Chapter 151: Fighting for Ideals (3k)
Chapter 151: Fighting for Ideals (3k)
"Shouldn't a ninja prioritize the mission above all else? Isn't the mission the most important thing?" As Kakashi Hatake stepped out of the Hokage's office, he recalled Jonin Instructor Nagato Uzuki's expression and felt a twinge of confusion.
Nagato had stated that he'd completed his mission and was a qualified ninja, but he didn't seem pleased, and Kakashi detected a hint of anger in his gaze.
Kakashi felt that if they hadn't been in the Hokage's office, Nagato might have said more.
However, Kakashi couldn't understand why Nagato would be angry with him. The death of his teammate wasn't his fault; it was the enemy who had killed them. He had merely expressed his opinion on the matter.
"Could it be that the life of a disciple outweighs the completion of a mission?" Kakashi wondered.
If Nagato truly felt that way, Kakashi thought it might be for the best that he didn't take on the role of a mentor. Someone with such beliefs couldn't be considered a true ninja in Kakashi's eyes.
"A true ninja should be willing to do whatever it takes to complete a mission, even if it means the death of a teammate..." Kakashi murmured to himself as he gazed at his dark and empty home that night.
Once, Kakashi had a father whom he admired greatly.
His father, Sakumo Hatake, was incredibly strong and had achieved great feats during the Second Great Ninja War. He had slain countless ninjas from enemy villages and was revered as the White Fang of Konoha.
Kakashi aspired to be like his powerful and dependable father, and he diligently trained, graduating from the Ninja Academy at the age of five and becoming a Chunin at six, all in an effort to follow in his father's footsteps.
However, an incident that occurred when Kakashi was seven years old changed his perception of his father forever.
During a critical mission, Sakumo had prioritized saving his teammates over the mission's success, which resulted in a significant loss for Konoha. The village echoed with criticisms, and even the teammate he had saved spoke out against Sakumo's decision.
Before long, Kakashi returned home from training one day to find a body lying in a pool of blood. The White Fang, the short blade that had taken countless ninja lives, had ultimately ended its master's life.
From that day on, Sakumo Hatake was no longer the strongest or most qualified ninja in Kakashi's eyes.
As a ninja, Sakumo had failed by letting his emotions get the better of him and causing Konoha to suffer a great loss. And as a father, he had failed by leaving his seven-year-old child behind.
Kakashi no longer took pride in his father or anyone else for that matter.
Kakashi opened the door to his home and began cleaning the entire house, as it had gathered quite a bit of dust during the month he'd been away.
With the convenience of his Shadow Clone Jutsu, he was able to efficiently tidy up the place by himself, soon restoring the house to its former cleanliness.
"Now, should I train?" Kakashi wondered, having nothing else to do after finishing the cleaning. He had already taken care of dinner on his way home, so he didn't need to cook.
In the end, Kakashi did nothing and instead lay in the yard, gazing at the moon.
"Kakashi, are you home?"
At that moment, a familiar female voice called out from outside.
"He might have gone on another mission after returning. Let's just go play, Ino." A cheerful male voice added beside her.
Kakashi slowly walked out, his expression calm, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Damn, so you didn't go on another mission," Obito muttered, feeling a bit disappointed.
"If all goes well, I probably won't have to go on any missions for a long time," Kakashi replied.
He guessed that there might not be any teams he could join and that he'd have to wait for the new graduates.
"After all, we've been on this mission for so long. It's not a big deal to take some extra rest," Nohara Lin said with a gentle smile.
She didn't know that Kakashi's "long time" could stretch to four or five months.
"That's not the reason," Kakashi shook his head.
"Then what is it, Kakashi? You can't be slacking off," Obito said, hoping that Kakashi would take on more missions.
"I don't have a team for now. My teammate died, and the captain doesn't plan to continue as an instructor," Kakashi said matter-of-factly, not hiding the truth.
"Your teammate died? Oh..." Obito was shocked to hear Kakashi casually mention those words.
Having met Kakashi's teammates just a month ago, Obito could still remember their faces. And now, they were gone—two lives lost. In that instant, Obito felt the cruelty of a ninja's life.
"I'm sorry," Obito apologized to Kakashi, sensing the weight of his loss.
Hearing Kakashi's words, Ino Yamanaka was also taken aback and quickly offered words of comfort.
"You guys must have misunderstood something. I'm not that sad," Kakashi explained. "Although my teammates passed away, their sacrifice wasn't in vain. The mission was a success."
"What do you mean, Kakashi? Are you saying that their sacrifice was worth it for the sake of the mission?" Obito couldn't help but ask.
