Rin hesitated, wanting to offer a few words of advice to Kakashi, but the education she had received made her unsure how to refute him.
Obito, however, sneered. "Kakashi, if it were the old me, I'd say, 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash!'"
Kakashi's pupils contracted violently; those words struck him like a bell ringing in the quiet of dawn, reverberating through his entire being.
Obito's tone shifted, now calm but sharper than ever. "But now, I just want to say this—rules and regulations are made by people. If, in a village that claims to uphold the Will of Fire, those same rules force a hero who believes in that Will to make impossible choices, only for him to be disrespected and condemned afterward… then maybe the rules themselves are flawed."
At those words—so close to treason—both Rin and Kakashi trembled.
Rin even stepped forward, instinctively trying to cover Obito's mouth. He was being too blunt, almost as if he were directly criticizing the very authority of Konoha. Even though they were still young, they all understood that certain things should never be said lightly.
But Obito gave Rin a reassuring glance and continued speaking to Kakashi.
"Think about it—if Sakumo-senpai had chosen to abandon his comrades and completed the mission, what would've happened?"
"Would the villagers have praised him for his 'awareness' and 'resolve'? Or would they have condemned him as a cold-blooded, heartless man who let his comrades die and couldn't be trusted?"
Kakashi froze, face pale, his body swaying as though the ground beneath him had shifted.
He tried to refute it, stubbornly saying, "No, that's not true. In the ninja world, as long as the mission is completed, there's no mistake. No one would say anything."
Obito sneered again. "Kakashi, you're still too naive. Just ask yourself—would you rather have a teammate who sacrifices anything and anyone to complete a mission, or one who cherishes their comrades?"
Kakashi's eyes wavered, his voice low and conflicted. "I…"
But then he clenched his fists and said stubbornly, "If a sacrifice is necessary for the success of the mission, what's wrong with that? I'm willing to fight alongside someone like that."
Obito was so angry he almost shouted, "Kakashi!"
Then he took a deep breath and continued.
"If you really believed that, you wouldn't have hesitated back then. And even if you do believe it now, most people absolutely, absolutely do not."
"Because no one wants to be the next sacrifice. Life is more important than any mission. For self-preservation, people instinctively resist those who would abandon their comrades."
"So even if Sakumo-senpai had completed the mission and abandoned his comrades, as long as word got out, he would've still been condemned by everyone."
Obito's words tore through Kakashi and Rin's worldview like a blade through silk.
Rin trembled. Her eyes dimmed as she murmured, "So… does that mean no matter what Sakumo-senpai did, he would've been wrong?"
Obito gently looked at her and replied, "No, that's not it."
"The villagers are narrow-minded. They can't fully understand how much sacrifice is required for a mission's success. So from their point of view—if the mission fails, it's a loss. If comrades die, it's a loss. Either way, the village suffers. And since they're part of the village, it's natural for them to complain."
After a pause, Obito glanced at Kakashi again, this time deliberately, and said, "So to avoid these situations, missions are supposed to be top secret. Sakumo-senpai handled high-level missions with strict clearance. Kakashi, tell me—how did the details of his mission get out?"
"Could it be that the Anbu under your father's command were incompetent? That they didn't stop the information leak the moment it began? If high-level missions are this poorly handled, then what secrets does Konoha even have left?"
Obito's voice sharpened. "Let's stop dancing around it. For a high-level mission to be leaked like that and not silenced—unless the elders themselves allowed it."
The effect on Kakashi was immediate and devastating. But Rin was the first to react—her face pale with fear.
"Obito… is that really true?"
Obito didn't deny it. He only patted Rin gently on the shoulder. "Rin, don't be afraid. No matter what's ahead, I will always protect you."
Rin felt a little comforted, but her expression remained clouded. The heaviness in her heart was difficult to dispel.
Obito sighed quietly. He regretted saying these things in front of her.
He knew that twenty-six years later, Rin would understand everything. She would be strong enough to endure any truth. That Rin had experienced death, seen the gates of the underworld, and still chose to love the world.
But the Rin standing before him now—was still too young. These truths about Konoha were simply too cruel for her.
Still, once spoken, there was no taking them back. Obito believed Rin would overcome it. Because he knew she was stronger than anyone.
Then he turned back to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, you're a smart person. You should understand by now."
"That mission was a trap from the beginning. A setup meant to destroy Sakumo-senpai. No matter what choice he made, he would've been wrong."
Kakashi stood drenched in cold sweat. Unlike Rin, he had been directly involved in the incident. The impact hit him like a landslide.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. Obito's words made horrifying sense. Eight or nine-tenths of it—he already believed. The remaining part wasn't disbelief—it was fear. Fear of accepting that it was true.
His voice hoarse, he asked, "Obito… tell me… what… what should I do now?"
Kakashi was lost. To admit it all meant facing a mountain—one far too vast for his current strength.
Obito looked at him with something like pity. He hadn't meant to slander Konoha. He had only laid out the facts.
But the facts alone made Konoha look utterly dark. This wasn't just Kakashi's conclusion—it was also the same realization that had broken Sasuke in Obito's previous life.
To be honest, Obito didn't believe Hiruzen Sarutobi had much ill intent—maybe a little, but not much.
As Hokage, Hiruzen inevitably brushed against the village's darkness. His indecisive nature had led to countless mistakes. But Obito didn't think Kakashi's resentment toward him needed to go that deep.
Obito took a moment to think before speaking again.
"Never mind. I won't analyze it anymore. I'll give you the answer straight."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi may not have had much ill will. As the village's leader, he had to balance too many things. He made many mistakes, but not necessarily out of malice."
"Just remember one name—Danzo Shimura. He's the one who truly harmed your father."
"In the future, if something dirty happens and you can't find the culprit—don't even think twice. It's him."