enjoyebooks Chapter 498 Neighbors on the Memorial Monument
Chapter 498 Neighbors on the Memorial Monument
These words, which had swirled in my mind countless times, were torn to shreds at this moment by that crumpled piece of drawing paper.
The white sheet covering the corpse seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand, and the resolute yet unfamiliar face of the Sand Ninja overlapped with the man in the painting, who was being led by his daughter and smiling happily.
What remains are no longer any Sand Village ninjas.
That was a father... whom his daughter drew on paper, waiting for him to come home...
"Buzz—"
Obito's mind went blank, and the drawing paper in his hand suddenly felt as heavy as a mountain, making his fingertips numb and tremble uncontrollably.
At that moment, he wasn't thinking about Naruto, the village, or even Rin.
All he could think of were his family, who stood on tiptoe under the old locust tree in Konoha, waiting for him to come home day after day.
If it were me lying here... then what about them...?
An unprecedented, chilling fear and sorrow, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly overwhelmed him completely.
For the first time, he realized so directly and so cruelly—
Those enemies he burned to charcoal with his Great Fireball, those whose hearts were pierced by Kakashi's short sword, and those crushed by Minato's Rasengan—every single one of them was exactly like himself, Kakashi, and everyone in the village.
They are living, breathing people.
They have family, friends, and people in the distance who light a lamp and wait for them to return home.
Most people's fates are swept along by the current... Perhaps the Hokage understood this perspective...
"Hey, idiot, what are you spacing out for?"
A cool, slightly lazy voice sounded from behind.
Kakashi walked over, glanced at the deadly drawing in Obito's hand, and then at Obito's dazed look. His brows furrowed imperceptibly beneath his mask.
He neither mocked nor asked any further questions.
Without a word, he took the other end of the stretcher from Obito, the weight of which made his shoulders sag slightly.
"Let's go, there's still a lot... that needs our attention."
Obito's eyes instantly turned red, and he sniffed hard, using all his strength to keep the tears from falling.
He carefully and solemnly folded the drawing paper again and stuffed it back into the cold arms of the Sand Ninja.
"……Um."
He responded hoarsely, his voice almost choked with emotion.
……
On the other side, the three members of the Akatsuki squad were responsible for making white flowers for the memorial service using paper.
Xiao Nan's fingers flew deftly, and sheets of white paper quickly unfurled and blossomed in her hands, transforming into elegant, silent flowers. Her movements were quiet and focused, as if she were using this method to soothe the countless souls on the battlefield who were unwilling to leave.
Yahiko clumsily tried to fold it, but it never quite formed a proper shape. He gave up, staring blankly at the incredible scene in the distance, and whispered to Nagato:
"Nagato, look..."
He watched as the Konoha ninjas carefully wiped the headbands, covered in mud and blood, cleaned them with water, and then neatly placed them under the memorial stone.
Leaves of the leaf, clouds hidden in the clouds, rocks hidden in the rocks, raindrops hidden in the rain.
The symbols that once represented hatred and antagonism now lie silently side by side in the face of absolute equality in death, achieving an absurd yet sacred reconciliation.
"It's not about conquering with force, nor about humiliating with victory..."
Yahiko's voice carried an almost reverent devotion, "It's about respecting every life, even if it's an enemy. The Hokage... he's teaching us what a true bridge is."
Konan paused for a moment, looked up at Yahiko's eyes, which were like flames that were almost burning, and then looked at the silent Nagato beside her.
She said softly, "Yes, this is greater than any hero's story...."
Nagato remained silent.
His ever-quiet Rinnegan eyes reflected the pure white flower in Konan's hand.
He silently and slowly placed the flower he had folded next to Xiao Nan's.
Then, the three of them lowered their heads and put their hands together in prayer.
May the departed rest in peace.
"May the world... be free from war."
……
A campfire was lit in the canyon, dispelling the chill of the mountains, but it could not dispel the heaviness that permeated the air.
The towering memorial monument was half completed, casting a silent, enormous shadow in the firelight.
The surface of the stone tablet had been polished to an exceptionally smooth finish, reflecting the flickering flames.
Ding, ding, ding...
The crisp yet subdued chiseling sound became the only melody in the silent night.
The ninjas of Konoha use kunai.
After a long period of hesitation, the ninjas of Kumogakure also drew their weapons.
They stood side by side, silently carving familiar or unfamiliar names, stroke by stroke, into the cold stone.
The Fourth Raikage, Ai, walked alone to the memorial stone.
He looked at the names illuminated by the firelight.
【Hatake River】
【Night Moon Cedar】
【Uchiha Yu】
【Tatsuya Morimoto】
……
In life, they were mortal enemies, but in death, they became neighbors, separated by only a finger's width, on cold stone tablets.
The Fourth Raikage raised his massive hand, powerful enough to shatter mountains, but his movements were slower than ever before.
With a barely perceptible tremor, his rough fingertips traced the name of the Cloud Village ninja—[Yotsuki Sugi]—heavyly, inch by inch.
That was a junior he had watched grow up. Before setting off, the junior had patted his chest and promised him that he would make those bastards from Iwagakure and Sunagakure know how powerful Kumogakure was.
Now, he has become a line of cold, etched marks.
Next to his name was the name of a Sand Village ninja he didn't recognize.
Did this guy kill him?
Or was he killed by Sugi?
The chain of hatred becomes so concrete, yet so absurd.
In Ai's heart, the solid ice forged from anger and hatred was crackling and crumbling inch by inch.
A figure appeared silently behind him.
"Big brother."
It's Kirabi.
He wasn't wearing sunglasses, nor was he rapping; he simply stood side by side with Ai, gazing at the stone monument together.
"Hey, bro, I know you're in a bad mood..."
Kirabi tried to speak in his usual way, but when the words came out, he fell into a dry silence.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a low, almost sighing voice.
"Brother... perhaps..."
"...This must be what Tsuchishiro-senpai meant by the true capacity of a Kage."
Ai's body trembled violently, his large hand, with its distinct knuckles from exertion, clenched tightly at his side.
Then, under Kirabi's watchful eye.
That fist, inch by inch... loosened.