"Teacher Sakumo, I'm here to visit you."
In a room on the second floor, Shiraishi whispered to the photos on the shelf.
This is a photo they took together when Class 5 was first formed.
Ayane and Liuli were also on top, and when I was taking photos, I was sandwiched between them. It was really hard for me to think about it at that time.
Sakumo stood behind the three of them, carrying the White Fang dagger and wearing a ninja forehead protector, showing a hearty and happy smile.
Just as Shiraishi was recalling these things, the door suddenly opened.
"I told you, when you enter someone else's home, don't you know you can't just run around?"
Shiraishi felt a headache when he saw Obito walking in without any concealment.
"I still want to talk about you. What's the matter with putting me there alone?"
Obito responded with the same annoyance.
"I just came up to take a look."
"Then I'll come up and take a look."
Obito learned wisely and followed Shiraishi's words.
Later, he also discovered the existence of the photo and stared at it carefully. Although it was taken when Shiraishi was twelve years old and was a bit different from the current Shiraishi, Obito recognized it at once. This is the past. of white stone.
"So you were like this before, and there's nothing special about you."
Obito made some embarrassing remarks.
Then he looked at the others.
"Those eyes belong to the Hyuga clan. Then this one here must be Ruri-senpai. As expected of a senior, he gives people a reliable and powerful feeling at such a young age."
Looking at Ruri in the photo, Obito suddenly turned into a little fanboy and said in an admiring tone.
"Hey, who is this white-haired uncle? Is he your instructor jounin?"
Obito asked with a curious look on his face.
"Yes, he is also Kakashi's father, a ninja known as 'Konoha White Fang'."
Shiraishi nodded. This kind of thing can be known by just asking around. It is not a secret.
"No wonder it looks so similar to Kakashi... But, Konoha White Fang... I seem to have heard of it somewhere... Strange, where did I hear of it?"
Obito tilted his head and began to think.
I vaguely remember that it was a few months ago.
What exactly it was, Obito couldn't remember clearly.
"It's not a good thing for you to know this kind of thing."
Shiraishi interrupted the topic.
Rumors about Sakumo are basically only spread among adults. It is normal for students like Obito who are still in school not to know much about it.
I guess I just know the name, but I don’t have a deep understanding of what happened.
What's more, after Sakumo committed suicide, many people kept silent about the matter and acted as if it never happened.
But the scars have been exposed, and no matter how you try to make up for it, the wounds will not disappear, they will only hide deeper.
"What? I'm not a child."
Obito said dissatisfied.
"Okay, let's go down."
Shiraishi took Obito downstairs and returned to the living room.
There, the takeout ordered by Kakashi had been delivered, and Kakashi himself was sitting there, waiting for the two of them to come over and have dinner together.
"Kakashi, you haven't been eating takeout all the time lately, have you?"
Obito frowned and said when he saw that there were many takeout boxes in the trash can that had not been cleaned up in time.
"Um."
Kakashi nodded.
In addition to his work, he spends a lot of time exercising at home every day. He has no time to cook and can only survive on takeaways.
Seeing Kakashi's nonchalant reply, Obito frowned even more.
When he was about to say something, he swallowed his words when he saw Kakashi's eyes that showed no desire to argue.
Kakashi like this gave Obito an indescribable bad feeling.
It felt like no matter what I said to him, I couldn't get close to him.
Even if he wanted to ask Kakashi why he had a dispute with his companions on the mission, is it true that as those people said, the value of the life of his companions, to him, is lower than the value of the mission...
In the end, Obito hesitated for a long time and failed to confess to Kakashi the issue he was most concerned about.
Kakashi's home gave him an unusually deserted and uninhabitable feeling.
What happened to this guy after he graduated? Obito murmured in his mind.
Kakashi sat at the dining table, took two bites of takeout, and then closed the takeout box.
"I'm full. You can go back after eating. I have nothing to entertain you here."
Kakashi threw his uneaten takeout directly into the trash can next to him, and walked towards the yard with the White Fang dagger on his back.
"...Did we come at the wrong time?"
Obito glanced at Shiraishi with a guilty look.
Shiraishi replied: "This has nothing to do with you, don't think too much about it."
"is that so?"
Obito was doubtful.
After the two of them quickly ate the takeout, Obito also thoughtfully took out the garbage bags filled with many takeout boxes and disposed of them. If they were left here for a long time, they would definitely become moldy.
"It's really amazing. Have you practiced the White Fang sword technique to this point?"
