"Obito, it's been a long time."
To Obito's surprise, Minato Namikaze, who had been angry and disappointed by his confession six months ago, refusing to speak to him and avoiding him ever since,
appeared before him once again.
Minato Namikaze wore a black tactical vest and a white fox mask that covered most of his face as he stepped out from beneath the shade of the trees.
He found a rock and sat down without waiting.
"Minato-sensei..."
"I..."
Obito's voice choked a little as he wiped the tears from his face, but he had forgotten he was wearing a mask, so all he touched was his orange spiral mask.
"Obito, the Nine-Tails' Catastrophe was over a decade ago. Naruto has already grown up."
"You... it's time you moved on, too!"
Minato sat on the bluestone with deeply conflicted feelings, comforting Obito, whom he had once raised like his own son.
Six months had given him time to get himself back in order.
He could now calmly face everything that had once happened in Konoha.
At the same time, Kakashi's reaction this time had also told Minato that the matter of Obito had reached the point where it had to be resolved.
He had once lost two students, Obito and Rin, one after the other. Now, at long last, all his students had been brought back to life, even if there were a few flaws and things that fell short of his wishes. But he knew that, for him, this was already the best possible outcome.
"Minato-sensei," Obito said, his lips twisting into a bitter smile beneath his mask. "I've done so many wrong things and hurt countless families. Can someone like me really move on?"
Minato paused for a few seconds, letting Obito settle himself and get his emotions under