Sure enough, the gears of fate had already begun to turn—only this time, they had started ahead of schedule.
"We've received intelligence that the captured medical shinobi have been transferred deeper into the territory of the Land of Grass," Sarutobi Hiruzen continued. "Your mission is to infiltrate that area and rescue the captives. Orochimaru will serve as the tactical commander for this operation, but he will not directly participate in combat, as he has other matters to attend to."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod, his golden pupils sweeping over everyone present. "I'm very familiar with the operational patterns of Kirigakure. They favor setting up multiple layers of security and are adept at using terrain to arrange traps. One thing you must pay particular attention to is the possibility that they've placed seals or tracking techniques on the captives themselves."
"Understood," Kiyohara replied in a deep voice.
"Because of the special nature of medical shinobi, we must act quickly," Hiruzen said, tapping his pipe lightly. "You'll have one hour to prepare. After that, depart immediately. Remember, the priority of this mission is rescue. Avoid head-on confrontation with the enemy's main force as much as possible."
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, then swiftly left the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere in the corridor was somewhat heavy. Kurenai glanced sideways at Kiyohara and said in a low voice, "Kakashi is already at the border of the Land of Grass. He received the news two days earlier than we did. I imagine his current… state isn't very good."
Kiyohara nodded. He could easily imagine Kakashi's state of mind. Not long ago, his former teammate Uchiha Obito had "died," and now Rin had fallen into enemy hands. Such consecutive blows would be crushing for anyone.
In the original timeline, Kakashi had even sunk so deeply into despair that he read books about suicide. If there had been psychologists in the shinobi world, Kakashi at that time would undoubtedly have been diagnosed with severe depression.
His period in the ANBU, for a Kakashi whose emotions had been suppressed to the extreme, was instead a kind of release. That was why his methods had been so cold and ruthless, to the point that even his comrades could sense his cruelty. It was only after leaving the ANBU and becoming the leader of Team Seven that Kakashi gradually regained warmth and humanity.
...
One hour later, in front of Konoha's main gate.
Everyone stood ready to depart. This time, in addition to Kiyohara and his usual teammates, there were also several other shinobi, such as Might Guy and Ebisu. Orochimaru had already left ahead of them. After giving a few instructions, he took a different route toward the Land of Grass, where he would be responsible for intelligence gathering and providing peripheral support.
Kiyohara checked his equipment one last time. His thermos had been replaced with a specially made gourd that could store a much larger quantity of iron sand, a shinobi tool he had purchased from the weapons shop. The gourd was pitch-black in color, with white patterns tracing its edges.
It was filled to the brim with heavy iron sand that if Kiyohara were to swing it and smash someone with it, he could probably create a crater with a single blow. His shinobi pouch at his waist had been replenished with new kunai and explosive tags, and the shinobi blade at his side had undergone some simple maintenance.
"Let's move out," Kiyohara said once everyone else had finished preparing.
This time, he was the squad leader, since among everyone present, all were chunin except for him—he was the only jonin.
"Yes!" Genma, Kurenai, and the others responded.
The journey to the Land of Grass took four days. By the evening of the fourth day, when the mountain ranges marking the border of the Land of Grass came into view, Kurenai pointed toward the faint outline of a camp visible within a distant valley. "That's the Green Hill outpost."
The glow of dusk fell across Kurenai's face, as though a thin veil of golden gauze had been draped over her.
"Let's go," Kiyohara nodded, casually reaching out to remove a fallen leaf from the top of her head.
"Hey…!" Kurenai had thought that this guy was about to pat her head again, only to realize that he had merely helped her remove the leaf. Watching Kiyohara's retreating back, she muttered softly, "It feels like he's grown taller again."
She glanced at Might Guy and Genma. Kiyohara was one or two years older than them and had joined as a transfer student back then, so he had always been noticeably taller.
However, when Kiyohara's group finally arrived, what greeted them was a scene of devastation. The defensive structures around the camp's perimeter bore clear signs of having been destroyed on a large scale by Water Release techniques, and newly erected tents stood among the ruins. A chunin with his arm wrapped in bandages came forward to meet them.
"Are you the reinforcements?"
