In the aftermath, Konohagakure remained occupied with the reconstruction of events. Once the situation had been sufficiently pieced together, a warrant was issued for the so-called "Masked Man," and the details were made public.
Then came the memorial service.
It was held for the fallen Konoha shinobi, the innocent villagers caught in the crossfire, and... the sacrificed Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Because Kushina had survived the disaster thanks to Diarmuid's intervention, Naruto did not become an orphan. On the contrary, though he was still a mere infant, everyone in Konoha knew that the Lord Fourth had left behind a son. Consequently, Naruto became known as the son of a hero, and a steady stream of visitors went to Kushina's home to pay their respects.
Furthermore, with Kushina alive, Konoha's leadership worked extensively on managing public opinion. Unlike the original history, the Nine-Tails was not portrayed as the sole source of the calamity; the "Masked Man" was framed as the primary antagonist.
Because Kushina was the widow of the Hokage, maintained excellent relations with the high-ranking officials, and held significant prestige among the populace, the secret of her status as a former Jinchūriki remained strictly guarded. She did not face the hardship and ostracization Diarmuid had once warned Minato about. Naruto, too, was protected; his identity as a Jinchūriki was classified, ensuring he wouldn't be mistreated.
Perhaps, this time, as the son of a hero and a Hokage, he would be able to enjoy a relatively peaceful childhood in Konoha.
In contrast, the Uchiha clan faced increasing marginalization. While the Konoha leadership knew the clan wasn't responsible, they couldn't definitively prove there was no Uchiha involvement. Even if they had evidence, they wouldn't dare side openly with the Uchiha for fear of alienating the Hokage faction. Thus, despite knowing the truth, no one spoke up for them.
As for Danzo, he lacked any real presence among the middle and lower ranks of the village. When Diarmuid had mentioned his name at the gate, the guards didn't even know who he was. Because the common people were unaware of his existence, no one blamed him for the tragedy, despite the high-ranking officials' resentment. You can't blame a man you don't know exists. Meanwhile, Danzo continued to use his influence to tirelessly slander the Uchiha.
…
Land of Rain, Amegakure.
In Diarmuid's residence, Nohara Rin was crouched on the floor, covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably, looking utterly pitiable. Diarmuid sat nearby on a small stool, meticulously refilling his tobacco pipe with "fuel."
After a short while, Orochimaru walked in. He glanced at Rin with a look of slight surprise, then turned to Diarmuid. "I just got back. I heard something happened in Konoha? What's the story? Have you been bullying Rin again?"
"What do you mean 'bullying again'? When have I ever bullied her?" Diarmuid grumbled, though he didn't look up from his pipe.
Orochimaru walked over, crouched down, and rubbed Rin's head. His usually cold, raspy voice carried a hint of gentleness. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"
Diarmuid looked up at this, his eyes showing a flash of surprise followed by understanding. Orochimaru was a complex man. It was easy to label him as ruthless or sinister, but he could still occasionally catch people off guard with his behavior. Diarmuid had suspected before that perhaps because of Anko, Orochimaru had a soft spot for Rin. It seemed he was right.
Sobbing, Rin struggled to speak through her grief. "Obito... Obito... He killed Minato-sensei..."
At this moment, Rin's world had truly collapsed. Her childhood friend, Uchiha Obito, had killed their mentor, Namikaze Minato. It was no wonder she was devastated.
Although Orochimaru had heard rumors of trouble on his way back, he hadn't known the details. The death of a Hokage wasn't the kind of news the village would broadcast to the world. He could have investigated, but he figured it was faster to just ask Diarmuid. Hearing the news now, he was genuinely surprised. Minato is dead?
Even he had to admit that Minato was formidable. The reputation of the "Yellow Flash" during the Third Shinobi World War wasn't a fluke. If he were weak, Konoha would never have made him Hokage. Yet, in his own home village, such a man had been killed by Obito?
How much had Obito grown? Was the legacy of Madara really that powerful?
Thinking of this, Orochimaru turned to Diarmuid. "What happened?"
Diarmuid glanced at the still-weeping Rin and sighed. "I went to Konoha with Obito and that Black Zetsu fellow. It was supposed to be a formality, a chance to get some things and cooperate to build a rapport for the future. But things went off-script. The plan was to strike during Kushina's delivery… you know she was a Jinchūriki, right? It was the perfect time to extract the Nine-Tails. Obito was to seize the beast, and I was going to grab the Scroll of Seals... Of course, I'm not so cold-blooded as to kill a mother who just brought new life into the world. Even if Obito took the beast, I was going to save Kushina. But then..."
