Salute to the Legend

Shiba Seika looked at Kakashi, a meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"This young man from Konoha, you're called Kakashi, right? May I ask why you're so fixated on completing ninja missions?"

Shiba Seika's polite question abruptly interrupted the clash between Obito Uchiha and Kakashi that was on the verge of erupting.

Perhaps they themselves understood: brawling in front of an enemy they'd just been crossing blades with was a foolish act, and they found it embarrassing too.

So Kakashi turned his head, deliberately avoiding Obito's gritted-teeth expression, and instead met Shiba Seika's gaze, replying coldly.

"Completing missions is a ninja's duty. It's the iron law of the ninja world: those who can't complete missions are trash!"

Shiba Seika smiled, his grin growing more delighted, as if he'd spotted a seed long suppressed, ready to burst into brilliant fireworks at any moment.

He only wanted to detonate that seed now; who it blew up didn't matter to him, as long as it wasn't him.

"Do you truly believe in that iron law? Do you really act because you wholeheartedly accept that precept?"

Kakashi's jaw moved beneath his mask, as if he wanted to speak, but Shiba Seika pressed on before he could get a word out.

"If you're truly devoted to mission-first, then why did you recklessly charge in to try and save your comrade before your teacher arrived? That behavior doesn't match your current words.

Young man, take a good look at your own heart. Do you really fully agree with what you're saying? Or are you just... running away?

Running from facing the loss of those closest to you, running from facing the darkness of this world, running from facing the nearly impossible task of seeking justice, running from facing... the revenge you, as a son, ought to carry out?"

Shiba Seika's words struck like poison, stabbing into Kakashi's heart without warning, pain flooding his eyes with blood, his breath quickening, one hand instinctively gripping his sword hilt, knuckles trembling uncontrollably.

"You... what do you know?!" Kakashi stepped forward, demanding, nearly breaking free from Minato Namikaze's grip.

Obito Uchiha, standing nearby, was startled too.

It was the first time he'd seen Kakashi wear such a terrifying expression, like a cornered beast with reddened eyes.

Minato Namikaze's face also darkened at this point, his voice dropping low. "Rain ninja, I told you, stop saying strange things to my students!"

Shiba Seika quickly raised his hands in front of him, signaling his innocence.

"Alright, Lord Minato, no problem. I'll stop."

Provoking Kakashi wasn't his main goal right now; he did it purely for pleasure, because he found it amusing.

He simply liked watching blood flow.

When it conflicted with his primary objective, he would unhesitatingly abandon this instigation.

"Lord Minato, please don't mind. Let's set off now."

But a seed already buried in the soil couldn't be so easily scattered by the wind.

Minato Namikaze looked at Kakashi; his expression was still off, his mind clearly in turmoil.

He tried to comfort him. "Kakashi, don't overthink it. I'll explain the mission situation to the village later."

Then he raised his head to look at Shiba Seika, a fresh wave of wariness rising in his heart.

And he'd just had a fleeting thought that the guy was actually kind of decent.

How could this young man, clearly from the Land of Rain, know so much about Konoha?!

Minato Namikaze didn't understand.

But he could no longer treat Shiba Seika as an ordinary teenager.

He had a feeling: this young man would surely become a massive headache for Konoha in the future!

Yet with Rin still in his hands, he had no choice but to follow his conditions.

The kind-hearted Minato Namikaze couldn't bring himself to abandon his student so easily.

Afterward, the group arrived at a forest on the border of the Land of Rain.

Almost simultaneously, Yahiko and Nagato arrived with nearly half of the Akatsuki Organization's combatants.

As soon as they reached the scene, Yahiko asked urgently, "Konan, what happened?"

Konan rarely used Paper Butterfly for rescue in the past.

Besides, the whole Akatsuki knew Nagato was in poor health; Konan wouldn't easily trouble him for help.

Receiving Konan's Paper Butterfly this time had startled Yahiko and Nagato, who stayed at the base, making them think she'd run into some terrible danger!

By the time everyone arrived, they realized things weren't as bad as they'd imagined.

Konan even took the initiative to reassure them.

"It's fine, Yahiko. The situation is still under Shiba Seika's control. Everyone, don't act rashly for now."

Yahiko let out a breath of relief, then shot a suspicious glance at Shiba Seika.

Why was this guy being so well-behaved this time?

And since arriving, Yahiko had a vague feeling: the trust Konan showed when mentioning Shiba Seika seemed a little too natural, didn't it?

On the other side, Minato Namikaze, upon seeing Yahiko and Nagato arrive, also showed a flicker of surprise.

He'd had a guess when he first saw Konan's blue hair, and now, seeing the three of them—Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato—together, he confirmed his suspicion.

"You three are Jiraiya-sensei's disciples, aren't you?"

Yahiko turned back in surprise, looking at Minato Namikaze. "You know Jiraiya-sensei?"

Minato Namikaze nodded but ultimately did not reveal that he too was Jiraiya's disciple.

He was already somewhat unnerved by Shiba Seika's "intelligence-gathering ability" and instinctively wanted to avoid exposing anything more related to Konoha.

Thus, Yahiko missed a perfect chance to recognize his fellow disciple, though he himself remained unaware.

"Then when you return to Konoha, please help us thank Jiraiya-sensei. Tell him that his disciples in the Land of Rain have always been striving to carry out his ideals!"

At this time, Yahiko still held deep gratitude toward Jiraiya, a stark contrast to the future version of himself who would be controlled by a corrupted Nagato and kill his own master.

Minato Namikaze silently nodded, agreeing to it.

But he offered no additional promises.

If not for the dangerous youth Shiba Seika standing between them, he thought he might have been willing to exchange more words with this junior brother before him.

Unfortunately, there was no "if."

Because of Shiba Seika's presence, the two sides only exchanged a few brief words before formally releasing the captive.

It wasn't until Minato Namikaze quickly departed with the freed Nohara Rin that Yahiko and Nagato found the chance to question Konan.

"Who exactly was that man? To make you call for help so urgently?"

Konan answered plainly, "Shiba Seika said he is the future Fourth Hokage of Konoha."

At those words, the scene fell silent, so quiet that a dropped needle could be heard.

Many of the Akatsuki members who had come along wore expressions of post-terror relief, wiping cold sweat from their brows.

"We... we were just confronting a Hokage?"

"Heavens, was I too loud just now?!"

"So close, it felt like I was about to die!"

Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they all turned their gazes to the most composed figure on the scene—Shiba Seika—admiration plain in their eyes.

"Seika, you... you play this big? You dared to kidnap a Hokage's disciple?"

"And you walked away unscathed from a Hokage?!"

At that moment, Shiba Seika couldn't help but think of a certain talent from the future Akatsuki Organization's all-star lineup.

That same man had once faced a Hokage in battle and walked away unscathed, earning fame across the shinobi world.

So, was this his way of paying homage to Kakuzu's legendary feat?