Chapter 349: A Devil's Whisper
"So what if what you're saying is true?" Kakashi replied indifferently, his face impassive. "I'm just an ordinary ANBU captain in Konoha."
But Ye Wen's lips curled into a dark smile. He could sense Kakashi's hesitation, the faint flicker of interest that stirred within him. He's considering it, Ye Wen thought with satisfaction. He's starting to question his own thoughts. Deciding to add fuel to the fire, Ye Wen continued.
"Kakashi," he began, his voice smooth and low, "do you know why you've lost so much since becoming a shinobi? Do you really understand why everything you hold dear seems to slip through your fingers?"
Ye Wen's words hit Kakashi like a strike to his core, dredging up memories and wounds he'd long buried. His stoic posture faltered, his body trembling slightly under the weight of old grief.
"The answer is simple, Kakashi," Ye Wen pressed, each word deliberate and piercing. "You're weak. You lack both the strength and authority to protect what matters to you. After all these years, your power is still… disappointing."
His voice softened, almost pitying. "Tell me, Kakashi, are you prepared to lose more? To watch as the last things you care about are taken from you?"
At these words, Kakashi seemed to freeze, his expression hollow and lifeless. Ye Wen sensed the emptiness and resignation emanating from the man, the quiet loneliness that defined him.
"It doesn't matter," Kakashi replied in a low, hoarse voice, barely more than a whisper. "I have nothing left to lose."
Ye Wen blinked in recognition, a momentary flash of empathy breaking through his usual composure. So, this is how Kakashi felt when he told Sasuke that he had no one left to care for. He realized he might have gone too far. But he wasn't about to stop now.
"Is that really true, Kakashi?" Ye Wen asked softly, his voice gentle but insistent. "Do you really believe there's no one left for you in this world?"
He placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, leaning in close enough to speak in a near whisper. "Because I have a bit of good news. There's someone… someone you care about… who is still alive."
Kakashi froze, every muscle in his body going rigid. He turned to face Ye Wen, disbelief and hope warring in his eyes. "Who…?" he managed, his voice strangled.
Years of shinobi discipline took over, and Kakashi quickly shook off Ye Wen's grip, taking a step back and regaining his composure. "That's enough. If you're trying to play some kind of twisted joke, you've gone too far. Whatever your demands are, name them. But don't insult the memory of my comrades."
Ye Wen's smile didn't waver. He understood Kakashi's skepticism, his guardedness. After all, Kakashi was one of the few characters who had ever truly captured the spirit of companionship, even in a life as broken as his own. But Ye Wen knew he had Kakashi exactly where he wanted him.
"I'm not joking, Kakashi," Ye Wen said, his tone light but his words sharp as a blade. "One of your old friends is alive, hiding in the shadows and planning a way to bring the entire shinobi world to its knees."
Kakashi wanted to dismiss his words, to brush off the claims as a malicious lie. But the yearning was there, tugging at him. Despite the denial his mind screamed, he couldn't shake the glimmer of hope ignited by Ye Wen's words. Sensing Kakashi's inner turmoil, Ye Wen decided it was time to stop teasing him.
"Yes, Kakashi. Your teammate, Uchiha Obito… he's still alive."
Kakashi's body jerked as if struck, his eyes widening in shock. Obito… still alive? He searched Ye Wen's face, hoping to detect even the smallest hint of deception. But Ye Wen's expression was unwavering. This wasn't a lie it was the truth. And if it was true, then...
Doubt began gnawing at him. Obito's sacrifice had haunted him for years. Was Obito the masked man who attacked Konoha? He remembered the day of the Nine Tails attack, the strange masked man who possessed a Sharingan and the strength to control the mighty beast. A single eye visible under his mask, and he had only used his right eye. Kakashi's stomach twisted, each memory connecting like pieces in a puzzle.
Could it be true? Could Obito be the one who destroyed everything that mattered to me?
Thoughts whirled in his mind as conflicting emotions clawed at him hope, anger, despair. Ye Wen observed him in silence, content to let Kakashi struggle with his own demons for now. And then, with the precision of a knife, Ye Wen twisted the blade one final time.
"Kakashi," he murmured, his voice soothing but dangerous, "I can see this is difficult for you. But what if… what if I offered you a way out?"
Kakashi blinked, his expression dark and weary. "What do you mean?"
Ye Wen smiled, his words slipping into Kakashi's mind like poison. "I'm talking about an exchange, Kakashi. A trade."
Kakashi's haunted eyes searched his face. "A trade…?"
"Yes, a way to change your destiny." Ye Wen's voice was soft but persuasive, dripping with temptation. "What if I told you I could give you a chance to undo the past? To bring back those you lost? To live in a world where they're still by your side?"
Kakashi's heart pounded, the coldness in his soul thawing at Ye Wen's words. It sounded like an impossible dream, too good to be true. And yet… what if it wasn't?
In his heart, he knew there was always a price to pay. Nothing came without sacrifice. But the lure of redemption, of being able to see his friends once more, was too strong to ignore. Swallowing hard, he raised his head, meeting Ye Wen's gaze with a spark of hope and resolve.
"What would I have to give?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
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