On this day, Kakashi appeared outside the Grass Ninja Village.
Dressed in Anbu attire and wearing an Anbu mask, he stood quietly outside the gates of the Grass Ninja Village.
After a moment, a figure appeared before Kakashi with a "swish."
It was none other than the Scorch Release Ninja Pakura.
"Konoha Ninja, what business do you have here?" Pakura asked coldly, pulling out a Kunai.
A murderous aura radiated from her body.
Kakashi ignored the killing intent, took off his mask, and squinted at Pakura. "The Impure World Reincarnation Technique? If I'm not mistaken, you're the hero of the Hidden Sand Village, the Scorch Release Ninja Pakura! To think you've become his puppet!"
"And who might you be?" Pakura asked calmly, sensing that Kakashi was no ordinary person.
"I am Kakashi Hatake!" Kakashi replied. "I've come to see Uchiha Sora!"
"Kakashi Hatake? What is your relationship with Sakumo Hatake?" Pakura asked.
"He was my father!"
"I see! The son of Konoha's White Fang?" Pakura nodded, then shook her head. "However, our leader isn't someone you can see just because you want to!"
"In that case, I'll have to experience your abilities for myself!" Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Die! Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!" Pakura immediately activated her Bloodline Limit ability, and a white-hot, glowing fireball like a miniature sun flew straight at Kakashi.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Kakashi immediately used an Earth Release technique, slamming both hands onto the ground!
An earth wall adorned with dog heads rose from the ground, blocking the fireball.
Boom!
The fireball crashed into the earth wall, and cracks instantly began to scorch across its surface.
Kakashi was startled and quickly jumped aside. A moment later, the fireball burst through the wall and slammed into where he had just been standing.
Boom!
A large, charred crater was blasted into the ground.
At the same time, Pakura raised her hand, and more dazzling fireballs appeared around her.
Several fireballs orbited Pakura like stars around a moon.
The intense heat caused sweat to bead on Kakashi's forehead, even from a distance.
"What a dangerous Bloodline Limit! If I get hit by that even once, it's over!" Kakashi analyzed silently.
Pakura sneered and waved her hands, sending the fireballs flying toward Kakashi instantly.
Kakashi formed hand seals: "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
He exhaled a powerful jet of water that transformed into a roaring dragon, lunging at the fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
When the water and fire met, there was no sign of the flames being extinguished.
Instead, the water dragon was struck by the fireballs, and massive amounts of steam evaporated. In the blink of an eye, the entire water dragon was completely vaporized by the high-temperature fireballs!
The air was suddenly filled with thick mist.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning flickered through the mist. Pakura was slightly startled to find Kakashi had appeared behind her at some unknown point.
A Raikiri in his hand pierced ruthlessly into Pakura's back!
"An Edo Tensei body... its reactions are ultimately not as good as when I was alive," Pakura sighed as her body stiffened, a large hole blasted through her by the Raikiri. "But even if I were alive, I might not have been able to defeat an enemy like you."
"You flatter me, senior." Kakashi withdrew his palm. While Pakura's body was still regenerating, he quickly pulled out a sealing scroll, preparing to seal her away.
Just as the sealing scroll flew out and was about to wrap around Pakura, a cold light suddenly appeared!
The scroll was instantly torn to pieces.
A figure appeared beside Pakura.
"Captain Kakashi, did you ask me before trying to seal Pakura?" It was Uchiha Sora who appeared, staring at Kakashi and speaking indifferently.
"Sora!" Kakashi couldn't help but cry out. He put away the sealing scroll and asked heavily, "Why?"
Uchiha Sora gave him a strange look and smiled, feigning ignorance. "Why what?"
"Why did you betray Konoha!? Why did you betray everyone!?"
Uchiha Sora smiled and said casually, "Are you so sure it was I who betrayed Konoha? And not because of the Konoha higher-ups?"
"Because of the Konoha higher-ups?" Kakashi was shocked.
Uchiha Sora looked at Kakashi and said slowly, "Back then, Konoha's White Fang was collectively condemned by the Village just because of one failed mission, eventually leading to his suicide in depression. Whose fault do you think that was?"
Kakashi's body jolted, his heart seemingly struck by an extreme shock.
Indeed, his father's suicide was ultimately Konoha's fault. It was the indulgence of the Konoha higher-ups that allowed the entire Village to hurl accusations at his father.
If those Konoha higher-ups had been willing to step forward and say a few words for his father, or give him some recognition, his father would not have committed suicide so easily!
Uchiha Sora's words seemed to open a door of hatred deep within Kakashi's heart.
Just as he was about to be swayed by Uchiha Sora and develop feelings of hatred toward the Konoha higher-ups, the images of his teacher Minato Namikaze, Obito, and Rin Nohara flashed through his mind.
Finally, a figure with a bowl cut appeared in his mind. Those large white teeth revealed in a grin seemed like a beam of light, illuminating his heart.
Kakashi regained his composure and said solemnly, "Sora, perhaps you were treated unfairly in Konoha, or perhaps you have your reasons for leaving, but the Village is still the home that birthed and raised you. Your clansmen and teammates are still there."
"Although my father committed suicide, his lifelong belief was to protect Konoha and the Will of Fire passed down from the First Hokage!"
"And you, Uchiha Sora, you have violated that will! You have abandoned the bonds with your teammates!" Kakashi's tone gradually turned cold. "The current you is no longer the Uchiha Sora I knew!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Sora couldn't help but shake his head. "Kakashi, it seems you are determined to stand on Konoha's side?"
Kakashi said, "It is you who insists on standing in opposition to Konoha!"
"Fine, so what? What do you intend to do?" Uchiha Sora shrugged, looking at Kakashi with an indifferent expression. "You didn't come here just to have this useless argument with me, did you?"
Kakashi fell silent. He knew his mission was to investigate why Uchiha Sora had taken over the Grass Ninja Village.
"Alright, Captain Kakashi. Since you did your best to protect me when we faced Orochimaru, I won't do anything to you. But this is the last time I'll call you 'Captain.' Tell me, did the Konoha higher-ups send you to test me? They want to know why I took over the Grass Ninja Village, right?" Seeing Kakashi's silence, Uchiha Sora waved his hand and spoke.
Hearing Uchiha Sora's words, Kakashi smiled bitterly and said, "I finally understand why the Third Hokage-sama values you so much. Truly, nothing can be hidden from you."