Facing the captain's inquiry—
"One of the monitors seems to be broken. Do you want me to check it?"
Itachi replied calmly, concealing the fact that it was his uncle who had sabotaged the surveillance.
The Uchiha's reputation was already under enough scrutiny. He didn't want Uchiha Duan to further deepen the negative image the others—especially Kakashi—held of the clan.
"No need. You stay here. Naturally, such labor-intensive errands should be left to an old man like me."
Kakashi placed a hand solemnly on his chest, making a show of duty and responsibility.
Glancing at the blackened monitoring screen, he seemed to understand the situation, then turned and walked out of the room.
Tenzō, standing to the side, rubbed his sore eyes and muttered, "Kakashi-senpai always says things so seriously, but it's just an excuse to sneak off and goof around."
Itachi said nothing.
Based on his understanding of his uncle's proud and aggressive nature, he figured if Kakashi confronted Duan directly, things might escalate.
And if it came down to a real fight…
Itachi sincerely hoped Kakashi would win—to crush Uchiha arrogance just a little.
Meanwhile, Kakashi strolled through the streets of Konoha.
One hand in his pocket, the other holding a takeaway cup of dango tea, casually sipping as he walked.
He stopped now and then to pet stray cats, even took a detour to Shueisha Bookstore to ask the owner about the next volume of Icha Icha Paradise.
He was a master of slacking off—King of Leisure.
"Yo, Kakashi!"
A loud and energetic voice suddenly rang out behind him, followed by a blur rushing at 100 meters per second.
Watermelon-style haircut, massive eyebrows, and a skin-tight green jumpsuit—
Only Konoha's wild beast, Might Guy, could carry that look with full confidence. A passionate man unbothered by how the world saw him.
Not long ago, Guy had applied to join both the Anbu and Root just to stick close to his best friend Kakashi. Both requests had been flatly rejected by Hiruzen and Danzō, leaving him in an existential slump.
But Guy being Guy, he bounced back fast.
"Huff... Huff..."
Now, even sweating profusely, Guy didn't stop running in place when he reached Kakashi's side—maintaining his form.
"My eternal rival, Kakashi! Our friendly competitions are tied at 29 wins each. Today, I will secure the 30th! Let's race—right now!"
He shouted, full of youthful fervor.
"Sorry, I'm on duty."
Kakashi shot him a deadpan look, rejecting him without hesitation as he turned away.
"How could you treat my burning passion so coldly?!"
Guy cried out behind him, voice dramatic and trembling with rejection.
Kakashi walked a few more steps, then stopped, as if remembering something.
"Hey, didn't you once mention you knew a Uchiha guy?"
"Huh? Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?" Guy stopped jogging, blinking in confusion.
Apparently, they really did know each other.
From Guy, Kakashi learned:
Might Guy's father, Might Duy, had once been a member of the Body Reconstruction Department—and a close friend of Uchiha Duan. He often took the younger Guy there for training.
But due to ideological disagreements, Duy and Duan had eventually severed ties, parting on bad terms.
Since Duy's death in battle, Guy hadn't returned to the gym.
"Wait a second, you're not going to see Uchiha Duan, are you?" Guy asked suddenly, alert.
"Yeah, what about it?" Kakashi replied, a little puzzled.
Guy's expression turned serious for the first time that day.
"Duan is... a dangerous man. You shouldn't go alone. In fact, I've been meaning to find him too. Let me come with you."
"Why do you want to see him?" Kakashi asked, more confused.
Guy took a deep breath, clenching his fists with fire in his eyes.
"I want to prove to Duan that the path my father walked—his way of the ninja—was not foolish, but noble! He died a hero, not a failure."
The more he spoke, the more fired up he became, veins bulging and passion erupting.
To the world, Might Duy was a humble, overlooked man. But in Guy's eyes, his father was a warrior who had lived and died true to the shinobi way.
Yet Duan had mocked Duy's beliefs.
Ever since, Guy had trained tirelessly, hoping one day to defeat Duan—and vindicate the will and spirit his father had passed down.
Kakashi hadn't expected such a personal feud to exist between the Mights and the Uchihas.
"There's really no stopping you, huh?"
He sighed, resigning himself. What was supposed to be a simple check-in had now turned into something more involved.
Twenty minutes later—
The two stood outside the Body Reconstruction Department.
Kakashi glanced up at the broken surveillance camera in the tree. Then he exchanged a brief nod with Guy and pushed open the door.
Inside, they found Samui dozing lightly at the front desk.
"Hello there," Kakashi greeted.
Startled, Samui quickly stood up and bowed slightly. "Welcome, honored guests."
"Ah, actually, we're not here as guests," Kakashi said, eyes smiling into crescents. "We're here to see Mr. Duan."
As he spoke, he subtly slipped Icha Icha Paradise back into his cloak.
Flashing that book in front of a beauty like this would've been downright disgraceful.
Hatake Kakashi was a respectable shinobi.
Samui, meanwhile, furrowed her brows slightly.
"May I ask who you are?"
Truthfully, as a seasoned spy, she had recognized both Kakashi and Guy instantly—but maintained her act flawlessly.
"We're from Anbu," Kakashi replied, showing credentials and offering a warm, non-threatening smile. "Just a few questions for Mr. Duan. No trouble, really."
"Understood."
Samui let out a sigh of apparent relief, her acting increasingly natural. "The curator is in the retreat room. Please follow me."
She turned and led the way.
Kakashi strolled along behind, hands in pockets, curiously scanning the unique equipment and training setups around the gym.
Guy followed silently, lips pursed and brows furrowed, already in a serious mood.
Finally, they reached a certain door.
Samui stopped, then lightly knocked with two fingers.
Knock knock.
"Curator, an Anbu ninja named Kakashi is here. He says he has some questions for you."
"Enter."
A curt response came from within. Just one word.
"Please, go ahead." Samui opened the door halfway and stepped aside with a small bow.
"Much appreciated." Kakashi gave her another polite smile, then entered with Guy.
Click.
The door closed behind them.
Samui, instead of walking away, leaned her ear against the wood like a cat and pressed close, a glint flashing in her sharp eyes—
Ready to eavesdrop on whatever happened next.