From the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails, he would take them one by one, slowly.
The first few would go smoothly, but once everyone in the shinobi world realized he was collecting the Tailed Beasts, the entire shinobi world would move to stop him. The Five Great Nations currently at war would immediately cease their conflicts and unite against him.
The Ten-Tails was a secret hidden deep within history, but even just gathering the nine Tailed Beasts together would yield a massive power sufficient to strike terror into any shinobi village.
"Once I have a way to counter Madara, I will use these Tailed Beasts to construct the true world."
"What are you... talking about?" Yagura Karatachi looked completely astonished.
"First, I'll need you to do me a favor."
Obito was in no mood to give him an extended explanation. The three tomoe in his eyes connected, forming a pinwheel-like pattern, and instantly put Yagura Karatachi under his control.
He had always been well aware that Madara had placed a cursed seal inside his heart. This seal could control his life and death, and prevented him from committing suicide or removing it of his own accord. As for resurrecting Madara Uchiha, Obito had never even considered it. Madara could just obediently be resurrected within that "true world."
Nagato's Gedo: Rinne Tensei would be of great use later!
"What are you going to do next?"
"Go to Konohagakure to lift the Three-Tails' seal."
"?"
After Obito questioned him further, he finally understood the twists and turns involved.
"In that case, you will use Kakashi's wedding as a pretext to visit Konohagakure. Order the woman marrying Kakashi to manipulate him into betraying Konohagakure."
For the first time since awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan, a smile appeared on Obito's face. He wanted to see just how many more people Kakashi, the betrayer, could turn his back on. To have Kakashi reviled and spat upon by everyone—that was the ending he deserved.
All because he had betrayed their promise!
The hatred within Obito's heart slowly welled up. Whenever he thought of Rin, his heart would ache, the hollow in his chest would expand a bit more, and he would lose another shred of his humanity.
"Yes," Yagura Karatachi replied expressionlessly.
"Before that, go and implement this series of policies..." Obito briefed Yagura on the critical matters.
He wanted the Blood Mist Village to bleed even more, churning its waters into something far murkier to prevent any outsiders from prying.
Konohagakure.
Taiko Shiba was out buying groceries. Every afternoon, she would begin preparing the ingredients for dinner, all to ensure Kakashi had the best possible dining experience.
"Careful not to drop it." A regular merchant with absolutely no chakra fluctuations packed a cleaned fish into a bag.
Taiko Shiba paid, took the fish and other ingredients, and returned to Kakashi's house. She opened the bag containing the fish, and while washing it, she suddenly discovered a small note. Her brow furrowed as she discreetly surveyed her surroundings. She then moved to a secluded corner and opened the note. Written on it was a secret code from Kirigakure.
"An order from the village?" Taiko was bewildered. Kirigakure had only just signed a ceasefire with Konohagakure, so why was an order being issued now?
In every major shinobi village, there were usually a few spies from other villages who had infiltrated. Most were ordinary civilians, making them the hardest to detect. There were also excellent spy shinobi who excelled at concealing their chakra while executing espionage missions. Naturally, the lower the profile for such missions, the better.
Taiko didn't understand why the village would risk losing a spy who had managed to infiltrate with such difficulty just to deliver a message. When she unrolled it fully, her pupils dilated. It actually ordered her to manipulate Kakashi, and the timeframe given was incredibly tight—a mere year or so!
A few days passed. In the blink of an eye, the day of Kakashi's wedding arrived.
Many people attended that day. This wedding was a political marriage between the two villages. Had it not been for the ongoing war making lavish extravagance inappropriate, the ceremony would have been far grander.
The envoys dispatched by Kirigakure had already arrived. The Konoha side had sent shinobi to manage the reception. Many of Kakashi's classmates and colleagues attended as well, and the clans backing them had sent representatives.
Kakashi's originally somewhat dilapidated estate had been scrubbed clean and tidied up for the occasion. The scent of flowers filled the courtyard, and sunlight spilled over the newly renovated wooden corridors, giving the entire residence a refreshed look. Delicate bamboo lanterns hung before the gates, the candlelight inside casting a warm, gentle glow.
Kakashi stood beside a hand-painted folding screen depicting landscapes and cherry blossoms.
"Lord Third," Kakashi said respectfully as he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi approach.
"You're the groom today, and we are the guests. Official titles are for working hours; on a day like this, let's keep things casual." Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his wedding gift money, patted Kakashi on the shoulder, and gestured for the Kirigakure envoys behind him to enter together. "Lord Fourth Mizukage, let us head inside together."
"Very well," Yagura Karatachi nodded, walking in expressionlessly.
Following behind him were a few other Kirigakure shinobi: Mangetsu Hozuki and Kisame Hoshigaki.
"A marriage alliance between Kiri and Konoha..." Mangetsu Hozuki, carrying his twin swords on his back, observed the decorations, which were vastly different from the customs and culture of Kirigakure. Since Taiko Shiba was marrying into Konoha and holding the wedding there, the traditions followed were naturally Konoha's.
"So this is a wedding." Kisame Hoshigaki observed the lively scene; this was his first time attending someone else's wedding.
