Bonds

Obito Uchiha felt like cursing.

If he could, Obito Uchiha truly wished that there would be no more classmates in this world, especially those classmates who knew about his past.

"Obito, you've always been alive—"

Only Kakashi Hatake wouldn't mention his past, only caring about his present. "Why didn't you return to Konoha? Rin and I have always—"

At this point, Kakashi Hatake's voice suddenly stopped, as if he were mentioning a past event that he couldn't face.

However·

It was his words.

This immediately ignited Obito Uchiha's fury!

"Do you even have the nerve to mention Lin?"

Obito Uchiha felt a sharp, painful throbbing in his heart. A mocking smile flickered across his lips as he looked at Kakashi Hatake had uttered those words.

"When I saw Lin die at your hands, my life lost its meaning. Why should I go back?"

Obito Uchiha touched his heart, as if recalling the scene he had witnessed. "Your Lightning Release was truly dazzling; it pierced Rin's heart in an instant—"

Kakashi Hatake's heart also began to ache involuntarily; he even felt as if he was suppressing some emotion and wanted to vomit it out.

"What's going on—"

Might Guy broke out in a cold sweat.

Even Kurenai Yuhi didn't dare to make a sound. She nervously watched Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha, as if she knew something about their past.

"But-""

"It seems you've changed a lot too— Kakashi— "

Obito Uchiha looked at Kakashi Hatake with disdain. "You used to love using Lightning Release in battle, but now you're starting to use the Storm Release that you used to hate the most."

Kakashi Hatake remained silent, unable to speak.

Towards the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Rin Nohara had the Three-Tails implanted in her by a ninja from Hidden Mist Village. To prevent the Three-Tails from causing damage to Konoha, she chose to crash into his Raikiri.

It was because he had been forced to kill Rin Nohara using Rai Shi in the past that he had been trapped in a nightmare ever since.

This also led him to gradually use his father's Storm Release more often in battles over the years, especially when Obito Uchiha, he dared not use Lightning Release. "Hmph—"

"You're no different from before."

Obito Uchiha's face grew increasingly cold, and his mockery of Kakashi Hatake intensified. "I originally thought you would cherish your comrades more than anything else, just like your father Hatake Sakumo. But you killed your comrades for Miyō at all costs, and like this absurd world and that dark village, you have nothing left to reminisce about—"

This is exactly Madara Uchiha told him.

Madara Uchiha once mentioned that the ninjas of Konoha would do anything for the sake of the village, and it was perfectly normal for Kakashi Hatake to kill Rin Nohara, but this was Obito Uchiha could never accept!

No matter what, he could not accept Rin Nohara's death, nor could he accept that the girl who always treated him so kindly died at the hands of the companion he had entrusted with his life!

"Feel sorry-"

Kakashi Hatake felt completely exhausted. It was as if only tearing his body apart could relieve his pain, to the point that he could hardly speak coherently.

"Lin at that time—"

"I already know that Lin wanted to commit suicide."

Obito Uchiha stared coldly at Kakashi Hatake: "But someone who wanted to protect their comrades ended up killing them with their own hands. This world of endless ninja conflict is so absurd and dark, and I see it more clearly than you do now!"

Kakashi Hatake was at a loss for words.

Because Rin Nohara's death was a mistake he could never face, he never imagined that his prized Lightning Release technique would become a weapon to kill his comrades. Whenever he thought of that moment...

Kakashi Hatake was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.

"Rest assured."

"I will no longer blame you for this."

Obito Uchiha watched as Kakashi Hatake clutched his heart and knelt on one knee in anguish, and continued coldly, "Whether you killed Rin with your own hands, or they were completely unrelated to this, whether I kill you or let you go here, it has no meaning for me anymore. In fact, this world should cease to exist in my eyes—."

Kakashi Hatake remained silent, unable to speak.

Aside from physical and psychological discomfort, he felt ashamed to face his former best friend, the one to whom he had entrusted everything but whom he had ruined.

At the critical moment...

One person saved Kakashi Hatake.

"We should go."

Uchiha softly reminded Obito Uchiha before turning back to Kakashi Hatake and the others, "Captain Kakashi, Sergeant Tenzō, Mr. Guy, Ms. Kurenai, you should leave now. This matter was never your place to get involved in."

"We haven't yet."

Might Guy doesn't want to give up the mission of reclaiming Anko Mitarashi.

"Kai—"

Kakashi Hatake, somewhat weakly, reached out to stop the verbal conflict between Might Guy and Itachi Uchiha, knowing that Itachi Uchiha held the hope of saving Anko.

Moreover, the focus of winning back the Anko is no longer on the Anko itself.

He must uncover Obito Uchiha and the truth behind Itachi Uchiha's annihilation of the Uchiha Clan.

