The lingering afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded, and the cold wind blew even more fiercely across the graveyard.
Kakashi held the now cold Rin, his heart feeling as if it were crushed by a giant boulder, every breath a painful sting.
"Ken! Where's Ken?"
Kakashi ran frantically through the ruins, his white hair disheveled by the wind. His Mangekyo Sharingan activated, red pupils filled with bloodshot veins, yet he couldn't find even a trace of his child.
A chill instantly shot from his feet to the top of his head.
"That masked man! He took Ken!"
Kakashi collapsed onto the rubble, looking at Rin's cold corpse, then thinking of Ken who had been taken away. Despair suffocated him, making him feel like he was drowning.
He slammed his hands against the ground, blood seeping from between his fingers, yet he felt no pain.
"I'm so useless... I couldn't even protect Rin and Ken..."
After an unknown amount of time, he shakily stood up and picked up Rin's body.
Rushing back to the old Konoha site, he used the 'Flying Thunder God Great Array' designed by Minato to urgently teleport back to New Konoha in the Land of Water. He didn't go home, but instead headed directly to the New Hokage Building. After all, Kakashi was the student of the Seventh Hokage Minato.
The guards, seeing him covered in blood and looking deranged, were startled and quickly reported it.
Minato was in his study, reviewing documents, when he heard the guard's report, his heart tightened.
He quickly walked out of the study and saw Kakashi covered in blood, instantly realizing that the situation was far more serious than imagined.
"Kakashi, what happened? Why is Rin like this? And Ken?"
At the mention of Rin and Ken, Kakashi could no longer hold back, his voice filled with a broken sob. "Sensei, Rin... she was killed by that mysterious masked man. He even took Ken."
He incoherently recounted the entire incident: from the warmth of paying respects at Obito's grave to the attack by the masked man, how he snatched Ken and pierced Rin's heart with Wood Release.
Minato's face grew exceptionally solemn upon hearing this. He walked to Kakashi's side, pressing firmly on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"Kakashi, steady yourself. This isn't the time to break down. Ken is still with the masked man, we must find him as soon as possible. Although I've fought that masked man a few times, I only know that he's skilled in space-time jutsu, and I've never been able to ascertain his identity."
Kakashi's eyes instantly dimmed, his voice filled with despair. "Even you don't know, sensei? Then how can we save Ken? What if he harms Ken..."
Minato interrupted him, "Don't panic, Shun-sama might have clues. A few months ago, the royal palace was attacked, and among the attackers was this mysterious masked man. Later, they were driven off by Shun-sama. Crucially, he is the Uchiha clan head, and he should have information about the mysterious masked man."
As soon as he finished speaking, Minato grabbed Kakashi's shoulder and instantly used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The next second, they appeared in the royal palace courtyard.
Upon hearing the maid's report, Shun went out to meet them.
He saw Kakashi covered in blood, looking distraught and asked, "Kakashi? Minato? What happened?"
Minato briefly recounted the incident, focusing on the masked man's abilities and the fact that he had taken Ken and killed Rin.
"That masked man who attacked the royal palace last time, you fought him, do you have any information about him?"
Shun frowned upon hearing this and said, "I have information about this person. That mysterious person is Obito."
"How could he be Obito?! This is impossible. How could he bear to hurt Rin?!" Kakashi exclaimed.
He staggered back a step, the scene of the Kannabi Bridge battle flashing through his mind.
Obito was crushed by a giant rock while saving him, entrusting his Sharingan to him before his death.
He remembered the scene of himself recounting his happiness in front of Obito's grave just a while ago.
Immense shock and guilt instantly overwhelmed Kakashi.
"How could it be him... Wasn't he already dead? Why did he attack the royal palace, why did he kill Rin, and why did he take Ken?"
Shun calmly explained, "After the Kannabi Bridge battle that year, Obito's body was never found. Everyone thought he was dead, but in fact, he was rescued by someone and gained Wood Release through some means, even awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan."
"Actually, I haven't seen his true face either. But think carefully about the mysterious masked man's past actions. He attacked Kakashi several times but didn't kill him. He killed Rin and took Ken, most likely out of jealousy towards you two. So I guessed that the mysterious masked man is actually Obito."
Kakashi's fists clenched tightly, his nails digging into his flesh.
"What does Obito want me to do? As long as I can get Ken back, I'll do anything."
Minato placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, his expression serious. "Kakashi, this isn't the time to negotiate. We should think about what they truly want, attacking us repeatedly."
Shun gently tapped on the table, pondering for a moment. "Based on blood type, the Uchiha are divided into three lineages. One is myself, and Shisui's lineage, all of whom are A-type blood. The second lineage is Fugaku and Itachi's lineage, all of whom are AB-type blood. The third lineage is Madara and Obito's lineage, all of whom are O-type blood. So the person behind Obito is very likely Madara."
Minato suddenly felt a hint of pressure. "Didn't Madara die back then? Besides, by age, he should be very old, right?"
Shun let out a soft laugh and said, "We Uchiha have the forbidden Ninjutsu Izanagi. After activating it, it can turn unfavorable events that occur within a certain period into events that never happened, only choosing favorable events to become reality. So as long as this forbidden Ninjutsu is activated, one can continuously revive within a certain period. Moreover, there are quite a few Ninjutsu in the Ninja World that extend life."
After confirming that Madara might be alive, Minato asked seriously, "Then what should we do now?"
Shun tapped his finger lightly on the table, making a "thump, thump, thump!" sound.
"Kakashi has already changed his surname to Uchiha, so this is an Uchiha family matter. I will retrieve Ken, and as for Obito, Kakashi will handle him himself. Kakashi, you first take care of Rin's funeral. When I have a lead, I will inform you. Rescuing Ken requires you to be in optimal condition."
Kakashi wiped away the tears on his face, his eyes regaining their resolve. "Alright, I'll await your news. After we find Obito, I want to understand what he's been through all these years."