Exposed

Konoha's glorious days had already passed, but back then, everyone—including its enemies—believed that under the Fourth Hokage's leadership, Konoha would prosper and reach new heights.

Unfortunately, the Nine-Tails Incident destroyed everything...

"If only you were still alive... If only..."

Watching Konoha's shinobi unite under Minato's leadership to face their enemy, the Third Hokage's eyes flickered with regret.

If Minato were still alive, he could retire in peace and enjoy his remaining years. Instead, he was stuck in the Hokage's seat like this, making mistake after mistake and earning people's resentment. If he kept going, he might even ruin his reputation in his final years.

Yes, the Third Hokage knew his own shortcomings. He knew he had made plenty of mistakes.

Letting Orochimaru defect from the village, Hizashi Hyuga's death, the rumors about Naruto, allowing Danzo to persecute the village's shinobi, the Uchiha massacre...

The Third Hokage knew these things were wrong and wanted to change them, but he had done nothing. He had even become an accomplice.

Why?

He was getting old. His energy and spirit had waned, and he lacked the ability—or rather, the resolve—to act.

"Teacher..."

Kakashi raced toward the battlefield. Hearing the shinobi call out to the Fourth Hokage, he froze for a moment, then sped up. Before long, he spotted a short figure gleaming gold as he directed the shinobi in battle.

"You are..."

Minato turned to look. An Anbu uniform, silver hair, one eye, and a uniquely dejected air.

"Kakashi, it's been a long time. You've grown taller." Minato smiled warmly.

"Are you really my teacher?!" Kakashi stared at the child before him, seeming unable to believe it.

But the other's manner and tone really did resemble his teacher. Could it really be him?

Kakashi hesitated.

"This child..."

"Naruto, my son. Don't you recognize him, Kakashi?" Minato looked at Kakashi meaningfully.

"I... I'm sorry."

Kakashi lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, teacher. I failed to take care of Naruto and let you down."

Since the Nine-Tails Incident, Kakashi had been unable to escape his grief. He threw himself into the endless Anbu missions, using them to numb his wounded heart.

As for Naruto...

Deep down, Kakashi didn't want to see him. He even went out of his way to avoid hearing anything about him.

Because hearing about Naruto made him think of his teacher and his wife.

They had once been so happy and so in love, but now they had both returned to the underworld.

And then the pain came.

After a long wait, Kakashi didn't hear the blame he had expected. All he heard was a sigh.

"Kakashi, I used to blame you a little."

Minato patted Kakashi's...

He had meant to pat his shoulder, but the difference in their heights made it a pat on the waist instead.

Patting Kakashi on the lower back, Minato said, "But seeing you like this now, I think you're the one who really needs looking after... Kakashi, the dead can't come back. Don't keep dwelling on the past. Make the most of the present. You have to pull yourself together. I'm sure Rin and Obito wouldn't want to see you keep wasting away. It's time to move on..."

"Move on?"

Kakashi froze, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head. Easier said than done.

Boom, boom, boom...

The five-minute barrage ended. As the smoke slowly cleared, a charred crater appeared, with a body lying in pieces at its center.

"The Uchiha forbidden technique, Izanagi, can turn anything that happens to the user during a certain period into an illusion if it would be harmful to them. Dad, be careful."

Inside the Sealing Space, Naruto used the Rinnegan as an excuse to blurt out information he shouldn't have known.

"Mm, I understand."

Minato nodded slightly, then warned the Konoha shinobi, "Everyone, be careful. The enemy may still be alive."

Still alive?

How could that be?

The body had been torn into several pieces.

Looking at the body in the crater, the Konoha shinobi stared in doubt. Had the Fourth Hokage made a mistake?

Out of respect for the Fourth Hokage, no one questioned him. Many even obediently raised their guard.

They trusted that the Fourth Hokage's judgment couldn't be wrong.

And Minato didn't let them down.

Before long, the body in the crater vanished like a dream or a bubble, and a man in black robes wearing a Spiral Mask appeared on a nearby rooftop.

"As expected of you, Yellow Flash."

The clouds parted, revealing the bright full moon.

Beneath the moonlight, Obito gazed at Minato with his scarlet eyes and said coolly, "You win tonight. I'll come challenge you again another day. I hope... you're still around then."

With that, Obito glanced at Kakashi, gave a cold snort, and prepared to use Kamui to leave.

But a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Stay here, Madara. I might not be around another day, so why not come down with me today?"

During the Nine-Tails Incident, Minato had left a Flying Thunder God Mark on Obito's back. Now he used it to catch Obito completely off guard.

--Tailed Beast Rasengan!

The enormous Rasengan, infused with Tailed Beast Chakra, slammed into Obito's back.

Boom!

Blood sprayed as a gaping hole tore through his body. He was hurled away, tumbling from the rooftop to the ground.

Knowing how tenacious the enemy was, Minato didn't pause for a moment. He used Flying Thunder God to pursue him and smashed a Rasengan toward Obito's head.

Danger!!!

Obito was still dazed and hadn't reacted, but under the pressure of imminent death, his body shifted several inches to the side.

Clang~!

The Rasengan grazed his face and knocked away the Spiral Mask, leaving a gash across Obito's cheek.

"Obito?!"

Minato stopped, staring wide-eyed at the face of the man who had called himself "Madara."

"How could it be you?!"

That... foolish, careless, helpful Obito, who had dreamed of becoming Hokage.

Why had he become the one who orchestrated the Nine-Tails Incident, killed Minato and Kushina, murdered countless villagers, and even tried to kill his son?

"So I've been exposed... Guess there's no helping it."

Obito had already turned intangible. He stood up and spread his arms, his eyes filled with madness.

"Why couldn't it be me, Minato Namikaze? I, Obito Uchiha, was the one who killed you and your wife! The dead last everyone looked down on killed the famous Yellow Flash. No one could have imagined it, could they? Hahahahaha..."

Inside the Sealing Space, Naruto looked at his mother, who had fallen silent ever since Obito had revealed his face. He asked cautiously, "Mom, what's wrong? Is it because of Obito?"

"...Obito wasn't like this before."

Kushina's feelings were complicated. "He and Kakashi were both your father's students. Back then..."

She began to tell Naruto about the past. Of Minato's three students, Obito had given her the most worry, but he had also been her favorite. She had always treated him like a younger brother. When Obito died, she had grieved for a long time. While pregnant, she had hoped her child would have the same good qualities as Obito...