"That's right. We're one of the reinforcement units. More squads will be arriving later," Kiyohara said, presenting the mission scroll.
"What's the current situation?"
The chunin shook his head bitterly. "An attack occurred a few days ago. The enemy had at least ten jonin-level shinobi, we couldn't hold them back at all. After the medical squad was taken away, there was another attack last night…"
"Where's Kakashi right now?" Kiyohara asked immediately.
"He's over there," the chunin replied, pointing toward a tent deeper within the camp.
Kiyohara instructed his teammates to gather more detailed information first, while he himself headed toward that tent.
Pulling open the flap, he saw a weary silhouette. Kakashi sat beside a simple field cot, his head lowered as he inspected a kunai. His silver hair was disheveled, his forehead protector worn at a slant, covering his left eye, while the exposed right eye was bloodshot. His once well-fitted flak jacket was caked with dust, and dried blood stained the cuffs.
"Kakashi," Kiyohara called out.
Kakashi slowly turned his head. A faint glimmer of light flashed in his eye, only to quickly dim again. "Kiyohara… you're here."
"I heard you've been searching for Rin," Kiyohara said as he stepped inside and sat across from him.
Kakashi gave a bitter smile and nodded, the kunai spinning between his fingers. "Three days. I tracked down three possible hiding places, but every time it was either a trap or an empty camp that had already been abandoned. Those Mist bastards are extremely cunning. They're deliberately buying time, as if they're preparing to do something."
Kiyohara could hear the self-blame in Kakashi's tone. He and Obito had promised to protect Rin, yet he had failed again.
"Don't rush," Kiyohara said calmly. "The more critical the situation, the more important it is to stay level-headed. Kirigakure definitely has a special purpose in capturing medical shinobi. They won't easily harm the hostages—at least not before they achieve their objective."
Kakashi raised his head, his single eye staring directly at Kiyohara. "You're right. But every time we come up empty-handed, I can't help thinking… if Obito were still alive… if I had been stronger back then…"
"The past can't be changed," Kiyohara interrupted him. "But we can seize the present. Tell me the latest intelligence you have."
Kakashi took a deep breath before continuing. "Based on the traces I found yesterday, Kirigakure may have moved the hostages to the northern region. The terrain there is complex, with numerous caves—it's easy to defend and hard to attack. But I'm worried it might be another decoy."
Kiyohara quickly calculated the timeline in his mind. From returning to Konoha from the Land of Rain, to nine days of training, to traveling to the Land of Grass, quite a bit of time had already passed. There were only a few days left before the next "Last Will" would arrive. If things dragged on a little longer, a new future might open up.
'Kiri probably won't be able to transplant the Three-Tails into Rin that quickly,' Kiyohara reasoned.
Sealing a tailed beast was no trivial matter. Once a tailed beast went berserk, anyone without Kage-level strength would die under a Tailed Beast Ball. Moreover, successfully sealing a tailed beast required both powerful sealing techniques and a vessel strong enough to endure it.
Kiyohara didn't know exactly how suitable Rin was. In the original story, she had only briefly become the Three-Tails' jinchūriki before dying by Kakashi's hand. She had never displayed any tailed beast power, making it difficult to judge her compatibility as a vessel.
'The current storyline has already diverged from the original. Since everything has been moved forward, Madara and Kirigakure's preparations may not yet be complete,' Kiyohara thought, stroking his chin.
According to the anime plot, Rin's capture should have occurred later. Had it been brought forward by his butterfly effect? No matter what, as long as Kakashi hadn't yet taken center stage and the drama hadn't reached its climax, Rin should be safe for the time being.
"We'll rest and reorganize tonight. At dawn tomorrow, we'll go search," Kiyohara said, patting Kakashi on the shoulder. His mission was to rescue the captured medical shinobi.
"Alright," Kakashi replied, glancing back at Kiyohara, feeling a measure of relief. During this period, Kiyohara's strength had continued to grow. He had gradually earned a reputation of his own—titles like "Magnet Release Kiyohara" were beginning to circulate. The battlefield was the fastest place for someone to rise to prominence. A breeze begins at the tip of the grass; great waves form from subtle ripples. And now, Kiyohara had begun to feel reliable even to Kakashi himself.
