Standing atop the Hokage Rock, one could truly overlook the entirety of Konohagakure. Diarmuid stood there now, soaking in the view.
It differed slightly from the Konoha in his memories, likely because this was much earlier in the timeline. Many buildings that should have been there simply hadn't been constructed yet. From this height, he could see the Academy in the distance; a group of young students was on the training grounds, practicing their shurikenjutsu.
Diarmuid scanned the crowd but didn't spot a young Itachi. He wondered if the boy had even enrolled yet. The timeline of this world felt muddled in his mind; he recalled hearing that Itachi had experienced the Third Shinobi World War at the age of four. By five, he was protecting his newborn brother during the Nine-Tails' attack. By seven, he had graduated from the Academy.
The Third Shinobi World War had already lasted over a year. Given that Obito's recovery and training under Madara would take a considerable amount of time before he witnessed the tragic confrontation between Kakashi and Rin, Diarmuid judged that that event had not yet occurred. If the war was to last at least two years, Itachi would either only feel the cruelty of war at its very end, or there was a discrepancy in the records.
The former seemed unlikely. By now, the tempo of the war had slowed significantly; the peak of its cruelty had already passed.
After a moment of contemplation, Diarmuid suddenly laughed, mocking himself. "Enough. Why am I obsessing over such boring questions? The original story might have had plot holes in its timeline, but this is a real world..."
Shifting his gaze from the Academy, he naturally looked toward a hot spring bathhouse. From this angle, he couldn't see inside, but he spotted a familiar figure perched on a rooftop outside the bathhouse. The man was holding a telescope, surreptitiously observing something.
With that shock of white hair, it was undoubtedly Jiraiya.
"That guy's back in the village? Strange. Could it be because he ran into me?" Diarmuid clicked his tongue. In his memory, Jiraiya only returned to Konoha after the war ended and news of Orochimaru's defection broke, beginning his long journey of pursuit.
"Oh? Are you watching Jiraiya-sensei?" A gentle voice drifted from beside him.
Diarmuid smiled. "Starting a conversation like that can be quite a shock, Minato."
He naturally addressed Minato by his given name. Truth be told, in that split second, Diarmuid hadn't sensed a thing, yet Minato was already standing right next to him. There was likely a Flying Raijin formula marked somewhere on the Hokage Rock.
Is this the fastest Space-Time Ninjutsu in the shinobi world?
It was indeed fast, fast enough that even Diarmuid hadn't detected his approach. Without a doubt, this speed surpassed both Borsalino and Gion. While those two were blindingly fast when they moved, Diarmuid could at least perceive them.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama, truly deserved his title as the fastest in history for developing such a terrifying Space-Time formula.
"My apologies, my apologies," Minato smiled warmly, then frowned slightly in confusion. "What exactly is Jiraiya-sensei doing?"
He spoke as if he were already well-acquainted with Diarmuid, like a friend making small talk. He picked up the thread of the conversation with total ease.
Diarmuid asked with a peculiar look, "You don't know? His so-called 'data collection'?"
Minato scratched his head. "I'm not entirely sure, but... that doesn't look like data collection, does it?"
Minato looked a bit embarrassed. He was pure-hearted, but he wasn't an idiot. Even from this distance, it was obvious his teacher wasn't "collecting data"—he was peeping! Having Diarmuid witness this was mortifying.
"Hahahaha! You could call it peeping, and you wouldn't be wrong," Diarmuid laughed heartily.
"I'll have to give him a proper lecture later," Minato said helplessly. Then, shifting the topic, he looked at Diarmuid. "What brings you to Konoha so suddenly? Is there something you intend to do?"
"Hmm?" Diarmuid turned to face Minato, raising an eyebrow. This guy really is handsome.
Minato had a very high "face value," but it was hard to pinpoint exactly why. On close inspection, his features were simply... perfect. However, what truly brought his looks to their peak wasn't his face, but his aura. He possessed a quality that made anyone standing near him feel a sense of peace and tranquility. When he smiled, it radiated warmth.
Diarmuid was admiring Minato's looks, and Minato was doing the same for Diarmuid. Though he'd never say it aloud, Minato knew he was quite good-looking; he'd been very popular back in school. Recently, he'd heard people claiming Diarmuid was even more handsome than him, so he couldn't help but make a mental comparison.
Looking at him now, Minato had to admit: Diarmuid was striking.
There's a cliché often used in descriptions, "sword-like eyebrows and eyes like stars," and it fit Diarmuid perfectly. He wasn't "pretty-boy" handsome; his features were sharp and masculine, leaving a deep impression. With his hair tied casually in a medium-length braid, his loose haori and hakama, the blade at his hip, and that calm, confident smile while his arms were crossed, he exuded a sense of effortless freedom. His aura was one of unrestrained wandering.
