Though his eyes remained on the contest between Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno in the distance, the conversation between the man and the bird had already drifted far off course.
"Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, you were the first Sixth Hokage, but just look at that head of white hair."
The crow speaking cast Hatake Kakashi a pitying glance.
"Growing old before your time."
"My white hair is natural. Besides, aren't you the same?"
"Mine is silver and lustrous. Yours is pallid. The colors are completely different!"
"Whatever you say!"
Hatake Kakashi spread his hands and said helplessly, "In any case, you need to take a stance on this matter. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to handle."
"I know."
With the Hokage's authority in Konoha, practically anything could be forced through.
But that was not how a leader should act.
Without the support of the majority, the effectiveness of certain policies would be severely compromised during implementation. There would inevitably be people who obeyed openly while defying them in secret, and once Hatake Kakashi stepped down, there was a strong chance that the policies would die with him.
There were not many people in Konoha who could substantially influence the attitudes of most elite shinobi, which made Mizuki's position particularly important.
In fact, anything that could make Hatake Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, hesitate was certainly no trivial matter. And when it concerned the Ninja Academy, the very foundation of a shinobi village, it was all the more critical. Any attempt at change would affect everything, from civilians to shinobi clans. The implications were simply too vast.
"Originally, I didn't want to meddle in these matters!"
After a moment of silence, the crow sighed and said helplessly, "Everyone must take responsibility for their choices, and so must a village. Every policy