The next day.
"Sorry, everyone, our mission must continue," Minato's voice was gentle, yet weighed down by an unshakeable heaviness. "The Kannabi Bridge must be destroyed, otherwise, the war will never truly end."
Obito's sacrifice was a pain he had never anticipated.
If only he had been faster, stronger, perhaps the tragedy could have been avoided. The thought filled him with regret.
Shinji and the others nodded silently; no one had forgotten the unfinished mission.
Led by Minato, the group set out once more.
With Minato Namikaze at their side, the few waves of Iwagakure ninja they encountered along the way posed no real threat and were easily dealt with.
Before long, they finally reached their destination.
The Kannabi Bridge spanned between two steep cliffs, a vital artery connecting the Iwagakure and Konohagakure battle lines.
The entire bridge was constructed from solid stone, wide enough for several ninja to walk side by side.
With Shinji and Kakashi's assistance, Minato swiftly placed Explosive Tags all over the bridge structure.
Everything was ready.
Minato raised his hand and formed a seal.
The next moment, countless Explosive Tags detonated simultaneously deep within the bridge's foundations. Violent flames and shockwaves instantly engulfed the entire Kannabi Bridge.
Dark red flames shot into the sky, rubble and dust were violently hurled high into the air before crashing down into the bottomless chasm below.
The smell of gunpowder, dust, and a lingering trace of blood hung in the air.
Shinji let out a soft sigh. "The mission is finally complete."
The heavy weight in his heart finally settled completely.
In his view, Konoha's path had truly been one of hardship.
This great war sweeping the ninja world had initially been just a conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure.
Sunagakure, searching for their missing Third Kazekage, had repeatedly clashed with Konoha. The friction escalated until it erupted into full-scale war.
Yet no one knew that the Third Kazekage had long been secretly assassinated by Sasori of the Red Sand, his corpse even turned into a human puppet.
Just as Konoha managed to defeat Sunagakure, Kumogakure immediately seized the opportunity, sending the formidable A&B duo to launch a fierce assault.
The two were incredibly powerful. Had Minato Namikaze not emerged when he did, Konoha would likely have paid an even more terrible price.
But the war did not stop there.
Seeing an opening, Kirigakure and Iwagakure simultaneously turned their aggression on Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, not yet aged, was still the "Shinobi Monarch" who commanded respect across the ninja world.
He made a decisive move, ordering Konoha to take on both enemies at once.
Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen were beaten down to a "Lucky Trio," and over fifty elite Iwagakure ninja became the stepping stones for Minato Namikaze's rise to fame in a single battle.
Konoha, relying on its own strength, had forcefully resisted four major ninja villages and fought its way into a winning position.
"The war should be ending soon."
"The village can finally return to peace. Let's go back."
"Finally, we don't have to go to the battlefield anymore!"
The tense expressions on the group's faces finally relaxed, their spirits lifting.
Kakashi gently touched his left eye, carefully covering the Sharingan with his forehead protector. He then looked into the distance and said softly,
"Yes, we can go back to the village."
...
The journey back to the village didn't require haste. Shinji's group traveled much slower than on the way out, taking a few extra days before nearing Konoha's border.
As the village's outline came into view, Minato Namikaze suddenly turned his head to look at Shinji.
"Shinji, I have a question for you."
"Please go ahead, Lord Minato."
"What are your thoughts on Kakashi's Sharingan?"
Shinji was slightly taken aback but answered truthfully without much thought:
"Kakashi isn't a member of the Uchiha Clan, so he can't deactivate the Sharingan at will. Maintaining it continuously consumes a large amount of Chakra."
"That's not what I meant." Minato gently waved his hand, pausing briefly before speaking with uncharacteristic hesitation. "I'm referring to how your Uchiha Clan's leader and elders might view this matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gazes of everyone around immediately fell upon Shinji.
They instantly understood Minato's concern.
The Sharingan was the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha lineage.
To protect their bloodlines and secret techniques, the major ninja clans had always maintained strict rules.
For example, the Hyūga Branch Family had the "Caged Bird" seal, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans strictly forbade the external transmission of their secret techniques, and the Uchiha were naturally no exception.
Kakashi frowned deeply, unconsciously touching his left eye hidden beneath his forehead protector.
This eye was Obito's final gift. He didn't care about the power, but he treasured this last token of friendship immensely. At this moment, his heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Shinji raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious.
"Obito is a hero of Konohagakure. It was his own will to gift his Sharingan to Kakashi."
"A hero's will deserves respect."
"As for the clan elders and the leader," Shinji's tone was relaxed yet firm, "I believe they are all reasonable people."
He understood better than anyone that even if those elders had their own thoughts, they would never dare to actually approach Kakashi and demand the eye back.
Kakashi was Minato Namikaze's personal disciple, a direct descendant of the Hokage's lineage, backed by both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato. At most, they would only dare to gossip behind his back.
The others nearby also breathed sighs of relief, their faces breaking into relieved smiles.
Minato had actually been secretly troubled by this matter throughout the journey. Hearing Shinji's clear and resolute words finally allowed the stone weighing on his heart to fully settle.
The look of satisfaction in his eyes toward Shinji deepened further.
Recently, he had heard that Shinji had defeated a Jonin proficient in Explosion Release in direct combat on the battlefield. His current strength was likely no less than Kakashi's.
Moreover, throughout the entire battle, Shinji had played a crucial role multiple times and had greatly assisted all three of his students.
"If Obito hadn't sacrificed himself, he would surely have become as outstanding as Shinji."
Minato left this quiet lament in his heart.
...
In the vast cavern beneath the Mountain Graveyard on the northern peninsula of the Land of Fire.
Madara Uchiha pressed his withered right palm against Obito's chest. Four dark curse marks spread from his palm, slowly seeping into Obito's body before finally converging into a sinister seal over his heart.
"That should suffice. We need only wait for him to awaken."
He spoke hoarsely, his voice like decaying wood.
White Zetsu merely glanced over briefly before lowering his voice to report:
"Lord Madara, a remarkably talented Uchiha clansman has appeared on the battlefield."
"Who?" Madara Uchiha asked casually.
"The boy named Uchiha Shinji," White Zetsu said calmly. "From my observations, he only awakened the Sharingan half a month ago, yet now he has already stably activated the Three Tomoe."
"Nothing extraordinary," Madara Uchiha shook his head dismissively. "On a battlefield filled with death and despair, a powerful stimulus can lead to rapid awakening. It's not impossible."
In turbulent times, power is always nurtured by blood and suffering.
Back in his day, he had crossed the Three Tomoe in an extremely short time, directly reaching the Mangekyō.
White Zetsu fell silent for a moment before continuing:
"That Shinji has a deep relationship with a girl named Rin. The two even seem to have embraced each other."
He lifted his chin, gesturing toward Obito lying unconscious on the stone bed.
Obito was still lost in confusion, murmuring unconsciously:
"Rin!"
"That's her," White Zetsu nodded.
"Oh?" Madara Uchiha finally raised his eyes slightly, showing a hint of amused interest. "Tell me more."
Just then, a special White Zetsu wearing a spiral-patterned mask approached, his tone light and excited:
"Oh my, oh my, what fun are you all discussing here?"
"Could it be you're here to recruit—"
"Shut up!"
Madara Uchiha cut him off roughly, his expression darkening as he inwardly scoffed: He had infused him with Hashirama's cells, only to end up with such a useless troublemaker.
His gaze gradually turned dangerous.
"If he causes trouble again, destroy him."