After wrapping up their daily training, Miketsuki and Rin decided to stop by the ninja tools shop. Their recent sessions had burned through a good chunk of supplies.

  Being a ninja might pay well, but it sure didn’t come cheap.

  On their way there, they passed by groups of vilgers murmuring to one another in hushed tones.

  “Did you hear? White Fang—Hatake Sakumo—abandoned his mission voluntarily.”

  “What? You mean that White Fang?”

  “Hmph. And you’re still calling him ‘sir’? The advantage he fought so hard for on the front lines—poof—gone.”

  “I heard the vilge suffered a huge loss because of it.”

  ‘So it’s that incident... the one where White Fang took his own life,’ Miketsuki thought, a shadow flickering across his mind. The timing lined up.

  In the original timeline, Kakashi had just entered the Ninja Academy when his father, the famed White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, died by suicide.

  Back then, Sakumo was on a mission when one of his comrades sustained life-threatening injuries. He chose to abandon the mission to save that comrade. While he succeeded in saving a life, the vilge suffered significant losses as a result.

  When he returned, though his teammate survived, the vilgers began to turn on him. Criticism poured in from all sides. Rumors even began to spread—accusations that he had betrayed Konoha.

  Eventually, even the ninja Sakumo had saved turned his back on him.

  And so, the man once hailed as a battlefield legend—the fearsome White Fang of the Leaf—took his own life.

  Honestly, before it happened, no one would’ve believed it possible. A man like him, ending it all in such a quiet, devastating way... it was beyond comprehension.

  “Miketsuki... do you think they’re talking about…” Rin trailed off as they walked.

  “Yeah. Sounds like it’s about Kakashi’s father. But we can’t jump to conclusions based on a few vilgers’ chatter,” Miketsuki replied, though he already knew the whole story. What he hadn’t figured out yet was what role he himself should py in this version of events.

  That said, if there was a chance to save Sakumo, of course he’d take it. Even in his past life, Miketsuki had found Sakumo’s tragic end deeply regrettable. And for both him and Rin, Kakashi was a friend worth helping.

  Still, who knew what schemes were lurking beneath the surface of this incident? Miketsuki wasn’t sure how much impact he could truly have.

  He was still deep in thought when Rin suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

  “Miketsuki, look over there!” she pointed ahead, where a small crowd had gathered. From her position, she couldn’t see what was happening inside the circle.

  “It’s Kakashi and Obito. Looks like they’re in some kind of argument with a few vilgers,” Miketsuki said, having already seen everything clearly with his Six Eyes.

  Caught in the middle of the storm, Kakashi knew exactly how dire things had gotten for his father’s reputation in the vilge.

  Even with the bel of ‘genius,’ he couldn’t think of a way to turn things around—and it was eating at him.

  Right now, Kakashi was a powder keg waiting to blow.

  And that’s exactly what was happening in front of them.

  The argument on the street was escating.

  “Do you kids have any idea how many ninja died to secure that front-line advantage?”

  “A ninja’s duty is to complete the mission—no matter what!”

  “Abandoning a mission like that—does someone like that even deserve to be called a ninja?!”

  The vilgers had found their outlet, and they were unleashing their frustration on Kakashi and Obito like a pack of vultures.

  “My father… he’s not that kind of man,” Kakashi said, trying to hold back his anger, but his words cked bite.

  “Bastards! Kakashi’s father gave up the mission to save a comrade! What, none of you ever had friends before?!” Obito shouted, surprisingly siding with Kakashi for once.

  Though Obito often found Kakashi’s smug attitude annoying, deep down he still saw him as a true friend.

  “He gave up such an important mission voluntarily? That so-called White Fang is nothing more than a traitor to the vilge!” one of the loudest vilgers snapped.

  That line crossed the line.

  Kakashi, who’d been trying to hold back, snapped. His face went red with rage, and his hand instinctively reached for his ninja tool pouch.

  “Oh? Accusing someone of betraying the vilge? You sure you wanna say that out loud?”

  Miketsuki appeared beside Kakashi in an instant, calmly pcing a hand over his to stop him. He whispered in a low voice.

  “Don’t lose your cool. Your father’s situation isn’t something a few shouted words can fix.”

  “And who are you? Come to speak up for that man too? What would a bunch of brats like you even understand?”

  “You’re the one who shouted just now, weren’t you?” Miketsuki’s gaze locked onto the tall, skinny man with narrow eyes.

  “So what if I was? He disobeyed orders and abandoned a mission! Why shouldn’t I—”

  “Enough.”

  Miketsuki cut him off mid-sentence, his tone ice-cold.

  “The Hokage himself never said Sakumo betrayed the vilge. So where do you get the guts to snder a hero of Konoha? Or… are you saying you know better than the Hokage?”

  “I-I didn’t mean to question the Hokage!” The man stammered, faltering under Miketsuki’s gaze. Just as he tried to push back—

  “Inciting unrest in the vilge, spreading rumors... sounds like someone’s asking for a visit to the Uchiha Police Department, huh, Obito?”

  “The police force would love to deal with scum like you!” Obito chimed in right on cue, puffing up proudly.

  “Tch... damn brats.” The man and his cronies took one look at the Uchiha cn crest on Obito’s back, exchanged uneasy gnces, then muttered a few curses and slunk away.

  Miketsuki felt a little bad about dragging the Uchiha name into it, but honestly? Sometimes, you had to fight fire with fire. Against ignorant vilgers like these, the Uchiha’s reputation still carried weight.

  “Thanks, Miketsuki.” Kakashi’s voice was low, but sincere. If Miketsuki hadn’t stepped in, things could’ve turned out a lot worse.

  As the crowd dispersed, Rin finally managed to catch up.

  “Miketsuki, you scared me—disappearing like that out of nowhere!”

  “Sorry, sorry. It was an emergency.”

  Right before Kakashi had exploded, Miketsuki had only managed to whisper one thing to Rin—“Sorry to trouble you”—before using Body Flicker to leap from the rooftops and nd beside Kakashi in an instant.

  Kakashi now realized it—Miketsuki’s sudden appearance, that sheer speed—was that the Body Flicker Technique? A jutsu only jonin-level shinobi could normally pull off?

  He’d lost his cool, while Miketsuki had stayed calm and composed. Compared to that… what kind of ‘genius’ was he, really?

  “You really helped us out, Miketsuki. Those guys were the worst,” Obito muttered, still fuming.

  “Don’t thank me just yet. The real question is—what are you going to do next, Kakashi?”

  “I… I don’t know. My father’s locked himself in at home. He hasn’t said a word in response to the rumors.”

  “So you’re just going to sit back and watch?”

  “Of course not! But… with so many people in the vilge talking about him—and it is true that he abandoned the mission—I just don’t know what to do.”

  That much was undeniable. No matter what dark plots or politics might be hiding behind the public outcry, the fact was that Sakumo had abandoned a mission, and it had cost the vilge.

  “Then ask for help, Kakashi. Don’t carry this alone. There’s no shame in relying on your friends when things get tough. Or… do you not see us as friends?”

  Miketsuki’s voice was steady, his gaze unwavering.

  Kakashi froze. Then, slowly, his expression shifted. He took a deep breath, and finally said with resolve in his eyes:

  “I need your help. Miketsuki, Obito, Rin—please help me.”

  “You didn’t need to ask, show-off Kakashi,” Obito grinned, finally rexing.

  “I might not be much help… but I’ll do everything I can,” Rin said earnestly.

  “Good. Then let’s not waste any time. We’ve got a strategy to pn—and a lot of work ahead of us.”

  “Right!”

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