Everyone stared at Yamato with expressions that said, "You've got some nerve."
Tobirama Senju thought to himself, "Surely this kid didn't inherit not only my brother's cells and Wood Release, but also his heartwarming personality?"
But since they were already here...
Even though Naruto and Sasuke were extremely reluctant to share a meal with the masked man, Obito, at two tables not far apart, they had a decent relationship with the young Obito Uchiha. After learning that Madara had manipulated him into this state and that Madara was Sasuke's past self, they could only swallow their feelings with mixed emotions.
As the meat and vegetables arrived, the Adult Obito who'd said he'd step outside returned. Everyone assumed he'd rushed back just for the meat, but instead, he slammed a mountain of packed red bean cakes onto the table.
"...."
The scene froze for an instant. The Akimichi father and son at the next table called the owner over, wondering if this guy was here to cause trouble.
Upon learning it was merely a guest's peculiar dietary habit, the Akimichi father and son stared at the mountain of red bean cakes, nearly convinced they had another long-lost clan member who'd forgotten to return and claim his heritage.
Didn't the young Obito Uchiha also think, 'I am Obito Uchiha, not Obito Akimichi!'? But as ninjas, the notion that missions were paramount was deeply ingrained in their very souls.
Kakashi's team, Minato's team, the disguised Missing-nin, and the Hokage finally remembered...
The responsibility of six hundred billion red bean cakes was no joke!!
Speaking of missions, young Obito Uchiha couldn't help but open his own mission scroll.
Immediately, upon seeing his own mission—to help 6,000 elderly women cross the street—his expression visibly froze.
"Did you run into someone needing help on the way?"
He turned his head to ask the Adult Obito at the next table, who was currently the center of attention in the entire yakiniku restaurant.
With his mouth stuffed full of Anko cake, the Adult Obito mumbled, "An old lady bought a lot of stuff, so I helped carry it. What's the big deal?"
Everyone else: "..."
What kind of luck is this? Running into people needing help just by stepping outside?!
But imagine the scene... the big boss who declared the Fourth Shinobi World War against the Five Great Shinobi Nations and the Five Kage, carrying a pile of luggage while helping an old lady cross the street...
That's just fucking hilarious!
Young Obito exclaimed, "So helping that old lady cross the street counts as my mission too!"
He pushed aside the plates and bowls before him, laying his mission scroll on top for Kannabi Bridge and the Fourth Hokage—both Minato-sensei—to see.
The others, including Adult Obito, leaned in to look.
[Mission Level: C-Rank]
[Mission Content: Assist 5,999 elderly women in crossing the street.]
"It changed from 6,000 to 5,999!" Naruto exclaimed.
Adult Obito quickly swallowed his entire Anko cake before opening his own mission scroll!
Everyone glanced over—
[Mission Level: SS-Rank]
[Mission Details: Consume 599,999,999,999 Anko cakes.]
"....."
"...."
Seriously...
Not very harmful, but extremely insulting!!
Adult Kakashi raised his hand, his small face stiff. "Reporting, Minato-sensei, may I laugh?"
Adult Obito: "No!!"
With that, Adult Obito angrily grabbed a red bean cake and thrust it at his younger self.
"Eat!"
Young Obito stared at the red bean cake before him and the black glove clutching it. After a moment of silence, he took it and devoured it in a few bites.
Just as he was thinking how good today's Anko cake tasted, perfectly sweet, everyone watched as '599,999,999,999' before their eyes transformed into '599,999,999,998'.
"Unbelievable," Fourth Hokage Minato exclaimed in astonishment. "To detect such subtle spatial-temporal chakra... Could it be that person, or perhaps this scroll, monitoring our every move?"
"Does that mean the others don't count?" Naruto asked curiously.
Sasuke: "We'll find out if we try."
With that, he leaped over to the stack of red bean cakes piled high at the Missing-nin inn, grabbed one, and handed it to Itachi Uchiha.
"I hate sweets."
Hearing this, the others assumed the younger brother was trying to pass off something he disliked onto his older sibling.
But only Itachi Uchiha caught the hidden meaning.
--I know you hate grilled meat.
His heart softened slightly as Itachi Uchiha accepted the red bean cake and placed it in his mouth.
After finishing the entire cake, the mission scroll of the Adult Obito still displayed '599,999,999,998' unchanged.
The expressions of both Obito Uchiha instantly fell.
If only the red bean cakes they ate themselves counted, how long would it take to consume six hundred billion of them?!
This mission... would likely take a lifetime...
No, even three lifetimes wouldn't be enough to complete it?!
