Father

Silence enveloped the dojo, void of any response from Kakashi. Sakumo's voice resonated once more, piercing the stillness, "You know this is an illusion, Kakashi."

"Is it really?" Kakashi's voice, cold and detached, reverberated through the empty space.

"Kakashi, the dead cannot return to life, and the living should not dwell on illusions of the past." Sakumo's words flowed calmly, his body remaining composed, facing forward.

After a pregnant pause, Kakashi's curiosity overwhelmed him, and he couldn't help but inquire, "Why?"

Sakumo closed his eyes, his response resolute, "Why, Kakashi? Why forsake a crucial mission for my comrades? Why did my comrades turn their backs on me? Why did Konoha vilify me? Why did I, too, abandon myself?"

The kunai pressed against Sakumo's neck quivered slightly, betraying the emotions simmering within its wielder.

Taking a breath, Sakumo opened his eyes, his voice softening, "Kakashi, often the 'why' in life is not important. It is our beliefs and the choices we make, that truly matter."

"But why?! Your choice left me so... bitter." Kakashi persisted, pushing for answers. "Is it truly worth sacrificing so much?"

Sakumo sighed, his tone firm, "I can't provide all the answers, Kakashi. That is an answer you must seek yourself, a journey you must undertake yourself, and only then will you find true understanding."

As his words settled, Sakumo's hand reached for a familiar knife - one Kakashi recognized but had long kept hidden. "What are you doing?"

Sakumo's voice remained steady, imbued with calm resolve. "Kakashi, you have grown. Don't be trapped by the past. This illusion seeks to strike at your heart, but I believe in your ability to overcome it. Ahead lies the true abyss, where your deepest and darkest desires will be tested. As long as you can overcome them, you will be able to walk out from this illusion."

The knife in Sakumo's hand wavered, poised to strike himself, yet his trembling hands betrayed his internal struggle. "Kakashi, there are things you are not meant to witness. Leave, Kakashi."

Sensing no movement from Kakashi, save for his trembling hands, Sakumo urged once more, his voice more urgent, "Go, Kakashi!"

Kakashi's hand trembled momentarily, retrieving his kunai, before he turned and walked away, each step filled with hesitation.

As he stepped out of the dojo, Sakumo's final words echoed in Kakashi's ears, "Don't look back, look forward, and... tell me your tale when we meet again."

The sound of flesh being pierced pierced the air from behind him, prompting Kakashi to clench his fist tightly, closing his eyes. Moments later, his eyes snapped open, ablaze with determination, as he left the house without casting a backward glance.

Beneath his mask, his voice strained with fury, Kakashi's words echoed through the forest, "Shino. Aburame."

Despite his rage, Kakashi steeled his resolve as he traversed through the dense foliage. He suppressed his emotions, calming his mind, prepared for the next trial. Would it be the Third Hokage? Perhaps Minato sensei? Or... him?

Yet, all his conjectures were shattered the moment his eyes fell upon the peculiar sight before him. In the open expanse of the forest floor, a thick book lay silently, beckoning him closer.

Kakashi's gaze swept the surroundings, searching for any signs of danger, before fixating on the book. "Could this be a trap?"

Puff. A clone materialized beside Kakashi, moving cautiously towards the book. It reached out and gingerly picked it up, yet nothing happened.

Retrieving the book and holding it in his hands, Kakashi stared at the drab, blank cover with a simple title, "Road of a Sensei."

Confusion mingled with curiosity, Kakashi slowly opened the book, but as his eyes scanned the contents, his hand trembled, and his breathing grew labored and rapid. It felt as though he had been struck by a critical blow as he could taste the blood trickling from his nose. "Th-This... This is..."

In another corner of the forest, head bowed, Guy stood silently between Asuma and Kakashi. But soon, his head lifted, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as a brilliant idea sparked within him.

His hands tightened around the arms he had captured, pulling them inward, and with a powerful leap, both of his legs shot out, delivering swift kicks simultaneously to both Kakashi and Asuma!

