He suddenly thought of his former teammate in the Anbu, Uchiha Itachi.
That kid, younger than himself, had always been praised by his comrades after joining the Anbu. Yet, what Kakashi saw on his face was a deep, sorrowful burden that belied his age.
As the leader of the Anbu, Kakashi recalled a question Itachi had once asked him.
On that day, Itachi leaned against a tree trunk, without his mask. He looked at Kakashi, who was resting, and asked, "Senpai, your Sharingan was entrusted to you by a friend. Does that mean you must honor your friend's wishes?"
Kakashi understood whom Itachi was referring to—
Uchiha Shisui.
His eyes were in Itachi's hands?
Kakashi, who had been honed by years in the Anbu, reacted almost instantaneously. But before he could ask further, Itachi had already turned away, unwilling to continue the conversation.
At that moment, Itachi's silhouette seemed to accuse him of failing to do anything at all. Although Kakashi had left the Anbu by now, he was well aware of the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village's higher-ups.
As members of the Uchiha clan, both Itachi and Shisui faced the same dilemma.
The choice between their kin and the village.
He wondered if Itachi had found an answer and what decision he had ultimately made.
After standing still for a moment, Kakashi abruptly stood up and entered the washroom, splashing cold water on his face to force himself to regain some energy before turning and leaving his house.
He didn't change out of his dark ninja attire. Instead of going to the Hokage building, he ventured into the night alone.
Along the way, Kakashi encountered no one, or perhaps he deliberately avoided everyone, arriving at the Heroes' Cemetery of Konoha.
He gazed down at the enormous stone tablet in the center.
This was the memorial stone recording the names of the ninjas who sacrificed themselves as heroes, inscribed with the names of those who had died in the Great Ninja War or had given their lives to protect the village.
Kakashi's gaze lingered on those familiar names he had seen countless times before.
Uchiha Obito, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina...
Looking at those names, he suddenly recalled someone who was not listed.
His father, Hatake Sakumo, that once lonely yet great figure, faced a similarly difficult decision during a mission—
As a ninja, he had to choose between completing his mission for the village and abandoning it to save his comrades. He chose to save his comrades.
But the outcome haunted Kakashi to this day.
"Your father broke the rules as a ninja, abandoning the mission to save a comrade; he does not deserve to be called a ninja!"
"Konoha's White Fang, yet he cast aside the glory of Konoha!"
"He... he likely couldn't bear the pressure himself. Perhaps he committed suicide out of guilt."
Voices from his memories echoed in his mind. As a child, Kakashi had watched in disbelief as his father took his own life in their home.
The ironclad truth seemed to tell him that, as a ninja, one must choose the village over comrades.
But in the next image, a boy wearing goggles and wielding a Sharingan grabbed him by the collar, his spirit ablaze, his gaze unwavering.
The boy's furious shout seemed to echo through time, directed at the present Kakashi.
"Kakashi, remember this: those who break the rules in the ninja world are worthless..." The boy's expression was resolute, his words resonating, "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are worthless, but those who do not cherish their comrades are even worse than worthless!"
At that moment, the sky began to drizzle lightly, and Kakashi let the rain soak his white hair. He reached up to touch his forehead protector, feeling the pulse of the Sharingan hidden beneath it, as if it were trying to communicate something to him.
His expression gradually softened.
Ninjas, villages, comrades, mentors... All of these memories that once plunged Hatake Kakashi into despair now rang clear in his mind, and he suddenly understood.
"Father, Obito, you were right. This time, I won't regret my choice."
Kakashi made his decision. The mark on his neck vanished quietly, as if it had never existed.
At that moment, he was unaware of this change, still facing the memorial stone, proclaiming his newfound resolve: "This time, I will protect Naruto and safeguard the village. I will bear this responsibility, especially if the Nine-Tails truly poses a threat to the village. Sensei Minato, let me take this on."
A subtle change flickered in his eyes. At that moment, Hatake Kakashi, the prodigy who had achieved the fastest promotion to Chūnin and Jōnin in Konoha's history, was about to undergo a monumental transformation.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage observed the silent, brooding Danzo and two Konoha advisors, their expressions starkly contrasting with his confident demeanor.
The Third Hokage exuded an air of complete confidence and strategic control, while the other three appeared so gloomy they might as well have been dripping water.
As the Third Hokage had anticipated, they quickly received news of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, being attacked and managing to escape unscathed. More importantly, they had all discerned the identity of the attacker from the intel, but unspoken understanding kept them from naming names.
Their own informants had provided a resolute confirmation.
Hatake Kakashi had exerted his full strength.
This revelation left Shimura Danzo and the others stunned, and as they watched Sarutobi Hiruzen's triumphant expression, they couldn't help but reminisce about the last time he had sported such an irritating demeanor—when Namikaze Minato was confirmed as the Fourth Hokage.
"Well then, regarding the lifting of the ban on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, his return to the village, and allowing him to train in village jutsu," the Third Hokage addressed his old friends, "I trust there are no objections."
When Mito Gate In, one of the Konoha advisors, heard this, he seemed eager to argue. However, he noticed that Danzo remained silent, clearly acquiescing.
After all, in the world of ninjas, strength was the ultimate voice!
A genius who could escape a full-force assassination attempt by a former Anbu captain at the age of six, and without even using the power of the tailed beast within him. This talent and capability, coupled with the identity of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, rendered all dissenters speechless.
It was important to note that the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, had struggled to control the Nine-Tails' power even as an adult, often succumbing to bouts of rampage.
Given the interplay of the Nine-Tails' chakra and Naruto's own, how could he display such control? This even led them to question the extraordinary nature of the Fourth Hokage's sealing technique.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails, who had been watching Naruto dozing off during class, suddenly sensed the fading of the seal. It paused for a moment, then let out a faint chuckle—
"That was faster than I expected; well done."
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.