Chapter 165: Kakashi Gains Knowledge
"Captain Mugetsu, has anyone ever told you your ability to conceal your presence is outstanding?"
Kakashi turned, only to find that Mugetsu was already seated beside him without him even noticing.
"Concealment is a basic skill for any Ninja, you know," Mugetsu said with a quiet chuckle.
"Captain Mugetsu, you already know, don't you?" Kakashi began, his gaze still fixed on the river. "Konoha's White Fang didn't die in battle. He… took his own life. He was blamed by everyone for a failed mission and eventually chose suicide."
He paused before turning toward Mugetsu, his voice calm but cold. "Why would you admire a failed Ninja like White Fang?"
"If you call White Fang a failure," Mugetsu replied evenly, "then I don't agree."
"Why not? As a Ninja, he failed a mission that could have been completed—because of personal reasons. Isn't that a failure?" Kakashi asked sharply. "Do you think you understand White Fang better than I do?"
How could this man, Kakashi thought bitterly, who never even spoke to my father once, possibly understand him more than I do?
"Perhaps," Mugetsu said, his tone calm but firm. "But my view is the opposite of yours. I believe White Fang was a Ninja who truly upheld what Ninjutsu stands for."
"What he upheld?" Kakashi frowned. "The Ninja rule is simple—mission first. Isn't that what defines us?"
"Since you mentioned Ninja rules," Mugetsu said with a faint smile, "do you even know where those rules came from?"
Kakashi thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Then let me ask this—have you heard of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"The legendary god who created the Ninja World?" Kakashi replied, recalling what he'd read in old academy texts.
"The Sage of Six Paths was not just a legend," Mugetsu said. "He was a real person who created the Shinobi Sect in pursuit of world peace. His goal was for all people to understand one another through the connection of Chakra. That's where the concept of Ninjas truly began."
"At that time, there were no Genin, Chunin, or Jonin. There were no missions to kill or steal secrets. All shared the same goal—peace."
"If you really want to talk about Ninja rules," Mugetsu continued, "then the true rule is to uphold peace. From that perspective, all the Ninjas living in this era have already strayed from the path."
Kakashi stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. "So that's… the true origin of Ninjas…"
Mugetsu smiled, pushing up his glasses. "I like reading history in my spare time. You learn things most people overlook."
He wasn't revealing anything too secret—there were still faint traces of the Shinobi Sect's history in the oldest archives.
"Of course, expecting modern Ninjas to live by ideals from a thousand years ago is unrealistic," Mugetsu said softly. "But I believe a Ninja should be more than a machine that completes missions. A Ninja should have their own beliefs and convictions."
"White Fang failed his mission—but he saved his comrades. He stayed true to his heart. That's why I believe Konoha's White Fang was not a failed Ninja."
"Upholding one's beliefs…" Kakashi repeated under his breath, dazed.
A faint memory stirred within him—of a time when he, too, had once said that comrades were more important than rules.
"Training Ground 22, at 1:30 PM," Mugetsu said, rising to his feet. "And Kakashi—if you speak ill of White Fang again, I'll get angry."
Kakashi blinked, slightly startled by the teasing tone. "Instructor Mugetsu, you do know Konoha White Fang's real name, right?"
"Of course," Mugetsu said, smiling. "Sakumo Hatake."
Then he tilted his head, pretending to think. "Sakumo Hatake… Kakashi Hatake… Could it be that you two are related?"
Kakashi: "…"
For a brief moment, he genuinely couldn't tell whether Mugetsu was joking or just being dense. If it was the former, then his sensei truly had a wicked sense of humor.
"Just kidding," Mugetsu said with a grin. "I know you're his son. Don't be late this afternoon."
To pretend otherwise would be insulting to Kakashi's intelligence. A Chunin and two academy trainees being grouped together was obviously something arranged by the Third Hokage himself.
As Mugetsu walked away, Kakashi's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
Admiring Father… Was this arrangement from the Third Hokage?
Later, Kakashi made his way to the Konoha Library. Heading straight for the history section, he flipped through countless ancient texts until he finally found fragmented records mentioning the Shinobi Sect. The information was sparse, but enough to prove Mugetsu's words weren't fabricated.
His initial suspicion—that Mugetsu had made up the story just to comfort him—faded away.
By 1:30 PM, Kakashi arrived at Training Ground 22 on time.
"Kakashi, you're early!" Guy said cheerfully, doing handstand push-ups. "Want to compete?"
"No thanks. I'll pass," Kakashi replied flatly. After reading all morning, he had no energy for another of Guy's 'youthful' challenges.
By 1:40, Obito arrived, panting heavily. This time, Kakashi didn't question his excuse for being late—after what he'd witnessed earlier, he believed him.
"This morning, we finished three missions," Mugetsu said, smiling. "How many can we complete this afternoon?"
"Five!" Obito said confidently.
"Then five it is," Mugetsu said.
To save time, he immediately took on three missions at once. Normally, that would have been rejected, but after seeing how efficient his squad had been that morning, the registrar made an exception.
This time, the team worked together. With Obito's connections, Kakashi's precision, and Guy's raw stamina, their speed soared.
Within two hours, all three missions were completed.
By 6 PM, Mugetsu's squad had completed seven D-Rank missions in total—surpassing their target.
Obito and Guy were beaming, proud of their progress. Mugetsu was equally pleased—three hundred Chakra gained was nothing to scoff at.
The only one who remained quiet was Kakashi. He planned to return to the library after dismissal to continue researching.
"Everyone performed well today," Mugetsu said with a satisfied smile. "Tomorrow morning, we'll skip missions and focus on training instead."
He paused for a moment, a subtle grin forming. Maybe it's time to take Kakashi as a proper disciple, he thought. That way, future missions will yield even more rewards. Otherwise, it feels like I'm losing out.
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on:
~ [email protected]/FanficLord03
~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the story in the rankings using your
[Power Stones]
~ https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9