….
At the same time, the Mountain's Graveyard.
Deep within the underground cavern, the aged Madara sat upon an enormous wooden chair.
He looked at Obito, who had already fallen into a deep sleep. In his current state, no matter what was discussed, Obito would not notice a thing.
"Lord Madara."
A white, humanoid creature slowly rose up from the ground.
"News has come from Kirigakure. The preparation of the sealing formula will still require some time."
Madara slowly opened his eyes, his Sharingan fixing its gaze upon the White Zetsu.
"How long?"
"About five days," White Zetsu replied.
"The Three-Tails' chakra is more unstable than expected. Kirigakure's sealing team needs extra time to adjust the formula."
"Five days…" Madara murmured. "That much delay makes no difference. It will be just enough to refine the plan further and reduce unnecessary traces."
Leaning on his scythe, Madara continued to ask,
"And Obito?"
"He is still recovering," one White Zetsu answered.
"The rehabilitation is progressing smoothly," another White Zetsu added. "The compatibility of the White Zetsu cells exceeds expectations."
"That child asks every day when he can return to Konoha, asks how his companions are doing. His body has basically healed, and under Kiyohara's stimulation, he has grown even stronger than before."
"To be unable to endure even this small setback," Madara scoffed, shaking his head slightly. "This brat is still clinging to those so-called companions, still believing in those hollow bonds. But that's fine, reality will teach him."
Uchiha Madara couldn't help but shake his head again.
In terms of mentality alone, Obito was utterly crushed by Kiyohara, whom Madara disliked.
However, Obito possessed the bloodline of the Uchiha, while Kiyohara did not. That alone determined Obito's greater value.
"Should we tell him about Rin's situation now?" White Zetsu asked.
"Not yet," Madara waved his hand dismissively. "Let him stew in the darkness a little longer. Only when hope is completely shattered will despair taste all the sweeter."
Hearing this, White Zetsu added,
"According to intelligence from Kiri and other White Zetsu, Konoha has already dispatched a rescue team."
"Kiyohara…" Madara repeated the name softly.
During this period, information about Kiyohara had also reached Madara's ears.
The closer it came to the critical moment, the more information Madara gathered.
To be honest, that brat's growth rate was indeed rather fast.
But as long as he was not an Uchiha, there was no need to pay him any special attention.
From beginning to end, Madara's goal had always been to raise a suitable successor, a chess piece to whom he could impart everything before his lifespan ran out.
Aside from that, nothing else mattered to him.
"Do we need to intervene?" White Zetsu asked.
"Guide Kiyohara and Kakashi toward the stage," Madara said calmly.
"Yes," White Zetsu responded.
"For now, continue concealing the truth from Obito. When the time is ripe, let him 'coincidentally' learn that his companions are in danger."
"Understood."
The White Zetsu merged back into the rock walls, and the stone cavern returned to silence.
Madara leaned back against the massive wooden chair.
At last… at last, it had come to this step.
Even with his disposition, a faint ripple stirred within his heart.
The Eye of the Moon Plan.
Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A dream world without war, without pain, a world of eternal peace.
For its sake, no matter how many must be sacrificed, no matter how much blood must be shed, it would all be worth it.
"Hashirama…" Madara murmured softly, pressing a hand to his chest.
"The peace you sought was always an illusion. Only my method can bring true, eternal tranquility."
...
After Madara slept for three hours, Obito finally woke up as well.
He began his habitual rehabilitation training.
Obito was bare-chested, sweat sliding down the firm lines of his muscles.
The right half of his body was entirely white now, and he had already grown a white arm.
Obito was doing push-ups using that white arm.
After transplanting the "Hashirama cells," Obito had not only survived, but his physical abilities had become even stronger than before.
The fusion of Hashirama cells granted him extraordinary regenerative power and an immense amount of chakra.
Yet Obito felt no joy about it.
All that filled his mind was Rin's voice and smile.
"Nine hundred ninety-seven… nine hundred ninety-eight… nine hundred ninety-nine… one thousand!"
After finishing the last set of squats, Obito collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
His hollow gaze drifted toward the ceiling of the cavern.
