Chapter 61: Kakashi's Mission

Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage, puffing on his pipe, looked at Kakashi, who came to report, with eyes filled with complexity.

Hatake Kakashi, truly deserving of being Konoha's most outstanding prodigy ninja. He had all the elemental affinities, and his exceptional talent, coupled with being the son of the White Fang and the student of the Fourth Hokage, made him seem like the protagonist in a novel.

"Kakashi, this morning, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu came to see me, begging me to transfer you out of the ANBU."

The Third Hokage was aware of Kakashi's increasingly gloomy and isolated personality since the night of the Nine-Tails attack. He had also heard rumors of a ruthless Kakashi in the ANBU.

Taking a puff of smoke, the Third Hokage spoke to Kakashi, who remained unaffected, displaying his usual detachment, not just towards others but also towards his own life.

Seeing Kakashi's indifferent gaze, the Third Hokage furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Kakashi, I never expected the war to have affected you this much. If it weren't for them coming to me, I wouldn't have believed it."

The aftermath of the war was real, but for someone as exceptional as Kakashi, it was hard to believe. The Third Hokage never anticipated that Kakashi would be dealing with such issues.

In the ANBU, Kakashi was a sharp blade, but this blade needed maintenance. The Third Hokage, who was not yet willing to break this sword, which had not yet reached its peak, decided to take it back into its sheath and give it proper care for a while.

"Kakashi, you need rest now."

Kakashi, with a sense of detachment in his eyes, remained silent and lowered his head in response to the Third Hokage's words. He had become a machine that followed orders, a pure tool of a ninja.

"I heard that you had a match with Uchiha Yoru last night, and it ended in a draw?"

In the suppressed atmosphere, the Third Hokage, as a seasoned politician, casually filled his pipe with tobacco and seemingly asked without much thought.

Kakashi, after hearing it, lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "I lost."

Calm! It was as if he wasn't talking about himself. At this moment, Kakashi didn't care about his reputation as a genius. After all, he was going through the darkest time in his life, where even his own life seemed insignificant.

After hearing Kakashi's response, the Third Hokage smiled and shook his head. "Can you tell me about last night's battle?"

It seemed like an inquiry, but it was evident that he already knew everything. Still, he wanted to hear it from Kakashi's perspective.

Kakashi, with his masked face, reported last night's events, as if he were back from an ANBU mission, with a lowered head and a sense of detachment.

"The battle went like this. Uchiha Yoru's chakra level reached the level of a Jounin, surpassing ordinary Jounin in terms of control and mastery of techniques. His taijutsu is at the Jounin level, and he is proficient in Fire and Lightning Release. Based on intelligence analysis, Uchiha Yoru's overall strength is at the Jounin level."

Listening to Kakashi's report with narrowed eyes, the Third Hokage gained a direct understanding. Uchiha Yoru, Orochimaru's disciple and his own grandson, had indeed reached Jounin level with the power of the Sharingan.

At the age of fourteen, he awakened the bloodline, unlocked the Sharingan, and within six months, evolved it to the level of two tomoe. A fifteen-year-old Jounin, truly a genius, but he relied heavily on his bloodline.

The Sharingan possessed observation, replication, hypnosis, and extraordinary perception beyond ordinary individuals. It was a natural eye for genjutsu, capable of leaping great distances once the Sharingan awakened.

The Third Hokage had already analyzed Uchiha Yoru's current strength. If it weren't for the circumstances of Kakashi's defeat last night, Uchiha Yoru's strength might not have been enough to win.

"Kakashi, how many years have you been in the ANBU?"

Suddenly, the Third Hokage sighed with a melancholic tone, as if he were a benevolent old man looking at his junior. Kakashi, listening respectfully, answered in a solemn voice, "It's been almost two years since I joined the ANBU under the Fourth Hokage."

With his masked face lowered, Kakashi showed no change in expression as he respectfully responded. The Third Hokage, holding his pipe, sighed with a caring and benevolent look, "When Minato allowed you to join the ANBU, he wanted to rid you of your darkness. When I returned to the position of Hokage, I took over the ANBU from the Fourth as it was."

"However, nearly two years have passed, and instead of dispelling the darkness in your heart, Kakashi, your war trauma has become even more severe. If it weren't for Asuma mentioning it to me, I would never have known that you were in such a state."

First, he used a kind and gentle approach, reminiscing about the past, then displayed a caring elder's demeanor. This was the Third Hokage's tried-and-true method, which had attracted numerous dedicated ninjas.

"Kakashi, if you continue like this, it will only worsen, and the heavy burden of ANBU missions might drag you further into darkness."

Under the caring gaze of the Third Hokage, he shook his head with a sigh. "Kakashi, take off your mask. You need lighter tasks to heal your inner wounds."

Kakashi, now as detached as a machine, slowly removed his ANBU mask. For him, there was only the mission.

When he took off the mask, revealing Kakashi's young and innocent face, a hint of regret flashed through the Third Hokage's eyes. Such a young genius, what a pity.

"Kakashi, I will publicly relieve you of your ANBU position, but secretly, you will be under my direct command. I

have a mission for you to consider."

Kakashi, without hesitation, responded in his usual detached manner, "Kakashi is willing to accept the mission."

At this moment, Kakashi had no doubts. He was going through the darkest period in his life, and perhaps endless missions were the only way to stop him from dwelling on painful memories.

Upon hearing Kakashi's willingness to take on the mission, the Third Hokage didn't immediately reveal it. Instead, he turned his head and looked out of the window towards the Hokage Rock.

"Kakashi, the village has just experienced three wars, and I don't need to tell you how brutal they were. The Nine-Tails incident last year almost disrupted the balance of the ninja world, nearly triggering a fourth war. And it was all because of the Nine-Tails."

"On that night, you must have seen the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. Let me tell you clearly, the Nine-Tails incident had a mastermind behind it, and there is a high possibility that it is someone from the Uchiha clan."

The presence of the Sharingan was an undeniable fact, and the Third Hokage followed his usual approach. First, he emphasized the village's righteousness and then smoothly introduced the mission.

"I heard that Uchiha Yoru invited you to join the Konoha Police Force last night. After I relieve you of your ANBU duties, Might Guy will go to the Police Force and request Uchiha Yoru to accept you. Then, you can investigate whether Uchiha is the mastermind behind the incidents."

Finally, the Third Hokage exhaled a cloud of smoke, obscuring his view. His aged and solemn voice echoed in the office.

~~~

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