Naruto lowered his head in silence for a moment. Then, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Obito seriously.
"I, along with Kakashi-sensei, have learned a lot about you. War indeed brought a lot of pain and caused the death of the comrade you cherished the most."
"But that's not the world's fault. We can work hard to make it better, but we can't destroy it. Immersing yourself in dreams and being unable to pull yourself out is just a kind of escape."
"Uncle Obito, when you were young, your dream was the same as mine, to become Hokage, right? Why can't you pick up that dream again?"
Naruto suddenly stretched out a hand toward Obito, "I can forgive everything you've done in the past. Can you come back? Let's work together toward a better world."
Obito fell silent. At this moment, he truly felt Naruto understood him, and that Naruto was practicing Jiraiya's values, trying hard to let go of hatred.
It had to be said, Naruto indeed had an indescribable charm to his personality.
But that, instead, made Obito feel extremely angry.
He couldn't help but question, "I personally killed your father and mother. Did they die in vain? Can you really forgive me? Tell me!"
Naruto's eyes carried a gentle look, "If Father were still here, he would surely wish for his disciple to return, to become Hokage, wouldn't he?"
Obito angrily said, "No! The reason you can casually say such forgiving words is because you never formed a real emotional bond with them. They never existed in your life!"
"Moreover, think about it. Everything you're experiencing now, your unfortunate childhood, the villagers' scorn, it's all because you lost your heroic parents. It was I who personally caused all your misfortune!"
Obito's questioning struck deep. Naruto's expression twisted uncontrollably.
Yeah, because of his tragic childhood, how much darkness had Naruto suppressed in his heart?
More than once, when he heard the villagers' curses, Naruto had the sudden urge to destroy everything. But in the end, he always suppressed that impulse.
The one who caused all of this was right before him now. Shouldn't he rush over and tear him to pieces?
Naruto's fists trembled. The Nine-Tails chakra inside him began to boil, once again showing signs of violent eruption.
Obito looked at Naruto's clownish appearance and mocked, "Naruto, let me tell you the truth."
"The so-called mutual understanding, you and the Five Great Nations only talk about it nicely."
"If I were weak, without the power you fear, then right now, instead of standing in front of me discussing peace and reason, you would've already thrown a punch at me."
"Naruto, people always think you're hot-blooded and impulsive, but you're far more rational than expected. Yet that very rationality makes you seem as hypocritical as those Five Great Nations."
Naruto was already furious beyond restraint. He couldn't help it, he punched Obito.
Obito raised a single hand in response.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A massive repulsive force instantly filled the space between Naruto and Obito.
Naruto wasn't sent flying by Shinra Tensei. Having mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, he was no longer who he used to be. Both his speed and strength had seen huge improvements.
Naruto's figure paused in midair. The forces from both sides reached equilibrium at this moment. Even time seemed to freeze because of this scene.
A trace of surprise appeared in Obito's eyes. The Naruto he used to dismiss had already grown this much in just a few days?
But this scene also gave him a chance to speak. He continued speaking to Naruto, who was suspended in midair, struggling forward, "See what you're doing right now? Just like those Five Great Nations. When I reason with you, and you can't argue back, you show your fists. But when I respond with fists, you insist on reasoning with me."
"Naruto, do you think you are truly on the side of justice?"
Naruto's eyes suddenly lost focus. His will began to waver. As it did, his power began to weaken.
BOOM!
Naruto's body was knocked back uncontrollably, crashing heavily into a tree.
The tree collapsed in response.
Yet Naruto stood back up as if nothing had happened. His injuries healed instantly. The confusion in his eyes was replaced by renewed determination.
"At the very least, I cherish my comrades, love life, and stick to my dreams. I'm not like you, if I can't get something, I destroy it."
Naruto shouted, "Can you honestly say, in all the terrible things you've done, you've never had that mindset? Can you say you're truly selfless, that it's only for the sake of a better world?"
At the side, Young Obito heard Naruto's words and couldn't help but sigh.
'Naruto might not be eloquent, but he has the keen instinct to grasp the core of a problem.'
Indeed, Obito's past dream was to create a better world. But in many of his actions, how much was truly for that cause, and how much was just to vent his hatred?
Obito said, "Naruto, you're right. Back during the Nine-Tails incident, although I had a plan to capture the Tailed Beast, I also carried a heavy personal grudge."
"I blamed Minato for failing to protect Rin. I blamed the Leaf's vile people. I blamed this world for being so unfair!"
Scenes of Rin in the Pure Land flashed through Obito's mind. Perhaps before this moment, he could've been persuaded by Naruto. After all, what Naruto said, that he was escaping reality, was true.
On many issues, Obito always took an escapist attitude.
But now, he no longer ran away. He had the courage to openly declare, in front of everyone, that the one who initiated the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, who started the Fourth Great Ninja War, was Uchiha Obito, not Uchiha Madara.
Obito declared firmly, "So I admit it. At least I dare admit everything I've done. But what about the Leaf? What about the Five Great Ninja Villages? What about the daimyo? The world you want to protect, those rulers and elites you want to defend, do they dare admit all they've done and how much of it was evil?"
Naruto's mind went blank again. Why? Why did he clearly know everything Obito had done was wrong, but still find it so hard to refute Obito's every word?
Where had things gone wrong? Could someone like Obito really be persuaded?
Naruto suddenly fell into a partial internal struggle.
Killer Bee saw this and knew things couldn't go on like this. If they did, Naruto's mental state might collapse.
He came to Naruto's side and patted his shoulder.
"Naruto, there is no absolute right or wrong in this world. The other side is well-spoken, sharp-witted, if it's just about reasoning, you won't win."
"You only need to know: if the man in front of you succeeds, your cherished comrades, the village you love, everything, will be gone."
"Protecting it all, that is our greatest JUSTICE!"
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