Crossing Blades Once More

Hatake Sakumo watched Kakashi get a little indigestion from the bowl of toxic motivational drivel Uchiha Feiyu had fed him, then turned to Uchiha Feiyu as though he genuinely hoped Feiyu could set Kakashi straight.

Uchiha Feiyu rolled his eyes inwardly. Still, he could not ignore the number-one lackey under his command, so he continued speaking to Kakashi:

"I know what you want to say—ninjas are tools, they must obey orders, or perhaps something about the bonds between comrades. But think carefully: aren't so-called ninjas made up of people?"

"Since they are made up of people, they cannot completely erase their humanity and become genuine tools."

"Otherwise, if all ninjas were tools, why choose a Hokage? Why distinguish between Jonin, Chunin, and Genin? Everyone is just a tool, right? Have you ever seen one tool command another tool?"

"If everyone is a tool, then why fight the Ninja World War? Do tools have grudges against one another too?"

The whole theory that ninjas were tools was nothing more than brainwashing by the higher-ups of the ninja villages against ordinary ninjas. It was so riddled with logical holes that Uchiha Feiyu could not even be bothered to point them all out.

If ninjas were all tools, then what were Hokage and Mizukage, who were chosen from among ninjas? High-end tools?

But high-end tools were still tools. Why could they command other tools? Could your power drill order nails to hammer themselves into a wall?

And if they were all tools, then the Ninja World War was even more ridiculous. No one had ever seen the hammers and axes in a toolbox beating each other senseless!

Kakashi was left completely dazed by that speech. He asked with bewildered eyes, "So... I should cherish my comrades more?"

"Didn't I say it already? Cherishing yourself is more important than cherishing your comrades!"

"I once read a saying in some ancient texts: 'Respect the elders of your own family, and extend that respect to the elders of others; care for the children of your own family, and extend that care to the children of others.' I think it makes a lot of sense. Most people's relationships should follow that principle!"

"Respect the elders of your own family, and extend that respect to the elders of others; care for the children of your own family, and extend that care to the children of others," came from Mencius. It meant respecting the elders in one's own family and extending that respect to the elders in other families; caring for one's own children and extending that care to the children of others.

In other words, one should first love one's own family, then extend that love outward to strangers as well.

That was the true mindset of a normal person. Even so-called sages merely loved more broadly and deeply; distinctions between kin and strangers, between those within and without, still remained.

As for boundless great love—loving everyone broadly and equally—ancient Chinese people had a name for that: Heaven!

If someone believed they could love everyone as broadly and equally as Heaven did, then they were basically guaranteed to be mentally ill.

Hatake Sakumo's behavior showed at least a touch of that mental problem. He had probably been brainwashed too much in his youth, and even after growing up, the root of the illness had remained stubborn.

Of course, after dying once, the White Fang of Konoha had improved greatly. Now it was his son's turn to start acting up.

Fortunately, Kakashi's condition was still in its early stages. He had received his father's inheritance scroll and been repeatedly fed both toxic motivational drivel and real wisdom by Uchiha Feiyu. Now, he somewhat resembled someone who had found his way back after losing it.

"'Respect the elders of your own family, and extend that respect to the elders of others; care for the children of your own family, and extend that care to the children of others'... I never thought you could say something so reasonable. But why did Father choose that path?"

Uchiha Feiyu curled his lip. He really wanted to say that Kakashi's father had gotten himself stuck in a dead end, suffered a mental breakdown, and made an impulsive choice.

But considering Hatake Sakumo's soul was right beside him and deserved some face, and that Kakashi might chop him down if he put it too harshly, he swallowed his urge to mock him and spoke more gently instead:

"Perhaps Hatake Sakumo-senpai cared so much about other people's gossip because he never understood that principle. Look at me—the idiots at the ninja academy gossiped about me behind my back for three or four years, and I still didn't care, did I?"

Kakashi, who had been thinking carefully, could not help rolling his eyes after hearing Uchiha Feiyu's words. This guy really had no shame at all!

(But he's right. If Father had really been as shameless as him, he probably wouldn't have cared about all that gossip at all!)

Seeing Kakashi finally regain some spark instead of looking like the emotionless tool he had been in the original story, Uchiha Feiyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Kakashi.

"Want to go train? You've been cooped up at home for quite some time. It's been a long while since you exercised, hasn't it?"

"I learned quite a few things from White Fang-senpai's scroll. So, how about a spar?"

Having recovered somewhat, Kakashi had even regained a little of the aloof pride he had once possessed as Konoha's number-one genius. He said coolly, "A spar would be fine. Father's swordsmanship isn't so easy to learn. If there's anything you don't understand, I can give you some pointers. At least when it comes to the fundamentals, even Father acknowledged that I had graduated."

Kakashi's pride was soon shattered to pieces by Uchiha Feiyu's performance.

At the Training Ground, he watched lightning flicker across Uchiha Feiyu's body as Feiyu moved with the speed of thunder. After only a few exchanges, this famous genius ninja of Konoha had a short blade pressed against his throat, leaving him with an expression like he wanted to curse his mother out.

"How is this possible?! How long have you even had that scroll? In such a short time, you actually mastered the White Fang Sword Style!"

Aside from lacking Wind-nature Chakra, which reduced both Uchiha Feiyu's speed and attack range, his only differences from Hatake Sakumo were that his Chakra was not refined enough, his swordsmanship was not practiced enough, and his combat experience was still lacking. But he had already mastered the overall sword style.

"Haha, well, I am an Uchiha. And my Sharingan has recently evolved too. The Copy Eye's ability is quite useful."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Uchiha Feiyu and said nothing. Although the Uchiha Sharingan was famed as the Copy Eye, in truth, it could only copy ordinary elemental ninjutsu.

The Sharingan simply could not copy ninjutsu that required extremely high Chakra control and Chakra Nature Transformation.

As for even greater arts—various secret techniques, ninjutsu related to Yin Release and Yang Release, Sealing Jutsu, barrier techniques, Nintaijutsu, composite Bloodline Limits, and other true ultimate arts—the Sharingan was even more useless.

Hatake Sakumo's White Fang Sword Style itself fell within the category of Nintaijutsu and placed extremely high demands on Chakra control and Chakra Nature Transformation. A normal Uchiha could stare until his eyes exploded and still fail to learn a single thing!

Could this guy... actually be Father's disciple? He just never publicized it?