Kakashi, walking across the surface of the water, suddenly came to a halt.
He sensed something off and raised his right hand slightly, signaling Obito Uchiha and the other two companions that danger was near.
Suddenly, a row of sharp bamboo spears sprang up and came hurtling toward Kakashi and his group.
"Fire Release! Grand Fireball Jutsu!"
Obito exhaled a massive fireball forward, incinerating all the incoming bamboo spears.
Everyone kept their eyes fixed ahead, unaware of Taiseki hiding behind them.
Just as the smoke cleared, the scorched bamboo fragments from Obito's Grand Fireball suddenly exploded.
Kakashi and the three from the Uchiha clan immediately prepared for battle.
Without warning, Fireglow revealed himself—and Kakashi launched an immediate attack.
[Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder!]
Lightning surged from Kakashi's body as he shot forward with lightning-like speed, closing in on Fireglow before delivering a series of rapid blade strikes.
Recently, a few shinobi from Konoha had mastered Thunder Breathing. Though Kakashi wielded it at incredible speed, Fireglow was one of Iwagakure's top experts—highly skilled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu—and as an elite jonin, he barely managed to react in time.
Kakashi and Fireglow went blow for blow, neither managing to gain the advantage.
As Obito Uchiha started looking for an opening to assist Kakashi, two screams rang out.
Distracted for just a moment, Kakashi was swiftly kicked into the water by Fireglow.
Both Kakashi and Obito turned around, only to find Rin Nohara and Katsuhiko Koseki unconscious, captured in the grasp of the hidden Taiseki.
Fireglow landed beside Taiseki, who addressed Kakashi and Obito directly: "I'm taking these two."
Kakashi moved forward to stop them, but Fireglow scoffed mockingly, "So you must be the white-haired apprentice of the Crimson-Eyed Asura? If the Crimson-Eyed Asura were here, maybe I'd feel some pressure—but you? You're nowhere near enough!"
Fireglow tossed down a smoke bomb, vanishing along with Taiseki in the resulting haze.
"Tch!"
Obito Uchiha turned to chase after them, but Kakashi blocked his path. "Obito! Don't follow them! We continue the mission!"
Obito stared at Kakashi in disbelief. "What did you just say? Do you even know what you're saying?"
Kakashi repeated calmly, "Yeah, I do. The two of us will carry on with the mission."
Obito snapped back furiously, "And what about Rin and Katsuhiko? What do we do about them?"
Kakashi answered coolly, "We'll rescue Rin and your teammate later. They want information on our operational plan—they won't kill them yet. Plus, Rin's a medical ninja—there's some value in that for them. Even as a prisoner, she'll be kept alive as leverage in case they need healing..."
"The bigger problem," he continued, "is that the enemy now knows our plan. If word gets out, they'll surely tighten security around the bridge, making the mission far more difficult."
Obito argued heatedly, "But what about Katsuhiko? He isn't a medical ninja! And how can you be sure Rin is safe—it's just a guess! What if they're mindless thugs who decide to kill them anyway?!"
"Saving Rin takes priority over the mission!"
Kakashi said solemnly, "A ninja has to complete the mission no matter the cost—even if it means sacrificing their comrades. That's the rule. If we fail this mission, the war will drag on, and there could be even more casualties."
Obito Uchiha challenged fiercely, "That's just a guess! For something like that, can you really abandon your teammate so easily?"
Kakashi replied coldly, "That is Rin's role in this mission."
Suddenly, Obito threw a punch at Kakashi.
But Kakashi caught Obito's fist effortlessly.
Furious, Obito shouted, "I really hate you!"
Remaining calm, Kakashi said, "It doesn't matter if you hate me or not. I'm the squad leader—you must follow my orders. No matter what, in order to keep the team from falling apart, one person has to make decisions while the others obey. That's how it works!
You lack the capability, so I became the leader!"
Obito roared, "Then why won't you save Rin? You have the ability to save our comrade, don't you?"
Kakashi answered evenly, "Letting emotions interfere with the mission only leads to regret later. That's why ninjas have rules—to suppress emotion. You should understand this too."
Trembling with rage, Obito stammered, "Rin... she was really worried about your safety... She gave you that medical kit as a gift—she even included an omamori, a traditional good luck charm!"
Still expressionless, Kakashi responded, "Medical kits and Medical Ninjutsu exist to increase success rates. Konoha's System works exceptionally well. But didn't I tell you yesterday? Extra things are simply burdens."
Obito stared at Kakashi in disbelief. "Extra things?"
Kakashi nodded. "Ninjas need tools that help complete missions. Emotions are unnecessary."
Obito looked at him blankly. "Are you serious? Do you really believe that?"
Kakashi briefly looked away, his mind flashing with the image of Sakumo Hatake, then met Obito's eyes again. "Yes."
Clenching his fists tightly, Obito said, "Forget it. We're completely different. I'll go save Rin myself!"
After a pause, Kakashi said, "You don't understand what happens to those who break the rules..."
Walking away, Obito called out, "I've already heard everything about Sakumo from Minato-sensei and Chinya-sensei. I truly believe White Fang was a hero. Indeed, the ninja world calls those who break the rules trash. But those who don't value their comrades are even worse—scum!
If I'm trash either way, I'll break these rules. If following them makes someone a proper ninja, then I'll destroy this concept of 'ninja' itself!"
Looking at Obito's back, Kakashi spoke seriously, "Obito, I understand exactly what you mean. But are you sure they'll thank you if you rescue them?
What if they blame you for failing the mission? Will you regret your decision?
My father, Sakumo Hatake, once believed those men were his comrades too. In the end, he was blamed by everyone in Konoha."
"My father was blamed by everyone for breaking the rules to save his teammates, and now you're blaming me for choosing to follow them."
So tell me — what am I supposed to do to avoid getting blamed?"
Obito Uchiha remained silent for a long time before speaking up. "I don't know. But I do know that if I don't try to save Rin, I'll definitely regret it!"
Obito's eyes looked lost. "I really don't understand why right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right. I don't want to regret my decisions — even if others say they're wrong!"
Kakashi took a deep breath and muttered, "You're hopeless. Fine, let's go."
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