In the Ninja World, Controversial Opinions Are Equally Appealing.

Never try to change a fool; the moment you do, you become one yourself.

Kakashi Hatake was still pondering the words of Shinichi Hyuga when he suddenly heard his name called.

He looked toward his teacher; with the Third Hokage present, the Anbu should be operating under his teacher's command.

He did not understand why Shinichi Hyuga was questioning him.

Was this merely a simple attempt to sow distrust between master and student?

"Shinichi, there is no need for this. Grant them a shred of dignity. I have already promised you, and I will certainly fulfill it."

Minato Namikaze frowned, equally baffled by the demand Shinichi Hyuga had made.

As ninjas from a branch family of the Sarutobi Clan, these men surely possessed secrets belonging to the Sarutobi Clan.

To protect the Sarutobi Clan, he could not allow the reputation of the Third Hokage to be dragged through the mud.

Though he harbored a desire to reform some of the Third Hokage's policies, he felt powerless to act.

He could only slowly promote civilian ninjas.

"Perhaps you should listen to Kakashi's opinion."

Shinichi Hyuga stepped past Minato Namikaze and arrived before Kakashi Hatake, producing a scroll as he spoke.

Kakashi Hatake felt a sense of familiarity with the scene; wasn't this exactly how he had once delivered a sealing scroll at Minato Namikaze's wedding?

The difference was that back then, he had used various methods to conceal his actions, yet everything had been seen clearly by those watching from the shadows.

Now, Shinichi Hyuga was delivering it without any attempt at concealment, his purpose clearly to ensure everyone saw it plainly.

Back then, Shinichi Hyuga had not accepted it.

Should he accept this?

What could possibly be inside that Shinichi Hyuga deemed he needed?

Unable to decide, he looked toward Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Shinichi Hyuga, then back at Kakashi Hatake. Ultimately, he could not suppress his curiosity, knowing that Kakashi Hatake would never hide anything from him.

He was his true protégé, the kind of emerging power he would rely on in the future; he did not want any resentment to fester in Kakashi Hatake's heart.

Finally, he nodded.

Receiving the affirmative, Kakashi Hatake took the sealing scroll and broke the seal on the spot.

A severed head appeared—the very Anbu ninja who had transplanted the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan.

"The Byakugan? It's evidence!"

The members of the Flying Thunder God squad breathed a sigh of relief, assuming Shinichi Hyuga had compromised with Konoha but was too proud to admit it, choosing to hand the evidence over to Kakashi Hatake instead.

Minato Namikaze, however, was not so optimistic. Shinichi Hyuga was no longer the man he once knew.

After making such harsh threats and laying the groundwork for so long, how could he possibly cave in so easily, especially in such a manner?

"This?"

Only Kakashi Hatake, standing closest to the head, noticed something amiss and couldn't help but gasp.

At the base of the head, over a dozen sealing tags were applied to seal the blood, preserve its freshness, and, most importantly, maintain the activity of the brain.

This was a sealing technique typically used only to protect corpses containing critical intelligence.

However, there were extra characters inscribed on the sealing array that, when read together, formed a coherent message.

"Hatake Sakumo died at the hands of this man. Had Hatake Sakumo not died, the Third Shinobi World War would never have broken out. The answer lies within his memories..."

Kakashi Hatake subconsciously deciphered the characters on the tags, finally grasping the underlying meaning.

His mind reeled, and he suddenly understood why the sight of this head felt so familiar.

This was the head of Yukimura Sanada.

His father, Sanada Shuichi, was the very comrade his own father had abandoned his mission to save.

Later, it was Sanada Shuichi who had turned around to slander him, claiming the mission details had been leaked without cause.

At that time, Yukimura Sanada had come to the doorstep of the Hatake Clan to heap abuse upon them.

The day before his father died, Yukimura Sanada had visited as well.

His father, consumed by guilt, had died for his own ninja way.

Now, Shinichi Hyuga had handed this head to him, telling him the truth lay within the memories of Yukimura Sanada.

What was he supposed to do?

Kakashi Hatake was lost once more at a crossroads in his life.

