Acting
Kakashi sat stiffly, his eye scanning the reports laid before him—the so-called evidence of Chi Yu's crimes.
Across the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him closely, studying every twitch of his pupil, every faint tremor in his hand. Kakashi's disbelief was plain.
"Impossible," Kakashi muttered, his voice rough, his fists tightening until his knuckles turned white. "This is absolutely impossible. My teacher would never do such a thing!"
Hiruzen took a long draw from his pipe, then exhaled slowly, hiding the weight in his gaze. So… Kakashi truly didn't know.
"I understand how hard this must be for you," the Hokage said quietly. "It was difficult even for me to accept that Chi Yu—someone who has done so much for Konoha—could commit such atrocities. But the facts are before us. Whether we like it or not, they cannot be ignored."
He slid another folder across the desk. "This is Orochimaru's file. You should read it too. His path into darkness… it entwined with Chi Yu's. Under Orochimaru's guidance, Chi Yu embraced the same cruelty, the same obsession with forbidden experiments."
Kakashi's fingers tightened around the folder. His breathing was uneven, though he forced his face to remain neutral.
Hiruzen's sigh carried regret. "I failed to guide Orochimaru, and he, in turn, failed to guide Chi Yu. That burden weighs on me still. But I don't want the same fate to claim you, Kakashi. You're young. There's still time to step back before it's too late."
Kakashi's body shook faintly, his lips pressed shut, unable to answer.
"Still," Hiruzen continued, his tone shifting, "I have no intention of bringing either Orochimaru or Chi Yu to trial. Not now."
Kakashi's eye snapped up, confusion in his stare.
"You know the state Konoha is in," the Hokage explained. "If word of this spread, it would cripple us. For now, I will give them another chance. So long as they commit no further offenses, I will not pursue the matter. This is for Konoha's stability… and for your sake, Kakashi."
The Hokage leaned forward. "What I ask of you is this—join the ANBU. Become my direct subordinate. I want you close, where I can guide you."
Silence stretched. Finally, Kakashi lifted his head, his lone Sharingan-scarred eye dull and weary. "Hokage-sama… my thoughts are clouded. Please… allow me a few days."
Hiruzen nodded, eyes soft once more. "I expected no less. Take the time you need. Return when you are ready."
Kakashi rose and left the office, moving as though in a daze.
When the door closed, Hiruzen's gentle expression hardened. He tapped the desk twice. Two ANBU operatives appeared, kneeling.
"Qing, Lin Jiao. From today forward, you will follow Hatake Kakashi without pause. Every step, every word—report directly to me."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
They vanished in an instant.
Hiruzen leaned back, smoke curling from his pipe. Though Kakashi's shock had seemed genuine, the Hokage knew better than to leave such matters unchecked. If Kakashi ran to Chi Yu this very night, then the performance had been only an act. And yet… even that would serve its purpose. Orochimaru and Chi Yu were clever enough to sense the truth of his warning.
His eyes narrowed. Don't disappoint me, Kakashi.
---
Outside the Hokage's office, Kakashi's dazed mask slipped away. His eye, once clouded with disbelief, now glimmered with a razor-sharp coldness.
He had known everything. Chi Yu and Orochimaru had never hidden the truth from him.
Chi Yu's words echoed in his mind: When you lack strength, hide. Act. Let them believe you serve Konoha. One day, when you've grown strong enough, you'll never need to act again.
Battlefields, disguises, infiltration—he had learned the art of deception at Chi Yu's side long ago. Hiruzen's attempt to manipulate him with Sakumo's name was the final insult. They dared use the White Fang, the man they had betrayed, as a tool to sway his loyalty.
His breath came slow and steady as he calmed his rage. Extending his senses, Kakashi immediately detected the shadows trailing him. So, he set watchers on me. Predictable.
He smirked inwardly. Of course the Hokage didn't trust him.
Instead of going home—or straight to Chi Yu—he strode into the forest. There, under Qing and Lin Jiao's eyes, he drew his blade and began to cut apart trees, venting his supposed frustration.
Unseen by the two ANBU, a single hand seal formed in the shadows. A clone appeared, its form shimmering before it shrank into the shape of a snake, slithering away unnoticed.
It made its way across Konoha, shedding the Transformation just as it reached Chi Yu's door. Before it could knock, the door swung open.
"I've been waiting for you," Chi Yu said calmly, a faint smile on his lips. "Come in."
The clone stepped inside and sat opposite him.
"So," Chi Yu said, eyes narrowing slightly. "The Hokage has already set his hounds on you. That must mean the real conversation has begun."
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