Chapter 399: Just Give Him a Beating
"To bring back a friend, fulfill the dreams we once had, and also complete my friend's ideals," Haneda said.
"That simple?"
"That simple."
Haneda pointed to his Rinnegan, then to the circular mark on his forehead, and asked,
"At my level, what else is there to look forward to in the future, other than chasing the regrets of the past?"
Pain pondered for a moment, opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing in the end.
Wasn't he also constantly chasing the past?
His ideals were inherited from Yahiko's will, and all his present and future efforts were directed toward achieving peace in the ninja world.
The reason he turned Yahiko's body into Tendo Pain was precisely because of this.
This way, Yahiko himself could realize the dream of peace!
To fulfill his friend's ideals, he had forsaken the one he once loved and abandoned most of his emotions.
He lived on as Pain, a figure of suffering.
Pain said, "In some ways, we are very similar."
"But I am destined to be a failure. I've already lost my name from the past, while you continue to live under your own name."
Haneda said, "You too can seek your own happiness after the war ends."
"Freedom belongs to everyone, including you, and me."
Haneda paused briefly when he said "me," then continued,
"The time of the war will be after the funeral. I'll notify you in advance, as well as Uchiha... Obito."
"Tonight, stay in Konoha for now. Tomorrow morning, head to the Hokage Tower, then leave an hour later."
"You should understand that this is a gesture."
"Okay." Pain uttered the word, then descended from the sky.
He flew straight toward the Hokage Tower, ignoring the curious gazes of the people below.
When he made his appearance in Konoha, it already conveyed the message Haneda wanted to send to the outside world.
As Pain departed, Haneda used Bishamonten to leave as well.
The next moment, he arrived on the moon.
It was a forest left behind by the Otsutsuki, with several rivers flowing down from the lunar mountains.
Kakashi and Sakumo, wearing sunglasses, held fishing rods as they lounged lazily in rocking chairs.
They were fishing without bait, simply using brightly colored feathers wrapped around the hooks.
According to Kakashi, the fish on the moon were so stupid that even these bright colors could lure them.
Once the fish got smarter, he would start using bait.
After all, fish had short memories, and the survivors weren't particularly clever. Using other tricks, they could easily "fish" them out.
As soon as Haneda arrived, he saw Kakashi's bucket filled to the brim with large fish, yet he wore a dissatisfied expression, as if he had suffered a great loss.
Haneda glanced at the bucket next to Sakumo—it was the same, filled with wide-eyed, silly-looking fish.
He counted quickly. Both buckets held the same number of fish.
Haneda curiously asked,
"Aren't they the same amount? Kakashi, why are you unhappy?"
Kakashi, sounding regretful, said:
"I've lost out big time. I went to the fishing store and bought those colorful things specifically to lure the fish."
"You don't understand, Haneda. The fish in this river are so dumb that other people can catch them with just a hook!"
"If I'd known, I would have done the same. Next time, I'll use colorful things, then add some fish-attracting scent, and later switch to normal bait..."
"And then move to another river, right?" Haneda followed Sakumo's fishing line into the clear river, where only a silver hook gleamed.
He knew exactly who Kakashi was referring to when he said "other people."
"Smart, as expected from you!" Kakashi gave him a thumbs-up in encouragement.
Haneda's mouth twitched. With Kakashi's cleverness in fishing and his knack for "harvesting," if he went into business, he might actually do well.
At this moment, Sakumo asked about the serious matter, "How's everything on your side?"
Haneda replied, "It's been sorted out. Now we're waiting on the progress of the Tenseigan fusion."
"Good." Sakumo asked no further.
The time spent with Kakashi, along with the solitude of this place, made him feel at ease.
He no longer held much attachment to the outside world.
But Kakashi was different. His friend Obito was still in darkness, and he remained deeply connected to the village.
He asked, "Obito should have come to see you, right, Haneda?"
Haneda smiled, "He did. He came specifically to see if I was really dying."
"He pretends not to care, but deep down..."
"Heh, he's just as tsundere as before."
Kakashi said, "In the end, he cares more about you. If he had come to find me, it wouldn't have been like that."
Haneda knew what Kakashi meant—the difference in their treatment. On the night of the Nine-Tails, Obito knocked him out; during the Kirigakure incident, he stabbed him.
His approach was all about provocation.
But...
"That also shows he still cares about you. If it were someone he hated or didn't care about, they'd be long dead," Haneda said.
Seeing Kakashi fall silent, Haneda added:
"I'll create a space for you to talk with him during the Fourth Great Ninja War."
Kakashi asked again, "Did he go to see Gaara or Naruto?"
"Naruto told me this afternoon that he bumped into Obito at the gate of his house, but Obito wasn't there for him."
"They chatted a bit, and when Obito heard Minato's voice, he left."
"I met him at the Hokage Rock. He really wants to return, but he's afraid to."
Kakashi said, "Obito... He's afraid to come back. He's done too much harm to Konoha..."
Haneda interrupted, "No, he hasn't. On the night of the Nine-Tails, apart from Minato and Kushina, no one else died."
"At least regarding Konoha, Obito hasn't done much harm. In fact, Minato doesn't hate Obito; he blames himself."
"He feels guilty for not making it to the battlefield to save Obito, for not protecting Rin, and for not recognizing Obito that day."
"Kushina's feelings toward Obito are more complicated. To be honest, I can't tell what her attitude is."
Kakashi firmly stated, "Haneda, I bet if Kushina could just beat Obito up, everything would be fine!"
???
Kakashi explained, "Kushina always saw Obito as a child. When a child misbehaves, you beat them first, scold them later, and if they're still stubborn, you beat them again until they listen."
"Minato-sensei was always gentle, preferring to win people over with kindness."
"As long as Obito admits his mistakes, once Kushina calms down, she'll definitely be willing to forgive him."
"She always treated Obito like a naughty child. We'll tie him up, bring him to Kushina, and let her give him a good beating."
"If he talks back, she'll beat him again. Once her anger subsides, Minato-sensei will definitely step in to mediate."
???
Talk about winning with reason and kindness.
Alright, alright!
Haneda decided to add another step to his plan—let Kushina give Obito a thorough beating after his failure.
...