Chapter 139

Chapter 139

**At noon,** Orochimaru's unit returned to the village. Aside from the monitoring squads left in the Lands of Rivers and Rain, all others who were supposed to return had arrived back in the Leaf.

In the afternoon, following the usual post-war tradition, the Third Hokage held a memorial at the monument.

Haneda and Kakashi followed Sakumo, while Obito and Rin stood with Minato. Everyone seemed more mature than they had been when they had left for the battlefield.

Haneda exchanged a brief greeting with Kakashi and the others, then bowed his head in silent tribute. Though he had lost no close friends or family, seeing the newly carved names on the memorial stone filled him with a quiet sorrow.

Sakumo sighed, "Over a thousand lives were lost in this war."

Minato added, "Yes, so many of our comrades fell on the battlefield—but they gave their lives to protect the Leaf."

Sakumo fell silent, acknowledging the painful reality that Leaf's protection had come at such a high cost. Haneda looked around at the mourning ninja and the families of the fallen. There was no visible pride, only sadness, perhaps hidden beneath a layer of quiet honor.

Haneda recalled a line from the Leaf's Academy textbooks and spoke aloud: "A ninja is not to seek the reason for their existence… but is merely a tool of importance to their nation."

"Maybe the sacrifice of ordinary ninja is simply to fulfill the village's designated mission?" he added. "They have no choice in many of these things."

Sakumo glanced at Haneda, wanting to respond but staying silent. Realistically, Haneda was right—many ninja were forced to carry out these fatal missions, with no option to refuse, sacrificing themselves for the final victory.

However, Obito protested loudly, "Hmph, Haneda! Who says a ninja has to be like that? Are you like that? I know I'm not!"

Kakashi nodded in agreement, recalling that he hadn't joined the Academy just to be a tool. "Even the underdog has a point," he remarked. "And Haneda, I thought you didn't even read the textbooks."

Haneda gave Kakashi a quick glance, remembering when Kakashi had said something similar before. Smiling, he replied, "I was just bored, so I read a bit. It just came to mind now."

At that moment, Orochimaru approached them.

"So, life has no meaning, whether you're a ninja or a commoner," he said, licking his lips as he looked at Haneda. Orochimaru had always wanted to study the Sharingan, but due to the Third's restrictions, Danzo had failed to acquire even one Sharingan eye from this war.

"Haneda-kun, what does being a ninja mean to you?" Orochimaru asked with curiosity.

Suddenly, Guy appeared in his signature green suit and bold bowl-cut, dramatically changing the atmosphere around the monument.

"Haneda! Kakashi! Runta! So here you are!" Guy announced enthusiastically. "And even Orochimaru-sensei is here!"

Seeing Sakumo, Minato, and the others, he grinned wider and declared, "Perfect! Under the watchful eyes of our mentors, let's have a youthful showdown, Kakashi!"

Kakashi looked at the overly enthusiastic Guy, exasperation evident on his face, even as Orochimaru's expression changed slightly.

Obito bristled upon hearing Guy's nickname for him. Pointing a finger, he shouted, "Hey, you bowl-cut freak, my name is Uchiha Obito! I've told you how many times?"

"Sure, Obito!" Guy gave him a thumbs-up with a brilliant smile. His gaze then shifted to Haneda before landing back on Kakashi. "Now, Kakashi, accept my challenge to youthful combat!"

Kakashi shook his head. "I refuse. This isn't the place for that." The memorial's solemn atmosphere had transformed into something comedic with Guy's arrival. Kakashi had wanted to hear more about Haneda's views on ninja life.

"Ah! Darn it! Rejected again by Kakashi!" Guy lamented, wondering if he wasn't trying hard enough.

"No, it's because you lack tact and chose the wrong time," Orochimaru said with a slight frown.

"True, Orochimaru-sensei!" Guy replied. "But I believe hard work can make up for anything!"

Orochimaru opened his mouth to respond but paused, realizing that any reply might encourage more of Guy's "youthful" remarks. He decided not to debate with someone so… persistent.

"You have a very lively student, Orochimaru," Sakumo said with a smile.

"Perhaps," Orochimaru responded. "He reminds me of a few old acquaintances." Orochimaru's feelings toward Guy were complex. Guy's determination reminded him of his former teammate Jiraiya, as well as his lost disciple, Nawaki, both of whom had foolishly sought seemingly unreachable goals, like Jiraiya's love for Tsunade and Nawaki's dream of becoming Hokage.

Now, Guy had set his sights on besting both Kakashi and Haneda.

Orochimaru mused aloud, "So, is life's meaning really just to be used by others until death?"

Noticing Orochimaru's fascination with his Sharingan, Haneda mischievously replied, "There is no meaning. But staying alive might lead to something interesting, like you meeting me and me meeting you."

Orochimaru briefly remembered Jiraiya, Nawaki, and even Guy. Smiling, he replied, "Haneda-kun, you certainly are an interesting person."

He then looked up at the sky, thinking to himself, 'Perhaps life's meaning is just to encounter some interesting people.'

**Meanwhile,** back at the Root base, Danzo was frustrated with his never-ending administrative duties when he received another "good news" update from the Third Hokage: due to Haneda and Kakashi's impressive performance in battle, the Third was considering recruiting them both into the Anbu.

Danzo knew exactly what his old friend was up to. Haneda and Kakashi had contributed so much that the Third wanted to reward them but didn't know how. Since Haneda had already studied the entire Sealed Jutsu Scroll, the Hokage decided that offering them roles in the Anbu would be the next best thing.

Danzo, however, thought this was a foolish move. The Anbu dealt with too many of the village's secrets, and adding another Uchiha would increase the clan's influence even further. Danzo muttered under his breath, "Such folly! One day, Hiruzen, you'll regret this decision!"

He started plotting a countermeasure but hesitated, knowing that trying to block the move could backfire on the Third's standing, especially with tensions high due to the war's heavy toll. If he antagonized Haneda's allies—the Uchiha, Sakumo, Dai, Minato, Kushina, and even Tsunade—the opposition would only multiply.

'How is it that my enemies keep increasing?'