42: Inducing Kakashi, The White Fang Incident Is A Conspiracy?

[Kakashi's room.]

[The day's training with Naruto had come to an end.]

[Compared to the times he was tossed around by Sasuke, Kakashi now felt much more relaxed!]

[As he opened the door...]

[Kakashi's pupils contracted instantly.]

[Inside, someone was sitting by the window.]

[A tiger-striped mask, with spiky, hedgehog-like hair.]

["Who are you? Why are you here?" Kakashi immediately revealed his Sharingan, ready to fight with a kunai in hand.]

[That person, of course, was Sasuke.]

[He used a Shadow Clone along with the Transformation Technique to contact Kakashi.]

["Don't be nervous, I mean no harm," Sasuke said with a chuckle. "I'm here to tell you something. Something I think you'll be interested in."]

["Sorry, I'm not interested," Kakashi replied flatly.]

[The three-tomoe Sharingan in Kakashi's left eye spun, suddenly activating an illusion!]

[No matter what the stranger intended to say, Kakashi planned to subdue him first and use the Sharingan to interrogate him!]

["Tsk, that's really impolite," Sasuke muttered.]

[Sasuke wasn't affected at all by the illusion.]

[Seeing this, Kakashi became even more vigilant.]

["I suggest you sit down and listen. After all, what I'm about to tell you concerns your father, Konoha's White Fang."]

[Sasuke spoke in a casual tone.]

[Father?!]

[Kakashi's eyes widened.]

---

His father…? How could Sasuke know about that? Even Sasuke from another world couldn't possibly know!

Uzumaki Naruto: "Aren't you here to ask about the Uchiha massacre? How did this get onto Kakashi's father?"

Uchiha Sasuke: "Idiot, you can't just outright ask something like that. Kakashi would never answer!"

Nara Shikamaru: "It looks like Kin Sasuke plans to make Kakashi talk by bringing up Konoha's White Fang."

Orochimaru: "Hehe! I think I can see what he's aiming for. Lord Sarutobi, you're in trouble again."

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "What are you talking about now?"

---

[Kakashi closed the door, remaining cautious: "What are you trying to say? Just spit it out."]

["No need to rush, relax." Sasuke's voice was calm as he stood up, pouring himself a cup of tea, then pouring one for Kakashi as well.]

[Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.]

[He's really acting like he owns the place!]

["Where should I start?" Sasuke tapped his temple in thought. "Konoha's White Fang gave up a mission to save his comrades during a mission, causing significant losses to Konoha Village. As a result, public opinion in Konoha intensified, and White Fang ultimately committed suicide. Isn't that correct?"]

[Kakashi's expression didn't change: "That's common knowledge in the ninja world. What's your point?"]

[Sasuke chuckled. "Let's take a look at another piece of common knowledge. In what year did the White Fang incident happen? According to your Konoha calendar, how many years had passed?"]

[Kakashi looked confused but answered: "It was in Konoha Year 41. Why?" He was only seven at the time and couldn't remember much, but he did know the year.]

["Now, here's the problem." Sasuke looked directly into Kakashi's eyes.]

[Kakashi blinked, puzzled.]

[Konoha Year 41, what's the issue?]

["Sigh!" Sasuke sighed, sounding annoyed. "Sometimes I really wonder about the average IQ in the ninja world. I didn't expect the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi to be so clueless."]

[Kakashi's forehead twitched.]

[Clueless?!]

[He had been called a genius since childhood. This was the first time someone had insulted him like that!]

["What, does that bother you?" Sasuke gave him a quick glance before continuing. "Let me give you a hint: in what year did the Third Great Ninja War start?"]

[Kakashi replied instantly: "Konoha Year 43, after the disappearance of the Third Kazekage."]

[So what?]

[How was this connected to his father?]

["Well, let's face it, I wasn't expecting much from your intelligence." Sasuke continued, "Two years before the start of the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha's White Fang completed a mission that caused heavy losses for Konoha Village."]

[Kakashi frowned.]

[That's right!]

[Back then, the Third Great Ninja War hadn't even begun—it was still an era of peace!]

[What kind of mission could his father have been performing, one that forced him to abandon it to save his teammates and supposedly caused severe losses to Konoha?]

[Seeing Kakashi's growing confusion, Sasuke smirked internally and began to spin a tale, mixing truth with lies.]

["I did some research. Around the same time as the White Fang incident, the Third Kazekage announced that he had repelled an invasion by Konoha's White Fang and thwarted Konoha's evil conspiracy."]

["Of course, I couldn't find any concrete evidence about what conspiracy Konoha's White Fang was supposed to be involved in."]

[Half of this was true, and half was made up.]

[Sasuke had read that the mission Konoha's White Fang carried out was related to the Land of Wind, but that was all.]

[The rest? Pure fabrication. After all, there was no way Kakashi could verify this with Sunagakure.]

[Sasuke continued:]

["Based on the timeline, it's reasonable to assume that this refers to the mission White Fang abandoned."]

["But if Konoha truly suffered such heavy losses, why didn't the Sand Ninja announce it? Unless... they didn't understand what Konoha's White Fang was really doing there!"]

["Which means... the mission Konoha's White Fang carried out, the one that supposedly caused such heavy losses to Konoha, might not have been real at all!"]

(It's crazy to think that maybe... just maybe, this can be cannon?)

---

Orochimaru couldn't help but applaud.

Uzumaki Naruto: "I don't get what they're talking about!"

Inuzuka Kiba: "Me neither..."

Rock Lee: "Which parts of Sasuke's story are true?"

Onoki: "The key point Uchiha Sasuke is making is that the 'great loss to Konoha' never existed at all!"

Fourth Raikage: "So the White Fang incident was probably a conspiracy. Hiruzen, this is your doing again!"

Orochimaru: "The parts about the Third Kazekage and Sunagakure are things Sasuke just made up. He's not from Sunagakure—how would he know these things?"

Senju Tobirama: "Hmph, clever Uchiha brat, talking as though he's from Sunagakure."

Uzumaki Naruto: "Why is Sasuke making all this up? I still don't get it!"

Nara Shikamaru: "He's probably trying to plant suspicion in Kakashi's mind."

Orochimaru: "Heh, Kakashi has already started doubting. Once that happens, the rest is easy."