But as ninjas, giving up on a mission was unthinkable. While the others happily scrambled to share the grilled meat, the two Obito Uchiha had never been so troubled by red bean cakes.
Having gone long without human food, Tobirama Senju calmly grilled fish on the barbecue rack, occasionally flipping his older brother's mushrooms. Hashirama Senju eagerly brushed seasoning sauce onto his mushrooms before scooping them into a bowl to mix with rice.
Itachi Uchiha, who genuinely disliked grilled meat, drank water the entire time except when he helped finish a piece of red bean cake.
Since being targeted by Orochimaru and Danzō Shimura, Kabuto Yakushi—who had been operating as a triple agent across various ninja villages—hadn't experienced such a life in ages. He seemed completely dazed.
Minato from the Kannabi Bridge Timeline took a moment to ask him, "Aren't you planning to visit home? Just say hello to Captain Yamato and arrange for someone to accompany you."
"Home?" Kabuto visibly froze.
Minato continued, "I've learned about your situation. Though the Wandering Miko is no longer here, your brothers seem to have been waiting for you to return."
Kabuto fell silent, and Minato from the Kannabi Bridge Timeline didn't press him.
At that moment, aside from the faint chakra flow of two Obito figures practically crying while gnawing on Anko cakes, the Fourth Hokage Minato, Minato from the Kannabi Bridge Timeline, and the Second Hokage all sensed a new temporal-spatial power.
"Everyone, open your mission scrolls and take a look! It seems someone has received a new mission!"
"Huh?!"
Naruto, who was fighting Sasuke over a piece of meat; Young Obito, struggling to swallow his red bean cake; Adult Obito, sensing the world's chilling hostility; Itachi Uchiha, drinking water; and Kabuto, whose heart was unsettled by Minato Namikaze's words—all froze for a moment before pulling out their mission scrolls...
Naruto spoke first: "Not me."
He waved the scroll in his hand—still displaying that A-rank mission to cure Tsunade's hemophobia. The mission had long been completed, and the reward had been used for time travel to another parallel world and to save Nawaki and Dan Katō.
Next was Young Obito. Seeing both his current and future self's scrolls, he felt like crying all over again.
Help 5,999 elderly women cross the street.
Eat 599,999,999,968 Anko cakes.
Indeed, through their combined efforts, six hundred billion Anko cakes had finally dwindled to five hundred ninety-nine billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred ninety-eight Anko cakes…
How delightful.
"No, we don't have new missions either."
That left only two possibilities...
Kabuto Yakushi and Itachi Uchiha exchanged glances, then opened their mission scrolls. Compared to the others before them, they seemed far more cautious, reluctant to let anyone else see.
Seated beside them were Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi. Both were the type to mind their own business and lacked any curiosity—neither would ever turn their heads to sneak a peek. Yet it was clear that when Itachi Uchiha and Kabuto Yakushi saw their mission scrolls, their eyes froze for an instant.
"I have a new mission."
The two spoke in unison, immediately exchanging a glance. Two branch mission scrolls simultaneously containing new assignments?!
"Is it convenient to discuss it here?" asked the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"..."
Itachi Uchiha and Kabuto Yakushi fell silent simultaneously.
"Inconvenient?" Tobirama Senju inquired, raising his narrow, crimson eyes at them.
"No." Kabuto spoke first.
Then, to prove he wasn't bluffing, he laid the scroll flat on his knees.
"It's an A-rank mission. Looks like I need to master the Edo Tensei Reincarnation technique," he said. "I don't mind whether I learn it on my own, seek out Orochimaru-sama, or receive personal instruction from you, Second Hokage."
He pushed his glasses up his nose. "The mission reward for an A-rank job seems to be time travel? Seems like a decent reward."
Minato nodded, inwardly speculating that this A-rank mission might involve time travel—most likely related to his own experiences or the Fourth Shinobi World War. He exchanged a glance with Tobirama Senju.
Tobirama Senju said, "Forget about learning from Orochimaru. I still can't trust him. Techniques are merely tools for people to use. It's the human heart that determines whether knowledge is used correctly."
Meaning the Second Hokage would personally teach him the Edo Tensei Reincarnation technique?! Though he'd previously considered self-study or seeking instruction from the Second Hokage or Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi deemed the Second Hokage personally teaching him the least likely scenario—virtually impossible. After all, he was the Third Hokage's mentor. If he taught him...
"And you?! What's your mission?!" Sasuke Uchiha was bursting with impatience, desperate to know the details of the missions.
He'd wanted to find out before, but no matter how many times Itachi Uchiha returned to Konoha, he always avoided him!