Just how many meters was it from here to the surface?
If he wanted to get out, he would have to smash through all this rock.
At this moment, Obito deeply regretted not having learned more Earth Release ninjutsu in the past.
If only he knew "Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage," he could have returned to the surface long ago!
"Zoning out again?"
A voice sounded.
A white face emerged from the cavern wall, followed by the rest of its body wriggling out—it was the individual White Zetsu responsible for taking care of Obito, its face marked by a spiral-like pattern.
"Today's training went great! At this rate, in at most two more weeks, you won't feel any discomfort at all!"
Obito did not respond. He merely stared silently at his right hand.
The white fingers clenched and relaxed, moving smoothly and naturally, almost no different from his original arm.
But in the end, it was not his own flesh and blood.
"Hey… white guy," Obito suddenly spoke.
"When can I go back?"
The spiral-faced White Zetsu tilted its head exaggeratedly.
"Go back? Go back where?"
"Back to Konoha."
Obito turned his head, the two-tomoe Sharingan faintly glowing red in the dim light.
"My companions are waiting for me. Kakashi is definitely calling me dead last again. Rin must be really worried… and Kiyohara, that guy keeps pestering Rin. If I don't hurry back, I won't feel at ease."
The spiral White Zetsu blinked its nonexistent eyes.
"But Lord Madara said it himself, there's no point in you going back now."
"What do you mean?"
"Your position has already been taken by someone else!"
The spiral White Zetsu spoke cruel words in a light, cheerful tone.
"Konoha's hero is Hatake Kakashi. Everyone says he's a genius. As for you… people might pity you for a few days at most, and then they'll forget all about you!"
Obito sprang to his feet.
"You're lying!"
"I'm not lying at all!"
The spiral White Zetsu hopped onto the rock wall, clinging to it like a gecko.
"If you don't believe me, go ask Lord Madara. He said the shinobi world is just this cruel—those without value are quickly forgotten. Even if you once saved your companions, so what? After enough time passes, who will remember?"
Obito's fists clenched, joints cracking audibly.
He wanted to refute it, to say Kakashi wasn't that kind of person.
He wanted to say Rin would definitely remember, to say Kiyohara, Might Guy, Kurenai… all of his companions would never forget him.
But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't bring himself to say them.
Because the image of Rin smiling at Kiyohara in a way he had never seen before still echoed in his mind.
In Konoha, he really was dead last.
Bottom of the class in theory, with only passable results in practical training.
And even that was thanks to the Uchiha clan's naturally larger chakra reserves compared to ordinary shinobi.
He learned ninjutsu slowly, his taijutsu was mediocre, and the only thing he could barely boast about was Fire Release—yet he often failed to control it properly and burned himself.
Without the Sharingan, what was he, really?
Just an ordinary Uchiha, a fringe figure even within his own clan.
"No…"
Obito shook his head, as if trying to convince himself.
"Kakashi promised me he'd protect Rin. Rin said the three of us would become outstanding shinobi together. They won't forget me. They won't…"
The spiral White Zetsu jumped down from the wall and patted Obito on the shoulder.
The gesture made Obito feel inexplicably nauseous—the hand was too human-like, yet clearly not human at all.
"Alright, alright, don't think so much. Keep training. Once you're strong enough, you can go wherever you want."
Obito silently resumed his training.
But this time, every punch, every kick was filled with vented force.
In the shadows deep within the cavern, Madara quietly observed everything.
From time to time, he had White Zetsu mention Kiyohara, using it to stimulate the darkness in Obito's heart.
"The stage is already set. All that's left is for you to step onto it, Obito."
Even without opening his eyes, Madara could sense Obito's training.
Two weeks later, he would arrange a performance.
A performance for Obito's debut.
And Obito, in the midst of his training, knew nothing of it.
He merely gritted his teeth, repeating the basic movements again and again, silently chanting in his heart:
I have to get stronger, fast.
I have to go back, fast.
Kakashi, Rin—wait for me.
He would definitely tell that bastard Kiyohara to stay far away from adorable Rin.
He even remembered Rin's birthday.
Once he got back, he would make it up to her with another birthday present!
Obito made up his mind.
(End of Chapter)