Only then will there be hope of reclaiming the Anko.

To be honest

Kakashi Hatake's mind is a bit confused right now.

At least at this point, Kakashi Hatake knew he could no longer attack Obito Uchiha, but he couldn't let Might Guy and the others get stuck here.

"Kai—"

As Kakashi Hatake struggled to speak, he involuntarily spat out a mouthful of blood, a testament to the emotions accumulating within him.

Although my heart is still aching...

But his mood finally improved somewhat.

"Kakashi!"

Might Guy was startled and rushed over to help him up!

Kurenai Yuhi nervously helped Kakashi Hatake up and hurriedly checked his body.

"Kakashi- senpai—"

Tenzō stood beside Kakashi Hatake, keeping an eye on Kakashi Hatake's physical condition while also keeping a close eye on Obito Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha.

But..

They clearly had no interest in staying here.

"Hmph, a piece of trash will always be a piece of trash—"

Obito Uchiha coldly mocked Kakashi Hatake, then turned and left without even glancing back.

Itachi Uchiha glanced back at Kakashi Hatake, but said nothing more, and followed Obito Uchiha away.

Jue's figure quietly crept back underground.

However, after Itachi Uchiha and Obito Uchiha left, it still needed to monitor the actions of the Konoha ninja.

They could only cautiously remain where they were.

"Kakashi— "

Might Guy looked at Kakashi Hatake with a worried expression.

After the Third Shinobi World War ended, Kakashi Hatake became completely dejected. Was it because a former comrade had died at Kakashi's hands?

Certainly.

Might Guy suffered no less pain than his friends.

Because Might Guy's father Might Dai, died protecting them at the end of the Third Shinobi World War, and even Might Dai's body was reduced to a charred corpse.

"Kai, Tenzō, Hong."

Kakashi Hatake shook his head, as if he understood what Might Guy meant by comforting him, and said in a low voice, "Let's leave here first and find a place to discuss this further."

"Good!"

Might Guy immediately agreed.

Tenzō nodded quickly.

Kurenai Yuhi's brows furrowed slightly. She knew that the mission to retrieve Anko Mitarashi had essentially failed, but this failure was not the end of the mission.

Perhaps..

Kakashi Hatake will make them leave.

He will find a way to retrieve Anko Mitarashi and bring back his comrade Obito Uchiha, who has defected from the village, all on his own.

Kurenai Yuhi looked at Kakashi Hatake with a hint of worry in her eyes, and whispered, "Kakashi, don't take risks on your own. There aren't many of our classmates left. If needed, we can find reinforcements—"

"The village can't send any reinforcements right now, can it?"

Even Might Guy couldn't help but scratch his head; even with his slow-wittedness about the internal situation of Konoha, he could realize the predicament Konoha was facing.

"Woolen cloth·"

A blush crept onto Kurenai Yuhi's face as she spoke somewhat shyly, "Actually, we have another classmate, but he's not in Konoha; he's serving as Guardian Ninja for the Daimyo in the capital."

"Does this student exist?"

Might Guy couldn't help but start thinking.

"Don't involve Asuma."

Kakashi Hatake sighed and rejected Kurenai Yuhi's suggestion. He didn't want his affair with Obito Uchiha to involve more people.

He even knew the trouble he would face in investigating Obito Uchiha, and even though he knew he was outnumbered and outmatched, he would not choose to give up.

Wrong··

It's not just about myself and Obito Uchiha; it also involves Itachi Uchiha Anko, who needs to be rescued.

Like·-·

I do need to go back to Konoha.

At the very least, we should report this matter to the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, and it would be best to obtain some information from Third Hokage.

"Let's go back to Konoha first."

Kakashi Hatake finally had no choice but to lead everyone back home. "I must first report this matter to the Third Hokage."

After all, this matter is of great importance, especially since both Obito Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha Uchiha to be in a dangerous organization, which also seems to involve Orochimaru, another S-Rank Missing-nin Orochimaru from Konoha.

However, it's clear that Orochimaru wouldn't have a particularly pleasant time in this organization.

Because when the true controller of this organization Shirou Emiya, was rushing back with Anko Mitarashi, he was looking for opportunities to try and have his cake and eat it too.

In short, the idea is to use Orochimaru's existence to lure Anko Mitarashi into Akatsuki, and to use Anko Mitarashi's existence to threaten Orochimaru into Akatsuki, even if their intentions are false.

After all-

Anko Mitarashi's desire to kill Orochimaru is real.

Orochimaru's desire to ensure Anko Mitarashi's safety and survival is genuine.

"The moment a bond is formed between two people, threads begin to entwine within it, eventually forming a cage in which those who cannot break free will be trapped forever."