While Obito was going to dispose of the garbage bags, Shiraishi came to the yard and looked at Kakashi who was constantly trying to swing his sword, feeling filled with emotion.
Although in his eyes, Kakashi's White Fang sword technique is completely incomparable to Sakumo's, and there are many flaws. But the sword's power already has a bit of Sakumo's style, and it will definitely not be a big problem to deal with ninjas at the chuunin level.
If he continues to accumulate like this, relying on his own talent and hard work, it is a matter of course for Shiraishi to pass the Jonin exam before he is twelve years old.
Kakashi was unmoved by Shiraishi's sentiments and just focused on his sword training.
"Why, it's been so long and you still haven't calmed down completely?"
Shiraishi leaned against the courtyard wall and asked Kakashi with a smile.
Kakashi's movement of swinging the sword suddenly stopped, and the air became condensed.
"As a chuunin, you shouldn't be so fragile, right?"
"what do you want to say in the end?"
Kakashi turned his head and sighed helplessly.
I don't know why, but I always feel that there is something in Baishi's words.
But the other party is his father's old subordinate, so it's not good to be rude to him.
"I promised Mr. Sakumo that I would take good care of you after his death."
"As you can see, I'm doing fine now."
Kakashi replied nonchalantly.
Compared with the so-called care taken by Shiraishi, he believed more in the power brought by the blade in his hand.
"Having said that, if you continue like this, there will be fewer and fewer Jonin who can accept you, until you can no longer gain a foothold in Konoha. So, do you still want to insist on your mission-first philosophy?"
After experiencing so many changes, even a fool should understand that some of them are obviously very contradictory.
My father gave up his mission in order to save his companions, so he was ostracized by the people in the village. He couldn't bear the rumors and committed suicide.
But he chose another path, and his mission was greater than that of his companions. As a result, he was still ostracized by his colleagues in the village.
This is a fact that Kakashi has realized personally and is by no means a random assumption.
Although Kakashi concealed his expression very well, there was still a trace of hesitation and hesitation in his eyes.
He was questioning the real cause of his father's death.
Facts have proved that...both the choice of tasks and companions are wrong.
It was probably not the reason why his father committed suicide.
Kakashi, who became a chuunin at the age of six, cannot be treated as an ordinary child, whether in terms of practical ability or theoretical knowledge.
Although sometimes thinking can lead to dead ends, this matter, combined with the cause and effect, cannot be explained at all logically.
There are too many doubts and areas worthy of scrutiny.
"You did very well."
Shiraishi suddenly said something.
"What?"
"It seems that you have indeed calmed down. At least you know how to think dialectically."
Shiraishi smiled. If it were Kakashi from before, he might have left with a cold face and an impatient expression.
In more than half a year, he had enough time to experience first-hand the contradictions of this village.
This kind of contradiction cannot be noticed by ordinary villagers and ninjas because they have not experienced it personally.
Unfortunately, Kakashi was the one who went through the entire process.
His father's suicide and the path he has chosen now are, to a certain extent, mainstream ideas that cannot be accepted by the village.
So, how is it correct? Where's the mistake?
"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just following..."
"Then do you want to know the real cause of death of Sakumo-sensei?"
The atmosphere was accompanied by Shiraishi's words, and a terrifying murderous aura burst out of Kakashi's body, making the surrounding air heavy and making people feel like it was difficult to breathe, as if they were stuck in a quagmire.
"Don't talk nonsense here!"
Kakashi seemed to be stimulated by something, his body moved suddenly, disappeared from the place, and drew a bright light in the darkness.
However, he stopped in front of Shiraishi.
His face was covered with cold sweat, and he stared at Shiraishi with frightened eyes.
At some point, a large number of slender shadows were wrapped around his body, like solid iron ropes, sealing his entire body and preventing him from moving.
Around him, dozens of spears and swords formed by shadows stopped at fatal locations such as his throat, heart, and back of his head.
Just move forward and a large number of shadow blades can easily plunder his life.
Shiraishi, on the other hand, always leaned with his back against the courtyard wall in a relaxed manner, without moving a step.
"Who...are you?"
"Chiba Shiraishi, Konoha Chuunin, part-time assistant teacher of the medical ninja experimental class of the ninja school."
Shiraishi confessed all his information without any falsehood.
Kakashi was silent.
Chuunin?
Do not make jokes.
Even the jounin he was currently leading could not have put him in such a desperate situation without him noticing.
However, he didn't realize it until these black shadows emerged, surrounded him, and all the shadow blades were pressed against his fatal parts.
