Obito Uchiha

When Naruto insists that Obito still exists as himself, the Uchiha waves it off, claiming he has already risen beyond that into a second Sage of the Six Paths. Naruto refuses to let it stand, pointing out how alike the two of them are in their upbringings, their aims, and their convictions. He warns Obito that no one will ever honor a dream that strips people of their freedom. Obito agrees they are similar, and says that resemblance is exactly why he wanted Naruto to believe the world was beyond saving, having glimpsed his own younger self in the boy and hoped to make him cast off his ideals before they led only to grief.

Naruto rebukes Obito for fleeing from life, but the Uchiha holds firm, arguing he is doing a Hokage's real work by delivering peace and has merely found a shortcut to it. Naruto rejects the idea outright, telling him there is no shortcut to the Hokage's dream, which belongs to someone who walks ahead of everyone else and clears the path so others can follow.

Naruto challenges Obito's claim of having transcended into a second Sage of the Six Paths. Obito admits he tried to make Naruto abandon his ideals because he saw his own past self in him. The two debate whether peace can be reached through a shortcut. Naruto rejects the notion, defining the Hokage as one who leads from the front and eases the way for others.

The episode falls within the Birth of the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki arc and adapts chapter 653, opening with Silhouette and ending on It's Absolutely No Good. In a flashback sparring match at the Academy, Obito and Kakashi reuse the same moves they traded both as young teammates and later as adults.