While Shiba Seika used the ninjutsu he had obtained in the trade to consolidate his position and cultivate his own following,
far away in the Land of Fire, Uchiha Shisui immediately handed the information from the deal to Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan Head.
After learning the news, Fugaku spent the whole night thinking in his study, yet still couldn't make a decision.
Fugaku had always lacked resolve. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let the Uchiha Clan tear itself apart with infighting over the past several years—and for years to come.
He understood how damaging this information could be, but lacked the courage to intervene directly in the power struggle within Konoha's leadership. For a time, he was caught between two minds, unable to decide.
But sometimes, the world was full of surprises.
Fugaku lacked the courage to break with convention, but some hotheaded youngsters had it.
That day, Obito and Rin returned to the village after completing a mission and went to visit Kakashi.
Though Kakashi was supposedly on leave, he had actually been placed under house arrest in the village, awaiting trial.
The moment they met, Rin's eyes grew red.
"Kakashi, you've lost so much weight. I'm sorry, truly sorry! If I hadn't been captured back then, none of this would have happened."
Kakashi shook his head. His reply held far more warmth than it had in the past.
"It's not your fault, Rin. This was my own choice."
Obito was astonished.
It was the first time in more than three years that Kakashi had treated them so gently.
So gently that Obito didn't know what to make of it.
"Kakashi, you..."
Kakashi turned to Obito on his own. "Obito, I'm sorry I said those things to you before.
"I understand now. You were the one who was right. If a ninja who can't complete a mission is trash, then someone who abandons their comrades is worse than trash."
In that moment, Obito was so shocked that he let out a scream and jumped up.
"Ah! Y-you! Are you really Kakashi? Did someone use the Transformation Technique to impersonate you?"
Rin lightly tapped him. "Obito, what are you talking about?"
Faced with Obito's shocked disbelief, Kakashi said nothing. He lowered his head, his expression unreadable, as if speaking to Obito—or questioning himself.
"Even you understand this. So why have I been lost all this time?
"Why didn't I stand firmly by my father and support him back then?"
Kakashi spoke the last sentence so softly that Obito didn't hear it.
But the first part made Obito feel both proud and sad.
He was proud that the stuck-up Kakashi had finally admitted he wasn't as good as Obito!
But he couldn't help feeling sad that Kakashi had ended up like this.
"Cheer up, Kakashi! You're a genius. You can only lose to me, an even greater genius! What's with this pathetic attitude?! Why have you become even more troublesome than before?"
Obito grabbed Kakashi by the collar and shook him with all his might.
But he couldn't bring the light back to those vacant, fishlike eyes.
After leaving Kakashi's home, Obito Uchiha irritably punched the air again and again.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! How did things turn out like this? That Kakashi—he never lets anyone have a moment's peace!"
Rin smiled gently beside him, seeing right through his tsundere act.
"Obito, you're always complaining, but you really care about Kakashi."
"Don't be ridiculous! Who cares about that stuck-up guy?! I hope he stays down for good. Then I'll beat him in no time!"
Obito's words didn't match what he felt, and the worry on his face was obvious.
Rin smiled and didn't call him out.
After returning to the clan, Obito happened to hear the news by chance—
"What?! The person who led Kakashi astray was from the Shimura Clan? And they're from the same clan as the elder who's putting Kakashi on trial?"
In that moment, the wheels of fate began to turn because of a small accident.
What Fugaku didn't dare say, what he didn't dare spread, Obito dared!
Fugaku didn't dare get involved in the struggle among Konoha's leaders. Obito... well, Obito had no idea there was any power struggle at all. All he cared about was Kakashi.
Obito wasted no time. He immediately sought out the Strange Man in the green leotard, who was running laps around the village.
"Guy, Kakashi's in danger. Someone's trying to hurt him, and the trial he's about to face is unfair! Will you help me save him?"
"Of course!"
Guy agreed without hesitation, his teeth gleaming white in the sunlight.
"Saving a dear friend in need is the very meaning of youth! Oh! Obito, my youth is about to burst into flames!"
And so, the two hotheaded kids hit it off and began running all over the place to save Kakashi.
Before long, all the major Ninja Clans in Konoha had heard the news—
The Shimura Clan had framed Kakashi, and the person who led him astray was also from the Shimura Clan?!
At the Nara Clan, the Head of the Nara Clan stared at his son Shikaku in bewilderment. "Where did you hear this?"
Why hadn't any of Konoha's official intelligence agencies heard a thing, while his own son had gotten the scoop first?
Did that make any sense?
Shikaku drooped his eyelids and spread his hands helplessly. "Dad, you might not believe this, but I heard it from a bunch of kids at the Ninja Academy."
Obito and the others couldn't get near the important people, so they took their message to the people, spreading it first among their peers and even younger children.
The Nara Clan Head couldn't help falling into thought.
Smart people always had a hard time predicting what hotheaded fools would do.
In that instant, the current Nara Clan Head considered all sorts of possibilities and guessed at countless explanations, but still couldn't figure out what this signal meant about the High Command's intentions.
For the first time, the Nara Clan Head felt that his brain wasn't up to the task. Without hesitation, he grabbed his son, who was trying to sneak away.
"Shikaku, get back here! Don't think you can slip off and slack around. Help me figure out what's going on!"
Nara Shikaku looked utterly dejected.
As the saying went, fools beat masters. That night, the father and son discussed it until morning, but still couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.
They could only reach the same conclusion: Danzo and the Shimura Clan's reputations were about to stink even worse!
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Jonin meeting to discuss Kakashi's sentence convened as scheduled.
That day, Danzo arrived at the meeting room brimming with confidence, striding in with a spring in his step.
As far as he was concerned, he had the advantage!
Even the meeting room before him seemed to radiate vitality, with all things flourishing and competing to grow!
The Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was the last to enter. He set down his pipe and announced, "Bring Kakashi in."
Anbu immediately escorted Kakashi into the meeting room.
The matter had dragged on for a long time, and there was no need to keep repeating the charges. So Sarutobi Hiruzen announced, "Let's vote. Raise your hands if you believe Kakashi is innocent. If you disagree, keep your hands down."
Danzo looked smug.
He had already figured out how to handle Minato Namikaze if he came to plead with him—what to demand and how to take his revenge in full!
But what happened next was something he never could have imagined—
After a brief silence, more and more Jonin and Ninja Clan representatives in the meeting room raised their hands.
Some of them even looked at Danzo with amusement, disgust, and contempt.
Danzo was stunned.
Why?!
Wasn't Kakashi the one who had harmed his comrades? Why were you looking at me like that?!
Before you continue