If you want to harm yourself, you can kill him silently at any time.
This kind of strength is impossible for even an ordinary jounin to achieve.
"Three days later at 0:00 in the morning, you come to this place and I will tell you the answer. Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't come. Then, you can only find the answer by yourself."
Shiraishi took out a card, walked up to Kakashi, and gently stuffed it into his pocket, with a faint smile on his lips.
The shadow disappeared from Kakashi's body and surroundings.
Kakashi's body seemed to have been drained of strength, and his face was pale and limp on the ground. Recalling the feeling of just brushing against death, he still felt lingering fear.
The White Fang dagger fell aside, as if it had lost its luster.
"Don't forget the promise."
Shiraishi left these words and walked out.
Before walking out of the yard, Obito saw Kakashi sitting on the ground as soon as he returned, and he couldn't help but be surprised:
"Hey, Kakashi, what are you doing sitting on the ground?"
"Obviously it's caused by being too tired from practicing. Okay, it's almost time and we should leave."
Shiraishi said to Obito.
"I haven't had a good conversation with Kakashi yet, why are you leaving so soon?"
"We are from the same village anyway, when can we not meet each other? And Lin will come to me soon to ask for medical ninjutsu. Be careful if I take advantage of her. She is such a cute girl after all."
Shiraishi smiled maliciously as he walked forward.
Obito was indeed stimulated, and his hair suddenly exploded on the spot.
"You despicable guy, how many times have you told me not to do anything to Lin!"
Then he faced Kakashi again.
"Kakashi, I'll come back to you in a few days, and don't always eat these nutritious takeaways. I'm leaving first."
After saying that, Obito hurriedly chased Shiraishi and ran out.
Kakashi ignored the farce between Shiraishi and Obito, but watched Shiraishi's retreating figure and murmured to himself:
"Is this guy really as simple as a medical ninja..."
With this kind of strength, there is no problem even if he becomes the jounin of the village, why should he hide his strength in the village?
Moreover, what does the answer he mentioned... exactly mean?
Kakashi's eyes were flickering, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
◎
Three days passed in a flash.
At noon, at the entrance of Konoha Village, Kakashi separated from his companions in the team and rushed back home.
The leading jounin saw Kakashi's absent-minded look and didn't say anything. He just thought Kakashi was weird this time.
He had already decided to 'request' Kakashi from the team.
If this continues, other people in the team will have strong opinions, which will eventually lead to a breakdown in the entire team.
As for what arrangements the Hokage had, that was beyond his knowledge.
Kakashi dragged his tired body back home. With basically no room to think, he fell on the bed and fell asleep without warning.
When I woke up, it was dark outside the window.
With the bright moonlight outside, you can see the alarm clock at the bedside. The time displayed on it is nine o'clock.
"Are there three hours left?"
Three days ago, Shiraishi told him that he would tell him the so-called 'answer' at 0 o'clock in the morning tonight.
Kakashi has been hesitating whether to follow Shiraishi's order and go to the meeting as promised.
but……
"That guy is deliberately hiding his strength. Is he really trustworthy?"
After all, he didn't even know the reason why Shiraishi wanted to hide his strength. If he went to the appointment rashly, something bad for him might happen.
When dealing with this matter, Kakashi felt that he had to be more cautious.
Feeling hungry, Kakashi walked to the kitchen to see if he could find anything to eat.
In the end, they only found a few slices of dry and hard bread. Kakashi didn't care. After boiling the hot water, he poured himself a cup and ate the bread, treating it as a dinner problem.
Kakashi watched the time on the clock passing by second by second, and suddenly realized that it was already half past eleven.
There was only half an hour left before the appointed time.
Kakashi took out the card from his pocket, with only one location written on it——
Shadow Rock.
Kakashi breathed out.
There are three choices before him now.
The first one is to go to the meeting as promised by Shiraishi.
The second one is to act as if nothing has happened, continue unswervingly on the path you have chosen, and cut off the connection with Shiraishi. Whatever the other party's purpose is, it has nothing to do with you.
The third one is to report to the Hokage and let the ANBU agency intervene to investigate Shiraishi.
There is also a problem. If the secret is revealed to him so easily, does this kind of person really have no defense or escape route?
Or is it that he is already under the other party's surveillance range without even realizing it?
Except for the second one, both the first and third options have certain risks.
Which one to choose has become the most difficult problem for Kakashi now.
——Konoha Shadow Rock.