"Let's go inside," Mangetsu Hozuki caught up with Yagura Karatachi, and Kisame followed suit.
"Congratulations, Kakashi." Shimizu Uchiha placed down his gift money and wedding present, through which a thick stack of bills could faintly be seen.
"You didn't have to give so much..." Kakashi wanted to return some of the money, but then it occurred to him that since he was newly wed, he might find himself strapped for cash in the future. From now on, it wouldn't just be a matter of feeding himself to keep the whole household full. He had gained a bond. And down the road, perhaps a few smaller bonds would come along as well.
"What's between you and me?" Shimizu noticed the conflict in Kakashi's eyes and continued, "For Kakashi's wedding, the gift money can't be lacking. After all, we're comrades from Team Minato, right, Rin?" Shimizu turned to look at Rin Nohara, who stood just behind his left shoulder.
"Yes... that's right." Rin Nohara also pulled out her gift money. It was thinner than Shimizu's, but it was still a substantial amount. Finally, Rin presented her wedding gift, which consisted of some fairly conventional items.
Beneath his mask, a faint smile formed on Kakashi's face.
"Not taking off the mask today?" Shimizu pointed to the mask covering Kakashi's face.
"No," Kakashi shook his head. He had grown accustomed to living life with a mask on. Many people had never seen his true face, and doing so might cause a stir at the wedding. Currently, he only wanted to live a stable, peaceful life—the fewer complications, the better.
"Alright then, we'll head in first." Shimizu took the lead. Rin Nohara, following behind, wished Kakashi a happy marriage before heading inside as well.
Afterward, more guests arrived one after another. Once most of the attendees had gathered, Kakashi's wedding officially commenced.
Dressed in his groom's attire, Kakashi left the reception area and arrived at the wedding venue, taking the hand of Taiko Shiba, who wore a pure white shiromuku. From this moment on, Taiko Shiba would take Kakashi's surname and be known as Taiko Hatake.
"Taiko, almost everyone is here." Kakashi turned his head. Though plain-looking, Taiko possessed a distinct beauty enhanced by the white shiromuku. Kakashi offered a gentle smile.
This kind of innocence and tranquility was exactly what he truly sought. He had lived far too exhaustingly in the shinobi world and desperately needed a harbor for his soul. From this day forward, Taiko—who loved to smile just like his mother did—would be that harbor.
Kakashi looked exceptionally sharp today. In the past, Taiko Hatake would have definitely smiled and teased him. Today, however, she was in no such mood. Several days had already passed since she received her assignment.
She didn't comprehend the directives from her superiors, but she could only comply. Today, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, had also come to Konohagakure under the pretext of unsealing the Three-Tails. She had managed to gather some intelligence that Kakashi had inadvertently let slip. While it wasn't highly classified, it was still Konoha intelligence. If it leaked, Kakashi would be in trouble.
Unaware of Taiko Hatake's heavy heart, Kakashi felt a slight wave of confusion. Assuming she was simply overwhelmed by the emotion of the occasion, he led her outside. Standing before the crowd, the couple accepted everyone's blessings. For a time, both guests and hosts were filled with joy.
Rin Nohara sat below, watching Kakashi and Taiko Hatake on stage as they answered questions under the guidance of the master of ceremonies—promises such as whether they would love each other for a lifetime, and so forth.
Rin Nohara picked up a cup of sake and gulped it down. As the bitter wine ran down her throat, her heart ached with pain. Once the cup was drained, Rin scanned her surroundings.
Where is that demon?
After searching for a moment, she finally caught sight of Shimizu Uchiha. He was currently chatting with Kushina Uzumaki at another table. Rin's hands involuntarily tightened into fists.
Everyone had a place to belong. Only she drifted aimlessly, without an anchor. Or rather, perhaps this was her natural state. Because she had never formed an extra-close relationship with anyone, she had always maintained a certain distance. Come to think of it, when it came to the person she spent the most time with, Rin was astonished to realize it was actually that fellow, Shimizu.
Yet there Shimizu was, talking to another woman. The sacred wedding carried on, juxtaposed against Rin's solitary sorrow.
"How are things going between you and Minato?" Since Minato Namikaze had gone to undo the seal for Yagura Karatachi, Kushina was left sitting alone at the table. The others, who caught wind of various rumors, didn't dare approach Kushina too closely.
"Soon," Kushina lowered her head shyly. Before long, she would be the one wearing the white shiromuku up there. And the groom would undoubtedly be Minato Namikaze, the man she constantly yearned for.
"Congratulations, congratulations," Shimizu said, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
Itachi had already been born. The next step was to scheme around the Children of Prophecy in the shinobi world: Sasuke and Naruto.
"Oh right, when are you going to give me another massage?" Kushina lightly pounded her shoulder with a small fist. It had been quite a while since Shimizu last visited her, and she rather missed the feeling of his massages.
"I'm available anytime," Shimizu replied, taking a sip of the drink on the table.
Before long, the final war between Kumogakure and Konohagakure would break out. The Uchiha would participate in this war, and so would Minato Namikaze. This would be his opportunity—one with vast room for manipulation.
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