Chapter 327: The Culprit Behind the Missing Flowers
Haneda escorted Gaara into the house, while Kakashi lingered at the door and said,
"I'll take my leave for now, Haneda."
"Let's grab dinner together tonight before heading over," Haneda suggested.
"Alright, I'll come by your place to get you," Kakashi replied.
Haneda understood exactly where Kakashi meant by "over there."
After settling Gaara into the house, Haneda planned to head to the moon to test the compatibility of the Byakugan with the Tenseigan. He might not return to Konoha for quite some time, so a shared meal with Kakashi seemed like a good way to wrap things up.
When they entered the living room, Naruto and Sasuke were sprawled out on the sofa, with Shiren sitting nearby.
Haneda noticed Sasuke whispering to Naruto while occasionally shooting hostile glances at Shiren. Meanwhile, clueless Naruto was constantly praising Shiren, further agitating Sasuke, who pouted and turned his head away in frustration.
"This is Gaara," Haneda introduced, "our new family member. He's the One-Tails Jinchūriki from Suna, but he didn't want to stay there anymore, so he's come to live in Konoha with us."
Gaara stood shyly by Haneda's side. Naruto, who had long known about his own status as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, was naturally curious about Gaara.
Sasuke, on the other hand, felt an inexplicable annoyance toward this cool and collected newcomer. It reminded him of how he'd initially felt about Shiren.
"Hello, Naruto. Haneda-ojisan has told me about you," Gaara said, greeting Naruto first.
Shiren and Sasuke seemed harder to approach, but Naruto's sunny and friendly demeanor immediately put Gaara at ease.
Naruto beamed back. "Hey, Gaara! If you ever need help, come to me. I'm really strong!"
Gaara nodded slightly. "I'm strong too. No one's ever broken through my defenses."
Naruto pointed at the large gourd on Gaara's back. "What's that? Is it super important to you?"
Sasuke, still watching from the side, interjected, "It doesn't look like much. Probably just a ninja tool for carrying something."
Gaara ignored Sasuke's comment, keeping his expression neutral, but his demeanor softened when addressing Naruto. He even allowed a rare smile to slip through. "It's just chakra-infused sand. Nothing special."
As he spoke, Gaara manipulated the sand to form small floating toys, which hovered and stuck to Naruto's body playfully.
"Wow, Sasuke! Gaara's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed in awe.
"That's Magnet Release, Naruto," Sasuke replied with a serious tone. "You really should pay more attention in class."
Sasuke observed Gaara's precise control of his Magnet Release and admitted it was impressive. However, he remained unimpressed.
Sharingan is the strongest Kekkei Genkai, Sasuke thought confidently. Once I awaken mine, neither Shiren nor Gaara will stand a chance.
Watching the children interact and begin to bond, Haneda felt reassured and left them to their own devices.
He had initially worried that Gaara, with his troubled past, might struggle to fit in, even with the help of someone like Naruto. But after suppressing Shukaku's influence and seeing Gaara's newfound sense of normalcy, Haneda realized the boy's true nature wasn't malicious.
Gaara had simply been shaped by a childhood devoid of love and safety, growing up in an environment that bred suspicion and fear. The betrayal by Yashamaru, someone he had trusted deeply, had only exacerbated his defensive and violent tendencies.
Naruto's innate warmth and friendliness gave Gaara something he had long yearned for—care and acceptance. In return, Gaara created toys from his sand to share with Naruto, a small but heartfelt gesture of his goodwill.
To Haneda, the sight of Gaara playing with others was both touching and bittersweet. For most of his childhood, Gaara had been forced to entertain himself alone, with no one willing to join him. Even his older siblings had only watched over him from a safe distance, never daring to get too close.
After leaving the house, Haneda teleported to Kakashi's home.
The moment he entered, he heard the sound of rushing water from the sink. Kakashi was standing there, washing his hands vigorously.
The faucet was turned on full blast, and the sound of water striking the sink was loud and relentless. Kakashi's head was bowed, his hands moving mechanically under the stream.
"Still stuck in the past, huh?" Haneda thought to himself with a sigh.
He had worked hard to help Kakashi move past his guilt and grief, but the revelation about Tobi's identity seemed to have undone much of that progress.
Haneda regretted telling Kakashi that Tobi was Obito. It had only deepened Kakashi's feelings of responsibility for what Obito had become, as if the blame for all of Obito's actions rested solely on his shoulders.
The sound of water splashing in the sink continued. Kakashi seemed lost in his thoughts, the intensity of the water building up a small pool in the basin.
Noticing Haneda's reflection in the sink's surface, Kakashi finally turned off the faucet, letting the water drain away.
"You're planning to visit the memorial stone, right?" Haneda asked. "I know you always go there after washing up and buying flowers."
Kakashi hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. Just let me grab something first."
When he returned a moment later, he was holding a book—a pristine collector's edition of Icha Icha Paradise.
Haneda stared at the book in disbelief. "A romance novel? Really? Why on earth would you bring that to visit Rin's grave?"
If Obito saw this, he'd probably have a few choice words about Kakashi's priorities.
The two set off, retracing a path they had walked countless times before. They stopped by the usual flower shop, picked out their usual bouquets, and arrived at the memorial stone.
Despite the convenience of teleportation, Kakashi always insisted on walking to the memorial. Haneda respected his wishes and accompanied him every time, until the route became second nature.
Standing before the stone, they placed their flowers down and observed a moment of silence.
After a few minutes, Kakashi broke the quiet.
"Every time I came here before, the flowers I left would vanish—sometimes there'd be petals scattered on the ground. Yours, though, were always untouched."
Kakashi's voice was heavy with regret. "At the time, I didn't understand why. I thought it was some kind of divine punishment."
"But now I get it," he continued. "It was Obito. He's been watching me all along. And he'll never forgive me."
Haneda was about to joke, "Why didn't he toss mine?" but seeing the weight in Kakashi's expression, he held back.
Still, the thought crossed his mind: Every time they visited, a flower would go missing from Rin's grave. Haneda could already picture Obito standing there, angrily tossing flowers aside and muttering, What's the point of power if you can't protect what matters?
Haneda placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "At least he didn't throw mine. It shows that, deep down, Obito still cares about us."
Kakashi blinked, confused by the odd reassurance. After a moment, he nodded. "You're right. Despite everything, we're still friends. We're still teammates."
Touching the scar over his left eye, Kakashi gripped the copy of Icha Icha Paradise tightly in his hand.
No matter what had happened, the gifts Obito had given him—his Sharingan, and later the book on his eighteenth birthday—remained as proof of their enduring bond.