Kakashi stood before the conference room doors, his heart filled with extreme unease.
Before coming here, he had been told whom he would be meeting, and he understood why he had been summoned.
If he lied before the successive Hokage, it would undoubtedly mean trampling on the faith he had always held.
Yet Orochimaru's threats from that day still echoed in his ears.
The doors slowly opened. Tsunade was waiting for him inside, and when Kakashi saw the four people seated in the places of honor, his nerves instantly tightened.
He stepped into the quiet room, and everyone's gaze fell upon the boy.
"Hatake Kakashi, correct?"
"Greetings, esteemed Hokage."
Kakashi bowed his head and saluted the four of them.
Just before Kakashi arrived, the Anbu sent to investigate the prison had returned empty-handed, exactly as Orochimaru had said.
None of the guards had survived. Beyond that, every prisoner in the prison had vanished as well. The latter was clearly the work of someone covering their tracks.
After examining him, Tobirama asked Orochimaru, "Fourth Hokage, what can this witness prove?"
But Orochimaru's gaze moved back and forth between the Third Hokage and Minato. "Teacher Sarutobi, Minato, Nara Shikaku approached you more than once. What did you discuss?"
"..."
Faced with Orochimaru's questioning, the Third Hokage and Minato both fell silent.
Minato was not good at lying. Given his status, he had scarcely ever needed to deceive anyone deliberately.
As for the Third Hokage, after a moment of silence, he chose to deny it.
"Shikaku often came to visit me. What exactly are these discussions you speak of?"
Orochimaru sneered and continued, "Kakashi, do you know?"
The moment he heard his name, Kakashi's body stiffened. He instinctively looked at Minato, but Minato had no attention to spare for him at the moment