[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 111 (Patreon)

At that moment, a golden light caught Toshiro’s eye. Namikaze Minato had finally arrived!

As soon as he arrived, Minato tensed up, ready for any potential attacks. But what he saw were four familiar figures. Seeing Obito among them left him speechless.

“Minato-sensei, you were too slow!” Obito grumbled, expressing his dissatisfaction with his sensei's late arrival. It had happened before, and it was happening again. Protecting Rin seemed to fall on his shoulders alone, as Kakashi and Minato-sensei were being unreliable. Additionally, Obito used this as a diversion since he didn't know how to explain White Zetsu’s presence.

“Ah! Sorry…sorry…” Minato apologized. He had been entangled with the Kumo's AB brothers, using his remaining chakra to fly to his marked Kunai's location. Seeing Rin and Kakashi unharmed was a relief, but Obito’s presence was unexpected.

“Minato-sensei! Check on Rin first! She seems to have been captured by the Kiri Ninja,” Kakashi interjected before Minato could question Obito’s return from the dead. “It appears to be related to tailed beasts!”

“Tailed beasts…” Minato mused. He was familiar with them, given that his girlfriend, Kushina, hosted the Kyuubi. He had once interacted with the Kyuubi through Kushina.

“Rin, stay still for a moment!” Toshiro instructed. “My injuries are not the most serious issue currently; check on yourself first!”

With Minato present, Toshiro felt reassured. He could now focus on storing White Zetsu’s body tissue.

“Thanks for everything, Toshiro,” Minato said with a friendly smile before turning to Rin. Anyone involved with tailed beasts requires careful attention. He sensed an unfamiliar chakra in Rin’s body, similar to but weaker than the Kyuubi’s.

As he deepened his sensing, he detected a massive white turtle-shaped creature, fortunately asleep, preventing immediate trouble. The sight of its large body, immense chakra, and three swaying tails made Minato's expression serious.

“Rin, inside your body…” Minato began, but Obito interrupted.

“How’s it going? Minato-sensei, is Rin okay?”

“Don’t worry, Obito. I’ll handle it,” Minato reassured him with a gentle smile. Knowing Obito’s feelings for Rin, he didn’t blame him for the interruption.

Minato’s smile made it clear to everyone except the oblivious Obito that the situation was serious.

“Rin, I’ll re-seal the chakra beast in your body to keep you safe,” Minato said.

“Okay,” Lin replied obediently, waiting for her sensei to strengthen the seal.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” Minato comforted his disciples, then instructed Kakashi and the others to step back.

He lifted the hem of Rin’s clothes, formed a hand seal, and pressed his hands down. “Four Symbols Seal.”

As the seal was completed, black symbols emerged and gathered on Lin’s lower abdomen, forming a black swirl-like mark. After rotating a few times, it disappeared, revealing Lin’s smooth, flat belly.

"The guest in your body has been sealed tight, so there is no longer any danger," Minato reassured.

“Hmm,” Rin responded quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Seeing her sensei’s confidence, she felt relieved and quickly adjusted her clothes, despite her slight shyness.

Minato exhaled heavily, finally being able to relax. He had been engaged in a long battle with the Kumo ninja, traveled a great distance, and performed a high-level Four Symbols Seal. He was exhausted.

He assessed the conditions of those around him: Kakashi was likely suffering from chakra exhaustion and needed rest; Toshiro's condition was serious but manageable with proper treatment at Konoha Hospital. However, Obito's state, missing one eye, troubled Minato.

He decided to address Obito's situation later, after ensuring Lin’s safety. “Let’s return to the village first,” Minato suggested.

Obito, knowing he couldn’t answer the questions he anticipated from his sensei, eagerly agreed. “Let’s go back to the village first!”

“Anyway, Obito, welcome back to the team,” Minato said with a warm smile, burying his doubts for now.

Obito smiled back cheerfully, feeling reassured.

“Leave the rest of the journey to me,” Minato said. Regaining some strength, he placed his hands on Obito and Rin, smiled at Kakashi and Toshiro, and then they disappeared.

Toshiro marveled at Minato's speed. “As expected of the Flying Thunder God, he truly comes and goes without a trace.”

After their departure, a white figure emerged from the ground where they had stood. “What should I do? Obito is going back to Konoha!” The strange white humanoid creature then sank back into the ground, disappearing as if it had never been there.