"Guy?!" Kakashi and Asuma exclaimed in shock as they instinctively raised their hands to block. A resounding crack echoed through the forest as they slid back, momentarily stunned.

"Hahaha!" As he landed, Guy chortled, raising his hand with a thumbs-up and sporting a wide smile. "I've got it! If I can't discern who is real, then I'll let my youth explode! If the true Kakashi, my lifelong rival, is here, he won't be defeated by my youthful spirit!"

"No... what about me?" Asuma sweatdropped, a tremor running through his bruised arm.

Giving Asuma an enthusiastic thumbs-up, Guy declared confidently, "Fear not, Asuma! Tsunade-sama can heal even Lee, so there's no need to worry at all!"

"Oi! Guy! Wait-" Kakashi attempted to intervene, but was cut off by Guy's sudden kick!

"Konoha Whirlwind! Kakashi, let your youth soar!" Guy proclaimed, his kick connecting with Kakashi's defense as he blocked with both arms, only to be sent hurtling through the air, crashing through a cascade of trees.

Without bothering to check the aftermath, Guy swiftly twisted around, stomped on the ground, and disappeared from his spot, reappearing beside Asuma, his fist descending with force. "Konoha Strong Fist!"

Asuma barely had time to react, raising his chakra blade to deflect the blow, only to have it knocked from his grasp. Guy's fist plowed into his chest, propelling him toward the ground. He skidded across the dirt, leaving behind a trail in his wake.

After his flurry of strikes, Guy paused, raising his hand to stroke his chin. His bushy brows knitted together as he muttered, "Hmm, was it really that simple?"

"Guy, this isn't the time for fooling around," Kakashi's voice resonated nearby, his hands hanging limply as he approached.

"As expected of my rival, Kakashi! A mere kick won't be enough to defeat you!" Guy beamed, offering a thumbs-up in admiration.

Kakashi stared at Guy with a deadpan expression, pointing toward Asuma's location. "This wouldn't have been necessary if you had believed me from the start, Guy!"

Guy turned his gaze to see Asuma morphing into a white Zetsu before melting into the ground. "Hahaha, no worries, Kakashi! Everything worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Suddenly, Kakashi's voice echoed from the treetops above, "Guy! Be careful!"

Perplexed, Guy looked up, locking eyes with Kakashi, whose body showed no signs of injury. "Kakashi, when did you-"

But as Guy's gaze swept back down, he caught sight of the other Kakashi, trembling arms clutching a kunai, Sharingan fixed upon the duplicate Kakashi. "T-Two Kakashi?!"

"Guy, be careful! That Kakashi is an impostor! Remember our record, it's-" Kakashi's voice was interrupted.

"No, Guy, he's the imposter! Remember how you showed me your acorn-sized..." The other Kakashi's voice was then overlapped by the other, their banter continuing.

As the two Kakashi pointed accusatory fingers at each other, Guy's eyes darted back and forth, yet there was no trace of confusion. Instead, a fiery excitement burned within him.

"Two rivals! Just as I expected from Kakashi, he couldn't handle me alone, so he brought two! No matter! Let my youth burn, and youth will reveal the truth!" Guy bellowed, launching himself into the fray.

The battle commenced with lightning speed, but it concluded just as swiftly after an exchange of injuries.

As Guy came to a halt, clutching his booty, a drop of sweat rolling down his visage due to the abnormal stinging pain caused by Kakashi's secret technique, he watched the two Kakashi figures transform into White Zetsu clones. "Both fakes? I knew it! My rival Kakashi won't lose to me! Hahaha! But to think that my eternal rival's ultimate technique had spread this far..."

However, his words trailed off as he detected the sound of footsteps echoing around him. With a sweeping glance, he beheld numerous familiar faces once again.

"Oh, Tenzo, Asuma, Aoba, another Kakashi, Anbu, and... oh, I can't recall your name... Well, it's time for youth to blaze! Ha! Gate of Life... Open!" Guy declared, unleashing a tremor-inducing aura that erupted from his very core, causing his hair to stand on end.

