coming to visit the grave of Kurenai's father, Shinku Yuhi.
"Yo, Kakashi," Asuma said, cigarette dangling from his lips.
Kurenai placed her flowers before the Memorial Stone. "Visiting Obito again? You really should find a girlfriend already instead of drowning in the past. If Obito saw you like this, he would…"
"Kurenai." Asuma rested a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and gave a small shake of his head, signaling her to stop there.
If Kakashi were able to let go, he would've done so long ago.
If he couldn't… then it would be something he carried for a lifetime.
In truth, Kakashi had come today to speak at length with "Rin" and "Obito," telling them everything about the strange events that happened in the Land of Waves.
"After this, I probably won't come every day… but Obito, if you were still alive, you'd definitely want me to look after the Rin we have now."
Leaving the Memorial Stone, Kakashi bought the essentials for everyone—toothbrushes, cups, clothes… ah, he'd have to trouble Sakura later with Rin's clothing. He also picked up spices, grains, and vegetables.
With a large green cloth bag slung behind his neck and both hands full, Kakashi entered the Hatake residence, only to find that dinner had already been prepared.
But everyone's expression was grave.
A mission scroll lay spread open on the table.
"Kakashi," Minato Namikaze said, "there's a new A-rank mission in Obito's scroll."
"An A-rank mission?"
Kakashi's eyes widened. Last time, the A-rank mission had brought them into Minato-sensei's era, allowing them to save the Hamaki Mimura squad during the Kannabi Bridge operation.
So this time…
Thinking of the mission back then—to blow up Kannabi Bridge—and of Obito's death during that same operation, Kakashi felt his emotions twist painfully. But now Obito and Rin were both here. They only needed to destroy Kannabi Bridge to complete the mission, right?
"Kakashi, take a look at the A-rank mission first."
Setting down the supplies he'd bought, Kakashi asked casually:
"Is it difficult?"
To him, a mission was a mission. No matter how hard it was, he would always find a way to complete it.
"It might… not be a matter of difficulty."
"???"
Kakashi stepped closer to the scroll.
There, in two lines, were words that made his pupils tremble violently.
"This is…"
...