Minato Namikaze noticed the change in Kakashi Hatake's expression, stepped toward the sealing scroll, and read the message as well.

He was instantly enraged; this was a move to force a rift between him and the Third Hokage!

If Hatake Sakumo had been driven to his death by rumors, then the mastermind with the power to command the Sanada Clan could only be the man in power at the time: the Third Hokage.

He was the Hokage then, and he was also the head of the Sarutobi Clan.

The Third Hokage and his peers were his current source of strength, while Kakashi Hatake was his reliance for the future; for a moment, he did not know how to choose.

He could only aim his spearhead at the person who had stirred up this conflict.

"Shinichi Hyuga, this is slander! It is a radical statement! It will destroy the harmony of Konoha."

Minato Namikaze turned his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as a dangerous aura erupted from his body.

"Minato Namikaze, don't you find everything before you familiar? Back then, at the gate of the Hatake clan, there were also these ignorant people who coerced public opinion and came to insult them."

Everything had fallen into a cycle.

"Even you, do you not believe that the Third Hokage is innocent?"

An aura also erupted from Shinichi Hyuga, stronger and more dangerous than Minato Namikaze's, forcing Minato Namikaze to retreat several steps.

Finally, he let out a soft chuckle.

He pointed directly at the issue that worried Minato Namikaze the most.

With the opportunity given to Kakashi Hatake, what would his choice be?

"No need, let them rest in peace!"

After struggling for a long time, Kakashi Hatake finally made his decision, and the feeling of carrying the entire world on his shoulders dissipated significantly.

He resealed the sealing scroll and handed it back to Minato Namikaze.

He had always been unable to let go of his father's actions, and that remained true now.

However, he knew that Minato Namikaze needed his support at this moment.

The pregnant Kushina Uzumaki needed a stable environment and could not afford any mistakes; Biwako was currently taking care of her.

These two people were the ones who had brought warmth back into his life in this world.

In this moment, Kakashi gained some understanding of the ninja way of Hatake Sakumo.

He did not need the clues provided by Shinichi Hyuga to find the truth about his father's death.

A trace of relief surfaced in Minato Namikaze's eyes.

Shinichi Hyuga also nodded, secretly admiring him in his heart.

He was worthy of being the man who would later become the Sixth Hokage, capable of accepting a mission in a crisis during the Fourth Shinobi World War; even if his strength might be the weakest, his ability to weigh pros and cons and his political awareness were not low.

Facing those who sacrificed themselves, Shinichi Hyuga could not bring himself to hate them; both Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi Hatake were such people.

What he hated were those who sacrificed others while holding themselves up as great; the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage were such people.

Perhaps the Fourth Hokage counted as half, merely tolerating the existence of such things; as a person in power, he had the ability to stop it, yet he did not.

Always saying, "Wait a little longer, there will be a new turning point."

Often, that time never comes.

The Fourth Hokage himself did not wait for it.

"I should go. Remember what you promised; I don't want to see you there tomorrow."

Minato Namikaze felt a sense of crisis in his heart; now, every time Shinichi Hyuga participated in something, it brought shock to Konoha.

What he wanted was stability!

At this time, he also had to comfort Kakashi Hatake.

In Kakashi Hatake's heart, the seeds of distrust toward the Third Hokage had already been sown.

With a warning, Minato Namikaze took Kakashi Hatake and left.

Shinichi Hyuga's goal had been achieved; he would peel away the Third Hokage's halo and power bit by bit.

Leaving behind nothing but a dying old dog.

"Tell our Hokage-sama that people from the Land of Fire Daimyo Office will come to assist him tomorrow."

Shinichi Hyuga looked at the place where Minato Namikaze had disappeared, his ocular power erupting as he captured the other side of the space: the Hokage Office.

He thought with a sense of dark humor, What a dedicated Hokage. I should find him something to do; does he really think that if I don't show up, no one will confront them?

The Daimyo was not wary of the Hokage solely because of him.

He shook his head and looked at the Flying Thunder God Squad, who had not yet left, and told them to pass on the message.