Chapter 269

"Rin, I…"

Obito no longer showed the madness of someone unable to accept reality. It seemed he had awakened from his delusion.

Previously, he had even refused food in a state of despair, but now he was slowly recovering.

"I know I've done many unforgivable things in the past, but I want to make amends, Rin. I want to create a beautiful world where everyone can be revived."

Obito expressed many thoughts, most of them related to the Eye of the Moon plan, with a few insights into his personal realizations, and finally, a note of repentance.

"Rin, I've made so many mistakes, but I want to atone. Please, give me a chance to make things right."

After Obito finished speaking, a silence fell over the fifth-floor prison. Rin finally responded, "Obito, it's no longer just about whether I can forgive you. But it's good that you've finally come to your senses."

"Rin, I hope—"

"Obito, if there's nothing else, let's leave it at that for today. I still need to go back and refine some more elixirs," Rin interrupted, pulling Kurenai by the arm and heading for the exit.

Kakashi shook his head and asked, "Obito, is there anything you want?"

Obito opened his mouth, but after a moment of hesitation, he lowered his head without uttering a word. Kakashi waited a while longer, but when it became clear that Obito had nothing more to say, he too left the prison.

As the three of them exited the security prison, Kurenai couldn't help but comment, "So that guy, Obito, did all of this for you, Rin? I mean, we all knew he liked you back in the academy, but I never expected him to go so far."

"Enough, Kurenai. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have changed things back in the academy," Rin replied, shaking her head. "I don't even know how to face Kushina-nee-san. She was always so good to the three of us, but Obito ruined her life."

Kakashi remained silent, sighing inwardly. Even though Obito had finally awakened, there was no way he could be forgiven. Not even pretending to forgive him felt possible.

His crimes were too great, and forgiving him would be unfair to everyone else.

Even Nagato would remain imprisoned for life, never seeing the outside world again. No matter how much Konan did to improve his conditions, she still had to submit to Yoichi's rule and bear it in silence.

"Kakashi, here, take this elixir," Rin said, handing him a bottle. "I made it, and Yoichi-sensei approved it."

Kakashi took the bottle and asked, "What kind of secret medicine is this, Rin?"

Rin smiled. "It's a Three-Rank Wind Speed Pill. It'll boost your speed significantly. Just make sure to store it in a scroll for safekeeping."

"A Three-Rank secret medicine? Thank you, Rin," Kakashi said, surprised. He carefully sealed the medicine into a scroll. Even though he had access to Uchiha Yoichi's resources, the cost of a Three-Rank secret medicine was still staggering.

A single Wind Speed Pill could cost as much as 400,000 to 500,000 ryō, requiring several A-rank missions to afford. Rin had given him three pills, and despite being a jōnin, Kakashi couldn't refuse such a generous gift.

Just as the three of them continued walking toward the village center, Kurenai suddenly frowned and glanced at Kakashi. He immediately raised his hands in defense, saying, "I didn't send any messages, Kurenai. This is just a coincidence."

"Kurenai!"

From a distance, Asuma called out to Kurenai, waving enthusiastically as he jogged over.

"Hey, Asuma. It's been a while," Kurenai said, forcing a polite smile. Inwardly, though, she sighed. That smile, however, only fueled Asuma's hopes. Seeing Kurenai's youthful yet charming expression, he couldn't help but feel more attracted to her.

Asuma grinned and asked, "Kurenai, how about having lunch together? My treat—how about some grilled meat?" He planned to take her to a high-end magic lamb restaurant. It was expensive, but his savings could cover it.

Kurenai quickly declined. "No need, Asuma. I've got too much work to do at the office. A rice ball for lunch will be enough for me."

"Well…"

Before Asuma could finish, Kurenai cut him off. "Time's running short, and there's still work to be done at the Hokage's office. I'll be heading back now. Goodbye, Rin, Kakashi."

With that, Kurenai made some hand seals and used Body Flicker, disappearing in a flurry of cherry blossoms.

Kakashi and Rin exchanged a knowing glance, both understanding Asuma's feelings. They knew his chances were slim, but Asuma seemed convinced that persistence would eventually pay off—likely due to some misguided advice he had come across.

"I should be heading back as well," Kakashi said.

"Same here. I have some work to do at the hospital," Rin replied.

The two parted ways, one heading for lunch, the other back to Konoha Hospital to continue their work.

Tobirama had just returned to the village when he found Yoichi at the Senju compound.

Lately, Yoichi had been visiting frequently, worried that Tsunade might not be the best at taking care of their daughter. Despite Tsunade's age and experience, her carefree nature concerned him.

As he held his daughter, Yoichi asked, "Yoko, has mommy been neglecting you?"

"Don't say such nonsense. I'd never let Yoko go hungry!" Tsunade puffed out her chest with pride. Under her care, Yoko was not only well-fed but thriving.

Yoichi glanced at Yoko and couldn't help but notice how much she had grown. Leaning in closer, he teased, "I'll have to inspect her daily diet myself."

"Get lost, you pervy brat!" Tsunade blushed, pushing Yoichi's head away. If it weren't for Shizune being around, she might not have minded.

"Little Tsuna, Godaime."

At that moment, Tobirama suddenly appeared, startling Tsunade.

"Granduncle! You're back? And your arm…"

Tsunade asked in surprise, casting a sharp glare at Yoichi. She was thankful she had kept her clothes in check, preventing Yoichi from going too far earlier.

Yoichi frowned as he examined Tobirama's arm, which hadn't fully regenerated. "What happened?"

"When I was in Sunagakure, we encountered an enemy with the Byakugan. His target seems to be the Nine-Tails, and my brother and I fought him."