"Nothing in particular," Diarmuid said with a smile. "Actually, it's because I've had some free time lately that I wanted to see Konoha. I've heard so much about the 'Number One Ninja Village' that I grew curious about what it actually looked like. Hahaha."
Minato seemed to take the answer at face value. He looked visibly relieved and let out a bright smile. "That's good. I feel much better now. I was worried you were going to tell me you'd accepted a mission to assassinate the Third Hokage... Hahaha."
It was hard to tell if the man was being naive or just incredibly sincere. Diarmuid got the impression that if he said it, Minato believed it. Consequently, Minato relaxed his guard.
Make no mistake, there was a guard. Though they stood there talking like friends, Diarmuid could feel that Minato was ready to strike at any moment. But now, that tension had dissipated.
"Not interested," Diarmuid said. After a pause, he added, "At least, not for now."
Minato wanted to ask if it was a possibility in the future, but he held his tongue.
The two stood in silence for a while until Kakashi and Kushina arrived. Kakashi looked confused by the scene, while Kushina stared at Diarmuid warily from a distance.
"Minato-sensei...?" Kakashi said hesitantly. Why are you two just chatting?
Diarmuid glanced at Kakashi and laughed. "I knew it. You must have spotted something, you brat. Give me back my peaceful vacation..."
"You are an S-rank international criminal. Was I wrong to report your identity to the village?" Kakashi said, staying on high alert.
Then, Hiruzen stepped out from behind Kakashi, wearing his Third Hokage robes and looking slightly weary. "He's right. Kakashi hasn't done anything wrong. Diarmuid... Your Excellency? Sir?"
"No need for that. Just Diarmuid is fine," Diarmuid said casually, eyeing Hiruzen with interest.
Hiruzen was currently in his fifties. In over a decade, when Naruto would take the Chunin Exams, he would die at the hands of his beloved disciple, Orochimaru, at the age of sixty-nine. At fifty-something, he didn't look overly old, but Diarmuid could sense a deep exhaustion in him. Not physical, but mental.
It reminded him of how Fleet Admiral Sengoku felt at Marine Headquarters when trouble brewed on the seas. It seemed the pressure of the village was taking its toll.
"Diarmuid, then," Hiruzen replied. "A figure of your stature appearing in Konoha has caused quite a stir. Would you care to join me for a sit-down? This old man should fulfill his duties as a host..."
Diarmuid didn't answer immediately, continuing to look out over the Konoha landscape. Hiruzen didn't press him, and Minato just stood by with a silly grin. The atmosphere wasn't tense at all.
Finally, Diarmuid sighed. "I had intended to keep wandering the village. The ramen was great, though the oranges were a bit sour. The people I've met are quite interesting. However, since the Third Hokage-sama has extended an invitation, it would be improper of me to refuse. But is this wise? I am an S-rank criminal, after all..."
You're the Hokage. Inviting me as a guest might hurt your reputation if word got out.
Hiruzen acted as if it were of no consequence. "As far as I can see, you harbor no ill will toward Konoha. Jiraiya and Orochimaru are both your 'friends,' are they not? As their teacher, I should at least play host. As for your crimes..."
Hiruzen smiled. "From the perspective of the Hokage of Konoha, I might even want to thank you for some of the things you've done."
That's only because you don't know how Kagami died... Diarmuid thought to himself.
Actually, he was a bit surprised by the attitude of Hiruzen and the other Konoha shinobi. He had killed a Daimyo. He wasn't just wanted by one village, but by the entire world. He had expected Hiruzen to either attack or find a roundabout way to force him out of the village. He hadn't expected them to be this welcoming. It made Diarmuid, who planned to stir up trouble in Konoha later, feel slightly guilty.
This was due to his connections with Jiraiya and Orochimaru, but also because of Diarmuid himself. Based on the intel Hiruzen had, he analyzed that Diarmuid held no hostility toward Konoha. Besides, the man was an enigma; no one knew what he was thinking.
Arresting him was out of the question. Why should Konoha go out of its way to capture a criminal wanted by the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning? They only officially recognized the "international" warrant due to pressure from the Daimyo's office.
Since it was still wartime, Hiruzen secretly wished he could recommend that Diarmuid go assassinate the Water Daimyo as well. From the start, Hiruzen's policy was non-provocation. As Hokage, he actually hoped to maintain a bridge with someone as capable as Diarmuid to handle dangerous tasks that Konoha couldn't officially touch.
Maintaining a friendly relationship was in their best interest.
"Very well. I shall trouble the Lord Hokage, then. I've heard the Third Hokage is the 'Professor' who has mastered thousands of ninjutsu. I happen to be quite interested in ninjutsu myself. I hope Lord Third won't hesitate to enlighten me," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
"Of course, of course," Hiruzen laughed.
The crisis dissipated just like that.