Chapter 363: The Meaning of the Dead

Chapter 363: The Meaning of the Dead

Haneda spoke calmly, his tone laced with nostalgia:

"He cared deeply for his comrades. Even though, as a child, he often mocked and outwardly opposed Kakashi and me, later, he was willing to sacrifice himself for us."

"He was incredibly brave. Even when faced with an unbeatable enemy, he had the courage to stand in front of us with nothing but a kunai."

"He was kind. Every morning, on his way to school, he would help elderly ladies cross the street. Even though the teachers scolded him afterward, and his classmates laughed at him, he continued to do so."

"He was determined. As a child, he might not have understood the meaning of power, but later, after experiencing helplessness, he began striving to grow stronger."

Haneda's words blended with the sound of a teacher lecturing in the background, filtering into Obito's ears.

Memories buried deep within Obito resurfaced one after another—fragments of a past he could never forget.

"Heh…"

Obito let out a faint chuckle. "This person sounds interesting. What's his name?"

Before Haneda could reply, Kakashi answered:

"Uchiha Obito."

"I've never heard of him," Obito said, his tone suddenly reverting to Tobi's lighthearted, exaggerated style. "I think I saw his name on the Memorial Stone though. He's dead, isn't he, Kakashi-senpai?"

Kakashi lowered his voice. "He died in front of me. He was a hero."

"Well, he's still dead, isn't he, Senpai? The dead are meaningless—just a name on a gravestone."

"Isn't that what war is? Who cares except for friends and family?"

Tobi shifted his attention to Haneda.

"By the way, Hokage-sama, do you remember the names of everyone on the Memorial Stone?"

Haneda looked at Afei and answered honestly, "No."

Tobi laughed. "Exactly. To someone in power, the dead are just numbers, right?"

"One death is a death. A hundred deaths are deaths. A thousand or ten thousand—it's all the same. What's the difference?"

"That's why the dead are meaningless."

Kakashi retorted, "How can they be meaningless? He lives on in our hearts!"

Tobi grinned mischievously. "And yet… is he still here?"

Kakashi fell silent.

He was here, always present. But he had changed—or rather, his ambitions and ideals had shifted, diverging entirely from Kakashi's.

Their paths had long since split, and the chance of them crossing again was slim.

Noticing the somber atmosphere around Haneda and Kakashi, Pain intervened with a stern tone:

"That's enough, Tobi. Let's end the discussion about the dead here."

With Pain's interruption, the group quickly returned to their previous dynamic.

Haneda resumed leading the tour, introducing the school's facilities and teaching philosophy.

Tobi lightened the mood with his playful antics, while Pain and Konan discreetly absorbed new knowledge.

Kakashi, on the other hand, remained quiet, closely observing Tobi's behavior.

Since some students were dismissed early, the day's exchange activities concluded ahead of schedule.

Over the next two and a half days, Haneda led Pain, Konan, and Tobi on tours of Konoha's other ninja schools.

Once Haneda and Pain finalized the timeline for the formal student exchange program, Pain departed with Konan and Tobi.

...

Konoha, Third Training Ground

After bidding farewell to the Akatsuki members, Haneda and Kakashi tacitly made their way to the Third Training Ground.

The Third Training Ground had once been Minato Namikaze's frequent training spot and was later passed down to Haneda and Kakashi.

As a training ground for two Hokage, it was a restricted area under constant ANBU surveillance.

Secluded and secure, it was the perfect place for Haneda and Kakashi to discuss sensitive matters.

"Kakashi, has Obito made any moves in the past few days?" Haneda asked.

Kakashi had been tasked with monitoring Obito.

Due to his position, Haneda couldn't spend too much time around Obito without raising his suspicions.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi admitted. "The Tobi I've been watching only showed interest in Naruto and the others on the first day. Other than that, he's been keeping a low profile."

"You already know what I told you before—sometimes, Tobi and Obito are two different people."

"Tobi isn't necessarily Obito. His body is strange. I consulted Orochimaru, who suspects that Tobi's body is made of a White Zetsu shell."

"Obito can shed the shell at any time and present himself as Madara."

"That's likely why Pain and Konan haven't suspected that Afei is Madara."

"The only way to tell if Tobi is Obito or a White Zetsu is by his Sharingan. Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan is unique."

Haneda nodded slightly. He understood the lengths to which Obito would go.

If one method failed to approach Naruto and Gaara, Obito would undoubtedly try another.

Haneda had stationed Wood Clones to protect Naruto and Gaara, and over the past few days, Obito hadn't attempted to get near them.

This left Haneda uncertain about Obito's true intentions in openly coming to Konoha.

After a moment of thought, Haneda decided to let it go.

Once he fused the giant Tenseigan and awakened the Rinnegan, neither Madara nor Black Zetsu would be able to stop him.

As for bringing Obito back…

Haneda couldn't reveal all his plans just yet—it was necessary to keep some things hidden.

"Let's set this matter aside for now," Haneda said. "Pain has already agreed to cooperate with us."

"He'll lead Amegakure to work with Konoha, bridging communication between the Akatsuki and us to initiate the Fourth Great Ninja War."

"You know the purpose of this war. That's what matters most."

"By the way…"

Haneda's gaze shifted to Kakashi's left eye, covered by the Konoha forehead protector. Concern evident in his tone, he asked:

"Your eye is almost blind, isn't it?"

Kakashi averted his gaze, his voice betraying a hint of unease.

"It's still usable. I rarely use Kamui and rely mostly on Flying Thunder God."

Haneda said firmly, "You don't have to lie to me. I can see your eye clearly."

"I've already arranged for Orochimaru to perform a transplant of Hashirama's cells for you. The cells I took from Tobi will be used. They're safe."

"I'll also be there to assist, ready to use Shinra Banshō if needed."

Kakashi shook his head. "Haneda, I know you're in the process of fusing the Tenseigan. Now isn't the right time."

"Most of your ocular power is focused on suppressing the Tenseigan. Using Shinra Banshō might cause complications."

"My eye isn't a big deal. If it goes blind, so be it. I still have my right eye. Let's deal with it after you've fully fused the Tenseigan."

"You're still the same—always reluctant to rely on me," Haneda said with a smile.

He released the Yang Seal, and the dazzling light of the Tenseigan burst forth from his forehead, radiant like a gemstone.

"I've already made significant progress in fusing the Tenseigan. I have more than enough ocular power to spare," Haneda assured.

"You don't need to refuse. You wouldn't want your past to end up in my new book, would you?"

Seeing Kakashi's hesitation, Haneda added that last bit as a playful jab.