A Tower Built Grain by Grain

Although the fight between the group only involved Taijutsu, it still caused quite a stir, and a large crowd of onlookers quickly gathered around.

With Guy and Obito taking care of two people, Kakashi quickly gained the upper hand in the one-on-one fight, relentlessly unleashing punches and kicks upon his opponent.

But Guy and Obito are in a much worse situation. After all, they are still students at the Ninja Academy. They can manage to deal with Genin, but they are simply not up to the task when it comes to Chunin.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before both of them were hit by a lot of punches and kicks.

Seeing this, Kakashi didn't hesitate to take on the Chunin who was fighting Guy, which resulted in Kakashi fighting two Chunin, while Guy and Obito fought two Genin.

The situation quickly reached a stalemate, with both sides suffering losses as they went back and forth, until a shout rang out, "The Police Force are here!"

The Konoha Military Police Force, consisting Chunin one Jonin and two Chunin, easily separated the six who were still locked in combat.

Seeing the Police Force separating the group, the three arrogant ninjas still wanted to be defiant, but the Uchiha Jonin quieted down when he let go of his aura.

After the Police Force found out the reason for the incident, they couldn't help but feel helpless. There had been too many rumors about Hatake Sakumo in the village recently, and even the Police Force had dealt with quite a few of them.

Moreover, there's a Jonin here who has access to more information and knows there's a mastermind behind it all, so naturally he doesn't want to get involved.

Moreover, Hatake Sakumo's son is here. Isn't it normal for a son to stand up for his father?

Looking at the other side, which was clearly Chunin and one Genin, their injuries were far more severe, with bruises and swelling on their faces. They had even lost a fight to a Chunin who led two Ninja Academy students.

The Uchiha Jonin even less inclined to get involved. He gave both sides a mild reprimand and then released them.

To everyone's surprise, the three ninjas got angry and started shouting.

"Jonin- sama, this doesn't make sense. They attacked first, how can we just let them go?"

"Yes, yes, look at my injuries, they did all of them. We were just having a nice chat here, and Kakashi just rushed over and started hitting us for no reason!"

The group chattered away like shrewish women from the Police Force, giving the ninja guards a headache.

"Enough! Stop making such a racket! What kind of talk is this? Are you even ninjas? You can't even beat a few students in a fight. It's utterly shameful."

"If you continue to act so unreasonably, you'll all be coming with us to the Military Police Force."

The Uchiha 'Jonin shout effectively intimidated the three men. They truly dared not go to the Military Police Force; that was Uchiha territory, and going in there would likely lead to disaster. Besides—

The group glanced down at Obito Uchiha, who was still winking and making faces to the side. There was another Uchiha ninja involved in the fight; it was uncertain whose side the Military Police Force would take.

The group left looking disheveled and utterly pathetic.

Kakashi and the other two helped each other walk away. Only when they were out of sight of the Military Police Force ninja did they truly breathe a sigh of relief, especially Obito, who hadn't dared to even breathe loudly.

"What's wrong, Obito? You can't be so timid when you're young!" Kai grinned, showing off his bright white teeth.

"What do you know? That Jonin lives right next door to me. If he goes back and tells Grandma—" Obito couldn't help but shudder at the thought of that terrifying scene.

Kakashi and Guy both looked at Obito with sympathy. They both knew how much Obito loved his grandmother, and the deeper the love, the greater the fear he felt.

The group sighed in sympathy, and then the conversation turned to Kakashi.

Obito's fear came quickly and went quickly. He recovered first and looked at Kakashi. They had fought, but in the end, they still didn't know what they had fought for.

I saw Kakashi being beaten up by a group of people and rushed over without thinking. Only now do I remember to ask what happened.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, but remembering how Obito and Guy had protected him before, he simply explained the situation.

"What?! How could this be?!" Obito exclaimed in disbelief. He had heard of the legendary White Fang of Konoha; how could they spread rumors and slander him for such a ridiculous reason?

Don't say you abandoned the mission to save your comrades. Even if you didn't complete the mission, so what! What ninja can guarantee a 100% mission completion rate?

In his simple, even naive, understanding, companions are the most important thing, which is also his understanding of the Will of Fire.

"Kakashi, you don't need to worry about it. Justice will prevail. Sakumo- Senior's achievements over the years cannot be shaken by these people. Besides, there are many people in the village who believe that Senior did nothing wrong, just like Obito and I. Comrades are the most important thing."

