I Punch the Tailed Beast Ball

Chapter 436: Obito’s Actions

’Kamoku Seijin, twenty-six years old, Jonin, unmarried, parents are no longer in Konoha, raised by his grandfather Kogen Mitsu...’

Obito walked along a country path after the rain, silently recalling the recently found information. After the rain had washed over it, the already uneven path had become muddy, with yellowish rainwater pooling in various-sized pits, making it somewhat daunting to traverse.

But Obito didn’t mind. As a ninja with the convenience of chakra, he could walk as if on flat ground, regardless of whether it was a muddy path or a cliff.

He had said he would do something for those he had killed, and now he intended to fulfil that promise.

With the convenience provided by Nagasawa, Obito quickly obtained information about the three ANBU members he had killed during the Nine-Tails incident. All three were elite ANBU, all Jonin. The youngest among them was Kamoku Seijin, at twenty-six; the oldest was thirty-four, with a child already a Chunin.

Kamoku Seijin was the last of the three ANBU members Obito planned to visit. He had already visited the first two families.

Even after the oldest ANBU member’s death, his family was relatively well-off. Years of missions had provided substantial savings, and the child, now a Chunin, could support himself and the family.

Obito helped by giving them money under the pretence of being a former subordinate and provided some ninja scrolls to the Chunin, offering further assistance if needed. He used the Transformation Jutsu to appear normal rather than showing his true face or wearing a mask.

Obito wished he could help more, but he knew this was his limit. To these families, he was a stranger, claiming to be a former subordinate of their deceased loved one.

The second ANBU member’s family was in a slightly worse situation. His child had only recently graduated from the ninja academy. So, Obito focused on providing financial assistance to alleviate their economic difficulties.

The last ANBU member, Kamoku Seijin, had the most tragic family situation. Obito estimated he would need to leave a shadow clone to help regularly.

Before Kamoku Seijin was born, his father, unwilling to live a mundane life in Konoha, left with a merchant caravan to seek opportunities elsewhere. As a military village, Konoha offered safety and peace, but for ordinary people, opportunities for significant achievements were limited unless they became ninjas.

Whether he died abroad, found success and decided not to return, or faced failure and was too ashamed to return, Kamoku Seijin’s father never returned. His mother waited for three years after giving birth to him before remarrying and leaving Konoha, leaving the family in poverty.

His grandfather, Kogen Mitsu, took on the responsibility of raising Kamoku Seijin and sent him to the ninja academy. Due to his unreliable parents, Kamoku Seijin became very introverted, not good at socialising, and remained single at twenty-six.

Reading the profiles of the three ANBU members left Obito in silence. He realised he had unwittingly caused many tragedies, breaking apart once complete families. The case of Kamoku Seijin, in particular, was heartbreaking. With a difficult life and an early death, it was an extra blow to Obito’s conscience.

Thinking of this, Obito’s steps grew heavier, and he accidentally let his foot sink into the muddy water. The cold water soaked his shoes, jolting his nerves and making him more alert. Without changing his expression, Obito continued walking. Kogen Mitsu lived in the western outskirts of Konoha, a rural area compared to the city-like central region.

Urban areas had conveniences with well-connected roads and various shops, but rural areas offered spaciousness and less crowding. Each house in the rural areas had a large yard, and neighbours were separated by these yards.

Obito had thoroughly prepared, so he quickly found Kogen Mitsu’s residence. It was a traditional wooden country house with a sizeable single-story structure. Entering the yard, Obito noticed some vegetables planted there and an older man in a white shirt and grey pants, wearing a straw hat, bent over weeding.

"Who’s there?" The older man seemed to hear Obito’s footsteps, stood up, holding a freshly pulled weed, and turned to see Obito.

"Hello, I’m a former subordinate of Kamoku Seijin. I heard about..."

"What? Seijin? He’s been dead for years, and you want to pretend to be him to deceive me?"

"I’m an old man with no money to be scammed out of. Go away, go away." The older man shook his dirt-stained hands, signalling Obito to leave.

"No, I was once helped by Seijin, so..."

"What? You say you’re Seijin’s son? That kid never even touched a woman in his life."

