With Obito's disgraceful retreat, the farce he had orchestrated ended in failure.
"Kakashi, that was Obito. He's still alive." Rin had returned to the ring, and her voice rang in Kakashi's mind. "That idiot must have been tricked!"
Rin knew Obito too well. She had looked after him since they were children and understood his personality better than anyone.
Impulsive, naive, kind, and a little too eager to show off.
Obito would never have become like this if he hadn't been deceived and used, or brainwashed and controlled.
Rin wasn't thinking this way out of mere sentiment. She was making a rational assessment as a medical ninja.
At the time, half of Obito's body had been pinned beneath a boulder. Then he'd been buried by the collapsing cave. Given his circumstances and injuries, he couldn't possibly have survived without someone else's help.
Therefore, someone—perhaps an organization—must have rescued Obito, allowing him to survive and recover until he was now whole and unharmed.
That was the only possibility.
"Rin, I'll bring that idiot back to the village!" Kakashi promised her solemnly. It was a man's promise. Even if it cost him his life, he would keep it!
"That idiot! The next time I see him, I'm going to give him a good scolding!" Rin said, angry and worried at the same time.
As the two spoke in their minds, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already walked up to Kakashi.
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen remembered the name Obito. After all, he had personally assigned the members of Kakashi's team.
After Obito's sacrifice, Hiruzen had felt regret. In his eyes, kindhearted and passionate Obito could have grown into a bridge between the village and the Uchiha, just like Kagami.
"Kakashi, do you suspect that the mysterious man is Obito?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
Kakashi looked