Kakashi's Test

Yūhi Kurenai got dressed and sat up in bed, her limbs still somewhat weak as she struggled to prop herself up with both hands.

Watching Kurenai's movements just now, Senya could tell that even getting dressed took some effort. Her body was probably still weak.

He took out Ration Pills specially formulated to restore stamina from the drawer.

"Here. These are Ration Pills I had custom-made by the Nara Clan. Have some and restore your strength."

Kurenai grabbed one, examined its smooth, plump form, then put it in her mouth and chewed it up.

"These Ration Pills taste pretty good. Much better than ordinary ones."

After saying that, she left through the window.

Senya followed her out through the window and watched her departing back. Kurenai's legs were still trembling faintly, and the way she walked away looked somewhat strange.

Better take it slow. Some positions are still too difficult for Kurenai. After all, taijutsu has always been her weak point...

He looked up at the full moon in the sky, bright and pure, and could not help sighing inwardly. There would not be many more peaceful days like this.

Just then, in the direction Kurenai had left, Senya sensed another Chakra signature rapidly approaching.

Did Kurenai come back? No, she isn't that fast right now. Who would come looking for me in the middle of the night?

Very soon, a white-haired figure appeared before him.

"Senya Uchiha, my apologies for visiting at night."

Looking at the white-haired, spiky-headed man in Anbu uniform and a mask, Senya immediately knew who he was.

"What does the famous Anbu Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, want with me in the middle of the night? Don't tell me the Third Hokage assigned you another mission to monitor the Uchiha vice clan head?"

Kakashi removed his mask and shook his head.

"The Third Hokage did not issue such a mission. This is merely a personal action of mine, unrelated to the Hokage."

Senya became interested upon hearing that.

"Then what do you want from me?"

"Half a month ago, when Itachi and I were carrying out a mission together, he asked me about my Sharingan."

"I told him that this eye carried my dear friend's will, and that I would carry it on in Obito's stead."

Senya recalled the original plot. Was there something like that? Maybe it was in a flashback. I can't remember clearly. Who would bother watching all those Naruto flashbacks so closely?

"So what is it you want to ask me?"

As Senya looked at Kakashi, he thought that Kakashi had likely already inferred some important information. He needed to find a way to bring Kakashi into his camp. Otherwise...

"As Itachi's Anbu captain, I know some information related to him. For example, the news about Shisui from some time ago."

"Shisui had always been Itachi's close friend. With Shisui's suicide and the question Itachi asked me, Shisui's eyes must be in Itachi's possession now, right?"

"If so, then Shisui's death could not possibly have been a simple suicide. Tell me, who made a move against Shisui? There is a traitor in the village attacking fellow comrades. That is something the Anbu will never allow!"

Senya studied Kakashi before him. He had not expected Kakashi to infer so much. In that case, he might as well play along. Perhaps letting him know the truth would make it easier to win him over.

"Are you sure you can bear the cruelty of the truth?"

Senya posed the question to Kakashi in a grave tone.

Kakashi nodded. He wanted to know the truth. Ever since Obito and Rin had died one after another before his eyes, he had blamed himself at every moment for failing to protect his companions. Now that Itachi was a member of his team, he could not repeat the same mistake, nor did he want to watch Itachi fall into the same situation he once had and live in self-reproach.

That was what Kakashi thought. What he did not realize was that the moment he prepared himself to receive the answer, he had already been drawn into an enormous vortex, one that even concerned the shadow of his childhood.

"On the night of the Uchiha Clan Meeting, Danzo stole Shisui's Sharingan. To prevent his other Sharingan from being taken as well, Shisui entrusted it to Itachi Uchiha. That is the truth!"

Kakashi stood frozen in place, staring hard at Senya, utterly shocked by the news.

Danzo? The Hokage's Assistant? The leader of Root? He was the one who attacked Shisui?

For a moment, his mind could not process it. If this news got out, it would absolutely cause unrest in Konoha. Did the Third Hokage know about this? Danzo had likely acted on his own again, keeping it from the Hokage.

Kakashi could not help recalling what had happened years ago with the Wood Release ninja Kinoe. After brainwashing Kinoe and making him forget Kakashi, Danzo had ordered Kinoe to kill him and take his Sharingan.

His fists clenched, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms.

Kakashi had never imagined that Danzo's obsession with the Sharingan had reached this point. He had thought that after what happened to him back then, Danzo would abandon the idea. Yet Danzo had only gone further, directly attacking Shisui Uchiha and taking his Sharingan!

Then Senya revealed another piece of news.

"I wonder if you know the cause of death of the White Fang of the Leaf—your father, Hatake Sakumo."

!!!

It was as though lightning had struck Kakashi's mind, leaving it completely blank.

Father's death? Didn't Father commit suicide? Could there have been another reason behind his death?

Senya's words stopped Kakashi cold, his thoughts utterly frozen. Only the words "the cause of Hatake Sakumo's death" echoed in his mind.

At that moment, the image of that day surfaced in Kakashi's mind. He had returned home to find his father kneeling on the floor, clutching a short blade. His abdomen had already been cut open, his blood drained dry, and the floor was covered in his father's blood.

No matter how he called out, he could not wake his father again...

The young Kakashi looked at his lifeless father before fainting.

Thinking back to the father who had once been so gentle and considerate, Kakashi had always resented his father's death afterward, for leaving him alone in this cruel world.

His heart had gradually frozen over, and like the villagers around him, he had come to see his once-beloved father as scum among ninja. Only one belief remained in his heart—ninja who could not complete their missions were trash!

Until the Third Shinobi World War, when Obito's words woke him up: "Ninja who can't complete their missions are scum, but those who don't cherish their comrades are worse than scum!"

Afterward, the successive deaths of Obito and Rin dealt him devastating blows. He became numb day after day, unable to turn off the Sharingan, unable to wash away the bloodstains...

Tears flowed from Kakashi's right eye, trailing down his cheek and soaking the mask over his face.

"Senya Uchiha, tell me the truth! Who was it?! Who killed my father?! My father was absolutely not trash! But why was he, someone who cherished his comrades and abandoned the mission, betrayed by those very comrades?!"

Kakashi roared those words, venting the grief in his heart and the undisguised hatred within it.

Even Kakashi himself did not notice that the Sharingan concealed beneath his forehead protector had taken on a form he had never known before. The original three tomoe had vanished, replaced by the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan...