Chapter 62: Kakashi's Transformation

The Ninja World's Most Wanted List.

This is a set of regulations agreed upon by all nations and villages. Once a ninja is declared a rogue, no matter their past achievements or reputation, they are severed from their home village entirely.

Strong ninjas naturally possess the power to surpass ordinary people, making them potential threats to any group striving for peace. The villages are well aware that not everyone is willing to abide by the rules. Crimes like espionage, murder, or even rebellion are common occurrences across the Ninja World. Every village has dealt with such cases time and time again.

Thus, to maintain a semblance of order, the rogue ninja system was unanimously adopted by the villages when it was proposed. Simply put, if someone in a village commits acts deemed harmful to its interests, or is suspected of such, the village will announce their rogue status publicly, disowning the individual.

Other villages then consider this rogue's actions unrelated to their home village. After all, in the ninja world, it is not unusual for people to seek personal gains through their own strength. If a village were held accountable for every action taken by its rogue ninjas, then the chaos caused by all such incidents would be unbearable. Hence, it is mutually agreed upon to treat this as a shared rule, which is why the rogue ninja system exists.

A significant part of each village's Anbu (Black Ops) missions involves hunting down their own defectors to prevent the leakage of village secrets or techniques. Similarly, capturing rogues from other villages could provide access to their secrets. This is a gray area of the ninja world, much like bounty hunting. People partake in it, but no one openly acknowledges it.

Rogue ninjas are classified by danger level, similar to mission rankings, from D to S. An S-ranked rogue ninja is typically on par with or poses a threat to elite Jonin or even Kage-level leaders. Upon confirmation, the information is shared with all other villages immediately.

"Asuma, head to the Land of Wind and the Sand Village."

"Yes, sir."

"Choza, you take the Land of Lightning and the Cloud Village."

"Understood."

"Shikui, notify the Land of Earth and the Stone Village. Be cautious; ever since the war ended, they've viewed Konoha as a thorn in their side. Those old hardliners there won't be easy to deal with."

"... Got it."

As the Third Hokage assigned the tasks, several Jonin and Chunin tasked with notifying various factions left the office one by one. The Third Hokage then picked up the last mission scroll.

"Now, as for the Land of Water and the Mist Village, I plan to have..."

Before he could finish, Danzo, who had been sitting silently, finally spoke up. Normally, the Third would consult with him and the other advisors first, but today was different. Danzo couldn't hold back.

"Wait a moment. I have a suitable candidate for the Mist Village," Danzo said, his lone eye scanning the room with a businesslike expression. "The Mist Village has been blaming Uchiha Shisui for their Mizukage's disappearance, demanding compensation from Konoha. Now that Shisui has been declared a rogue..."

"Kakashi, you will go."

Before Danzo could finish, the Third Hokage interrupted, ignoring Danzo's words entirely.

"You!" Danzo's face turned pale with fury, but before he could explode, Kakashi, who had been leaning against the wall outside, silently entered the room.

Danzo, who hadn't seen Kakashi for over a year, was momentarily stunned by his appearance. It felt as if he was looking at a ghost from the past. Kakashi's forehead protector and mask still covered most of his face, but his gaze was more desolate than ever. His once neatly groomed white hair was now wild and messy, as if he had casually hacked it off during a mission.

Despite the rough haircut, no one dared laugh. As Kakashi stepped into the room, many present felt as if a sharp blade was unsheathed, an intense aura radiating from him.

He wore a white armband with a red triangle on his right shoulder. A short sword and a longer blade were strapped to his back. He looked entirely different from how he had been a year ago, exuding a deadly presence.

Many recognized this change and were visibly affected.

Kakashi didn't bother to acknowledge anyone, not even Danzo. He walked straight up to the Third Hokage, gave a simple nod, and took the mission scroll. He glanced at the wanted poster, briefly studying the familiar yet slightly foreign face on it.

"You don't need to look at the wanted poster," the Third Hokage said warmly, pleased with Kakashi's new, formidable appearance. He patted Kakashi's shoulder, marked by the red and white embroidery. "This time, it's just a diplomatic task. You only need to communicate with the Mist Village."

"... Hokage-sama, I doubt words alone will convince them," Kakashi replied. "Their village is in chaos, and they lost their Mizukage. They'll be looking for someone to blame, and Konoha might be their scapegoat. How far can I go?"

The Third Hokage grinned, his face almost crinkling with delight, a stark contrast to Danzo, who was fuming in silence.

"Do as you see fit!" the Third Hokage declared with a wave.

Kakashi nodded lightly, replied, "Understood," and left the office. He briefly acknowledged Guy with a nod as he passed him in the hallway before disappearing in a flash.

"Cough, cough... Did you notice how intimidating Kakashi-senpai has become?" asked Hayate Gekko, who had yet to receive his mission. "Guy-senpai, do you know what's going on?"

"That guy, he was the same as always," Guy replied, shivering slightly. "But then, about a year ago, he started taking on high-difficulty missions alone, targeting rogue ninjas and criminal organizations. I hadn't seen him in ages until today, right here in the village..."

Guy trembled with excitement, his fists clenched.

"It's so youthful and full of spirit! Just seeing Kakashi, I can tell he has grown much stronger. I can't let my eternal rival get ahead of me! Hayate, let's head to the bathroom first, and then train harder than ever!"

Before Hayate could react, Guy had already grabbed him, and with a green flash, the two disappeared from the Hokage's office.

In the now-empty hallway, Hayate's faint cry could still be heard: "Guy-senpai, the Hokage hasn't dismissed us yet..."

Back in the Hokage's office, the remaining ninjas admired Guy's unique way of excusing himself. They could only bow respectfully and leave in an orderly manner.

Finally, only the Third Hokage, Danzo, two advisors who had been quietly watching, and Nara Shikaku, who was just about to close the door behind him, were left.

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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.