Early the next morning, the bright sunlight shone through the window onto a white hospital bed, waking a sleeping figure. Realizing he was at Konoha Hospital, Toshiro took in his surroundings and the familiar scent of disinfectant.

Minato had transported him to Konoha Hospital using the Flying Thunder God jutsy. After receiving treatment, Toshiro fell into a deep sleep.

The door clicked open, revealing a long-missed figure: Uchiha Mei, his sister, a rare medical ninja in their clan, currently serving in the Uchiha Police Force.

“Are you awake? How do you feel?” Mei asked, her voice calm despite her worry.

“I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me,” Toshiro replied.

“What are you talking about? We’re family. You don’t need to be polite,” Mei said, leaning down to kiss him gently on the forehead. “Next time you rescue someone, remember to protect yourself. Don’t make your uncle and me worry.”

“Mei-nee, I’m not a child anymore.” Toshiro protested, though her concern warmed his heart.

“No matter how old you get, you’re still the little boy who used to take medicinal baths with your butt naked,” Mei teased, silencing Toshiro with her affectionate chiding.

Reflecting on his early days in this world, Toshiro felt a wave of nostalgia. Nearly 12 years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Placing the flowers she brought on the windowsill to counteract the strong smell of disinfectant, Mei set the breakfast she had prepared on Toshiro’s bedside table. She then joked, "Do you want me to feed you?" and winked at Toshiro, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“No need!! The injury isn't that severe,” Toshiro replied. Despite his frequent battlefield injuries, sometimes quite serious, Mei always took good care of him, even feeding him during particularly bad times.

Mei, just teasing her ‘younger brother,’ picked up Toshiro’s medical records and reviewed them carefully. After reading through the entire record, she felt truly relieved.

At that moment, the door to Toshiro’s ward opened again, and his former teammates and current members of the security force, Kirishima and his group, entered. They had come to check on Toshiro after hearing about his condition.

The wave of visitors lasted a long time, leaving Toshiro feeling more exhausted than after a battle with the Mist Ninja.

---

“What? You mean the Three-Tails is sealed inside Nohara Rin?” In the Hokage’s office, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood up in shock, unable to maintain his usual composure. The news Minato brought back was so astonishing that the old man had difficulty accepting it.

“Yes! According to Rin and Kakashi, the Kiri Ninja planned to use Rin to unleash the Three-Tails in the village, causing massive destruction,” Minato explained.

“This...” If anyone else had reported this, Sarutobi might have thought it a joke, but he trusted Minato’s words.

“Tell me the details,” Sarutobi requested, needing to understand how things had escalated to this point. He knew Rin had been abducted by the Mist Ninja and had sent a request for help to Orochimaru, hoping he could send someone to rescue her. How had the situation turned so dire?

Minato recounted the entire mission, also handing a written report to the Hokage. “...That’s what happened. This scroll contains detailed accounts from Kakashi and Rin.”

Sarutobi, relying on his excellent memory, had already grasped most of the situation. “So, the Mist Ninja intended to use Rin as a temporary jinchuriki, expecting the Three-Tails to go berserk upon her return to the village. However, Kakashi rescued her, and later, Orochimaru sent Uchiha Toshiro, who successfully defended against the pursuing Mist Ninja until your arrival.”

The sheer audacity of the Mist Ninja’s plan left Sarutobi speechless and cold with sweat. Was the Third Mizukage insane? Not only had he failed in his mission, but he also lost his tailed beast!

“Yes, and they encountered Uchiha Obito on the way,” Minato added after Sarutobi finished speaking.

“Uchiha Obito, who supposedly died during the Kannabi Bridge mission?” Sarutobi asked.

“Yes.”

A sense of conspiracy stirred within Sarutobi at the mention of Uchiha Obito’s name, though he dismissed it as mere coincidence later. In this matter, Uchiha Obito seemed irrelevant compared to Uchiha Toshiro.

“Where is Nohara Rin now?” Sarutobi inquired.

“She’s at my house, with Kushina,” Minato answered.

“That’s good!” Sarutobi felt reassured. With Kushina’s and Minato’s sealing abilities, he had no worries about Rin’s seal weakening.

However, the issue still needed resolution. “Minato, how do you think we should handle this?” Sarutobi asked, looking to his chosen successor to gauge his decision-making. This was a final test to see if Minato could shoulder the heavy responsibilities of being Hokage. The position required more than just good intentions; it needed wisdom and strength.