EBE Chapter 867 Looking Up
Chapter 867 Looking Up
He looked up at Minato with red eyes: "Teacher, am I really that bad? No matter how hard I try, it seems like I can never catch up with him."
Looking at this sensitive and kind boy, Minato felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He reached out and gently stroked Obito's frizzy black hair.
"Obito, do you know why Kakashi is so strong?"
Obito paused for a moment, then shook his head.
“In fact, Kakashi also carries a burden that is unimaginable to ordinary people,” Minato said softly. “His father is Sakumo Hatake, who is known as the ‘White Fang of Konoha’.”
"Konoha's White Fang?!" Obito exclaimed in surprise, "That's the... genius ninja who even the legendary Sannin had to show him some respect?"
“That’s right.” Minato nodded, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. “Sakumo-senpai was a true strongman and a true hero. Kakashi inherited his father’s amazing talent and was surrounded by various halos from a young age. But this also meant that he had to put in a hundred times more effort than ordinary people to be worthy of that name.”
Seeing Obito's shocked expression, Minato continued, "So, Obito, it's perfectly normal to feel pressure and struggle to catch up with a genius who has been running near the finish line since birth. It doesn't mean you're bad, much less that you're useless."
“Everyone has their own time to bloom,” Minato encouraged with a smile. “Kakashi is an early-blooming plum blossom, while you are perhaps the kind of sunflower that needs more sunshine and rain to finally bloom with the most dazzling light. I believe that as long as you don’t give up, one day you will awaken your own power, and even… surpass Kakashi.”
"Beyond... Kakashi?" Obito murmured to himself, a faint but determined flame gradually igniting in his previously dim eyes.
"Yes! I believe in you!" Minato gave a thumbs up. "Just like I believe you will become Hokage!"
Obito sniffed, forcefully wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and finally revealed a long-lost silly smile on his face.
"Thank you, teacher! I feel... like I have energy again!"
In the shadows not far away, Zhang Hai, returning from his patrol, listened to the conversation between the master and apprentice, his eyes behind his mask becoming somewhat complicated.
"Sunflower... What a pity, Minato."
Zhang Hai silently thought to himself, "This sunflower is destined to bloom into a blood-stained red spider lily in the darkest hell."
"Hero? Ha."
A cold voice came from the darkness, interrupting the tender moment between the master and his disciple.
Zhang Haiye slowly stepped out of the shadows, his eyes beneath the mask gleaming with an inexplicable light in the firelight.
"Obito, do you think Sakumo Hatake died on the battlefield?"
Obito was stunned, looking at Zhang Hai with a puzzled expression: "Isn't that right? He's such a powerful ninja..."
“No.” Zhang Hai’s voice was chilling, as if he were about to lay bare that long-buried, cruel history. “He committed suicide.”
"Suicide?!" Obito's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Back then, White Fang was on an S-rank infiltration mission of great importance to Konoha's interests. But during the mission, his teammates fell into an enemy trap." Zhang Hai walked up to Obito, looking down at him. "At that moment, White Fang, as the captain, faced a choice: continue the mission and sacrifice his teammates, or abandon the mission and go to rescue them."
"He chose the latter."
Zhang Hai paused, his tone becoming even more somber, "He abandoned the mission to save his comrades. But the price was that Konoha suffered enormous losses as a result. From that moment on, the hero became a sinner."
"The villagers started blaming him, calling him the culprit for the mission's failure. The rumors stabbed him like knives. Ironically..." Zhang Hai let out a cold laugh, "even the teammate he risked his life to save stood up and accused him, saying he shouldn't have abandoned the greater good for personal feelings."
"In the end, the White Fang of Konoha, who once struck fear into the hearts of enemy nations, did not die by the enemy's blade, but was driven to a mental breakdown by the village he was protecting and his comrades, and chose to end his life at home."
Obito trembled all over as he listened, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.
"This is...this is too much!" Obito suddenly raised his head, his eyes burning with anger and incomprehension. "I was trying to save my comrades! I was trying to keep them from dying! Why am I being scolded? Why am I being driven to my death?!"
He shouted, "I think Uncle Whitetooth is right! He's a true hero!"
"If breaking the rules of ninjas makes someone trash..." Obito gritted his teeth, speaking each word slowly and deliberately, his youthful voice carrying a powerful, awe-inspiring force, "then those who don't cherish their comrades are even worse than trash!"
These words struck like a thunderclap in the silent forest.
Minato Namikaze stared blankly at Obito, a light he had never seen before flashing in his eyes. This boy, who was usually a loser and a crybaby, was displaying a simple yet profound set of values that even made his teacher feel a sense of shame and moved.
"Well said." Zhang Hai looked at Obito, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his mask.
At this moment, he finally understood why Obito was the chosen one, and why he would be able to ignite the world-changing war. This kind of pure, unwavering love and obsession, once distorted, is indeed enough to destroy the world.
“Obito.” Minato took a deep breath, stepped forward, and patted Obito on the shoulder, his tone much gentler. “I’m glad you think this way. But you should also understand why Kakashi has become the way he is now.”
“He witnessed firsthand the suffering his father endured for breaking the rules, the despair of being condemned by everyone. So in his heart, the rules became his only lifeline, his armor to protect himself from further harm.” Minato sighed. “His indifference and stubbornness are actually masking his inner fear and trauma. So… no matter how harsh his words are, I hope you can be more understanding of him.”
Obito remained silent for a long time, his initially angry gaze gradually becoming complicated. He looked at the silver-haired figure not far away, wrapped in a sleeping bag and with his back to the others. The resentment he felt towards Kakashi seemed to dissipate somewhat, replaced by a faint sense of sympathy.
"Tch...who wants to be understanding of that kind of awkward guy?" Obito turned his head away and muttered under his breath, "But...since that's his reason...I'll reluctantly let it go."