Kakashi, who had inexplicably taken a beating, could only pin the blame on Obito.
However, it seemed his suffering was far from over.
That damned Uchiha Sōgetsu was striding toward him with an arrogant swagger. "Is this all the White Fang's son can do?"
"Shut up!"
Kakashi swallowed the blood in his mouth, his eyes red as he glared at him. "You don't understand anything!"
Bang!
A charged heavy punch slammed straight into Kakashi's abdomen.
Probably seven or eight of his ribs had broken. Kakashi spat out a mouthful of blood as Uchiha Sōgetsu grabbed him by the hair, turned, and flung him away.
Kakashi rolled across the ground more than a dozen times in utter disgrace, only to be viciously pinned under someone's foot. His head was pressed against the ground, half his face nearly sinking into the dirt.
"Kakashi, your father died because he protected you."
Uchiha Sōgetsu stepped on his head and looked down at the rage-twisted Kakashi. "If the White Fang saw you now, hiding at home and complaining, throwing this kind of impotent tantrum, he'd probably be even more disappointed, wouldn't he?"
"Don't you dare mention that man's name!"
Kakashi nearly crushed his teeth, his eyes filled with intense hatred. "He was the one who broke the shinobi's iron rules. He got what he deserved!"
Through Spiritual Vision, Uchiha Sōgetsu saw that Kakashi's mind was in complete chaos. He used the power of words to plant a Psychological Suggestion. "Rules are meant for those who cannot survive without following them."
"You talk big, but what about you?"
Kakashi retorted through gritted teeth, "Aren't you living by the rules too?"
He could not help but recall his father's lonely, disappointed expression in the room that day, as well as the pool of blood on the floor when he pushed open the door.
"That man... the White Fang... wasn't he strong?" Kakashi let out an enraged roar. He actually burst free with brute force, rolled aside, and gripped the blade with his left hand. "If that's true, then why did he die? Tell me!"
"In the Shinobi World, rules are the iron law!"
"A shinobi who cannot complete a mission is trash. They should... they should... be discarded!"
He blindly swung his father's short sword around, tears streaming from his eyes. He looked like a hedgehog covered in spikes, full of helplessness and despair.
Such clumsy swordplay naturally posed no threat to Uchiha Sōgetsu. He clenched his fist and smashed it hard into Kakashi's face.
Boom!
Kakashi was sent flying by the punch and crashed into the wall.
His short sword fell to the ground. He slid down weakly, his eyes unfocused, his hollow gaze seemingly stripped of all emotion.
Uchiha Sōgetsu slowly walked over, crouched down, and looked at him. "Are you calm now?"
"They all say... my father was trash, that he caused the village enormous losses."
Kakashi lowered his head. Tears fell one after another as the emotions he had buried deep within his heart finally erupted. He choked out, "Tell me, was my father really wrong? Were they really right? Are shinobi who cannot complete missions really trash?"
"You don't need to listen to them. Those are the words of losers."
Uchiha Sōgetsu stroked his hair, his voice softening. "The strong never say what the world is like. They say what the world should be like."
"The strong... should say what the world should be like."
A trace of color seemed to return to Kakashi's hollow eyes as he repeatedly mulled over those words.
All of a sudden, those words seemed to stir something in his heart.
Just like a sky shrouded in Gray Fog, suddenly pierced by a ray of sunlight that shone directly upon his gloom-filled inner world.
"The White Fang died only because he wasn't strong enough."
Swirls rippled in the depths of Uchiha Sōgetsu's pupils, like shadows within an abyss.
"The White Fang... wasn't strong enough..."
In an instant, Kakashi's mind became dazed. He seemed to lose all defenses, his eyes blank and vacant as he fell into a stupor devoid of attention.
By guiding him step by step into a hypnotic state, Uchiha Sōgetsu's voice would now be branded deeply upon his heart.
The method was troublesome, but it was stable.
This way, the hypnotized target would follow his will without realizing it.
However, at his current Sequence 6 level, he could not perform overly deep hypnosis, such as making a target do something that endangered their own life or harmed something important to their subconscious.
"The White Fang's death made you furious, and you hate the rules and iron laws you once believed in."
Uchiha Sōgetsu said gently, "deep within the heart, you have begun to question whether the White Fang's actions were right, whether everything he protected with his life was worth it. You have even begun to wonder whether someone was fanning the flames behind those rumors, and whether the teammates who betrayed your father had deliberately set a trap."
"But you know that you are still weak. Even if you knew or guessed the truth, you could not change anything or avenge your father."
"So, you decide to bury all your hatred deep in your heart."
"You believe Uchiha Sōgetsu is right. The weak have no right to speak about the world, much less change it. So you will become strong."
"It was Uchiha Sōgetsu who helped you see the truth of this world and find the right path. He is your guide and the goal you must strive toward."
"You will trust him without reservation, Kakashi."
That gentle voice seemed to resonate perfectly with Kakashi's thoughts deep within the heart.
It was as though he were immersed in a warm ocean, unconsciously accepting that voice and regarding it as the truest thought in his own heart.
"Remember everything I said. This is a reflection of your subconscious. When you awaken, forget that I ever said these things to you. Forget any abnormal behavior you display afterward. At the same time, deep within the heart, become dependent on Uchiha Sōgetsu and unconsciously agree with his ideals."
After saying that, he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
The light instantly returned to Kakashi's unfocused eyes.
As he looked at Uchiha Sōgetsu before him, a powerful sense of agreement rose deep within his heart, along with fury toward those responsible for his father's death.
"You're right. My father did nothing wrong. This world is what's wrong. I won't let him die for nothing. I'll become strong, strong enough to be just as you said!"
Kakashi forcibly suppressed the surging rage in his heart, his face maintaining an unusual calm. "Uchiha Sōgetsu, thank you very much. Your words helped me see this world clearly!"
"No need to thank me. It's only natural."
After observing his reaction and confirming that the suggestion had been successfully implanted, Uchiha Sōgetsu smiled. "Now that the treatment is over, I should be leaving."
"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Sōgetsu."
Kakashi said politely, "I look forward to seeing you again."
"The consultation fee is 100,000 ryō. Thank you for your patronage."
Uchiha Sōgetsu smiled and held out his hand. Hypnosis was hypnosis, but he would not take a single ryo less for his hard work.
The next day, after hearing that Kakashi had recovered, Team Minato immediately came together to visit him.
But the moment they pushed open the door, Rin and Obito were startled.
What the hell, who was this?
Was the guy before him, with a face swollen like a pig's head and bandages wrapped all over his body, really Kakashi?
Even Minato, who was known for his calmness, could not keep the gentle smile on his face from cracking a little.
After examining him carefully, Obito finally confirmed from that distinctive white hair and those cold eyes that this pig-headed guy really was Kakashi!
"Uh... Kakashi?" Obito asked tentatively.
"Mm."
Kakashi replied coldly.
"Kakashi, who beat you into this state?"
Although Obito wore an expression of concern, the upward curve at the corner of the lips gave away what he was really thinking.
Looking at Kakashi, Minato suddenly recalled yesterday's scene.
"Mm, it took a little effort, but fortunately, the result was good."
Uchiha Sōgetsu smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "Kakashi has successfully emerged from the shadows. Don't worry!"
Wait, was this how a Psychologist helped someone overcome psychological trauma?!
Although the method had been a little brutal, there was no denying that the results were quite obvious.
Minato Namikaze felt deeply doubtful.
December 24, sunny.
There was an apple on every employee's desk except mine... So I went to ask HR why I didn't have one. HR hesitated for a moment, then said, "I forgot about you."
Heh...
Before you continue