After Naruto understood the whole story, he launched into a "Talk no Jutsu" against Obito, leaving him utterly ashamed.
Minato looked at his wayward disciple and said,
"Obito, what are your plans from now on? Why don't you stay in Konoha with Itachi? The Uchiha compound is still yours to return to."
Obito slowly shook his head and said,
"Sensei, I'm not like Itachi. I'm a sinner. Please… lock me away in prison. That's the only place left for me."
Kaito stood nearby with his arms folded and suddenly interjected,
"What, you want Kakashi to bring you meals or something?"
At the mention of Kakashi, Obito nearly shouted on reflex,
"No! I don't want to see him!"
He became abnormally agitated. If there was one person he least wanted to meet, it was Kakashi.
He truly didn't want Kakashi to see him like this, and even more so, he didn't want him to know all the things he had done.
Would Kakashi laugh at him? Would he think he was still the dead-last from back then?
He couldn't bear the thought of being looked down on by Kakashi!
Kaito chuckled and said,
"Then you'd better go back to Akatsuki."
Obito froze, stunned. What did that mean? Was Kaito testing him?
But Kaito continued,
"Weren't you all collecting Tailed Beasts? Go back and keep them at it. Make as big a scene as possible—the louder the better. Best if the other villages grit their teeth at you but can't do a thing."
Minato didn't understand Kaito's intention and couldn't help but ask,
"Kaito, what exactly are you planning?"
A villain's grin spread across Kaito's face. He turned to Obito and said,
"Didn't you all want to create a world without war? Fine then, I'll help you realize that dream."
"Nani?"
Obito's face went blank. If it weren't for Kaito's overwhelming strength, he would have blurted out:
"Are you insane!?"
Kaito ignored everyone's reactions and went on,
"By now you've already collected several Tailed Beasts, right? As for the rest, hurry it up. Don't make me wait too long."
As he spoke, Kaito stepped in front of Naruto. Under Naruto's puzzled gaze, he pressed his hand against the boy's stomach.
With a light tug, a small cluster of red energy was drawn out—it was a portion of Kurama's chakra.
Inside Naruto's body,
Kurama let out a deafening roar,
"Damn Uchiha brat!!!"
Kaito casually tossed the chakra to Obito, who dazedly caught it.
"Here, this should be enough Nine-Tails chakra. As for the rest of the Tailed Beasts, figure it out yourselves."
"..."
Obito hesitated, then spoke,
"Kaito… senpai, I really do know I was wrong!"
"Mm, I know. Don't overthink it. Take this Nine-Tails chakra back—it'll even help you fool Black Zetsu. Remember, do as I say. Think of it as atonement."
"But what if Madara is resurrected?"
"Then let him be resurrected. In fact, I'd like to tell him myself—that his way of thinking back then was right."
"What way of thinking?"
"Heh… if he really is revived, ask him yourself."
As he spoke, Kaito's eyes narrowed at Obito's chest. Suddenly, a black curse mark shimmered in the air before Obito.
Obito's eyes widened in shock.
"This is Madara's curse mark!?"
Kaito nodded.
"I've erased it for you. Now, go back without worry."
Obito stood up from the ground. Looking once more at Minato, he stammered,
"Sensei, I…"
Minato shook his head softly,
"No need to apologize. You were deceived. From here on, just follow what Kaito says. I trust him."
Kaito shot Minato a sidelong glance and said blandly,
"How touching. If only you'd said that back then."
An awkward look appeared on Minato's face. He knew Kaito was referring to how he had failed to heed his words in the past, which led to his and Kushina's deaths.
Back then, he too had been a hot-blooded youth brainwashed by the Will of Fire. Without experiencing true pain, it was impossible to change course.
Now he had suffered dearly and finally understood Kaito's bitter intentions. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Obito nodded silently and said firmly,
"I understand. I may not fully know Kaito-senpai's purpose, but I will do exactly as you say!"
His right eye rippled with distortion, and his body began to fade away.
Before vanishing completely, Obito turned to Naruto with a faint, apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. You really remind me of myself back then. I hope you can keep walking forward without wavering. I believe you'll become Hokage one day!"
Naruto nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Obito-senpai, you hang in there too!"
Looking at Naruto, Obito felt a strange daze. It was as though he was looking into a mirror, seeing his younger self.
At some point, tears had already streamed down his face. Forcing a smile, he raised his own thumb.
"Yeah!"
With that, his figure vanished completely.
Minato suddenly leaned close to Kaito, covering his mouth like a conspirator, and whispered,
"Kaito, now can you tell me what your plan really is?"
Kaito shot him a sidelong look and said coldly,
"Didn't you just say you trusted me? What's wrong? Afraid this evil Uchiha is about to start a Shinobi World War?"
"Come on, you're not Madara. Why would you want to start a war? I'm just curious!"
"Heh, but you guessed right. I do plan on starting a Shinobi World War."
"Eh? Kaito, you're joking, right?"
"Who's joking? Those other villages are nothing but eyesores. The shinobi world only needs one village."
At those words, Minato's whole family was dumbstruck. Naruto, whose thoughts always ran differently, suddenly blurted out,
"Kaito-senpai, then… can I still become Hokage in the future?"
Kushina instantly pulled Naruto into her arms, signaling him to shut up. They were talking about unifying the shinobi world, and here he was still worried about Hokage or not!
Minato froze for a long moment, then asked in disbelief,
"So you want Akatsuki to spark a war, and then you'll take the chance to wipe out the other villages?"
"Not necessarily wipe them out. That depends on their attitude."
"But they'll never submit willingly. Do you really mean to kill them all?"
Kaito smiled faintly. His eyes rippled with black rings as he activated the Rinnegan.
A suffocating pressure radiated out, and Kaito said quietly,
"In front of these eyes, they have no other choice."