For the rest of the journey, Kakashi remained gloomy and withdrawn, as though he had returned to the days just after Rin's death in battle.
The others who came to comfort him were filled with dismay when they learned Madara's true identity.
The enemy who had united the Five Great Nations against a common foe had actually come from their own village. He was a clansman and friend they had once known: Obito Uchiha, the boy called Dead Last.
Lost in thought, Yamato scratched his head and said, "If Madara Uchiha is Obito, could the other faction of the Akatsuki be made up of people from our village too?"
His words immediately drew everyone's attention. Oto and Shisui discreetly glanced at Zou Hyuga.
Zou Hyuga could only hide his embarrassment with a smile before putting on a serious expression. "Probably not. If that were the case, couldn't they settle whatever disagreements they had back in the village? They could even run for Hokage."
Yamato smiled. "True. Unless that ninja had something wrong with his head, he wouldn't do something like that."
Hearing this, Zou Hyuga struggled to calm himself. Yamato's mouth must have been blessed by the gods. He should have drowned the man in the Root Laboratory back then and saved himself from all these wild guesses.
How could he just guess at something like that? If I get exposed, won't I be in terrible danger?
With Yamato easing the tension, Kakashi's expression softened considerably. He was no longer a boy, nor was he so fragile. He had also resolved to face Obito with the determination to kill him when they next met.
About half a day later, the team passed through a town and planned to rest, only to encounter the travel-worn Fourth Raikage.
Leading a large contingent