At Konoha's BBQ Q branch, the charcoal fire burned brightly. Meat sizzled on the grill, filling the air with an enticing aroma.
But the atmosphere inside felt oddly tense.
Nohara Rin nervously poked at her rice, her eyes frequently drifting toward Kakashi beside her.
Since they sat down, Kakashi hadn't touched his chopsticks once.
He was staring intently at a noisy table diagonally across from them.
The leader of that group was a boy roughly their age, his features bearing a clear resemblance to the Third Hokage.
"Have you heard? That Sakuya Chigen is actually taking the promotion exam together with Kakashi!"
"Huh? That absolute loser? What is the Hokage even thinking?"
"Who knows? He's just asking to be humiliated."
Obito had gone to the restroom, leaving Rin awkwardly sandwiched between the silent Kakashi and the loud, malicious chatter from the other table.
The group's leader—Sarutobi Shin of the Sarutobi clan—took a sip of sake, a contemptuous smirk on his face.
"I've disliked that guy for a long time. I heard he only survives missions because he betrays his comrades. Every time he comes back, he's the only one left alive. Don't you think that's suspicious?"
"What? Really?"
"Of course it's true! My uncle works in the mission department. He says the death rate on those missions is terrifyingly high, but Sakuya Chigen always returns without a scratch. Either he steps over his teammates' corpses or uses them as bait. How else could he pull it off?"
"I see… What a disgrace to Konoha!"
"I bet he's a spy sent from another village to deliberately weaken our forces!"
The slander and malice spread like greasy smoke through the small barbecue restaurant.
Nohara Rin's face paled. She wanted to speak up, but the words caught in her throat.
She didn't know Sakuya Chigen well, but she instinctively refused to believe such vicious rumors.
At that moment, Kakashi—who had remained silent the entire time—finally moved.
He slowly uncrossed his arms.
"Are you all done talking?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise like an ice-cold kunai, sharp and precise.
Sarutobi Shin and his friends turned to look. When they saw it was Kakashi, their expressions stiffened.
"Kakashi? You… you heard that?"
Sarutobi Shin felt a twinge of guilt, but surrounded by his friends, he tried to bluff his way through.
"What, are you going to defend that piece of trash too?"
Kakashi stood up. He wasn't tall, but the pressure he exuded made the air feel heavier.
"I'm asking you—what is a ninja's duty?"
Sarutobi Shin was caught off guard and answered reflexively, "Of course… to complete the mission."
"And if completing the mission requires sacrifice?"
Kakashi's tone remained flat, as though stating an obvious fact.
"This…"
Sarutobi Shin faltered, speechless.
Kakashi's gaze swept across their table, cold and disdainful, as if regarding a pile of worthless garbage.
"You don't even have that basic awareness, yet you dare slander your senior?"
"What did you just say?!"
Sarutobi Shin slammed his fist on the table and shot to his feet, face flushed with rage.
"That guy Sakuya Chigen—who survives by sacrificing his comrades—dares call himself a senior?!"
"Oh?"
Kakashi stepped forward, locking eyes with him.
"If sacrificing a group of trash like you could guarantee the success of an S-rank mission and save the entire village… then that would be an excellent trade."
"You—!"
Sarutobi Shin's face turned a deep, furious purple. His chakra flared uncontrollably.
"Trash should know their place."
Kakashi's voice stayed calm, but each word cut deeper than any insult.
"Talking behind the back of someone stronger than you only proves how incompetent you are. You'd be better off spending that time back at the training ground throwing a few more kunai—so at least on the battlefield you won't die without knowing how."
The entire restaurant fell deathly silent.
Sarutobi Shin's friends hurriedly grabbed him, pulling him back while frantically apologizing.
"Sorry, Kakashi-sama! We drank too much—we were just talking nonsense!"
"Yeah, please don't take it seriously!"
In front of a true genius like Hatake Kakashi, their petty clan pride and bravado crumbled instantly.
Kakashi didn't spare them another glance. He turned and walked straight out of the shop.
"Kakashi!"
Nohara Rin hurried after him, grabbing his arm.
Kakashi paused for a second but didn't turn around.
He gently pulled his hand free from her grasp.
"I'm full."
With that, he vanished into the night without looking back.
Nohara Rin stood frozen, hand still outstretched, stunned.
"Seriously, they're arguing again?"
Uchiha Obito returned from the restroom just in time to see the scene. He scratched his head in confusion.
"Where's Kakashi?"
"He left."
Nohara Rin lowered her hand, her mood visibly down.
She quickly explained what had just happened.
Obito listened, then slammed his fist on the table in anger.
"Those bastards! How dare they talk about Chigen-senpai like that?! And Kakashi—those words were way too harsh!"
"Obito-kun…"
Rin asked softly,
"Do you think… Kakashi was right? About sacrificing comrades for a mission…"
"Of course not!"
Obito shot back immediately, voice loud and firm.
"Missions matter, but comrades are family! I will never—absolutely never—abandon any of my comrades! Anyone who talks about rules but throws away their teammates so easily… they're the real trash!"
His words rang with unshakable conviction, eyes blazing with determination.
Rin looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Then… what about Chigen-senpai?"
she asked quietly.
"Do you think he's that kind of person?"
Obito paused, then scratched his head vigorously.
"I don't know… but I feel like Senpai Chigen is different from Kakashi. He seems lazy on the surface, but… I think he has his own way of the ninja. A way that—even if no one understands it—he'll stick to it no matter what."
Nohara Rin was stunned.
She remembered Kakashi's resolute, lonely figure as he walked away.
She also remembered Sakuya Chigen in the Hokage's office—reluctant, yet ultimately accepting the order.
In that moment, the two figures strangely overlapped in her mind.
Equally strong… and equally lonely.
…
Meanwhile, at Sakuya Chigen's home.
Chigen sat cross-legged on the bed, carefully examining the new ability that had appeared in his mind.
[Recovery].
Synchronously experiencing the target's pain and memories sounded horrifying as a side effect.
But the ability to copy talents made it impossible to refuse.
This skill was practically tailor-made for wartime.
On the battlefield, the wounded were never in short supply. As long as he could endure the mental toll, he could theoretically become a walking ability-copier.
"Medical ninja…"
The thought suddenly clicked.
Yes—it was the perfect cover.
A powerful medical ninja was a priceless asset to any team. They were highly respected and usually kept protected at the rear.
This was the ultimate expression of "survival of the fittest."
He could safely stay behind the front lines while legitimately coming into contact with powerful individuals and copying their abilities.
The Sharingan… the Sage Body… heh.
The more he thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.
The slight dread he'd felt about the Chunin Exams was slowly being replaced by excitement for this grand "lie-flat-and-profit" plan.
He was even starting to look forward to the exams.
Chigen stretched, joints popping satisfyingly.
He'd been exhausted all day.
Better get some sleep first—recharge, and start preparing for the exams tomorrow.
He blew out the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Just as he lay down and his consciousness began to drift…
—Whoosh.
A faint sound—like fabric slicing through the air—flashed across the rooftop.
Chigen's eyes snapped open in the pitch-black room.
The usual trace of weariness in his gaze was gone.
Now they were ice-cold.
…Who is it?
(End of Chapter 3)