"But then what?" Orochimaru prompted.
"Obito is either insane or his mind is completely warped. He went berserk. After taking the Nine-Tails, he didn't retreat as planned. Instead, he went on a rampage in Konoha. Not only did he lose the Nine-Tails in the end, but he also got Minato killed. Fortunately, I was there to pull Kushina out," Diarmuid said.
He spoke with a certain degree of hypocrisy. Orochimaru knew the situation couldn't have been that simple, but with Rin present, certain things couldn't be said. Still, what Diarmuid said was technically true, even if he left out the nuances.
He had actually prepared for two outcomes. He suspected his presence might influence Obito's actions; if Obito hadn't gone through with his theatrical rampage, he could have left with the beast quietly, and Diarmuid would have saved Kushina then. Not because he was a saint, but partly because he liked Naruto and didn't want the boy's birthday to be his mother's death anniversary. And as he said, he wasn't so cruel as to kill a new mother for personal gain. If that had happened, Konoha would have lost the Nine-Tails and the scroll, but the people would be safe. A decent outcome.
In the end, Obito had suffered a breakdown. Diarmuid didn't interfere too much, merely acting according to his own heart where he could.
Orochimaru looked stunned. "So you're saying Uchiha Obito caused all that chaos, gained absolutely nothing, and just ended up wrecking Konoha? What was the point?"
Even as a villain, Orochimaru was always purposeful and driven by interest. He never bothered with irrelevant trouble. As Diarmuid had once told Jiraiya: if you want to live long, mind your own business. That's why Orochimaru had survived so long. Obito's actions left him baffled. It was the ultimate "harming others without benefiting oneself."
"Who knows? Maybe his brain is just broken," Diarmuid replied.
Rin let out a wail of anguish. "It's all my fault... It's because Obito thinks I'm dead that he became like this..."
"Blame Madara if you must. And Rin... I think there is something truly wrong with that boy," Orochimaru comforted her.
"No, he wasn't like this before..." Rin wept.
Orochimaru went silent for a moment, then asked, "But now that he has truly fallen into darkness, what do you plan to do?"
Without Diarmuid, Kushina would be dead. It was clear that Obito had completely lost his humanity and stepped onto the path of a monster. Diarmuid didn't have much of an opinion on Obito; he found him pitiable but also loathsome.
But Rin was different. She wiped her eyes and spoke with unwavering resolve. "No matter what, I won't give up on Obito. Sooner or later, I will bring him back with my own strength. I'll make him apologize to Kushina-nee, to Sensei, and to Konoha. And when that day comes, no matter the consequences or the punishment, I will face it all by his side."
Orochimaru looked at Rin with a hint of surprise, then nodded and fell silent. Diarmuid looked away, a small smile playing on his lips.
Obito was a bastard, a monster, even. But his pursuit of the light he loved wasn't "wrong" from his perspective. The desire to save, protect, and create a world with Rin... Diarmuid could understand that. He had told Rin the truth precisely because he wanted to see what kind of "light" Obito was pursuing.
And it seemed the man's taste in "light" was actually quite good.
He was willing to sacrifice the world for her, and she was determined to face the world's judgment with him. It was a poetic, if tragic, symmetry.
If I had chosen to leave the Marines and become a pirate, would Gion have come with me? Diarmuid found himself wondering.
He chuckled and shook his head. Probably not. Given Gion's character, she would likely uphold her Absolute Justice, hunting him to the ends of the earth, spending her life trying to bring him in. Then... perhaps after he faced judgment, she would set everything aside and stay with him. That was the kind of person Gion was.
For a moment, he genuinely missed her... Gion…
"What are you thinking about?" Orochimaru asked suddenly.
Before he knew it, Orochimaru was sitting across from him, and Rin had already left. Diarmuid snapped back to reality and shook his head. "Nothing."
"Is that so?"
Orochimaru chuckled, his eyes carrying a hint of a tease, but he didn't press further. He had seen it, in that brief moment, Diarmuid had dropped his guard, and a natural glimmer of longing had surfaced in his eyes.
It seemed this man wasn't as unattached as he claimed to be.