A failed mission can be salvaged, but if your companions are gone, then it's truly over!

Kai stopped striking his usual goofy pose and instead expressed his opinion with a serious expression. This stark contrast immediately instilled a strong sense of trust in him.

Kakashi was deeply moved. He, Guy, and Obito were still teenagers, at the age of youthful passion and integrity. Their thoughts were still simple, and their comrades undoubtedly held the most importance in their hearts.

The selfless help that Gai and Obito just gave undoubtedly made Kakashi's heart lean more towards his comrades.

After a heartfelt conversation, the three of them grew even closer. Although they still seemed to be constantly picking on each other, wasn't that a form of intimacy in itself?

As it grew later, the three said goodbye and went home.

When Kakashi returned home, he saw his father sitting upright in the Reception Hall, and a slightly unnatural expression appeared on his face.

Sakumo was originally looking forward to having dinner with Kakashi.

But when he saw Kakashi walk in, his face covered in bruises and his clothes all wrinkled, his eyes immediately narrowed.

He put down his teacup, his voice low but gentle. "Did you get into a fight?"

Kakashi lowered his head, gave a muffled "hmm," and sat down opposite his father.

Sakumo didn't blame him, but simply sighed softly, "Because of those rumors?"

Although he himself didn't care about those rumors, he didn't expect them to have such a big impact on Kakashi. Recalling Taichi's words Taiichi leaving, it seemed necessary to have a serious talk with Kakashi.

He pointed to the seat next to him, gesturing for Kakashi to sit down and talk slowly. This gesture surprised Kakashi, as the father and son rarely had such heart-to-heart talks except during training.

The thought flashed through Kakashi's mind, and he immediately remembered the rumors circulating in the village. He clenched his fists, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "They—they say you're unworthy to be a ninja for abandoning the mission, that your actions have caused great loss to the village—"

Hatake Sakumo was silent for a moment, then his gaze fell on his son's stubborn profile. "So what do you think? Did I do the right thing?"

Kakashi was taken aback and looked up at his father. But seeing his father's solemn and concerned gaze, he couldn't help but lower his head and fall into deep thought.

He recalled how Guy and Obito had rushed to his aid without hesitation, simply because they were friends. He remembered Taiichi's question about "the importance of missions and companions." He remembered Rin's worried gaze.

Those images flashed through his mind one by one, and suddenly he understood something.

"You did the right thing." Kakashi's voice hardened. "Missions can be repeated, but a comrade's life is only once. If it were me—I would also choose to save my comrade."

Hatake Sakumo was stunned, a hint of surprise and relief flashing in his eyes. He reached out and ruffled Kakashi's hair, a rare smile appearing on his face, "It seems my son has grown up and has his own thoughts now."

He was happy not because his son shared the same ideas, but because his son had developed his own ideas through thinking.

Kakashi turned his face away somewhat embarrassedly, but a smile subtly crept onto his lips.

Looking out at the night sky, Hatake Sakumo said softly, "Remember, a true ninja is not just a tool for completing missions, but a shield to protect those who are important to you. As long as you have a clear conscience, you don't need to take the words of outsiders to heart."

95

The father and son smiled at each other, as if they had never been so close before.

Kakashi followed his father's gaze and looked out the window. The moon was exceptionally bright tonight, just like his mood. He agreed with most of what his father said, but he couldn't ignore the rumors, since they were talking about his father.

The next day, after finishing his training, Taiichi went straight to Konoha Hospital.

Everyone at the hospital was surprised by Taiichi's arrival, because Taiichi usually only came to help in the afternoon.

They had never seen Taiichi come to the hospital so early in the morning before.

Taiichi simply smiled in response to everyone's curiosity; the fewer people who knew what he was going to do today, the better.

In Konoha, the only place where you can find basic information about a ninja is the archives. But going there to look up information is not Taiichi Chunin like Chunin can do, and besides, doing so would leave traces.

Another place that most people don't understand is the hospital.

Even a ninja can get sick, and ninjas not only get sick, but they can also get injured. So the hospital must have Yusuke's basic information.

Fortunately, Taiichi is a doctor at the hospital, so he has the authority to access these medical records. After all, Yusuke isn't some special ninja who needs to keep information confidential.

Sure enough, as Yusuke's name was entered into the computer, his basic information and past medical history appeared in front of Taiichi.

--

All Taiichi wanted was his home address; knowing where to find him was essential for taking further action.