It was almost exactly 0 o'clock in the morning. A person was wearing a white hooded coat, with his hands casually placed in the sleeves, standing on the portrait of the First Hokage in a relaxed and unsuspecting posture.
From this angle, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Konoha.
There were only street lights and a few scattered lights on, and most of the area was plunged into darkness.
With the help of the moonlight, the outlines of the buildings in the darkness can be seen clearly.
"You are really sneaky in your appearance. Do you want to tell me some of your ulterior motives?"
There were footsteps behind him, and Kakashi was already standing there, facing his white back and saying.
"It's just that the air is too cold tonight, and I estimate there will be a light snowfall in the second half of the night."
Shiraishi, who lifted the hat back on his head to reveal his true appearance, turned his head and explained to Kakashi.
"Yeah?"
Kakashi took a few steps forward, and together with Shiraishi, he looked down at the panoramic view of Konoha Village from here.
"What do you think?"
Shiraishi asked.
"It feels completely different from watching during the day. It's so peaceful."
When I came to Kageyan before, it was always during the day. It was the first time for Kakashi to see the entire Konoha from here at night.
"The calmer the water, the more terrifying its depth."
"I can take this as saying that you are dissatisfied with the village?"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, tilted his head, and glanced at Shiraishi with the corner of his eye.
"No, not at all. Because what happens to this village has nothing to do with me. If it is destroyed one day, it is just a choice of history."
Shiraishi said in a calm tone.
There was a coldness and determination in his tone that he wanted to abandon everything here.
"You are completely different from the normal you."
"Don't worry, both the normal me and the me now are my truest self."
"..."
Kakashi was silent.
"Since you chose to come to me to find the answer, let me hear your opinion on this village."
"Village?"
"Didn't you study in a ninja school? The will of fire passed down from the first Hokage Senju Hashirama."
Shiraishi sat down on the portrait of the First Hokage and looked down at the Leaf Village shrouded in darkness.
"Protect your friends in the village, eliminate the barriers between everyone, and then protect the next generation so that the next generation of children can become the cornerstone of the village."
"Now that you understand the essence, why do you still choose to put mission first? To you, aren't those companions 'family'? Aren't they existences worth protecting? Or are you afraid that you will end up like Heshuo? The same fate as Teacher Mao?"
"I don't know, don't ask me these questions..."
Kakashi touched his forehead, frowning slightly, and the pain started to hurt again.
Every time I think about this extremely contradictory question, I get a headache.
However, I couldn't get the answer from the ninja school textbooks, or even after checking a lot of information in the library.
When Shiraishi saw Kakashi stroking his forehead, he knew that he was in trouble again.
"Kakashi, you understand very well, it's just that you don't want to think about it. Then let me remind you again, a very important reminder."
Shiraishi showed a meaningful smile.
"hint?"
"The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is almost fifty years old."
Kakashi doesn't know why, how old is the Third Hokage and what does it have to do with him?
However, Kakashi also understands that once a ninja reaches the age of fifty, he will continue to decline. Whether it is strength or energy to do things, he will not be as good as before. He can only hand over his work to the next generation and start training. The next generation of heirs.
etc--
An idea flashed in Kakashi's mind, as if he had grasped some important information.
The Third Hokage is about to turn fifty...
retire……
Elect the next Fourth Hokage...
Who is the candidate for the Fourth Hokage?
Although there has not yet been an official campaign, everyone knows who is capable of serving as the fourth Hokage in the village.
Konoha White Fang, the Sannin, and other than that, there are only a handful of outstanding jounin.
Kakashi doesn't understand everything, because once many things are noticed, everything will become a coherent clue.
The election of the Fourth Hokage has nothing to do with them Chuunin and Genin, but his father Konoha White Fang is definitely capable of participating in this election ceremony.
Coincidentally, his father suddenly failed in his mission. Because he gave up the mission and chose his companions, he was stabbed and committed suicide by his colleagues.
Later, he believed that his father Sakumo's path was wrong, so he carried out the mission with the belief that "the mission is greater than the companions", but he still could not get the people in the same village to agree.
Kakashi once wondered whether what he did was not good enough to be recognized by his peers.
But as time went by, he was more and more rejected by others. In other words, those people hated him from the bottom of their hearts for his mission-oriented behavior and his disregard for the lives of his companions.
But, if that was the case, why would his father be so hurt by the rumors that he committed suicide?
The Fourth Hokage campaign.
Father Sakumo chose "companions over mission" to commit suicide.
If you choose to have 'task greater than your peers', you will be rejected and not recognized.