Tobirama shared the details of Urashiki's attack, recalling that the Sage of Six Paths had mentioned the name Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo in the Pure Land. The mysterious enemy had claimed to be from the Ōtsutsuki clan, wielding the Byakugan of the Hyūga.

"A weapon that glows red and resembles a fishing rod…" Yoichi was startled. This was clearly Ōtsutsuki Urashiki—how had he arrived in this timeline? He remembered Urashiki's time-traveling escapades, but those events weren't supposed to happen for several more years. It was only the 55th year of Konoha, and the events he recalled occurred in the 63rd year—an eight-year gap.

"An enemy with the same surname as the Sage of Six Paths and targeting my brother? Granduncle, how is my grandfather doing now?" Tsunade asked, concerned after hearing how powerful the enemy seemed to be. If her granduncle and grandfather together couldn't defeat him, the enemy must be formidable.

"My brother is fine. The enemy is strong, but my brother's strength isn't weak either. Plus, there are many strong shinobi in the Sand Special Zone," Tobirama reassured her. With Pakura, Jiraiya, Uchiha Yokogawa, and others helping, dealing with the enemy wouldn't be impossible. However, Urashiki's space-time abilities made things more complicated.

"I returned to warn you to be cautious of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. That guy might attack the village at any time. Also, I'd like the Godaime to perform Edo Tensei on me again. That guy's ability seems to nullify jutsu, and once Edo Tensei bodies are struck, they can't regenerate."

"That's Yin-Yang Release, capable of creating and destroying all things. Since Edo Tensei bodies are made from ninjutsu, they're vulnerable to it. Fortunately, Urashiki doesn't use it often. If he did, even the Shodai might be in danger," Yoichi explained. He then called Shizune over to take Yoko from him, instructing her to leave the room with the baby.

"Edo Tensei is risky. You'd be at a severe disadvantage against Yin-Yang Release. Granduncle, it would be better if you were fully revived."

"Revived?"

Both Tsunade and Tobirama were taken aback. Tobirama, in particular, was surprised. Given his history with Yoichi, he hadn't expected to be revived so easily.

Yoichi waved it off. "Don't be so surprised. You are Tsunade's granduncle, after all. Consider it a favor for Tsunade and Yoko. Besides, you're the only one who can keep Tsunade and the Shodai out of the gambling halls."

Tsunade was touched by the first part of Yoichi's words, but when he mentioned the gambling halls, she couldn't help but protest, "That's not true! I haven't been gambling recently."

"Yoko had a dice in her pocket, clearly left behind by you."

Tsunade's face flushed, and she quickly excused herself, heading upstairs to figure out when she had dropped the dice and how Yoko had found it.

With Tsunade gone, Yoichi's eyes turned into Rinnegan, and he summoned green chakra to his hands. "First, I need to remove the effects of Yin-Yang Release. Otherwise, you'll be missing an arm even after being revived."

Using the power of Yang Release, Yoichi placed his hand on Tobirama's shoulder and dispelled the Yin-Yang Release's effects.

Once the Yin-Yang Release was nullified, Tobirama's Edo Tensei body quickly regenerated.

"Now for the revival. Let's head outside."

"Alright."

Once outside, Yoichi retrieved the remaining life energy stored in the giant turtle. There was still enough energy left to revive 20 or 30 people.

"Yomi Tenkei Tō."

Activating his eye technique, Yoichi controlled the life energy and channeled it into Tobirama's body. Under the surge of vitality, Tobirama's Edo Tensei form was rapidly converted back into flesh and blood.

Boom!

As he was revived, Tobirama accidentally released a burst of chakra but quickly reined it in.

After taking a moment to adjust to his new body, Tobirama solemnly said, "Thank you, Godaime."

"It was nothing. The reforms in the Sand Special Zone still need your guidance, Nidaime."

Yoichi could tell that Tobirama's gratitude was genuine. He waved it off, thinking that if he had a few more people like Tobirama around, being Hokage would be a much easier job.

"Don't worry, I will. Once the situation stabilizes, I plan to deal with the nobles and daimyos of the Land of Wind. They've been gathering wandering samurai and bounty hunters, and it's time to eliminate them all at once."

Tobirama's face twisted into a cold smile. He had little regard for nobles or daimyos. "We'll let them gather as many people as they want. Once they've amassed a significant force, we'll wipe them all out and be done with it."

Yoichi cautioned, "Capture as many as you can. The desert in the Land of Wind is rich in resources. We can use the criminals for mining."

"Of course. Consider it waste utilization."

Tobirama wasn't one to shy away from such tactics. Many of Konoha's forbidden jutsu had been developed using enemy shinobi as test subjects.

As he listened to Yoichi's plans, Tobirama found himself increasingly aligned with the Godaime's policies.

The two continued discussing the development of the Sand Special Zone. The desert had long been an underdeveloped region, rich in untapped resources. Neither the Land of Wind nor Sunagakure had taken advantage of these resources.

"Godaime, be cautious with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. That guy could strike the village at any time. His space-time abilities are more troublesome than the Flying Thunder God."

"Don't worry. I'll set up a barrier around the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's home. If the barrier is triggered, I'll use Flying Thunder God to get there immediately."

Yoichi reassured Tobirama. While Urashiki's power was strange, Yoichi felt it was no match for Kaguya's. Perhaps Urashiki hadn't consumed as powerful a chakra fruit as Kaguya, which might explain why his strength seemed slightly inferior.

At that moment, Tsunade stepped out of the house and asked, "Granduncle, why aren't you inside after being revived? What are you two talking about?"

(End of Chapter)

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