"This kid's got good taste." Jiraiya watched his grand-disciple playing happily with the toad, a hint of affection flickering in his eyes. But quickly, his expression shifted back to one of gravity.
He glanced at Gamakon and Kushina, who were currently occupied with the child, and discreetly signaled Minato.
Minato understood immediately. He gently patted the back of Kushina's hand and spoke softly, "Rest for a bit. I need to have a word with Sensei."
Kushina was a sharp woman; she caught the weight in their eyes and nodded obediently, turning her attention back to her son, who was currently drooling while tugging on the toad's leg.
Minato stood up and followed Jiraiya to the other corner of the room, where he deployed a small soundproofing barrier. As soon as the barrier formed, Jiraiya's usual eccentric aura vanished instantly.
"That masked man... what's the situation?" Jiraiya lowered his voice, his tone freezing over. "Gamakon said it was Obito. Did you see him? Is it confirmed?"
The smile vanished from Minato's face. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, staring out at the pitch-black night through the barrier, his gaze incredibly complex.
"It's confirmed."
Minato's voice was soft, yet it carried an indescribable exhaustion. "Though half his face is ruined and his chakra has become cold and twisted... his combat habits, his way of speaking... there is no mistake."
"It really is Obito."
Despite being mentally prepared, hearing the confirmation from Minato's own lips made Jiraiya clench his fists until his knuckles let out a sharp crack.
"That absolute bastard..." Jiraiya hissed through gritted teeth. "What on earth did Madara do to him? To think a child who dreamed of becoming Hokage could be turned into a demon hell-bent on destroying Konoha!"
"There is a seal on his heart," Minato explained. "It's the method Madara used to control him. I've temporarily severed the connection to the seal, but completely removing it will take time."
"Then did you..." Jiraiya made a sharp throat-slitting gesture.
Minato shook his head.
"You let him get away?" Jiraiya's brow furrowed. "That's not your style. Since you already subdued him, how could he possibly escape your Flying Thunder God?"
"He didn't escape; I let him go."
Minato turned his head, meeting Jiraiya's surprised gaze directly. "I left a Flying Thunder God formula on him. And not just on his body."
Minato raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together in a sensory gesture.
"Back in the Kamui space, I didn't just mark him. I left a top-tier sensory formula on a massive boulder within that dimension. That space is isolated; as long as he enters or leaves it, or uses Space-Time Ninjutsu to shift his body, it triggers a spatial ripple."
"As long as he isn't too far away, I can perceive those ripples."
A cold, sharp light flashed in Minato's eyes. "To me, Obito is now transparent. His every move is under my surveillance."
"The reason I let him go is because his will is still wavering." Minato sighed. "If I forcibly brought him back to Konoha, he would face nothing but the torture of the Interrogation Squad and a death sentence. Furthermore, Black Zetsu is still lurking in the shadows. If I push too hard, Zetsu might directly detonate that seal or use Obito's body to do something even more insane."
"I need time. Time to clean out Black Zetsu, and time to untangle the knots in Obito's heart."
"Playing the long game to catch the big fish, I see..." Jiraiya rubbed his chin, nodding after a moment of contemplation. "That is indeed the safest approach. As long as he's under your watch, he won't be able to stir up any major trouble."
At this point, Jiraiya suddenly remembered something and glanced toward the door.
"What about Kakashi?"
"That kid looked like he'd lost his soul earlier. Since you're back, why didn't you bring him along? If the former teammates met now and talked things out, it might finally be a release for Kakashi."
Upon hearing this, Minato's expression became stiff. He shook his head with a bitter smile, his eyes full of helplessness.
"Sensei, what do you think would happen if the current Kakashi met the current Obito?"
Jiraiya blinked, stunned.
"Kakashi has been living in a prison of guilt over Obito and Rin. If he found out that the hero he mourns day and night has become this cold-blooded killer—the masked man who tried to kill his own master's wife and Naruto tonight..."
Minato took a deep breath. "Kakashi would break. His mental state is already at its limit; he cannot handle a shock like this."
"Furthermore, Obito's hatred for Kakashi... is even deeper than his hatred for me."
Recalling Obito's twisted expression in the Kamui space whenever Kakashi was mentioned, Minato felt a chill in his heart.
"Obito believes Kakashi broke his promise to protect Rin. If they met now, Obito would kill Kakashi without hesitation, or find an even more cruel way to torment him."
"Now is absolutely not the time for them to meet," Minato stated firmly. "Until Obito regains his reason, and until Kakashi walks out from the shadows, they cannot see each other."
"That is why I lied to Kakashi."
Minato lowered his eyes, staring at the tips of his toes. "I told him the masked man was an enemy who stole a Sharingan. I must make him hate that enemy, rather than hate Obito—and certainly rather than hate himself."
"That's not fair to him," Jiraiya sighed.
"I know." Minato clenched his fist. "I will bear all the guilt and all the lies as their teacher. As long as it preserves their lives, as long as it leaves a shred of hope for the future... I am willing to play the villain."
Jiraiya looked at the young Hokage before him.
Once upon a time, that blonde boy had done nothing but scratch his head and laugh sheepishly in front of him. Now, he had grown into a towering tree capable of shielding others from the wind and rain.
Yet this tree was now carved deep with scars named 'Responsibility.'
Jiraiya reached out and gave Minato's shoulder a heavy pat.
"Don't shoulder everything by yourself, Minato."
Jiraiya grinned, revealing a row of bright white teeth. "Don't forget, you still have me as your teacher, and then there's..."
He pointed toward Gamakon, who was currently being used as a pillow by Naruto.
"And that toad. He's got a foul mouth, but he definitely knows his stuff."
"No matter what happens, we're here."
Feeling the weight on his shoulder, a wave of warmth flooded Minato's heart. He looked up, his sun-like smile returning.
"Yes, Sensei."
Just then, a shrill scream erupted from outside the barrier.
"Agh! Let go! Let go! That's my leg! Not a drumstick! Kushina, control your son! He's biting me! He's not even supposed to have teeth yet!"
Minato and Jiraiya shared a look and dropped the barrier simultaneously, unable to hold back their laughter.
No matter how dark the world outside became, or how many storms the future held... at least in this moment, in this tiny hospital room, there was new life, laughter, and hope.
That was enough.