A Mere Chunin!

Obito Uchiha's figure slowly vanished before Minato Namikaze's eyes. Sensing the spatial fluctuation left by Obito's departure, Minato's expression turned grave.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu..."

"Obito..."

Having trained in the Flying Thunder God, Minato Namikaze was exceptionally sensitive to Space-Time Ninjutsu. Obito had used Kamui only once before him, yet Minato had already understood the nature of the technique Obito used to leave.

Moreover... judging from Obito's composed manner as he left, his mastery of Space-Time Ninjutsu was considerable. He did not even need hand seals to use such a technique. That level was perhaps even beyond Minato's own!

The Fourth Hokage did not know much about the Uchiha Clan. On one hand, he had come from a civilian ninja background and naturally had limited knowledge of such a great clan. On the other, very few Uchiha Clan members could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

In recent years, there had been no powerful Uchiha who used the Mangekyō Sharingan, so Minato had never considered the possibility that the other party's ability was a Kekkei Genkai.

Even so, this brief encounter had finally confirmed for Minato that Obito was still alive.

And... from Obito's words, Minato could feel the anger and resentment buried deep within him.

He had no idea how Obito would vent that anger and resentment.

"Creating a world with Rin..."

"Is the target the Scroll of Seals?"

Incomplete information naturally could not produce an accurate conclusion. Yet judging only from Obito's words before leaving, Minato immediately thought of the Scroll of Seals in Konoha, which recorded countless Forbidden Jutsu.

There were indeed some ninjutsu within the Scroll of Seals that could revive the dead. However, that technique had been halted by the First Hokage while it was still under development, leaving it incomplete.

But the existence of such a Forbidden Jutsu gave Obito's wish a possibility of being realized.

No wonder Minato had thought in that direction.

After pondering for a moment, Minato Namikaze directly used the Flying Thunder God to leave the training ground.

The matter concerning Obito had to be taken seriously. If someone who had mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu set their sights on the Scroll of Seals, the scroll truly could be stolen.

If that inhumane Forbidden Jutsu were to spread, it would likely bring endless disaster upon this world.

When Minato Namikaze's figure appeared again, he had already arrived in the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was seated behind the desk handling official duties for Minato, seemed to sense something. He looked up and saw Minato's grave expression, causing his heart to tighten.

"Minato, why are you back?!"

"Could it be Kushina..."

Minato should have been at Kushina's side right now, helping reinforce the seal during her delivery. His sudden appearance here gave the Third Hokage an ominous feeling, and he could not help worrying.

After all, his wife, Biwako, was one of the Medical Ninja assisting with Kushina's delivery. If the Nine-Tails' seal had gone wrong, then wouldn't that mean his wife also...

"It's not a problem on Kushina's side."

"Third Hokage, do you remember my former student, Obito Uchiha?"

"He did not die on the battlefield back then. For some reason, he survived."

"Now, he has mastered some profound Space-Time Ninjutsu and has appeared in Konoha."

Obito Uchiha...

Even after all these years, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not unfamiliar with that name at all. It was not because Obito's talent had left any particularly deep impression on him, nor was it because of his strength.

It was simply because Obito Uchiha's eye had been the first Sharingan ever passed down from the Uchiha Clan.

Back then, over Kakashi's Sharingan, he and the Fourth Hokage had negotiated with the Uchiha Clan for a long time before successfully protecting Kakashi. Otherwise, that Sharingan of his would have long since been taken back by the Uchiha.

"Obito Uchiha?"

"He's alive? You saw him? How is that possible?"

Even someone as experienced and knowledgeable as the Third Hokage was stunned upon suddenly hearing this news, though he quickly regained his composure.

He recalled the intelligence concerning Obito Uchiha's death in battle. Since Obito was the owner of the Sharingan that had been passed down, the Third Hokage had naturally investigated his death thoroughly before negotiating with the Uchiha Clan.

Kakashi being allowed to keep that eye was also related to Obito Uchiha's dying words.

"With injuries like those... he actually survived..."

"If he was alive, why didn't he appear all these years?"

"And now he has appeared in Konoha. What exactly is..."

All sorts of questions arose in the Third Hokage's mind. However, Minato had come to discuss how this matter should be handled, so he began explaining in detail how Shinichi had detected Obito's presence and how he himself had set a trap to "catch" Obito in the act.

Listening to Minato's account, the experienced Hiruzen Sarutobi could only feel a thick air of conspiracy descending upon Konoha. After Minato finished, Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head in thought.

After a long while, he asked uncertainly,

"Minato... do you think the Uchiha Clan knows that Obito Uchiha has been hiding in Konoha?"

The Third Hokage had grown suspicious of the Uchiha Clan. He was a disciple of the Second Hokage, Tobirama. Although he was not like Tobirama, constantly going on about the "evil Uchiha," under his teacher's influence, the Third Hokage still harbored some wariness toward the Uchiha Clan.

Minato was not an outsider, so he did not hide this wariness from him.

In the Third Hokage's eyes, this matter could be either major or minor. At its smallest, it was merely a "defection incident" involving a chunin who had luckily survived the battlefield and coveted the Scroll of Seals.

But once it was connected to the Uchiha Clan, the nature of the matter would be entirely different.

"The Uchiha Clan..."

Even Minato could not immediately dismiss that possibility after hearing such speculation.

"If that really is the case..."

Before the Third Hokage could finish, a bright smile suddenly appeared on Minato Namikaze's face as he interrupted,

"The Uchiha Clan is part of Konoha's big family. They would not do anything harmful to Konoha."

"Wouldn't it be easy to verify whether the Uchiha Clan knows about this?"

"Tonight, I'll go meet Clan Head Fugaku!"

Minato handled matters differently from the Third Hokage. He did not like to hide things away and preferred being direct.

With strength and prestige as his foundation, he had the confidence to resolve most matters through negotiation.

But unlike Minato, who had risen to the position of Hokage through strength and military achievements, the Third Hokage had taken the seat by the Second Hokage's personal appointment. When he had ascended to the position, Konoha had been in a turbulent and precarious state. One careless misstep could have destroyed the village.

Thus, the Third Hokage was accustomed to seeking stability in handling matters and to acting cautiously.

"You..."

"This..."

Hearing that Minato intended to speak directly with Fugaku, even the Third Hokage was momentarily speechless. But soon, he shook his head and smiled.

He truly could not compare to the boldness of the young.

"Is everything alright on Kushina's side?"

Compared to Obito Uchiha, a "mere chunin," Hizashi was clearly more concerned about the Jinchuriki's situation.

"Mm, her due date is next month."

"The fetus is relatively stable, so there's nothing to worry about for now."

"And I'll return immediately after speaking with Fugaku."

Minato was fairly reassured about Kushina's side. There were so many Anbu guards there, and a Medical Ninja of Biwako's caliber was also present. Even if Kushina went into premature labor, the Anbu would notify him immediately. With the Flying Thunder God, he could rush back at once.

"Do you need me to accompany you?"

Facing a great clan like the Uchiha, Hizashi also became fully alert.

Come to think of it... because the Uchiha Clan had served as the Konoha Military Police Force for so many years, their relationship with the village's ordinary residents had grown increasingly tense.

The proud Uchiha were gradually being isolated by the people of the village. That was not a good thing.

"Mm, then I'll have to trouble you."

Minato did not refuse. He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Sometimes, Minato's excessive humility also made the Third Hokage uneasy about handing all authority over to him.