Year 43 of Konohagakure.
A piece of news spread like wildfire. What should have been a top-secret mission had become common knowledge.
Hatake Sakumo had abandoned the mission to save his companions.
Ninja Academy.
Kakashi had trained hard these past two years, but he still hadn't managed to defeat that person.
He even felt that the gap between them hadn't narrowed with time. Instead, it had only grown wider.
Sometimes, he couldn't understand why Jing didn't choose to graduate early. His strength was clearly far beyond that of the Ninja Academy's teachers.
But now, he had no desire to challenge Kagami Uchiha...
Father...
Kakashi had never seen his father so dispirited, without a trace of vitality.
For some reason, he found himself walking beneath a large tree, stopping in front of Kagami Uchiha, who was eating a boxed lunch.
"Jing..."
"Between companions and a mission, which is more important?"
Kagami Uchiha swallowed the chicken leg and looked up at the bewildered Kakashi.
He had also heard about Hatake Sakumo's situation. Naturally, he was happy to see this kind of infighting among the Higher-ups.
Stir it up. Stir it up.
Once only a few old green onions remained, pulling them out would be easier.
"Of course the mission is more important. What we do is be ninja."
A look of struggle appeared on Kakashi's face. That was the answer most people would give, and even he himself thought the same.
"Then... if you had no choice but to abandon your companions for a mission, what should you do...?"
Setting down his lunch box, Kagami Uchiha said indifferently, "That depends on the importance of the mission and what level of companion you're talking about."
"If you're talking about 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 group of weaklings criticize him however they pleased."
"Just kill a few of the villagers shouting the loudest, and there won't be any uproar."
"Father would never raise his blade against weak villagers!"
"No. He'll be doing that soon."
After two years of growth, aided by the Medicinal Bath, Kagami Uchiha had grown a little taller than Kakashi.
He stood up and grabbed Kakashi by the hair, forcing him to look at him.
"Your father is a weakling. His ideals were shattered, and he willingly sank into despair. If he had courage, he should have raised his blade against the mastermind."
"Instead of choosing the weakest target."
"What... what do you mean...?"
The corners of Kagami Uchiha's mouth curled up slightly. Hatake Sakumo might be a combatant he could recruit.
As an outsider, he knew that Hatake Sakumo's death was definitely not caused by the villagers' insults. He wasn't so fragile.
What had driven Hatake Sakumo to suicide was that the Will of Fire he had believed in all his life had been denied.
The Konohagakure Higher-ups had repeatedly emphasized that companions were the most important thing, yet they had allowed him to be humiliated. That already showed their stance.
The Hatake had originally been a samurai clan from the Warring States Period. Rather than a ninja, Hatake Sakumo was more like a samurai.
The reason he killed himself was that he had realized he had pledged loyalty to the wrong people.
His faith had collapsed.
Without the courage to raise his blade against the Third Hokage and the others, he could only choose to end his own life.
"Let me make it clear." Kagami Uchiha grabbed Kakashi's hair and shook him. It was only at times like this that Kakashi wouldn't bristle.
His hair feels pretty good.
"Your father wants to kill himself. Instead of wasting time asking questions here, why don't you go check on your dad?"
!!
Kakashi's pupils shook violently. He had never imagined that possibility.
The situation was indeed serious, but he had never expected his father to kill himself over it!
He tore himself free and rushed out of the school gates without even having time to say goodbye to Kagami Uchiha.
Watching Kakashi's disappearing back, Kagami Uchiha narrowed his eyes.
He wasn't going to expend much effort saving Hatake Sakumo. If Kakashi couldn't persuade him, then he could die for all he cared.
If he survived, he presumably wouldn't stand on the same side as the Third Hokage and the others anymore.
Obito and Rin, who had always cared about Kakashi, came closer.
Although Obito really didn't want to speak with Kagami Uchiha, he still asked for Kakashi's sake:
"Jing... what did you say to Kakashi?"
"Jing, Kakashi..."
Kagami Uchiha glanced at them and asked Obito in return, "Goggles, if a clan member had to be sacrificed for a mission, what would you choose?"
"Do you even have to ask? Of course we can't sacrifice a clan member!"
"I'd complete the mission without harming a clan member!"
It had to be said that time and experience could change a person.
Obito was the kindest of the Uchiha. Uchiha Madara had chosen him precisely because he had seen this quality.
An Uchiha with such rich emotions would indeed be terrifying once he fell into darkness.
"Rin, what about you?" Kagami Uchiha turned to Nohara Rin.
After thinking for a moment, Rin smiled and said, "If a sacrifice were necessary to complete the mission, I hope I would be the one sacrificed."
What a... truly pure Will of Fire.
"Rin! I'll definitely protect you!"
The Will of Fire itself had no right or wrong. What mattered was the actions of the people who carried it out.
Sacrificing oneself for the peace of the next generation was worthy of praise.
It was just that many people in power had forgotten this original intention. Even Hashirama Senju had.
The village had clearly been established to protect children, yet later on... to protect the village, he could even kill his close friend and his own children.
The world couldn't have everything go one's way. Uchiha Madara had seen this, which was why he chose to leave.
A victory without sacrifice was impossible. It would inevitably breed hatred.
"Then, Jing, what about you?" Obito asked courageously.
"Between a mission and a clan member, what would you choose?"
"If one side must inevitably be sacrificed, I'd kill the person who issued the mission." Kagami Uchiha answered decisively.
"...That really sounds like something Jing would do."
"Wait, no! Weren't we asking about Kakashi?"
Kagami Uchiha shook his head. "There's no need to know. With something like this, whichever choice you make is wrong, and also not wrong."
"That's so hard to understand..."
"After all, you're an idiot, Goggles. It's normal that you don't understand."
"Goggles is one thing, but why add 'idiot' too?! Can't you just call me by my name?"
"First, obtain eyes like mine, then come say that to me."
A pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated, and the powerful Dojutsu Power sent Obito straight into unconsciousness.
"Again... again..." Before he passed out, Obito instinctively let out a mournful cry.
Every few days, Kagami Uchiha would hit him with a burst of Dojutsu Power.
So the Sharingan was amazing, huh?!
Did he have to show it off so much?!
Kagami Uchiha did like showing off, but his frequent use of the Sharingan on Uchiha Obito wasn't for the sake of flaunting it.
Uchiha Obito was the key to making contact with Uchiha Madara and those few White Zetsu.
Through the Transcription Seal, he injected a little Dojutsu Power each time. One day...
He would meet that legendary ninja.
Obito, you're nothing more than a messenger.
Before you continue