Taiichi created a Shadow Clone to continue working at the hospital, while his main body headed towards Yusuke's house.

While pondering how to speak upon their upcoming meeting, Taiichi's feet moved with surprising speed, following the standard ninja method of traveling within the village.

He leaped across rooftops, moving in a straight line. Before long, Taiichi approached Yusuke's residence.

However, before Taiichi could reach them, a familiar arguing voice reached Taiichi ears. It was clearly Yusuke's voice.

Taiichi jumped off the roof and silently hid at the corner of the house, quietly listening to the conversation coming from the hidden alley.

"What! You want me to go with you to confront Captain Hatake?" Yusuke was shocked, then realized something and demanded sternly, "Who exactly are you people, and what are your intentions?"

"We just can't stand Hatake Sakumo's hypocrisy. Completing the mission is a ninja's top priority, yet he casually abandoned it and caused such great losses to the village."

Taiichi was eavesdropping, couldn't help but laugh. A bunch of idiots, pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey, without even considering who Hatake Sakumo gave up his mission for.

The current Yusuke is a healthy and promising Special Jonin, not the cripple who barely survived in the original story.

Besides, Sakumo ultimately completed the mission. As ninjas, their only responsibility is to complete the mission. The consequences of the mission are not something they, as the executors, need to consider. Yusuke understands this very well.

"I think you're spies planted by other ninja villages, trying to stir up internal conflict in Konoha." Yusuke didn't waste any more words with them, drawing his Short Sword and closing in on the two. "Come on, come with me to see the Hokage-sama, or I'll have to take action."

The two never expected things to turn out this way. Wasn't the intelligence report saying that Yusuke was also someone who prioritized missions? Seeing Yusuke approaching, the two dared not go with him to see the Hokage and turned to run out of the alley.

Before the two could even run out of the alley, a short figure blocked the exit.

"Get out of the way, kid, don't block my way!" the man in front shouted arrogantly, charging straight past without slowing down.

However, Yusuke was chasing after him, stopped when he saw the person coming. The reason was simple: he recognized Taiichi. He had learned from Sakumo that Taiichi was not only skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, but his strength was also comparable to that of Jonin.

Sure enough, facing the two arrogant men charging at him, Taiichi didn't draw his sword. He closed in with a short-range Body Flicker and, before they could react, punched them both in the stomach, instantly knocking them to the ground.

Seeing the two men lying on the ground retching, Taiichi disdainfully cursed them as "despicable people" and then delivered two more chop blows to relieve their pain.

Yusuke, who had just arrived, glanced at the two people who had collapsed on the ground like dead dogs, then at Taiichi in front of him, and his eyes twitched involuntarily.

That's a really ruthless move. Although he claims to be a spy, he knows he's just someone else's pawn, only good for intimidating the enemy. But Taiichi really going for it.

"Taiichi, what a coincidence to see you here."

"I came all this way specifically to find you, but—" Taiichi kicked the two people on the ground, Taiichi shook his head dismissively, "It seems that's no longer necessary."

Yusuke was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but quickly understood. "It's about Captain Hatake, isn't it? There have been rumors about him all over the village lately."

"Yes, this is clearly being orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. I was worried that you might be taken advantage of, so I came to check on you."

He kicked the person on the ground a couple more times, still not satisfied, "I can't believe these guys are so persistent!"

"Is there anything I can help you with? After all, I'm one of the people involved in this incident."

At this moment, Yusuke was still very enthusiastic, after all, Hatake Sakumo had abandoned the mission to save him. He didn't notice Taiichi's strange look at him at all.

In the original story, he was one of the main reasons that led to Hatake Sakumo's Suicide, but here he is so actively trying to help Sakumo clear his name. It's true that a person's experiences can change their mind.

"Just hand these two over to the Military Police Force. Tell them they're spies spreading rumors throughout the village."

"Is it really that simple? Shouldn't we investigate who's behind them?"

Taiichi genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected this guy to be so bold. So many people in Konoha hadn't even thought to investigate, yet this Special Jonin had such an idea. Taiichi had to admit he was impressed.

"There's no need for that, the waters here are too deep." Taiichi looked at Yusuke Taiichi interest. "For now, you just need to stick to your own point of view. Sakumo- Senior doesn't care about other people's opinions, but he still values you as a team member."

Although he didn't know why Taiichi's gaze always seemed so strange, Yusuke nodded emphatically, indicating that his Force Field remained unwavering.