Obito: ...

It took Obito quite a bit of explanation before Kogen Mitsu understood that he was neither a scammer pretending to be Seijin nor an illegitimate child of Seijin.

"Sorry, child. When you get old, your eyes and ears don’t work as well." Kogen Mitsu’s attitude softened, realising Obito was indeed a friend of Seijin.

"It’s okay, I don’t mind. Do you have any difficulties in your life that I can help with? I was once helped by Seijin and now it’s time to return the favor," Obito offered.

"What difficulties could I have? I’m an old man who doesn’t spend much. If you want to repay Seijin, just help clean his grave occasionally. I don’t know how much longer I’ll live, and once I’m gone, I don’t know if anyone will visit my grave." The older man sighed.

Obito felt touched. The man standing before him was hunched, burdened by life, and his eyes were so cloudy that Obito doubted he could see the path clearly.

Kogen Mitsu invited Obito inside for tea, and after some thought, Obito accepted. The old man meticulously prepared the tea, leaning so close it seemed he was almost inside the teapot. He added the tea leaves slowly and poured hot water carefully. Obito resisted the urge to help, understanding that this was one of the few tasks the older man could still do independently.

"Thank you," Obito said, accepting the tea.

"Hehe, nothing to thank me for, it’s just tea," the old man chuckled.

While sipping tea, Obito surveyed the house. It reminded him of his childhood home, a distant memory, as his current home was nothing like this. The house had few modern amenities, the most advanced being an old television set, which was now obsolete in Konoha.

Noticing Obito’s gaze, Kogen Mitsu explained, "Seijin wasted money on that TV. I don’t even like watching it. It’s broken now."

Obito fiddled with the TV for a while but couldn’t fix it. In terms of modern devices, he was as clueless as Kogen Mitsu. Busy with schemes, thinking of how to counter Nagasawa and deal with Madara’s plans, he had no time to learn about modern technology. The image of a would-be world dominator watching TV for fun was too inconsistent.

"Looks like it’s completely broken. Maybe you should sell it for scrap," Kogen Mitsu suggested, thinking the TV was beyond repair since a young person couldn’t fix it.

Obito remained silent, unsure of what to say.

Later, Obito helped Kogen Mitsu clean the house. The older man followed him, allowing as much as he could. When Obito was about to leave at sunset, the older man invited him to stay for dinner, and Obito, after some hesitation, agreed.

He had planned to return and figure out how to stay with the older man the next day. After spending half a day with Kogen Mitsu, Obito realised that the older man needed money and companionship.

The kitchen was a separate small building next to the house, not connected. When Obito entered, he found that the older man was still cooking with firewood, using sticks and dry plants for fuel. Obito considered buying modern cooking equipment but dismissed the idea, realising it would be too difficult for the older man to adapt to something new.

However, Kogen Mitsu used modern items, like lighters instead of flint. "This thing is really useful, makes starting a fire much easier," the old man said, smiling.

During the cooking process, Obito helped wash vegetables and set the table. He noticed the dishes weren’t spotless, despite Kogen Mitsu claiming to wash them regularly. Obito silently rewashed the dishes, understanding that the older man’s eyesight probably made it difficult for him to see if they were clean.

While eating, Kogen Mitsu asked, "Can you tell me how you met Seijin? That kid never had many friends."

Thinking momentarily, Obito replied, "The reason you felt Seijin was always secretive is that we worked in a secret department, so he had to keep things confidential."

"A secret department? That needs secrecy? Then never mind, don’t tell me," the old man said, understanding the need for confidentiality.

"It’s fine. I won’t disclose any secrets," Obito assured, then shared a pre-prepared story. "I was a newcomer in the department. Because it was a secret and important work, I wasn’t well-liked due to my youth. Only Seijin treated me kindly..."

"Seijin must have felt for you, having been an outcast himself," the old man sighed.

Time passed quickly as they chatted, and when Obito finally left, Kogen Mitsu stopped him and gave him several one-thousand-ryo notes. "Take this. If you’re struggling, use it to find a stable job. Don’t go down the wrong path."

Obito: ???

So the older man thought he was a scammer all along?