Mission or Comrades

Konoha Year 43.

News of something spread like wildfire. What should have been a top-secret mission was now known to everyone.

Hatake Sakumo had abandoned the mission to save his comrades.

Ninja Academy.

Kakashi had trained diligently these past two years, yet he had never managed to defeat that person.

He even felt that the gap between them had not narrowed with time, but instead grown wider and wider.

Sometimes, he could not understand why Kagami had not chosen to graduate early. His strength clearly surpassed that of the Ninja Academy's teachers by far.

But right now, he had no mind to challenge Kagami Uchiha...

Father...

Kakashi had never seen his father so despondent, utterly devoid of vitality.

For some reason, he found himself beneath a large tree, stopping before Kagami Uchiha as he ate his boxed lunch.

"Kagami..."

"Between comrades and a mission, which is more important?"

Kagami Uchiha swallowed his chicken drumstick and looked up at the bewildered Kakashi.

He had heard about Hatake Sakumo as well. Naturally, he was pleased to see this sort of internal strife among the gods of illusion.

Keep stirring.

Once only a few old scallions were left, pulling them out would be much easier.

"Of course the mission is more important. We are ninja, after all."

Struggle showed on Kakashi's face. That was most people's answer, and it was what he himself had believed as well.

"Then... what if completing the mission means having to abandon your comrades..."

Setting down his lunch box, Kagami Uchiha said calmly, "That depends on the importance of the mission and what kind of comrades they are."

"If you mean what happened to your father, then I think he was wrong."

Kakashi lowered his head dejectedly. "You think so too..."

"Of course."

"As a powerful ninja, he actually let a bunch of weaklings judge him however they pleased."

"If he had just killed a few of the loudest villagers, there would not have been any public uproar."

"Father would never raise his blade against helpless villagers!"

"No, he will do exactly that soon enough."

After two years of growth, bolstered by the Medicinal Bath, Kagami Uchiha had grown slightly taller than Kakashi.

He rose to his feet and grabbed Kakashi by the hair, forcing him to look directly at him.

"Your father is weak. His beliefs fell apart, and he willingly sank into despair. If he had courage, he should turn his blade on the mastermind behind it all."

"Instead, he chose to strike at the weakest target."

"What... do you mean..."

The corner of Kagami Uchiha's mouth curled upward. He thought Hatake Sakumo might be a fighting force worth winning over.

From his perspective as an outsider, Hatake Sakumo's death would never be caused merely by the villagers' insults. He was not that fragile.

What drove Hatake Sakumo to suicide was the denial of the Will of Fire he had believed in all his life.

Konoha's higher-ups had repeatedly stressed that comrades were the most important thing, yet they allowed him to be humiliated. That alone made their stance clear.

The Hatake had originally been a samurai clan from the Warring States Period. Hatake Sakumo was less a ninja than a samurai.

The reason he committed seppuku was that he realized he had pledged loyalty to the wrong people.

His faith had collapsed.

Without the courage to raise his blade against the Third and the others, he could only choose to end his own life.

"Let me put it more clearly." Kagami Uchiha shook Kakashi by the hair. Only at a time like this would Kakashi not bristle.

Patting his head felt pretty good.

"Your father wants to kill himself. Instead of standing around here asking everyone questions, you should go check on your old man."

!!

Kakashi's pupils constricted. He had never considered that possibility.

The situation was serious, yes, but he had never imagined his father would kill himself over it!

Kagami abruptly let go. Without even having time to say goodbye to Kagami Uchiha, Kakashi rushed out through the school gates.

Watching Kakashi's disappearing back, Kagami Uchiha narrowed his eyes slightly.

He would not expend much effort to save Hatake Sakumo. If Kakashi could not persuade him, then so be it if he died.

If he survived, he presumably would no longer be of one mind with the Third and his crowd.

Obito and Rin, who had always been concerned about Kakashi, came closer.

Though he really did not want to speak with Kagami Uchiha, Obito still opened his mouth for Kakashi's sake.

"Kagami... what did you say to Kakashi?"

"Kagami, Kakashi..."

Glancing at them, Kagami Uchiha asked Obito in return, "Goggles, if you had to sacrifice your clansmen for a mission, what would you choose?"

"Is that even a question? Of course I wouldn't sacrifice my clansmen!"

"I'd complete the mission without harming any of my clansmen!"

It had to be said that time and experience could change a person.

Obito was the kindest Uchiha. That was precisely why Uchiha Madara had chosen him.

An Uchiha with such abundant emotions would indeed be terrifying once he fell into darkness.

"What about you, Rin?" Kagami Uchiha turned to Rin Nohara.

After thinking for a moment, Rin smiled. "If sacrifices must be made to complete a mission, then I hope the one sacrificed would be me."

What a... remarkably pure Will of Fire.

"Rin! I'll definitely protect you!"

There was no right or wrong in the Will of Fire. It depended only on the actions of the people who upheld it.

Sacrificing oneself for the peace of the next generation was worthy of praise.

It was simply that many people in power had forgotten that original intention. Even Hashirama Senju had.

The village had clearly been founded to protect children, yet later on... in order to protect the village, he could even kill his closest friend and his children.

The world could not have it both ways. Uchiha Madara had seen that, which was why he chose to leave.

A victory without sacrifice was impossible. It would inevitably breed hatred.

"Then what about you, Kagami?" Obito gathered his courage and asked.

"Between the mission and your clansmen, what would you choose?"

"If one side must be sacrificed, I would kill the person who issued the mission," Kagami Uchiha answered bluntly.

"...That really does sound like something you'd do, Kagami."

"Wait, no, weren't we asking about Kakashi?"

Kagami Uchiha shook his head. "There is no need to know. Either choice would be wrong, and neither would be wrong."

"That's so hard to understand..."

"You're an idiot, Goggles. It's normal that you don't understand."

"Goggles is one thing, but why add idiot?! Can't you just call me by my name properly?"

"Get eyes like mine first, then come talk to me about that."

A pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly spun, and their powerful ocular force directly knocked Obito unconscious.

"A-Again..." Before passing out, Obito instinctively let out a miserable cry.

Every few days, Kagami Uchiha would hit him with an ocular force attack.

So what if you have the Sharingan?!

Do you have to show it off like that?!

Kagami Uchiha did enjoy showing off, but he used the Sharingan on Uchiha Obito so frequently for more than just that.

Uchiha Obito was the key to contacting Uchiha Madara, as well as those White Zetsu.

Through the Transcription Seal, by injecting ocular force little by little each time, one day...

He would be able to meet that legendary ninja.

Obito, you are merely a messenger.