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"Kakashi, tell me about the affairs of the Third Hokage. Matters concerning Shimura Danzo will also do." Orochimaru had already had his fur ruffled the wrong way, and Minato decided not to prod him further. He turned instead to inquire about the Third Hokage and his associates.
"Yes, Teacher." Kakashi didn't dwell on why Minato would ask about such things. He organized his thoughts briefly and began, "Teacher, after the night of the Nine-Tails attack, the village was in a state of constant upheaval. Therefore..."
"Therefore, no Fifth Hokage was selected?" Minato interjected.
Kakashi paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. Lord Third stepped forward and took control of all village affairs." Took control? It was already in his hands! Minato felt an inexplicable urge to curse. Kakashi, unaware of these internal machinations, could only recount what he himself knew.
"Subsequently, the village entered into negotiations with the Cloud Village. During this time, operatives from the Cloud Village attempted to abduct the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter, Hyuga Hinata – that is, the Advisor's fiancée."
"Hold on. I need a moment to process this." Minato abruptly cut Kakashi off. Thinking he had misheard, he asked seriously for confirmation, "Are you saying THE Hyuga Hinata, is Kazuki's fiancée? You're not joking?"
Having served as Hokage for a year, Minato was naturally aware of the issues within the Hyuga Clan. Their nearly abnormal clan rules were enough to make one's scalp crawl just reading them. The Main Family's members were the treasures they valued above all else. The Hyuga Clan would rather sacrifice a batch of Branch Family members than allow the Main Family's bloodline to flow outside.
So how did this betrothal come about? how was this marriage decided upon? Could it be that he used his authority... Minato's imagination began to run wild.
Kakashi replied, somewhat bewildered, "Teacher, it is true. It seems this marriage was even initiated by the Hyuga Clan themselves. At the time, the Advisor wasn't even in the village; he was away on a mission elsewhere."
Damn! How could the Hyuga Clan bear to push their clan head's daughter out like this? This was simply absurd and out of characters for the Hyuga. "Very well, continue about the Cloud Village matter."
"Yes. The Cloud Village operative who attempted to abduct Hyuga Hinata was killed by the Hyuga Clan Head. The Cloud Village used this as a pretext to demand that the Hyuga Clan hand over their Clan Head, threatening war against the Leaf Village otherwise."
"And the Third Hokage agreed, didn't he? He even personally persuaded the Hyuga Clan to comply, correct?" This move was so outrageous it almost made one laugh – the kind of laugh born of sheer fury.
"Yes." Kakashi's expression turned odd. He nodded and replied, "Lord Third personally persuaded the Hyuga Clan. However, a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, Hyuga Hizashi, volunteered to sacrifice himself to resolve the matter. He was the twin brother of the Hyuga Clan Head."
I knew it would be like this.
From the side, Orochimaru sneered, "No need to doubt it. This is precisely the sort of thing our esteemed teacher Sarutobi excels at. Compromise isn't necessarily without its benefits."
Minato's face darkened. He couldn't be bothered to engage with Orochimaru, knowing full well the snake was mocking him in return.
"After that, the shinobi world entered a period of peaceful development. The village continuously recovered and grew, but the targeting and suppression of the Uchiha Clan steadily intensified..." The story that followed was essentially the history of Kazuki's rise after he flipped the table, along with the unearthing of the Elders dark histories. As one unbelievable incident after another was laid bare, Minato became completely numb. He admitted he had underestimated the Elders. He had always suspected these four old-timers were scheming behind the scenes, but he never dared to believe they could be so outrageously audacious.
As the tale continued to flow from Kakashi's lips, Orochimaru no longer seemed in a hurry to leave. Instead, he watched Minato with keen interest. He was very curious to see what Minato's reaction would be upon learning of Obito's existence.
Despite some apprehension, Kakashi gritted his teeth and laid everything out.
Minato stood frozen to the spot, as if struck by a bolt of lightning. The mysterious figure who had single-handedly triggered the Nine-Tails' attack – Minato had constantly speculated about his identity. The one person he had never guessed was his own student, Uchiha Obito. If he could, he would have grabbed Obito by the collar and demanded, WHY?! Although Minato's most valued student was Kakashi, he and Kushina had never treated Obito poorly. Yet Obito's first target had been Kushina – a Kushina on the verge of giving birth. How could Minato ever accept this? Unacceptable, yet he had no choice but to accept it.
Minato remained silent for a long time before finally sighing. "It seems he harbored resentment toward me. In his eyes, I, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique, was all-powerful. I could effortlessly traverse the battlefield, do anything I desired. Yet I alone failed to look after you all, leading to you being ambushed. The ambush you suffered, the machinations of Madara Uchiha – they directly set Obito on the path of darkness. That child... haa."
Did he hate Obito? Absolutely! After all, Obito had destroyed everything. Had Obito not deliberately targeted them, he, Namikaze Minato, would not have died. Kushina would still be alive and well. Their family of three could have lived together happily and joyfully. And all of this had been cruelly shattered by Obito. Beyond hatred, however, Minato also felt a measure of helplessness and sympathy.
"Fourth Hokage, your time is running short." Minato's reaction wasn't as dramatic as Orochimaru had hoped, leaving him somewhat disappointed. He had been waiting for a good show, but Minato's response was eerily calm. Perhaps in Minato's heart, he had always felt he owed Obito a debt. If he hadn't been tied down by the enemy, if his speed had been just a little faster, Obito would never have been sacrificed, and Madara Uchiha would never have been given the opportunity.
What's more, if he hadn't brought Kakashi and Rin along during the negotiations with the Stone Village, they wouldn't have been abducted by the Mist Village, wouldn't have had a Tailed Beast implanted, and Rin wouldn't have sacrificed herself. When calculated carefully, Minato bore a considerable share of the responsibility. He had been worthy of the village, but he had failed his three students. Even if someone had been scheming against his students from the shadows, if he had been just a bit more cautious, a bit faster, the ambush on Kakashi and his team could have been easily neutralized, and Obito wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself.
If he had been a bit more prudent and first sent Kakashi and Rin back to the village before carrying out the subsequent mission, Rin wouldn't have met her tragic end. Some things don't seem significant at the time, but upon reflection afterward, one realizes just how terribly one has erred. It was precisely the influence of these factors that made Minato's resentment toward Obito far less than what Orochimaru had imagined, even though his family of three had paid such a devastating price.
Minato ignored Orochimaru. He stepped forward and patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "Kakashi, you've grown up. You've matured."