Chapter 24: A Sudden Mission!
[Konoha Ninja: Back then, how did the First Hokage defeat Uchiha Madara?]
[Tobirama Senju: With one hand, I suppressed him!]
[Uchiha Madara: Ridiculous clown!]
[Tobirama Senju: Hmph! Uchiha are born evil!]
[Hashirama Senju: Tobirama! Enough!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: Second Hokage, Danzo's hatred of the Uchiha stems from your influence!]
[Tobirama Senju: Though I dislike the Uchiha, one of my subordinates was an outstanding Uchiha!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: You may not have directly oppressed the Uchiha, but Danzo certainly did under your influence!]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: It's all my fault—I was too soft-hearted!]
[Shimura Danzo: Hmph, I did it all. I take full responsibility.]
[Danzo: Everything I did was for the stability of Konoha!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: Pah! Old thief Danzo! You were blinded by your thirst for power long ago!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: Don't pretend—it was all about surpassing Hiruzen and becoming Hokage yourself! All for your own selfish desires!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: If not for you, Konoha wouldn't have had so many issues. Maybe Hiruzen could've been a good Hokage!]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Third Grandpa was a good Hokage!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: You're still too young, you don't understand how dark the human heart can be!]
[Uchiha Madara: So naïve—just like Hashirama!]
[Naruto Uzumaki: All I know is, Grandpa was good to me, and one day, I'll become Hokage—better than all the previous ones!]
[Uchiha Madara: I take it back, Hashirama—he's even more naïve than you!]
[Hashirama Senju: No! He's a worthy inheritor of the Will of Fire and will be a great Hokage one day!]
[Hashirama Senju: I believe in him!]
[Young Sasuke Uchiha: Did you forget? He's already Hokage in the future!]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Yo, Sasuke! Don't forget to come to dinner tonight with your brother...]
[Young Sasuke Uchiha: Tch, so annoying.]
[Hashirama Senju: Haha… This kid is already the Seventh Hokage in the future!]
[Hashirama Senju: And it looks like relations between villages are quite good in the future too!]
[Hashirama Senju: Kakashi did a great job as well!]
[Kakashi Hatake: Thank you for the praise, First Lord!]
[Kushina Uzumaki: Kakashi, well done!]
[Obito Uchiha: That's just the future. Right now, Kakashi's still a gloomy pervert!]
[Kakashi Hatake: Obito, if things had turned out differently, you'd be the Hokage now!]
[Izuna Uchiha: The village would never let a Uchiha become Hokage!]
[Uchiha Fugaku: If Minato hadn't died, the next Hokage might've been Obito Uchiha!]
[Danzo Shimura: An evil Uchiha as Hokage would only endanger the village's peace!]
[Izuna Uchiha: Hmph! As expected from the student of the Tobirama —always calling the Uchiha evil!]
[Minato Namikaze: Elder Danzo!]
[Minato: The Uchiha are not an evil clan!]
[Danzo: Every time the Uchiha power up, they go through the pain of losing loved ones!]
[Danzo: You should know that, Minato!]
[Minato: No! That only shows how deeply they value love—more than most people!]
[Minato: No one is born evil! Proper guidance is what matters most!]
[Minato: The Obito I knew was warm, bright, and full of hope!]
[Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto is just like how Obito was as a kid!]
---
Rain Village
Obito stands in the rain, staring at the sky where Minato's words echoed. His lips move faintly:
"Sorry, Sensei... I really can't go back."
Behind the mask, tears or rain—his face is already soaked.
---
[Ding!]
[Shinobi World Power Ranking #16: Tsunade Senju!]
[Reward: Tsunade's Intermediate Technique – Aoki Fist!]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Fourth Raikage, do you still think Tsunade is weaker than you?]
[Fourth Raikage: Fifth Hokage! I was short-sighted—you're far stronger, not just in power!]
[Uchiha Madara: Besides Tsunade and Onoki, the other three are trash!]
[Fourth Raikage: …]
[Gaara: …]
[Mei Terumi: Even though it's frustrating, I can't find a reason to refute it!]
[Tobirama Senju: In Edo Tensei state, one has an immortal body and unlimited chakra. You must be sealed to stop it!]
[Tobirama: And we're talking about Madara Uchiha here!]
[Hashirama Senju: In that state, even I couldn't defeat Madara!]
[Madara: That's not necessarily true.]
[Tobirama: Speaking of which, what kind of technique is this Aoki Fist anyway?]
[Tobirama: The name sounds… unimpressive.]
[Madara: That brat Raikage already got it, right? Say something...]
[Fourth Raikage: You think I'd reveal village secrets to you?]
[Madara: Heh! When the time comes, you will.]
---
[Kakuzu: Akatsuki accepts all assassination jobs. Affordable prices, excellent service!]
[Hidan: Still the same money-loving Kakuzu!]
---
Konoha Village
Young Sasuke is being trained by Adult Sasuke.
"Alright! That's enough for today!" said Adult Sasuke.
"It's still early, isn't it?" Young Sasuke looked at him with confusion.
Adult Sasuke replied: "Aren't we going to Naruto's for dinner later?"
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Adult Sasuke's mind:
"Mission: Investigate Kara Organization. Reward: 5x chakra. Accept?"
He silently accepted and then told Young Sasuke: "Let's go, big bro's already here."
---
Later, at Naruto's house
Adult Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi and Minato are on the rooftop.
Adult Sasuke: "The sky screen just gave me a mission!"
Minato and Itachi exchanged serious looks.
"What mission?" Minato asked.
"Investigate the Kara Organization," Sasuke replied in a low voice.
Itachi, nearby, offered: "I'll go with you."
Adult Sasuke smiled: "No need, brother. Don't forget, I'm stronger than you now. Even if Madara came back, I wouldn't be afraid."
He then showed off his Rinnegan with tomoe.
Minato added: "With Sasuke's current strength, the Shinobi world holds no danger for him."
"And he also has time-space ninjutsu."
Adult Sasuke gently told Itachi: "Take care of yourself, brother."
As his words fell, Sasuke vanished from the rooftop!