"Miss Konan, you're such a kind person," Obito said to her.
Konan smiled shyly and hid behind Yahiko.
"Don't worry. If I meant you harm, I wouldn't have spoken up and let you know I was here."
"I really did come for the three of you. You should be able to feel how tense things are between the villages right now. You know what happens during a war to a small village like Amegakure, caught between great powers.
"You may grow into excellent shinobi one day, but right now, there's little you can do. Don't think mediating a few small disputes will have any effect on the great powers. Getting involved in their conflicts without thinking is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—you'll only bring about your own destruction."
"Bam! Don't look down on us, you bastard from Konoha!" the same guy from earlier shouted, slamming his hand down on the table.
"Shut up! Or I'll kill you right here!" A vast, overwhelming pressure bore down on him!
"Damn it! I can't move just from his glare! Move, damn you!!!" The man's temples bulged with veins, and beads of sweat streamed down both sides of his face. His fingers, pressed against the table, trembled uncontrollably, but his body wouldn't obey him!
The others stared at Obito in shock and fear... A tiger wasn't so frightening when it was outside, but it was a different story when one was right beside you, ready to spring at any moment and take your life!
"I told you, I mean no harm. And I came for those three alone. Please don't interrupt me. It's very rude, you bastard!" Obito said.
"Everyone, go get some rest. I'll talk with our friend from Konoha," Yahiko said to the others.
They all got up and left. Yahiko was clearly a capable leader. Everyone trusted him.
"Kobayashi Jiro's older brother was killed by a Konoha shinobi during the war a few years ago. That's why he's hostile toward you. I hope you won't hold it against him, Obito," Yahiko explained.
Obito had actually been sneaking glances at Nagato. His dark red hair, which fell to his shoulders, covered one eye, while the other was a Rinnegan, its rings clearly visible!
Obito could sense the astonishing power held in those eyes, far greater than that of his own Mangekyo Sharingan!
The thing Obito had found hardest to understand in the original story was why Jiraiya, despite knowing the Rinnegan existed, had left Nagato to grow up on his own. He'd been far too trusting...
Nagato sat quietly, not saying a word. He seemed very introverted. Was it true that the more introverted someone was, the more likely they were to have a mad spirit living inside them? One that could scare even its own host once unleashed!
Obito looked away. He was afraid that if he kept staring, he'd be tempted to gouge those eyes out... Every Uchiha dreamed of wielding such power.
"Don't worry. I'm not that petty. As a member of Konoha, I'm truly sorry for all the people who were killed by Konoha during the war. War has brought people too much suffering."
Nagato's body trembled faintly, then grew still again.
"Are you working hard to stop war, too, Obito?" Konan asked eagerly.
"That's right. My dream is to create a world without war. The villages won't fight each other. They'll accept one another and communicate freely, without barriers. They won't see each other as enemies, and people in love will be able to cross village borders and live happily together."
"Of course, a world without war doesn't mean a world without disputes. Wherever there are people, there will be disputes.
"And the way to resolve them is what I call the law. Everyone will act according to the law, and the law will protect everyone's legitimate rights!" Obito said, surrounded by an almost sacred aura.
"The law... But who would make it?" Nagato asked suddenly, speaking for the first time.
"People, of course! For every ten people, they can elect one person to represent their will. Those representatives will vote together to decide what the laws are and whether they take effect," Obito replied.
"That's... that's a novel idea. Did you come up with all of it, Obito?" Nagato continued.
"Some of it, yes. Some of it, no. I have companions of my own," Obito said.
"Then what brings you here...?" Yahiko asked.
"I heard from Jiraiya that you share the same ideals. I couldn't bear to see tragedy befall you. You may not know this, but Hanzo has grown wary of you. He's old now. He no longer has the resolve of the Demigod of the Ninja World, and he's afraid your rise will threaten his rule..."
"That's impossible! Hanzo supports us wholeheartedly," Yahiko said, refusing to believe him.
"I know you won't believe me. You may even think I'm trying to drive a wedge between you. I won't force you to believe me. I just don't want to watch you march to your deaths."
"Anyway, I enjoyed talking with you. Until we meet again. And remember, stay alive. Only if you live will you get to see how beautiful the world I create will be!"
After Obito left, the three of them fell silent. His overwhelming strength, lofty ideals, and self-assured charisma had deeply shaken them.
Yahiko looked at Nagato across from him. But we have Nagato! Nagato is the future and hope of this world!
After leaving, Obito strolled down the rain-soaked street. It was deserted. Towering buildings stood in the rain, their dense network of drainpipes spreading through the village like blood vessels. Ragged children still struggled for a bite to eat in the downpour, turning over garbage cans that might have already been searched dozens of times, desperate to find something to eat and stay alive. Cries from women and curses from men rang out now and then from the corners of alleys.
Only when you truly entered this world could you see how hard life was for these people, who were just as human as anyone else. No wonder Nagato had become so twisted that he wanted the world to feel pain. That pain was the same pain he had endured!
The people of Konoha were undoubtedly fortunate. They had food, drink, and a roof over their heads. For many in this world, that alone was a dream. In that regard, there was nothing wrong with Konoha's Hokage throughout the generations.
Obito suddenly remembered a poem by Du Fu he'd learned as a child: "If only I could get ten thousand spacious mansions, sheltering all the poor scholars under heaven, so they could smile with joy! Unshaken by wind and rain, they'd stand firm as a mountain!"
Before coming to Amegakure, Obito might still have seen changing the world as a kind of game, something to do as a transmigrator. But now, he genuinely wanted to do something for these suffering people. Call it excessive compassion or bleeding-heart idealism, but if you were born human, you should be able to live like one!
Obito let out a long breath. The weight pressing on his heart dissipated, replaced by boundless ambition!
He'd start with Amegakure!
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