All the threads are connected.
Kakashi suddenly realized why he had chosen the path of 'mission greater than companions', and it was still the reason for being rejected.
From the beginning, there was no choice between 'the task is greater than the companion' or 'the companion is greater than the task'.
"Senior Shiraishi, my father... was forced to die by the higher-ups, is that right? Because of the so-called position of the Fourth Hokage?"
Kakashi's trembling voice was filled with uncontrollable anger, and there was a terrifying aura of violence in his eyes.
Suddenly I felt a little sorry for myself.
I was actually struggling with this kind of thing, and even once complained about my father, why he chose to commit suicide.
And he didn't even realize it.
Bai Shi was silent.
Kakashi is a smart child. He doesn't need to explain some things deliberately. As long as he is given some hints, with his intelligence, he can quickly figure out the cause and effect of things and analyze the problem clearly.
After all, most six-year-olds play ninja games in school, and Kakashi has passed the difficult Chuunin exams at this age to become a qualified Chuunin.
To become a chuunin, the first thing you need to have is an analytical ability that surpasses that of ordinary people.
After all, this is the backbone of a team. When a Jonin has a problem, the Chuunin is the acting team leader.
Thinking about the wasted time of the past six months, Kakashi really felt like a fool who was played by those high-level officials.
They don't care at all about the problems they are struggling with, and they have never cared about them, let alone give themselves any so-called answers.
Because the answer was given, they could not explain the cause of their father Sakumo's death, and they had no shame in explaining it to themselves.
"That's right, it turns out I was the clown they fooled all along..."
Kakashi walked forward with some despair, and when he was about to fall from the shadow rock, he stopped tremblingly.
stand right here.
Look at this village.
It's like standing in a foggy forest.
It was pitch black all around and no roads could be seen.
Fragments of memories flooded into my mind.
The day after his father Sakumo's mission failed, rumors spread throughout Konoha.
All the rumors were one-sided and aimed at his father.
Even the rescued companions were accusing him.
Everyone is denying and shaming.
Then it was connected to the clip of his father Sakumo lying in a pool of blood, using his White Fang dagger to end his life.
As for the ninjas and villagers who had slandered their father before, they were still alive as always, and no one came to apologize after their father committed suicide.
——Don’t stop doing things that should be right because of others’ negation, or even regret afterwards because of others’ ridicule and accusations. I just abide by the faith and persistence that a Konoha ninja should have.
The words of his father Sakumo still ring clearly in his ears.
In the end, there was no hatred or regret, and he died with a calm mind.
He certainly didn't want his son to have any resentment against the village.
Because from beginning to end, he died gloriously as a Konoha ninja.
Until his death, he concealed the truth of the matter.
Kakashi looked at his palms. No matter what, he couldn't find peace in his heart.
He couldn't do what his father Sakumo said and not feel any resentment towards this village and those at the top.
"So, what is your choice? No matter what it is, I support you. Follow me, or follow Teacher Sakumo's last wish, forgive everything generously, love this village deeply, and protect this village."
Shiraishi stood up from the shadow rock, walked to Kakashi, and patted his shoulder.
"Neither Sakumo-sensei nor I can make a decision for you. Because this is your own choice, Hatake Kakashi. It is not someone else who makes the decision for you. No matter how difficult the future is, you must grit your teeth and persevere. Go down until the moment you die. It’s up to you to choose this path..."
Having said that, the rest is left to Kakashi to judge.
If he chooses to continue to protect Konoha, he will seal this part of his 'memory' and let him live as an authentic Konoha ninja.
If you choose to follow yourself...
"I will surpass my father."
Kakashi said this.
Shiraishi turned his head and looked at Kakashi.
"Yeah?"
Shiraishi nodded, knowing that Kakashi made his choice.
Turned around and left, leaving Kakashi alone here.
The moonlight shone on Shadow Rock and Kakashi looked up.
Father, I will use my own power to surpass you!
And let those high-level officials pay a heavy price!
Perhaps this could have been a wrong decision and would have disappointed his late father, Sakumo.
But Kakashi has decided that this is the path he wants to take.
A completely different path than what his father Sakumo expected.
——The scene where his father Sakumo committed suicide with a short knife and fell in the room.
——Idiot people who know nothing and were deceived by the top management.
——The senior officials who have safely enjoyed the fruits of victory in the political struggle have never understood the pain that their fathers faced when they committed suicide.
Just thinking about this, Kakashi felt his heart beating continuously, crazily, and fiercely.
A living force called hatred.
