Naruto Kirigakure System - Chapter 17
Hatake Kakashi clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth, and closed his eyes.
Kaguya Naoki’s devilish whispers swirled in his ears, and these words ignited countless thoughts and speculations in Kakashi’s mind.
No.
Kakashi’s eyes snapped open.
These toxins, enough to shake his faith, were something Kakashi wanted to avoid at all costs, trying to expel those thoughts from his mind.
But Naoki, intent on forging a bond with Kakashi, would never allow that to happen.
“Kakashi-kun, I don’t wish to make such vile conjectures in front of a Konoha ninja like you,” Naoki sighed, shaking his head as if regretting everything.
“But that was Wood Release.”
“The Wood Release of the First Hokage.”
“Tell me, who else in that era could harm the First Hokage?”
Kakashi couldn’t block his ears; he could only listen. Deep inside, a force urged him to continue listening.
Faced with Naoki’s questioning, Kakashi fell silent.
Indeed, it was impossible.
The First Hokage, an invincible existence.
All the history books in the five great ninja villages recorded that the First Hokage, which possessed Wood Release, was unbeatable.
No one could harm him.
Except for Uchiha Madara, who was long dead.
“Then, wasn’t the First Hokage’s body closely guarded by Konoha?”
“Could it be that any other village had a chance to seize his body?”
Naoki leaned forward, his voice rising in intensity.
“This experiment could only be conducted in Konoha. The Wood Release on Uchiha Obito could only come from Konoha’s efforts!”
“A hero who supposedly died in battle, one you were never told was alive, how could he appear?”
“And just at the moment you chose to kill Rin?”
Kakashi’s heart pounded violently, nearly exploding.
Bonds, the village, his father—images and speculations flooded his mind.
Kakashi closed his eyes again.
What he didn’t want to admit was.
He had begun to doubt the village he would have given everything for.
Hatake Kakashi’s fate line has shifted. Detection: non-Kirigakure ninja, defection to Kirigakure countdown (2/10)
Naoki’s eyes flashed excitedly, ready to strike while the iron was hot and further batter Kakashi’s already weakening psyche.
But just then, Kakashi, who should have been crushed, suddenly opened his crimson eyes.
Disheveled, he suppressed all his emotions and looked at Naoki, forcing himself to ask calmly.
“So, what’s your goal, Kaguya Naoki?”
“What is your purpose in doing this?”
A newfound determination flickered in Kakashi’s eyes.
“If you think I’ll defect to Kirigakure, think again.”
“I, Hatake Kakashi, will never defect.”
Naoki sneered, shaking his head.
“I never expected you to defect today, Kakashi.”
Switching tones, Naoki grew severe.
“Hatake Kakashi.”
“Isn’t a Mangekyo Sharingan and Wood Release user who hates Kirigakure worth my effort?”
Kakashi fell silent again.
For the village?
Zabuza’s eyes showed complexity.
This Kaguya Naoki…
Zabuza Momochi’s fate line has shifted. Detection: Kirigakure ninja received exchange fragment *1
Naoki ignored everything and continued, looking at Kakashi.
“I hope for peace, but I don’t want someone with absolute power constantly watching our village.”
Kakashi nodded. “I understand.”
After a brief hesitation, Kakashi spoke firmly.
“If you want to exchange information with me, that’s not going to happen.”
That was a line he wouldn’t cross as a Konoha ninja.
Kakashi sighed internally.
If he genuinely exchanged information with Naoki, a Kirigakure ninja, defection would only be a matter of time.
Naoki chuckled. “Sharp as always, Kakashi.”
“I do want to exchange information, but only regarding Uchiha Obito.”
“What do you say?”
Kakashi shook his head, still refusing.
Naoki sighed softly.
“I had hoped Kakashi-kun still held some hope for Konoha.”
“But it seems I must reveal everything.”
A cold sweat broke out on Kakashi’s forehead.
More evidence?
Kakashi instinctively wanted to refuse everything.
But logic told him to listen.
If he didn’t want to be manipulated further, if he wanted to save Obito, he had to listen, Kakashi!
Kakashi opened his ears.
Seeing this, Naoki smiled and turned to Zabuza, who seemed slightly unsettled.
“Zabuza Momochi, get the mission scroll.”
Previously, Zabuza might have resented Naoki’s cold tone, dragging his feet and cursing him angrily.
But today, he promptly retrieved the mission scroll from his pack.
