He knew it was like this; Kakashi is harder to handle than he imagined.
I guess he won't be staying in his squad for much longer.
I really hope some Jonin can teach this genius kid well and get him to perform missions.
Otherwise, the team will never be able to form a good cooperative relationship.
"Excuse us, Mr. Kado, for showing you this embarrassing side of Konoha."
"It seems being a Jonin isn't easy either."
Kado said with a smile.
The Jonin Captain gave a helpless smile.
Being this Jonin isn't easy indeed.
However, he could understand why Kakashi turned out this way.
But he found Kakashi's psychological issues to be more serious than he imagined, and he abandoned the idea of correcting him.
◎
Two days later, the Jonin Captain, accompanied by the mission escort target, arrived in Konoha successfully.
Leaving Kakashi and the other two behind, the Jonin Captain went to the Hokage Building to report.
"You've worked hard."
Hiruzen said with a smile to the Jonin.
"It's nothing, although there was a minor incident on the way, it wasn't serious and has been successfully resolved."
"I have a rough idea of the situation."
Hiruzen glanced at the report the Jonin Captain submitted, his expression sinking.
"Hokage-sama, is there anything you want to add?"
"Kakashi, is there really no way to correct his issues?"
Hiruzen asked the question he was most concerned about.
"With my abilities, I cannot correct his issues. I don't know how much longer I can keep him in the squad, but with Kakashi like this... at most a month, then we'll need to find him a new team."
The Jonin Captain answered truthfully.
Kakashi has valid reasons for being this way, but he doesn't want such a disruptive presence in his squad.
After all, he must consider the interests of the squad as a whole, rather than accommodating just Kakashi.
"I understand, I'll consider it carefully. You can go now."
"I apologize, Hokage-sama."
The Jonin Captain bowed to Hiruzen and exited the office.
Once the Jonin Captain left the room, Hiruzen began to contemplate.
"Should he really be assigned to the Anbu?"
Too young.
Not enough experience.
Doesn't meet Anbu standards.
Moreover, entering Anbu in this state only makes Hiruzen more anxious.
Torn between the importance of missions and companions, the answer to this problem...
Hiruzen sighed inwardly, feeling inadequate to provide Kakashi with an answer.
Because giving Kakashi one answer inevitably means rejecting another.
How do you explain Sakumo's death?
This is an extremely conflicting issue.
Or rather, he himself lacks a reference standard for a correct answer.
"Hokage-sama, Mr. Kado, the head of Shion Flower Company, wishes to see you."
An Anbu member walked in from outside to report to Hiruzen.
"I see, let him come in."
Hiruzen adjusted his expression and instructed the Anbu.
Currently, Shion Flower Company has cooperated with Hidden Rock and Hidden Sand, successfully opening branch pharmacies in both Ninja Villages, reportedly alleviating the shortage of medications there significantly, with impressive results.
Thus, this business cooperation is very important for Konoha as well.
He must not embarrass himself in front of the guests now.
◎
In the evening, the Konoha Cemetery.
Only Kakashi stood there, gazing blankly at the black-and-white photo placed before his father, Hatake Sakumo's grave.
The man looked warmly at him, his eyes filled with love for the world.
But this gaze of love gave Kakashi a strong urge to flee.
Even though his attire was orderly, he gave off the impression of a forlorn stray dog.
"Father, tell me... why..."
Kakashi's eyes showed confusion.
He couldn't understand.
He couldn't grasp what he should be doing now, or how to proceed.
His father was insulted and slandered for saving comrades and abandoning the mission, choosing to die by suicide.
Then why, when he prioritized missions over comrades, was he still ostracized?
Kakashi couldn't figure out how to solve this problem.
As the youngest to graduate from Ninja School, Kakashi was baffled by a problem for the first time.
The Will of Fire he learned should be based on the village, where everyone is part of the family.
Each person in the village is his comrade, akin to family, something to protect at all costs.
But... his father committed suicide.
Because saving comrades led to mission failure.
Thus, Ninjas should prioritize missions, just acting as tools not requiring excessive empathy, where the lives of comrades can be discarded when necessary.
Then what purpose does the Will of Fire serve, that I learned in school? Kakashi was frightened by his own blasphemous thoughts.
So, the words 'companion' and 'mission' leaped back and forth in his mind, engaging in the fiercest, most brutal battle.
At that moment, Kakashi suddenly clutched his head, his face contorted.
No good.
Can't sustain anymore.
His head hurt to the point of near explosion.
The only thing Kakashi could feel now was pain — intense headache.
Which is truly the right answer?
Why do they reject me for choosing the mission?
If I'm wrong, then my father's actions were right — why did he commit suicide?
Should I choose companions or missions?
What exactly is the Will of Fire?
Tortured by these two ideas to the verge of mental collapse, Kakashi finally couldn't endure and knelt at the grave, his face sweating heavily.
"...Damn it... my head hurts... tell me... what is the right thing to do, Father..."
A figure leaned on a tree in the woods by the cemetery, revealing half of his face, the other half shrouded in darkness.
It was a young man's face.
It was Hakushi.
He leaned against the tree, hands in his pockets, quietly listening to Kakashi's pained murmuring.
He paused there briefly, then vanished behind the tree, leaving no trace.