"No!"
Feeling the gradually dissipating, then disappearing breath on Neji's body, Naruto let out a sorrowful cry.
His pupils suddenly contracted, then scattered, once again becoming like a puppet, frozen in place.
At the side, the other Konoha powerhouses saw this scene and all closed their eyes in pain.
At this moment, they also didn't know what kind of comforting words to say to lift Naruto's spirits again, or whether they should blame this tragic scene. Because in fact, it was caused by Naruto's earlier inaction.
In the distance, watching the battle, Young Obito also looked at this scene and couldn't help but speak, "The development of things, although slightly different from before, is still eerily similar."
"Rin, back then it was this same Hyuga branch house member, Hyuga Neji, who died in front of Naruto, delivering a heavy blow to him. I nearly succeeded in persuading Naruto."
Rin couldn't bear it and wanted to say something about how there was no need to increase the killing, but then remembered this was a battlefield. How could there be no deaths?
In the end, she could only ask, "Obito, why is it always Neji who dies? Why not someone else?"
"Don't you think all of this is just too unfair for him? As if fate is playing a huge joke on him."
Young Obito shook his head, "No, Rin, Hyuga Neji's death might just be an inevitable result."
Rin looked toward Young Obito, her eyes filled with confusion.
Young Obito explained, "Because Naruto, as the key combat power of the Allied Forces, stands at the very front."
"The more someone stands in such a position, the easier it is to make mistakes…"
He paused, then continued, "Naruto cannot be sacrificed. Otherwise, the odds of winning this battle would be pitifully low, so many people can only become his scapegoats."
"Whether for his mistakes, negligence, or simply to ensure his safety, trading one life for another."
"I have no doubt that many people have this kind of resolve, even me... the me who repented in the past."
As Obito said this, Rin suddenly thought of something and interrupted, "I understand. Everyone's level of attention toward Naruto is different, right?"
"Just like I will always watch over you, that girl named Hinata will always watch Naruto. So when danger happens, she's the first to notice and almost without hesitation, she charges over at any cost…"
Young Obito nodded, "Yes, so as long as it's a battle where Hyuga Hinata can intervene, she will be the first to become Naruto's life substitute. But after all, she is the main family's young lady of the Hyuga clan. While she's paying with her life for others, naturally, someone else will pay with their life for hers."
"You can say Hyuga Neji was unlucky, but all of this development, on this battlefield, isn't just vague luck. It's an inevitable result."
Rin sighed, feeling very uncomfortable in her heart, "Obito, I remember you once told me about the incident between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village. Hidden Cloud tried to kidnap Hinata, but the Hyuga clan discovered it and killed them."
"Hidden Cloud then demanded Konoha hand over the killer. The Third Hokage agreed. At that time, it was also a branch house member who died in place of the Hyuga head."
Young Obito was surprised, "You remembered that too?"
Rin forced a smile, "After all, because of that incident, Minato-sensei ranted about it several times. He said if he became Hokage, he'd never be that weak. At that time, even I couldn't help wanting to add a Hokage Robe to Minato-sensei."
Young Obito awkwardly coughed a few times, then returned to a serious tone, "That's the fate of the Hyuga branch family. As long as the Caged Bird exists, they will never have control over their own bodies. And when the Caged Bird disappears, just like Hyuga Neji, their lives also come to an end."
"To my knowledge, the branch family member who died in place of the Hyuga head at that time... was Hyuga Neji's father…"
Rin muttered, "So, the son of a scapegoat… is still a scapegoat?"
Young Obito added, "Yes, and this tradition was even written into the clan rules of the Hyuga, one of Konoha's great clans. Even the Hokage has to acknowledge its legitimacy."
"And…", Young Obito hesitated, then said, "Rin, back then, when you died at Kakashi's hands, wasn't that also a kind of substitution? Dying for Konoha, dying for Madara's conspiracy… dying for me."
"The higher-ups have long been accustomed to treating everyone's lives like chess pieces. Every person is just a piece on their board that can be sacrificed. All of their mistakes, their risks, are actually borne by the bottom, allowing them to continue manipulating the game."
Rin was silent for a while before saying, "Obito, I think I finally understand why you wanted to break the old world and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I said I would try to understand you, but now, seeing it with my own eyes, I can finally feel what's in your heart."
"Actually, after going through so many bad things, your heart, which should have been cold, still burns with a passionate flame, just like when you were a kid."
Young Obito suddenly became a little embarrassed, scratching his head, "Really? Am I that great? Maybe, haha."
Rin nodded, eyes narrowing. Maybe in the eyes of a lover, the beloved always shines. Only she could see the light on Obito.
However, perhaps remembering something, Rin's expression suddenly turned gloomy. She sighed and looked toward the distant battlefield, "Speaking of which, the current situation for Naruto… compared to your past experience, is even worse."
Young Obito followed Rin's gaze and saw Hinata hanging unconscious on the Divine Tree.
"Yeah, this time, even though Hyuga Neji risked everything, he still couldn't shake the Divine Tree at all. Hyuga Hinata... is already beyond saving."
"Naruto… lacking that one slap, when someone who treasures you gets hurt right before your eyes, what kind of choice will you make?"
———
At this time, on the battlefield where Obito was, he looked at Naruto, who had once made a vow that he would never let any of his companions die, and now stood dumbfounded like a wooden puppet. Inexplicably, he felt a bit of satisfaction inside.
Because, this was once his own vow, his own pursuit of the ideal. But reality had cruelly torn that ideal apart before his eyes.
Obito looked at Naruto and questioned, "Naruto, didn't you say you would protect everyone? But the result? Because you did nothing, even more people died. Someone like you... do you even have the right to say those words?"
Naruto trembled all over, eyes unfocused as he stared at the ground, muttering, "Yeah... do I have the right?"
Obito said, "This is the truth of the world. All beauty is temporary, despair and pain are the main themes. Naruto, compared to me, you're just younger, and haven't experienced enough."
After speaking, Obito pointed to the unconscious Hinata hanging on the Divine Tree, "Want to save her? If you do, then stop opposing me. When the day Infinite Tsukuyomi is activated comes, I promise, the people you treasure will all return to your side."
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