While he wasn't close to Kakashi's teammates, he knew they weren't bad people.
On the day of the mission, Kakashi's teammates could have simply informed him and left, but they hadn't. Instead, they had specifically reminded Kakashi that the mission would be challenging and that he should prepare accordingly.
"Because you're not a ninja yet. In a ninja's world, the mission always comes first," Kakashi said as he caught Obito's fist.
"A ninja who lets emotions get in the way is an unqualified ninja."
"Let's fight, I'm going to knock some sense into you." Obito lost all restraint.
Kakashi flung Obito away and countered, "The one who's not clear-headed is you. A student who hasn't graduated yet dares to lecture me, a Chunin?"
Increasingly infuriated, Obito activated his breathing technique, enhancing his physical abilities, intending to teach Kakashi a lesson.
However, Kakashi no longer held back and unleashed his full strength, overwhelming Obito.
The relentless assault of Earth Release, Lightning Release, and merciless taijutsu proved too much for Obito, even with his All-Concentration Breathing.
"Damn it!" Obito cried out in frustration as he was knocked to the ground once more, unable to accept that he could be inferior to someone like Kakashi.
"If you still hold on to such childish ideas, then give up on becoming a ninja," Kakashi said bluntly.
"Feel the gap between you and a true ninja."
Although Kakashi verbally disparaged Obito, he was surprised by the latter's progress. In just over a month, Obito had made significant strides, evident in his Fire Release and taijutsu. Even with Kakashi's full strength, Obito was able to hold his ground for an extended period.
"I just don't want to lose to someone like you." Obito clenched his fists tightly, his frustration reaching its peak, and his anger blazed fiercely.
"What do you consider your comrades?!" After a furious shout, Obito's breathing became more focused than ever, and he felt a surge of power coursing through his body.
"Flame Breathing, All-Concentration Breathing!"
In an instant, Obito vanished from his spot and reappeared beside Kakashi, delivering a powerful punch to his face.
Kakashi was caught off guard by Obito's sudden surge in speed and was knocked to the ground.
"Can he get even stronger?" Kakashi wondered, perplexed. He had never encountered such a situation where his opponent suddenly became stronger mid-fight after shouting.
Fortunately, Kakashi's combat experience was extensive. Aside from sparring matches, he had been in life-or-death battles and quickly regained his composure, ensuring he didn't fall further behind.
The battle grew increasingly intense, with fire and lightning illuminating the empty lot. The impact of their attacks left small craters in the surrounding area.
"Stop fighting! If you get hurt, we won't be able to go out and play." Nohara Lin, witnessing the intense clash between the two, feared an accident and spoke up.
Nohara Lin's words gradually calmed Obito, who realized his strength wasn't sufficient to defeat Kakashi.
When Obito stopped, Kakashi also ceased his attacks, as his desire to fight wasn't particularly strong to begin with.
"Gosh, if you have differing opinions, discuss them calmly. Why did you suddenly start fighting?" Nohara Lin sighed, brushing off the dust and straightening their clothes in dismay.
"It's just that what he said was so infuriating." Obito couldn't let go of Kakashi's earlier words.
"Getting angry only shows how immature you are," Kakashi said calmly.
Tan Ran replied calmly.
"You bastard, do you want to continue?" Obito's blood pressure, which had momentarily lowered, began to rise again.
"If you want another lesson, I can oblige." Kakashi was indifferent, confident in his ability to win.
"You two, if you keep this up, I'm really going to get angry." Nohara Lin said with her hands on her hips.
Recalling the image of Nohara Lin punching a tree and snapping it in half, Obito closed his mouth.
With Obito silent and Kakashi having no intention to provoke further, the situation calmed down, though Kakashi's mood remained unsettled that day.
However, with this prelude, it was evident that Obito and Kakashi would struggle to maintain a peaceful coexistence that day.
When Kakashi bought grilled fish skewers, Obito commented that the fish must have been dead for a while and was unhealthy.
If Obito bought tempura, Kakashi would retort that the oil might have been reused countless times, making it extremely unhygienic.
In their eyes, everything the other did was wrong, from the way they entered a store to the way they breathed.
Nohara Lin could only constantly mediate between them, as there seemed to be no other solution.
"It's almost the end of the term, and another semester will soon pass. Time flies," Nohara Lin attempted to steer the conversation away from their disagreements.
"In another semester, we'll graduate. It's worrisome for the village if some people persist with their childish ideas," Kakashi struck first.
"Whoever becomes your next teammate will be out of luck." Obito countered defiantly.
Nohara Lin: ...
(End of Chapter)
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