Chapter 381: Dad!
"Revive me? Kakashi, don't believe in these tricks. Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't escape death—what makes you think anyone else can?"
Haneda, I remember you used to be cautious. Don't lose your reasoning because of me," Sakumo said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of warning to both Haneda and Kakashi.
"Kakashi's right. I can do it," Haneda said softly, activating his Rinnegan.
His pale purple eyes rippled with an indescribable aura, exuding a sense of dominion over life and death.
"That's… the Rinnegan?!" Sakumo, usually composed, couldn't help but exclaim in shock at the sight of the legendary eyes.
Haneda explained, "Yes, the Rinnegan, the legendary Sage's Eye. It governs life and death, and can devour souls."
"One of its techniques is called the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, which can bring the dead back to life."
"While this jutsu does have a cost, I've found a way to transfer the burden."
Kakashi turned to his father and asked, "Father, have you ever thought about being revived? Coming back to Konoha, to us?"
As Kakashi finished speaking and looked at his father, Haneda sensed there was something Kakashi wanted to discuss privately.
"I'll head back to the village to buy some sake. Kakashi, Uncle Sakumo, you two should talk," Haneda said, excusing himself.
Before the words fully settled, Haneda had already left. The Third Training Ground was now left to Sakumo and Kakashi.
The father and son stood facing each other in silence. In some ways, the silence itself was an answer.
After a while, Sakumo took a deep breath and said firmly,
"I've already died once—there's nothing I can't let go of now."
"Forgive me, Kakashi, but I can't agree to this."
"Call it selfishness, but the ninja world has moved on in the years since I died. The people I knew have either grown old or passed away. You and Haneda have already grown into fine adults. What more could I possibly cling to?"
"Living again would only force me to relive the same life, and for me, that would be another kind of pain."
Sakumo stood up, waved his hand as if in farewell, and began walking toward Orochimaru, intending to have the Edo Tensei released and return to the peaceful Pure Land.
"Father."
Kakashi's voice stopped him in his tracks. Sakumo turned around, seeing Kakashi lowering his head, his voice heavy with emotion.
"Actually… Father, after you passed, there was a time when I blamed Haneda. I thought that if it weren't for him, you wouldn't have died."
"But then I saw how guilty and grief-stricken he was, and I couldn't bring myself to hate him…"
"I was in so much pain, torn between my feelings for you and for Haneda. He avoided me, unwilling to face me, and that hurt even more."
"I placed all my hopes on you and Haneda, but later I found new companions and great teachers. I regained hope."
"But by the end of the Third Ninja War, almost all of that hope was shattered. All I had left was Haneda, Minato-sensei, and Gai."
"You know, Haneda is the most important person to me. He's been with me for so long—he's my best friend."
"After you were gone, I saw his guilt and pain. I saw him strive tirelessly to make up for his mistakes. I saw him risk his life for revenge, compromise for the sake of the village, and rise step by step to become Hokage."
"I saw him lead Konoha to where it is now, always working to atone for the past and prevent the same mistakes from happening again."
"Father, I feel the same way. I want to be with you too."
"I want to train with you, eat with you, and spend time with friends together."
Kakashi gripped Sakumo's hand, now cold and devoid of its former warmth.
Looking into his father's eyes, Kakashi suddenly pleaded,
"Dad!"
"Come live with us again. Let's go back to the life we had before."
"Haneda told me he plans to step down as Hokage soon. We'll live the way we did ten years ago."
"We won't have to worry about the village or the country anymore. We'll just live our own lives."
"This time, we won't be ninjas."
Sakumo's heart skipped a beat, his long-held beliefs shaken to their core.
He remembered that becoming a ninja was never something he had forced on Kakashi. Kakashi had always looked up to him as a role model, striving to become a perfect shinobi.
But now…
Kakashi didn't want to be a ninja anymore.
What kind of life would that be?
Sakumo recalled the times when Kakashi had asked him to take him out to play or train together.
But heavy responsibilities had always kept him busy. For the sake of the village, he had repeatedly chosen duty over his son, rejecting Kakashi time and again.
He remembered the look of disappointment on Kakashi's face—so much like the look Kakashi wore now, head bowed, pleading with him.
What if he hadn't been a ninja?
What if he hadn't been Konoha's famed White Fang?
Maybe… everything would have been different.
Sakumo reached out, gently placing his hand on Kakashi's head. At some point, a smile had appeared on his face.
"All right."
...
When Haneda returned, Sakumo and Kakashi were sitting by a small riverbank, fishing rods in hand.
Hearing footsteps behind them, Kakashi turned and said,
"Just leave the sake over there. Oh, and Haneda, could you pick up some bait while you're out? I need it for chumming."
"???"
Haneda was confused, glancing at the buckets beside them out of habit.
Sakumo's bucket was already half-full, while Kakashi's held only a single tiny fish, barely ten centimeters long.
Haneda blinked and looked again. There was also a river prawn in Kakashi's bucket.
No wonder Kakashi wanted bait—he clearly wasn't very good at fishing.
Just as Haneda was about to tease him, Sakumo turned and said,
"Don't bother with the bait. Real fishermen don't need to chum the waters. It's just an excuse for poor technique."
"Fishing is about patience and tranquility. A true master doesn't need shortcuts."
"Haneda, you should learn a thing or two."
"…" Haneda didn't know whether to stay or leave.
Resigned, he pulled out a fishing rod, sat next to Kakashi, and casually cast his line.
"You forgot the bait," Kakashi reminded him.
"No need. I'm just fishing for fun," Haneda replied. Fishing had always felt like a waste of time to him—he'd been too busy, first with training, and now with endless paperwork and other responsibilities.
"Suit yourself. Don't blame me if you don't catch anything," Kakashi said. "By the way, your equipment is outdated. There's a new model—"
Before Kakashi could finish, Haneda's rod suddenly jerked. Something had bitten the hook.