As the gates of his inner power swung open, the surroundings seemed to warp slightly, yet they quickly reverted to normal. Guy paid no mind to the transient abnormality, his heart pulsating with exhilaration as he charged toward his adversaries. It wasn't every day he had the opportunity to unleash his mighty kicks upon these familiar faces...

With each sandbag he shattered, another one appeared, yet Guy remained oblivious to this phenomenon, consumed by the frenzy of battle. Unbeknownst to him, his opponent gradually shifted the battlefield, leading him toward another location.

At another location of the forest, within the confining walls of a cube-shaped barrier, twisted pillars of wood filled every inch of space. Bound by thick wooden restraints, Danzo found himself immobilized, his strength sealed away. Across from him stood Yamato, his breath ragged, his eyes revealing a hint of horror.

It appeared that Danzo was on the losing end of the battle, yet his expression remained serene as he declared, "I've told you countless times, you can never defeat me, not as long as I possess even a single Sharingan. My technique has no weakness, no matter how much time you spend observing it!"

With his words, the Danzo encased in the wooden prison gradually faded away. Suddenly, Yamato felt a searing pain erupt from behind as he was impaled.

Standing there was Danzo himself, devoid of his black robe and bandages wrapping his arm, his upper body uncovered to fully reveal the visage of the first Hokage protruding from his shoulder. His white arm, adorned with ten Sharingan, some already closed, completed the nightmarish sight.

As Yamato's body transformed into wood, fixing Danzo's hand in place, towering wooden pillars erupted from the ground, ensnaring Danzo and rendering him immobile. Another Yamato materialized behind him, a kunai piercing his heart.

But the impaled Danzo gradually dissipated, reappearing on a thick tree branch nearby, calmly donning his robes once again. His voice carried a chilling tone as he spoke, "It seems our time together is coming to an end. A shame. But rest assured, one day you will come to understand and willingly return to where you truly belong. I will be waiting, Kinoe."

With those final words, the barrier surrounding them dissipated, the external sounds filtering in, the cacophony of crashing trees echoing from the destruction nearby, signaling the arrival of a formidable combatant.

Casting one last glance toward Yamato, Danzo calmly departed. Yamato made no attempt to pursue him. Besides the fact that he was fully aware that he couldn't end the man's life, Yamato's intuition told him there was something strange with this 'Danzo'.

After Danzo's back faded into the distant forest, Yamato's attention was drawn to the uproar nearby, a familiar voice hollering about youth. "Could it be Guy?"

Hidden within the camouflaged Overlord, suspended in the sky, a cunning smile played across Shino's lips as he opened his eyes. "All the chess pieces are moving into position. Everything is set. It's time to depart, Karina."

Karina, by his side, replied obediently, "Yes, my dear. Overlord setting sail... It is estimated that the targets of our illusion will soon be beyond the reach of your illusionary abilities within a couple of minutes."

With a wave of Karina's hand, their bodies lurched slightly as the vehicle carrying them moved forward.

Sitting beside Shino, Kurenai's hand clutched against her chest, her eyes clouded with sorrow as she reflected on her actions within the illusion.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand trailing up her thigh, soon gliding into a secret garden, a touch that caused her scarlet eyes to flicker momentarily, distracting her from her melancholy and urging her to suppress the voice that nearly escaped her lips.

Shino's gaze remained fixed on Kurenai, his eyes filled with depth and understanding as his fingers moved deftly, comforting her in his own unique way. He parted his lips, preparing to issue a command to Kurenai, but his words were abruptly halted by Karina's urgent interruption. "Shino, we have a situation."

Curiosity piqued, Shino turned his attention to Karina, who swiftly summoned a holographic display. It revealed the external view of the Overlord, showcasing the vast expanse of sky and clouds.

However, what caught Shino's eye was the colossal flying beetle hovering directly before them.

And standing stoically on its back was a figure clad in the distinct attire of the Aburame clan, his visage bearing an uncanny resemblance to Shino himself. Without a doubt, Shino recognized him.

With a sigh, Shino withdrew his hand and rose to his feet. "In the end, it still comes down to this... Father."