Sasuke's Future Winning Trump Card: Pillow Talk!

This was indeed the final link in Sasuke's scheme.

By leveraging Orochimaru's defection to suggest that Minato Namikaze was merely a puppet, he further eroded the man's favor toward the Konoha high command.

Then, by assassinating Kakashi and deliberately letting them see the Mangekyo pattern, he drew out Obito, using the intelligence regarding the resurrection of Kakashi and Obito as leverage to have Minato help persuade Kakashi.

Finally, by letting them witness the resurrection of the dead with their own eyes, he planted the hope of revival deep within Kushina's heart, leaving Minato—who had thus far refused every olive branch—torn and filled with guilt toward his wife.

Of course, this final link had not yet fully concluded.

"Who was that person just now..."

Seeing Sasuke reappear, Minato voiced his doubt.

"Are you referring to the humanoid creature that sacrificed its life to resurrect Kakashi?"

Just a humanoid creature?

Minato was puzzled, but Kushina's eyes flickered as she asked, "Do you mean to say they aren't human?"

"Correct!" Sasuke nodded. "I believe you've already noticed; they are indeed not human. They are the mutated remains of humans from the ancient era who died while trapped in the illusions of some forbidden genjutsu. Awakened through a specific medium, they are, in a sense, man-made humanoid soldiers known as White Zetsu."

White Zetsu?

They were actually man-made humanoid soldiers?

What was the purpose of creating such soldiers?

Minato frowned instinctively.

Kushina, however, breathed a sigh of relief.

That was right; the final link of the scheme was to make them aware of the cost of resurrection, thereby eliminating the resistance and hesitation born from their moral conscience.

At this moment, Minato furrowed his brows, as if recalling something, and said with some uncertainty, "I believe I have seen something like this before."

"Oh?" Sasuke said with a playful smile. "I'm all ears."

Minato narrowed his eyes. "The mysterious person who unleashed the Nine-Tails and attacked Konoha—one of his arms appeared to be made of this substance."

Back then, he had struck the man's back with a Rasengan, causing one of his arms to fester and melt into a resin-like slime that fell to the ground.

After the mysterious man left, he had examined the slime that composed the arm, but at the time, he had been at a loss.

But recalling it now, he found it eerily similar to the white sludge the White Zetsu had collapsed into after resurrecting Kakashi.

"Are you sure it was just an arm?" Sasuke teased. "Why don't you think back? Think about it in connection with someone you suspect?"

Minato froze for a moment, then his pupils constricted. He said in disbelief, "Is it really Obito?"

In the mission records, Obito's right side had been crushed by a boulder...

And that night...

Combined with the Sharingan he and Kakashi possessed...

"How could this be?" Kushina exclaimed, then bit her lower lip. "How could Obito do such a thing?"

She still couldn't believe that the kind-hearted Obito would commit such acts.

Sasuke shrugged. "People change, especially those of us in the Uchiha clan."

Well, he was even bad-mouthing his own clan.

Minato had some understanding of the Uchiha, and he looked at Sasuke. "You just mentioned the Uchiha... so, is he truly Obito?"

Sasuke nodded firmly. "Have no doubts; it is indeed your fine student, Obito Uchiha."

"It really is Obito?" Kushina's pupils shrank.

Sasuke continued, "That's right. Half of his body is stitched together from White Zetsu. As for why he attacked Konoha..."

"It was because he was bewitched and witnessed with his own eyes the scene of Kakashi killing Rin Nohara, which completely twisted his heart."

"His Mangekyo was awakened by that very event, and incidentally, so was Kakashi's..."

!!! Both of them felt their pupils constrict.

After a long silence, Minato let out a sigh, his expression heavy. "To see with one's own eyes one's dearest friend kill one's beloved... that must be an unbearable pain..."

Sasuke said playfully, "So? Do you intend to awaken him with love?"

"I am already dead. Leave it to Kakashi. I trust you won't let him off the hook either, will you?" Having said this, Minato closed his eyes, seemingly unable to bear it.

Of course, his reluctance was certainly not for Obito.

Still a refusal, then?... Sasuke didn't mind, merely glancing lightly at Kushina, who was biting her lip and struggling with her inner turmoil...

Outside.

Minato-sensei said Obito has already caught up to me... don't be in a hurry to find him... keep working hard... and live well...

Is he implying that if I go looking for Obito, I will be in danger, perhaps even face death?

Recalling the grave expression on Minato-sensei's face when he spoke those words, Kakashi's heart couldn't help but grow heavy: Obito, what on earth are you doing?

"Why would even Teacher..."

Suddenly.

"You lot, go search over there."

Hearing the voices of the Anbu in the distance, Kakashi snapped back to reality. Looking at his pierced standard-issue armor, a thought stirred in his mind: I cannot let them discover that I suffered a fatal wound...

With that thought, he quickly produced a scroll and performed a hand seal with one hand.

Release!

Thick smoke billowed from the scroll, and a complete set of standard-issue armor appeared.

This was standard equipment for the Anbu, intended for long-term field missions so that damaged armor could be replaced in a timely manner.

Kakashi quickly stripped off his armor, swapped it for the new one, sealed the damaged set back into the scroll, and tucked it away.

He then stepped forward to meet the nearby searching Anbu.

"Who goes there!?"

Noticing the movement, the Anbu spun around, on high alert.

Kakashi appeared, clutching his eye, and said, "Tiger, it's me."

"It's you?" Recognizing Kakashi, the Anbu codenamed Tiger first let out a sigh of relief, then noticed his posture: "Your eye is injured?"

"It's more than just an injury," Kakashi said. "While pursuing Orochimaru, I was intercepted by a mysterious individual. He took my eye. I suspect he is someone sent to assist Orochimaru."

"There was backup?" The Anbu was startled.

"Where is the Third Hokage?" Kakashi asked, his tone urgent. "This matter must be reported to the Third Hokage as soon as possible."

"The Hokage has already returned to Konoha," the Anbu replied. "Since you are injured, and considering what you lost... you should head back to Konoha first to report to the Hokage."

Kakashi's combat style relied heavily on the Sharingan's kinetic vision. The Anbu knew that losing the Sharingan would inevitably have a massive impact on his strength, so he decided to let him return to Konoha first.

"Understood!" Kakashi naturally did not decline. "I will leave the search for Orochimaru to you, but this intelligence must be relayed to them immediately to avoid any misjudgments."

"Rest assured, I will." Thinking of how someone as powerful as Orochimaru had backup, the Anbu nodded solemnly, then took a long look at Kakashi's left eye. "You as well. Although we aren't far from Konoha, you must still remain cautious along the way."

"Understood."

Once the Anbu had departed, Kakashi let out a quiet sigh of relief, then turned resolutely and sprinted toward Konoha.

Concealing what had just happened, fabricating intelligence... he did not know if he was doing the right thing.

But whether it was to keep his promise, to heed Minato's advice, or perhaps... he had to do this!