The change was subtle but natural.
Naoki took the mission scroll and handed it to Kakashi.
“Kakashi-kun, take a look.”
“This is the mission scroll.”
“The following is the mission log.”
Kakashi silently accepted it, carefully flipping through the pages.
Naoki’s eyes fell on the scroll, explaining each page to Kakashi.
“The first page details the Third Mizukage’s route for infiltrating the Land of Fire.”
Kakashi was about to flip the page casually when Naoki spoke seriously.
“During this time, we lost no ANBU and encountered no Konoha ninja.”
Kakashi’s hand trembled, his eyes filled with anger.
If there had been any warning, he and Rin wouldn’t have ended up like this.
“The second page details the Mizukage’s route for attacking your camp.”
“Again, we lost no ANBU and encountered no Konoha ninja.”
Kakashi’s hand froze mid-air, his sharp mind quickly filling in the blanks.
Penetrating what should have been a heavily guarded camp, he quickly captured Rin and himself.
Sure enough, Naoki continued, smiling.
“A heavily guarded stronghold, yet we faced almost no resistance, capturing Rin and you with ease, Kakashi-kun.”
Naoki sat down, leaning forward as if confiding in an old friend.
“Marching through the heart of the Land of Fire for days without encountering Konoha ninja, and casually breaking through a supposedly well-guarded camp.”
Kakashi’s heart sank deeper, Naoki’s words dragging him down.
“You might think these mission scrolls and logs were fabricated to deceive you.”
Naoki’s voice rose, addressing the still-reading Kakashi.
“Kakashi, stop fooling yourself. You’ve already guessed, haven’t you?”
“Our infiltration of the Land of Fire was known to Konoha.”
“Hence, no resistance along the way.”
“Even in your camp, there was barely any resistance.”
“Konoha abandoned Hatake Kakashi, abandoned Nohara Rin.”
Naoki’s voice softened, mocking.
“Just like they abandoned the White Fang.”
“All for Konoha’s brighter future.”
Kakashi stopped, his body shaking, his eyes blank.
All his suspicions weren’t baseless but had traces.
Perhaps this was the truth.
Two faces appeared in Kakashi’s mind.
One was covered in bandages, the other with a pipe and a red hat.
Was it you?
Kakashi muttered internally.
Seeing Kakashi’s shaken resolve, Naoki rejoiced, immediately pressing on as if holding back anger.
“Kakashi-kun.”
“If I questioned Konoha’s actions, I’d be naive.”
“I just want to trade, to get information on that Mangekyo Sharingan.”
This time, Kakashi didn’t immediately refuse but seriously considered.
Should he agree?
No.
There were still people in the village he wanted to protect.
He raised his head, speaking earnestly.
“I can’t ensure you won’t persuade Obito, as you did me today, to attack the village.”
“So, I refuse.”
Naoki sneered.
“If you hadn’t witnessed everything yourself, would you have believed me?”
“Just based on this scroll?”
Kakashi shook his head involuntarily.
Indeed, he wouldn’t have believed Naoki without seeing the anomalies firsthand.
Seeing is believing. Hearing is not.
“My goal, even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe. We’re merely using each other.”
“Kakashi-kun, don’t hesitate.”
“After all, the war hero Uchiha Obito is now a rat in the dark.”
Naoki leaned close to Kakashi’s ear, whispering.
“Rats don’t belong in Konoha.”
“Think of your father, and think of what I said, isn’t it true?”
Kakashi remained silent, fists clenched.
“Whether Uchiha Obito lives or dies, need I say more?”
“For the village’s future, letting comrades and your father die in conspiracies, is that your ninja way?”
Kakashi’s breathing grew heavy, clearly shaken!
Hatake Kakashi’s fate line has shifted. Detection: non-Kirigakure ninja, defection to Kirigakure countdown (3/10)
Let’s recap what Kakashi saw: Uchiha Obito (confirmed), Uchiha Obito using Wood Release (confirmed), his father dying in the village’s turmoil, unable to be a war hero, witnessing Konoha’s darkness (confirmed).
Wood Release, which appears only in Konoha, is a belief ingrained in Kakashi and all ninjas.
These observations, combined with Naoki’s and Kakashi’s speculations about the future, have shaken Kakashi.
Become a Patron to read chapters ahead of public release and support me 😉
Read up to 40 chapters ahead on p atreon.
