"Great! With this, this country that has long been steeped in sorrow and tears will finally undergo tremendous change!"
Yahiko jumped up excitedly like a child, his face overflowing with uncontrollable joy.
Nagato stood beside him, just as delighted. His radiant smile made it seem as though he could already see a beautiful new world ahead!
Yet in stark contrast to them, Konan furrowed her delicate brows, her face full of worry.
"Kenji once said that if we wanted to completely change this country, it could only be achieved through bloody and fierce revolution. And he especially emphasized that Hanzo of the Salamander was absolutely not someone worthy of trust!"
Konan paused before adding, "I still remember it clearly. Kenji said Hanzo of the Salamander definitely harbored ambitions he could not reveal, and that he was utterly unreliable!"
Hearing Konan's words, Yahiko and Nagato, who had been so excited moments ago, instantly fell silent. They looked at each other, troubled expressions appearing on their faces.
But before long, Yahiko seemed to think of something, and his furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
"Maybe Kenji misjudged him back then? After all, we were all ignorant children at the time. Besides, Kenji was even younger than us, so it would be understandable if he got it wrong."
Yahiko said that times had changed and circumstances were different, so they should adapt to the era.
"Mm..." Nagato nodded thoughtfully, showing some agreement with Yahiko's words.
"Times have changed, and this era is no longer what it used to be. Besides, Hanzo of the Salamander is already old, and the poisonous aura he carries has been making his body deteriorate day by day. He probably does not have much time left."
"Looking at it that way, he likely has no desire to involve himself in any more conflicts, which is why he chose this."
Nagato said at this point as well.
Seeing this, Konan felt it made sense too and could only nod.
"Alright! Then let's quickly write back to Hanzo of the Salamander and convey our goodwill!"
Yahiko rolled up his sleeves and swiftly began writing the letter.
Obito Uchiha, who was recuperating, did not have much to do. Every day, he either read or slept.
From time to time, he would toss some food and tools into the Kamui Dimension in case he needed them outside.
Obito discovered that his Kamui Dimension was especially suited for transporting things...
"Obito, Teacher Minato is looking for you!"
A Genin came over to deliver the message.
Obito Uchiha could not figure out why Minato Namikaze wanted to see him, but he simply nodded.
"Alright, I'll be there right away."
"..."
Obito Uchiha hurried all the way there and finally arrived at the place he had arranged to meet Teacher Minato.
However, when he arrived, he discovered that Jiraiya was there as well, in addition to Minato Namikaze.
"Teacher Minato, Teacher Jiraiya, I'm here!"
Obito Uchiha respectfully greeted the two teachers one by one.
"Mm, Obito's here."
Minato Namikaze replied with a smile, while Jiraiya beside him nodded as well.
"Minato and I called you here today because there is something extremely important we need to tell you."
Jiraiya spoke with a serious expression.
Hearing that, Obito Uchiha scratched his head curiously and asked, "What is it?"
At that moment, Minato Namikaze's lips curled into a smile as he softly asked, "It's... Sage Art! Obito, do you want to learn Sage Art?"
Hearing this, Obito Uchiha was briefly stunned before quickly regaining his composure.
After pondering for a moment, he answered, "If I have the talent to cultivate Sage Art, then of course I'm willing to learn."
It was clear that despite such an enticing offer, Obito Uchiha remained relatively composed.
"Mm, but cultivating Sage Art is no easy matter! There are certain risks and difficulties involved. If you are even slightly careless, you could turn into a lifeless stone statue!"
Jiraiya warned Obito Uchiha with a solemn expression.
Obito Uchiha's gaze was firm.
He was not afraid of becoming a stone statue. If fate decreed that he would die, then being cautious would not save him.
If fate decreed that he would live, then it would not matter how recklessly he threw his life away.
"Well, you certainly look confident!"
Jiraiya said as he looked at Obito.
Then he turned to Minato Namikaze. "Minato, you don't mind if I take him to Mount Myoboku to train, do you?"
"It's fine. I can handle things here. Obito, make sure you listen to Teacher Jiraiya."
Minato smiled and rubbed Obito's head.
Obito Uchiha nodded.
"Alright, then I'll use Reverse Summoning now and take little Obito to Mount Myoboku!"
Just as Jiraiya was preparing to perform Reverse Summoning, an icy, hoarse voice rang out.
"Obito Uchiha is not suited to Mount Myoboku's Sage Art."
The sudden voice instantly put Minato Namikaze on alert. Holding a Kunai, he stared into the depths of the forest!
"Who is it?!"
Minato Namikaze watched the depths of the forest with a guarded expression.
Anyone who could approach without him noticing had to be a Kage-level expert!
Yet after hearing that voice, Jiraiya did not become tense. Instead, a sly grin appeared on his face.
Sure enough, the person Jiraiya had thought of slowly emerged from the forest.
Orochimaru!
"So it was you! Orochimaru! I was wondering why I smelled snakes nearby!"
Jiraiya swaggered forward and draped an arm over Orochimaru's shoulder.
"By the way, shouldn't you be over in the Hidden Rain Village? What are you doing here? Careful, or I'll go tell the old man you're neglecting your duties~"
Jiraiya joked with a laugh.
But Orochimaru's attention was not on Jiraiya at all. It was entirely on Obito Uchiha.
Right in front of Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya, Orochimaru openly stared Obito Uchiha up and down without restraint.
Obito Uchiha felt as though he were being watched by a snake, but since Orochimaru had not defected yet, he still behaved like a well-mannered junior.
"Subarashii~, Obito Uchiha..."
Orochimaru thought to himself, unable to resist extending his tongue to lick his lips.
"Orochimaru-sama, it seems you have not finished what you were saying." Minato Namikaze's voice was calm and firm, neither servile nor overbearing.
At this moment, what concerned him most was why his disciple was unsuited to Mount Myoboku's Sage Art.
Jiraiya beside him could not hold back his curiosity either. He raised a hand to scratch his distinctive white hair and pressed further.
"Yes, Orochimaru, tell us already. Why is Obito Uchiha incompatible with Mount Myoboku's Sage Art?"
Faced with their questions, Orochimaru showed no displeasure. Instead, he quickly gathered his thoughts and began explaining in an orderly manner.
"You should know that Obito Uchiha is a descendant of the Uchiha Clan. They are born with powerful Yin-natured Chakra. However, Mount Myoboku's Sage Art leans more toward the use of Yang-natured power."
"So, fundamentally speaking, it cannot be said that Obito is completely incapable of practicing Mount Myoboku's Sage Art. But compared with that, I know of a Sage Art location that is far more suited to him!"
As he said this, excitement flickered in Orochimaru's narrow eyes, his blazing gaze fixed directly on Obito Uchiha.
Before you continue