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"Don't be surprised, Sakumo-san. Even Kakashi has noticed your melancholic state," I said as I entered his room.
"Kakashi..." Sakumo murmured his son's name with sadness.
"You don't have to be sad for your son, Sakumo-san. After all, today is not the day you join the realm of the dead," I spoke calmly, staring into his lifeless eyes.
"I no longer see the point in living, kid. Just leave and go away," Sakumo said, opening the door to his room, implying that I should leave.
"And if I don't leave, Sakumo? What will you do? Kill yourself?" I asked, my provocation affecting Sakumo as he slowly lowered his head.
"Pathetic, how did a ninja of your caliber fall so low?" I questioned sincerely.
"What do you want?" he asked me weakly.
"From you, Sakumo? Actually, I want nothing. I'm here only because of Kakashi. Have you ever thought about how your suicide would affect his mind?" I replied.
"Kakashi would be fine, he doesn't need someone like me... Kakashi is better than me," Sakumo said with a melancholic expression.
"Hmph... Are you even listening to yourself? What the hell are you saying, old man? Kakashi looks up to you for everything. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he aspires to be like you. Do you want to turn your son into a damn melancholic depressive?" I raised my voice slightly, still not loud enough to wake Kakashi.
"It's better for him to be like that than to be a failure like me," he affirmed.
"Enough, Sakumo. Don't you understand? Kakashi doesn't see you as a failure, don't be foolish. Even I admire your strength. Until when will you blame yourself? It doesn't matter if you failed, what matters is that you stood up for your ideals. Sakumo, why did you become a ninja?" I asked the final question.
Due to my words, Sakumo fell silent and sighed lightly before responding:
"To protect those I love," Sakumo said, but I sensed a glimmer of conscience and reason forming within him.
"If you love Kakashi, then protect him. Don't kill yourself for the wrong reasons," I said.
"What do you mean?" he asked, raising his head slightly and looking into my eyes.
"Sakumo, how can a ninja of your caliber not see Konoha's intentions?" I pronounced the name Konoha more aggressively, and Sakumo unsheathed his tanto, pointing it towards my left shoulder in a swift motion.
"Traitor?" he asked with sharp eyes.
"Unfortunately, I'm not your enemy, Sakumo. My parents are residents of Konoha, so I also have to protect them," I replied, smiling.
Without removing his tanto from my shoulder, Sakumo silently asked me:
"So, why do you hold a grudge against Konoha?"
"You old folks always interpret me wrong. I have no animosity towards the village. I just dislike the dark way the superiors lead," I explained.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Sakumo-san, I'm just a kid, but I'm smart enough to see even the smallest manipulations. Maybe it's from my own experience, I'm not sure. The fact is that Konoha tries to instill in our subconscious this so-called 'will of fire' and duty towards the village, to the point where we contemplate suicide. You must understand what I'm talking about," I replied with a sharp tone, leaving Sakumo uncomfortable.
"You're wrong. The will of fire is what gives us the strength to defend our village. It's the indestructible bond that unites us all. It's what makes us a family..." Sakumo said, but I interrupted sharply.
"You sound just like the old man. What a great unity we have, which instead of supporting, points out flaws and failures. Which instead of saving, kills its allies," as I said that, I felt his tanto lightly piercing my skin.
"Watch your mouth, kid. Even if you're Kakashi's friend, I would still kill you," Sakumo threatened with a dangerous tone.
Exhaling sharply in annoyance, I pressed on with my words, "You've become so stupid after failing and becoming a depressive. Did you forget the ninja code about confidential information? How do you think people found out about everything? Why do you think the rumors started? Sakumo, wake up! Everything was premeditated and orchestrated!" I vented with irritation. At this moment, I realized that I had no control over the outcome, the risk of being dismembered and thrown into a river was very high.
After a moment to process my words, Sakumo assumed a serious expression. "Finally!" I thought, relieved.
"Who are the only people who knew the content and outcome of your mission?" I asked.
"My comrades, the Hokage, and his advisors," he replied, seeming to have some realization, causing his blade to lose some of its strength.
"Even before any of you returned from your missions, everyone in the village was already whispering slander about you," I continued.
"Sakumo-san, if it wasn't any of you who spread the rumors, then who was it?" I asked Sakumo aggressively.
"The Hokage or his advisors," Sakumo replied, irritated, removing his blade from my shoulder.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I looked into Sakumo's eyes. "Just ignore the old man. Focus on his advisors. Which one of them has the most political power after the Hokage?" I asked Sakumo.
"Danzo Shimura," he answered without using honorifics.
"Finally, you regained your sanity. Danzo controls the masses of Konoha, so it's obvious to say that he orchestrated everything. As for the purpose, I don't know. Maybe he wants to become Hokage and wanted to remove you from his path. It doesn't matter..." Before I could finish my last words, the sound of the door opening came from behind me.
Under a dark shadow, Kakashi's silhouette revealed itself as he wiped his eyes with his hands.
"Father? Atsuchi?" Kakashi said, looking at us.
Noticing that Kakashi's gaze landed on my cut shoulder, I quickly covered the wound with my right hand. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and looked at his father, who still held his blade, letting small drops of blood fall onto the wooden floor.
"What's going on?" Kakashi asked urgently.
"Well, it's getting late. We'll talk later, Sakumo," I quickly said, walking past the still dazed Kakashi.
Sakumo looked at his son and smiled lightly.
Unexpectedly, a familiar voice was heard by Sakumo and Kakashi from the door: "Kakashi, don't forget, you owe me one," I shouted before disappearing.
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