Kakashi Did It

"So that's why you two fought."

"Yeah."

"You just wanted to see how strong you were?"

"Yeah."

"You idiots!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's roar echoed through the Hokage Building late that night.

Kazan felt his eardrums vibrate and hurriedly covered his ears.

"Didn't your teachers tell you not to fight in the village? And especially not to use destructive Ninjutsu inside it!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been working overtime every day lately.

Reports kept arriving from the border. Something had happened in Sunagakure: their Kazekage hadn't been seen for a long time and was presumed missing or even dead. Now the Sand Shinobi were acting like lunatics.

A village chief vanishing without explanation was no small matter.

Tensions were high along the borders of the Land of Wind, the Land of Fire, and beyond. War could break out at any moment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been busy dealing with the constant clashes along the border.

By the time he got home each night, his wife and children were already fast asleep.

And then this happened.

These two brats had gotten into a street fight tonight just to see whether their fists were hard enough.

"I didn't use Ninjutsu. Kakashi did it." Kazan rubbed his ears.

No Ninjutsu...

"The damage your technique caused was far worse than Kakashi's!"

It was called Undersea Drop, wasn't it?

Hiruzen Sarutobi had to admit the boy had surprised him.

It was the kind of surprise that came with equal parts delight and alarm.

That Taijutsu move, Undersea Drop, had destructive power on par with A-rank Ninjutsu.

"That wasn't a technique. I just picked Kakashi up and threw him down," Kazan argued.

Then again, Garp's Taijutsu mostly came down to overwhelming force.

His ultimate move, Infinite Fist Bone, was simply a relentless series of punches thrown at full strength.

Beside him, Kakashi's face had already darkened.

Kazan's shameless words made him want to challenge him to another duel.

All he'd wanted was to go home. Not only had he been beaten up, now he was being blamed for it too?

It was outrageous!

"And you, Kakashi! Why did you go along with Kazan's nonsense?"

"Lord Hokage, I clearly refused. He wouldn't leave me alone."

"That's a lie. If you refused, why didn't you just stand there and let me hit you? Why fight back?"

Why fight back?

Kakashi's head buzzed. What kind of ridiculous logic was that?

Was I supposed to let him beat me without fighting back?

"Enough! You two brats will repair the street you damaged. Have it done before dawn so you don't inconvenience the villagers!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi threw both boys out of his office.

As for punishment, how was he supposed to punish two children for fighting?

Making them repair the street would do.

"Give Kakashi to Root, Hiruzen."

The two had barely left when Danzo stepped out of the shadows.

Like a fixture, he always appeared at moments like this.

He had come after hearing that someone had beaten up Konoha's genius, Kakashi.

But what he had seen with his own eyes had disappointed him.

Knowing only Taijutsu wasn't the problem. Kazan's reckless habit of causing trouble and then shirking responsibility made him a terrible fit for Root. He might even create more problems for Danzo.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was ideal.

The darkness in his heart made him a perfect match for Root.

"Was Sakumo's death not enough for you? Do you want to ruin his son too, Danzo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his pipe between his teeth and glanced back.

"Don't think I don't know you spread those rumors about Sakumo!"

White Fang's death had been a tremendous loss for Konoha.

He had been a fighter on par with the Sannin, yet rumors had driven him to his death.

"I didn't kill him. Everything I said was true. He abandoned an important mission and caused the village enormous losses."

Danzo's voice was calm, without a trace of regret.

"A Ninja's first duty is to complete the mission. Personal feelings have no place in it. In the end, he died because he was too weak."

"Enough, Danzo. I'm tired of your twisted arguments. I won't give Sakumo's son to you."

"Fine. Then give me these people. Root needs more personnel, and the Shinobi World is growing unstable."

Danzo seemed prepared for the refusal. He immediately produced another list.

It named many Ninja from Shinobi Clans aligned with the Hokage. Most came from branch families but were exceptionally talented.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitate, Shimura Danzō said coldly, "You keep saying I killed White Fang, but you were the Hokage."

White Fang had died beneath a flood of public condemnation.

Root held considerable power. Danzo commanded a force of Root Ninja that rivaled Konoha's elite ANBU.

But the man with the most power had always been the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

So rather than saying White Fang had died because of the villagers' cruel words, it was more accurate to say an internal power struggle had killed him.

One man had dealt the blow, magnifying the consequences of the failed mission without limit. The other had stood by and watched.

"That was an accident!" Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke.

It was true. He hadn't wanted White Fang to die. Konoha needed someone that strong.

But in his mind, White Fang should have been a blade, nothing more. The one to inherit the Hokage Position should have been his own student, Orochimaru.

A civilian genius with no ties to any Shinobi Clan!

He had allowed the rumors to spread only to curb White Fang's reputation and support in Konoha.

That way, Orochimaru would naturally become Konoha's next Hokage.

But White Fang had taken his own life at home. Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't expected that.

"You can have these people, but you need to investigate what happened to the Third Kazekage."

"I will."

Danzo retrieved the list and stepped back into the darkness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was alone in the office.

Don't blame me, White Fang!

I just trusted Orochimaru more!

White Fang and Orochimaru were equally outstanding. As two of Konoha's strongest fighters, either could have served as Hokage.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi had watched Orochimaru grow up. He had seen him go from a student to one of the Sannin, renowned throughout the Shinobi World.

Compared with White Fang, Hiruzen Sarutobi trusted Orochimaru more.

Then he used the Telescope Technique to spy on Kazan and Kakashi.

Kazan had often been looked down on at school because he didn't study Ninjutsu. He was an oddity. But he had caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention long ago.

Not every child could turn the Forest of Death into his own hunting ground.

And tonight, Kazan had surpassed even his expectations.

He had defeated Kakashi, the genius of his generation. Granted, Kakashi had underestimated him, lost his head in anger, and let down his guard.

But Kazan's fists, which rivaled the Senju Clan's Cherry Blossom Impact, and the Taijutsu he had created himself proved just how gifted he was.