"This requires strong medicine to heal," thought Mokgetsu.
With Kakashi's level of shadows, gentle healing is very difficult. He might get depressed again just because of something someone says.
Mokgetsu felt that it might take a life-or-death crisis for Kakashi, where he finds out his truest feelings inside and experiences the human brilliance from his companions, for him to fully heal in body and mind.
"Kakashi, how did you become so weak? You're exhausted from just this bit of training. If you tried my current training regime, it would probably kill you," Obito noticed how extraordinarily tired Kakashi seemed.
"Just not in a good state," Kakashi replied calmly, adjusting his expression, but the fatigue in his eyes was hard to conceal.
"Kakashi, come back with me later. I'll cook some nourishing dishes for you," Mokgetsu offered.
Seeing that even in his bad state Kakashi could get a free meal, Obito chuckled and said, "Teacher Mokgetsu, actually my condition is quite bad too, how about..."
Smack!
Mokgetsu's finger precisely knocked on Obito's head, then ruffled his hair, saying, "You could just say you want to join for the meal."
"I want to join for the meal," Obito quickly responded, rubbing the spot where he was tapped.
"Let's all eat together," Mokgetsu said to all his students.
None of the students disliked Mokgetsu's cooking, so they all agreed. However, except for Kakashi and Shisui, the others had to go home and tell their families first.
After the meal, Obito and Kakashi started their usual banter. Obito teased that Kakashi was so weak that he couldn't handle even a bit of training, while Kakashi retorted that Obito's brain was so rusty he couldn't even score above twenty on a test.
"Obito, you could express your concern more directly," Nohara Rin said with a gentle smile, trying to mediate.
Nohara Rin told Kakashi, "Don't be fooled by Obito's words, he actually cares about you. Yesterday, he talked to me about whether you were sick, saying it's unlike a genius like you to be late."
Kakashi was surprised—Obito actually called him a genius, which made Kakashi doubt the truth of the matter.
Seeing Nohara Rin revealing his secrets, Obito's face quickly turned red, and he waved his hands, saying, "Rin, you must be mistaken. There's no way I said that."
Seeing Obito's reaction, Kakashi felt that maybe what Nohara Rin said was true.
"Dear friend, your youth doesn't seem as vibrant as it once was," Might Guy said with a serious face.
Kakashi didn't know how to respond; he was already frustrated with himself for letting such thoughts disrupt his normal training.
After everyone left, Mokgetsu called Kakashi and said, "Why not stay at my place tonight? I have something to discuss with you."
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Kakashi, if you don't mind, share your recent troubles with me. Although I may not be able to help solve them, talking about it might make you feel better." After leading Kakashi to the living room, Mokgetsu asked.
Kakashi remained silent for a while, then spoke:
"Teacher Mokgetsu, do you genuinely believe White Fang was a qualified ninja and not a failure?"
Kakashi stared into Mokgetsu's eyes, wanting to ensure the authenticity of Mokgetsu's answer.
"No matter how many times you ask, my answer will only be one: White Fang was a qualified ninja who followed his own ninja path," Mokgetsu said seriously, looking into Kakashi's eyes.
"Then why do people still criticize him, even the companions he saved?" Kakashi asked, looking bewildered.
His struggle with determining a ninja's qualification stemmed from being unable to come to terms with his father's death.
"Because White Fang's ninja path conflicted with the village's rules. For the village, it's naturally about prioritizing interests, ensuring task success, and only ninjas capable of completing missions are deemed good by the village.
But White Fang was different; he had his own beliefs. To him, a comrade's life far outweighed any mission."
"Right and wrong are inherently subjective questions. To me or White Fang, we believe we did the right thing, but others may judge differently."
"Of course, White Fang received so much criticism not only because the mission failed but also because he was the White Fang of Konoha," Mokgetsu explained.
It's not a one-man mission; you can't put all the blame on one person. White Fang was just the most renowned ninja of that mission.
White Fang was too straightforward. If it were Mokgetsu, as the scapegoat for the mission failure, he would be seen as the hero of Konoha for trying to save his comrades during the debacle.
"Is being more famous a reason to bear everyone's criticism?" Mokgetsu's answer was too realistic and dark for Kakashi to immediately accept.
"Reality is always harsher than we imagine it, but you don't have to overthink it. I believe, even if given another chance, White Fang would still choose to save his teammates first and then strive to complete the mission," Mokgetsu said with a heavy heart.
"Others' thoughts are ultimately theirs. As long as you can be true to yourself, follow your own beliefs."
White Fang wasn't driven to suicide by insults due to weak psychological endurance, Mokgetsu thought. He believed White Fang took his life due to a collapse of belief.
Tonight's information was too overwhelming for Kakashi, who initially thought he would have trouble sleeping. But surprisingly, he slept quite well.
"Since I usually live here alone, there's only one bed, but you're still small, so it shouldn't feel cramped," Mokgetsu said, pulling Kakashi onto the bed.
For the first time, Kakashi shared a bed with someone other than family, but he strangely felt at ease.
"After all, it's Teacher Mokgetsu," Kakashi thought to himself, and once he felt drowsy, he quickly fell asleep.