The scent of disinfectant filled every inch of the air in Konoha Village's landmark hospital.
The lights were painfully bright, illuminating a quiet hospital room. Namikaze Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood silently beside the bed, their expressions grave.
Namikaze Minato's brow furrowed slightly. Even his signature blond hair seemed to have lost some of its usual luster. He stared intently at Kakashi on the bed, his eyes full of worry and concern.
Kakashi lay in bed, his face pale as paper. Cold sweat kept breaking out across his forehead, beads of perspiration covering it.
His brows were drawn tightly together, forming a deep crease. His hands unconsciously gripped the edge of the blanket, his knuckles paling from the strain.
The horrific sight of Rin's death in his dream clung to him like a dark shadow he could not shake.
His lips trembled faintly, and incoherent murmurs came from his throat, as if he were desperately calling Rin's name, or tormenting himself with guilt over his helplessness.
"Rin!"
Kakashi jolted awake and immediately rushed into the bathroom. The moment he entered, he hurriedly turned on the faucet, and water gushed out with a rush.
He plunged his right hand into the water and began scrubbing frantically, as though it were stained with sins and blood that could never be washed away.
His movements were mechanical and frantic. His nails scraped hard against his skin, and red marks soon appeared across the back of his hand. He didn't seem to notice, only muttering over and over, "It won't come off... Why won't it come off..."
"Kakashi! Are you all right?"
Hearing the commotion, Namikaze Minato hurried over, reaching the bathroom in just a few strides.
Seeing Kakashi in such a dazed state, he rushed forward and grabbed him, gripping his shoulders and shaking him in an attempt to bring him back to his senses. His voice was full of anxiety and concern. "Kakashi, snap out of it!"
"Minato-sensei... I... I'm sorry."
Kakashi looked around at his surroundings, then spoke to Namikaze Minato before him.
Namikaze Minato shook his head slightly and reassured him. "It's all right, Kakashi. You've already done very well."
Bam! The door burst open, and a panicked Special Jōnin rushed inside.
"This is bad! Third, Lord Yondaime! Someone has defected from the village!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted. He glanced at Namikaze Minato beside him. After all, he had already handed over power and was only there to assist; he couldn't handle this kind of matter without going through the new Hokage.
After calming Kakashi, Namikaze Minato slowly stood and said, "Anbu! Show yourselves!"
"Lord Fourth Hokage!"
As soon as Namikaze Minato spoke, three figures darted out from the treetops outside the hospital and knelt before him.
"Who is the missing ninja?"
The Anbu didn't dare hide anything from the Fourth Hokage's question. They promptly replied, "He was a former Anbu Ninja recruited by the Third, code number 06. After the war ended, he resumed his Uchiha Clan identity. His name is Uchiha Shisui!"
"Shisui! How could this be!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi could hardly believe it. He had thought it would be Orochimaru, who had failed to become Hokage, but instead it was Uchiha Shisui, who had inherited the Will of Fire.
"What are you talking about? Uchiha Shisui? Wasn't he already dead?"
Kakashi suddenly raised his head and demanded an explanation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head in response to Kakashi's question. "He did disappear for a year, but after he returned to the village, he stayed in the Anbu. Information about the Anbu is classified, so it was never made public."
"I'm going after him! I don't believe he'd defect from Konoha! I have to find out why, Minato-sensei!"
Kakashi quickly got dressed. His close friend, gone for several years, had suddenly defected. He didn't believe it. He needed to ask Shisui himself why.
Seeing Kakashi snap out of his anguish over Rin, Namikaze Minato nodded. "The village has a lot to rebuild. I'll leave the mission to bring Uchiha Shisui back to you and the Third!"
"Understood. Don't worry, Fourth Hokage. Since this is my responsibility, I'll handle it."
With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi swept back his robes, revealing the dark green armor beneath. He loosened his wrists and continued,
"Let's go!"
Uchiha Shisui had successfully escaped through the Konoha Gate. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he keenly sensed a faint sound behind him.
He looked back. Several Anbu appeared like ghosts, clad in black fitted uniforms, their white masks radiating a chilling air.
Shisui's heart tightened. He lightly touched a branch with his foot and used it to propel himself forward at speed. He unleashed the Body Flicker Technique with almost all his strength, his figure becoming a blur as he flashed through the woods.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Sharp whistles suddenly pierced the air as Shuriken and Kunai, wrapped in a biting chill, shot toward Uchiha Shisui from every direction.
His eyes narrowed. He didn't dare let his guard down for a moment, and sprang high into the air. The instant his feet left the ground, several glints of steel sliced past beneath them.
Before he could catch his breath, a massive fireball appeared in front of him without warning. Flames roared and surged, heat washed over him, and the air around them shimmered from the blaze.
Shisui immediately understood. The Kunai and Shuriken had been meant to restrict his movements, setting him up to be finished off by this powerful ninjutsu.
"You're underestimating me!"
Before the words had left his mouth, Uchiha Shisui swiftly drew the Ninja Blade from his back, its blade gleaming coldly.
His body flashed like lightning. Riding the momentum of his leap, he tensed his arm and slashed forward with all his might.
In an instant, a fierce arc of sword light, imbued with surging chakra, shot out with a howl like a bolt of white lightning, slicing precisely into the enormous fireball hurtling toward him.
Boom! The sword light tore through the fireball, sending its blazing flames bursting in every direction. Sparks flew, and waves of scorching heat swept outward.
With the fireball cleaved apart, the Anbu who had cast the ninjutsu was exposed before Shisui.
The Anbu clearly hadn't expected their coordinated killing move to be so easily thwarted. A flicker of fear crossed his eyes.
Shisui didn't hesitate. He tapped the ground with his foot and instantly closed in, swift as a hunting leopard.
The Ninja Blade in his hand flashed coldly as he thrust it at the Anbu with blinding speed. The Anbu had no time to mount an effective defense and could only raise an arm to block on instinct.
But Shisui's strike carried tremendous force. The sharp Ninja Blade pierced straight through the Anbu's arm and deep into his chest.
The Anbu spat out a mouthful of blood, then crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
"Stop! Shisui, do you know what you're doing?"
Kakashi rushed over from a distance and happened to see Uchiha Shisui's blade coming down on a ninja from the village. He immediately shouted at him.
Uchiha Shisui had just finished off the Anbu. Blood still ran down the Ninja Blade in his hand. Hearing Kakashi's voice, he slowly turned around.
"Oh? Is that Kakashi who came as backup?" His expression was calm, and his voice betrayed not a hint of emotion, as though none of what had happened before him had anything to do with him.
After only a brief glance at Kakashi, he didn't linger. He tapped the ground with his foot, kicking up dust, then used the momentum to leap backward like an arrow loosed from a bow, putting distance between himself and Kakashi in an instant.
After landing, he turned and sprinted toward the Land of Rain. He moved astonishingly fast, flashing through the trees, each step making the branches creak beneath him.
"Kakashi! Don't just stand there! We're going after him. We absolutely cannot let him escape the Land of Fire!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped over from behind and patted Kakashi on the shoulder as he spoke.