Kakashi's heart pounded as he heard Orochimaru's words. He closed his eyes slightly, and tears streamed down his face.
The heavy feelings that had built up for nearly ten years seemed to disappear with the tears, and his whole being felt more refreshed.
Denying the person you respect most is a painful thing, especially when that person is your own father.
You can't make changes in an instant; it's a long process, and if you're not careful, emotional feelings will appear from somewhere.
What makes it painful isn't piercing those feelings, but that they keep bubbling up from the bottom of your heart after you do.
It makes you wonder if there's any point in repeating this behavior.
Now, he finally didn't have to do that anymore.
The sky was slightly bright, and morning light floated in the mist. In the forest, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, and his eyes regained some clarity.
After clearly understanding his father's choice, he no longer dwelled on the past and could move forward.
Orochimaru witnessed Kakashi's change and slightly curved his lips into a smile.
"So, after learning about Sakumo's choice, what are your thoughts now?"
"Do you want to take revenge on the village? Although you can't find a specific culprit, it's clear that the old guys, the silent ones in the village, all bear some responsibility."
Kakashi shook his head. "My father followed his own will. If I do that, it would be an insult to him."
"There's no need to think that way. There's no reason why you must inherit what Sakumo did."
Orochimaru smiled. "If we followed that logic, what I'm doing now is also a betrayal of my parents."
"Ultimately, it still depends on your own thoughts. If you really have resentment, there's no need to suppress it."
Kakashi was slightly surprised. He didn't expect Orochimaru to say that.
But resentment?
Kakashi covered his chest, speechless for a moment.
The village leaders corrupted by power, the villagers willing to be sacrifices... to say there wasn't a trace of resentment would undoubtedly be lying to himself.
But even if there was, what could he do?
Could he really take revenge on these people?
They didn't really do anything wrong. The Third used sacrifice as a means, but not for himself. The Leaf Village Ninja were even more willing to sacrifice their lives for the village.
Could he take revenge on these people?
The bad results in the end weren't because they were doing evil, but because of different beliefs.
Beliefs... Kakashi pondered.
Just now, what Orochimaru-sama said about the village changing because of his father's death stirred his emotions greatly.
But based on what he had seen and heard, has the change really been as big as he imagined?
Which is better for the village, before or after the change?
…
Kakashi had spent the first half of his life reflecting and questioning. Now, out of habit, countless questions popped into his mind.
He might be a genius ninja, but in these areas, he wasn't even a beginner. He had almost never thought about the path of the village from a manager's perspective.
After pondering for a moment, he asked Orochimaru the question in his heart.
"What's suitable is best. There's no need to be one or the other."
As always, Orochimaru gave a broad answer. He shook his head.
"What Sakumo was against wasn't sacrifice, but giving up thinking and taking sacrifice for granted."
Actually, looking at it now, the meaning isn't just that.
Orochimaru didn't care if a few more or a few less village ninja died.
But if they all developed like Danzo's Root ninja, rotting from the root and accepting their fate as tools, he would be very troubled.
Good workers shouldn't just passively grow; they should also actively create value.
Like his own relationship with the genie, the village ninja should also use their own initiative, or at least develop in that direction.
Just like the Kakashi in front of him.
"The opposite of sacrifice is the best of both worlds. The latter is naturally better, but it's hard to achieve."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. "Following your own belief is more than just talk; it requires real strength."
"Although I acknowledge Sakumo, there might be a better way."
"Don't give up thinking and indulge in self-pity. Do you understand?"
Kakashi nodded heavily.
"It's almost time. Let's go back." Orochimaru nodded slightly, jumped onto a treetop, and headed towards the camp.
Kakashi followed closely behind.
After resolving his internal conflict and finding a new goal, his life could head toward a new and open world.
…
Several miles from the Root base, in an underground laboratory.
While Kakashi was undergoing a transformation, another person obtained what they had been pursuing all along, and their whole being was renewed.
Crack crack...
The transparent glass cover of the nutrient tank shattered, and dark green liquid spilled out. Within it, a thin, withered figure walked out.
"Congratulations, Lord Danzo. The First Hokage cells have been successfully transplanted. How do you feel now?"
The head researcher smiled, looking excited, as if he didn't see the cost of the successful experiment, or rather, didn't dare to see it.
Danzo clenched his left fist. This arm, which had been damaged and withered in past battles, was now strong and powerful. His whole body felt like it had returned to thirty years old, his most "strong and capable" moment.
Strong and capable...
The words flashed in his mind. He couldn't help but cover his face and laugh.
The soft laughter quickly turned into loud laughter, crazy laughter, until he opened his arms and vented his joy without regard for others.
He had suppressed it for decades, so long that his own heart had become numb. He had just mechanically persisted, forcing himself not to have a single doubt.
Now, he had finally seen the first ray of dawn. Although the Root was destroyed, his fighting power had returned to its peak, surpassing the already old Hiruzen.
Danzo covered his face with his hands. The excitement, surprise, and joy were truly so strong that they were hard to suppress.
The Root ninja present were deeply moved by Danzo's performance. With the Root half destroyed, Danzo, as the leader, being able to stand up was undoubtedly a shot in the arm.
"..."
After venting hysterically for a while, Danzo finally stood up and went to the toilet to wash his body.
At this time, a strange face in the mirror came into view. His eye sockets were deep-set, his muscles were dry, and his whole body had almost no fat, almost like a skeleton covered with a layer of skin.
Only then did he clearly realize what price he had paid for the experiment to succeed.
"Phew..."
Danzo clenched his fists, let out a long breath, and went straight to the head researcher after leaving the washroom.
Seeing Danzo coming aggressively, the head researcher's face didn't change, but his legs couldn't stop shaking. He said quickly,
"Lord Danzo, this is just a normal post-operative reaction. You'll recover after resting for a while."
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