After the Third Hokage, Kakashi returned, and he issued only two commands.
First, locate any traces of the Akatsuki. Second, accelerate technological development as much as possible.
Now that his world was entirely unified, both tasks were progressing smoothly. Within a week, results began to surface.
One evening, a squad of shinobi arrived at the Hokage's office, their urgency evident.
"Lord Hokage! We've found traces of Akatsuki!" Izumo Kamizuki reported, stepping forward with a sealed scroll.
Kakashi accepted it and unfurled the parchment, his visible eye scanning the contents swiftly. His expression remained calm, but internally, he was surprised.
They're bold, I'll give them that. Operating this close to Konoha? Either they're desperate or reckless.
After a moment of thought, he spoke. "Do we have any shinobi in the vicinity?"
Kotetsu Hagane stepped forward, answering honestly, "A few Jōnin are stationed nearby, Lord Hokage. Given the enemy's strength, we instructed them to observe and gather intel rather than engage."
Kakashi nodded in approval.
"Good. You've finally learned to be cautious." His tone was steady but carried a hint of praise. "The members of Akatsuki are formidable. Engaging them recklessly would be foolish."
As he spoke, Kakashi rose from his seat. His posture shifted, subtle yet decisive. "That said… I'll handle this personally." He rolled up the scroll and tucked it away. "If this intel is accurate, Akatsuki is about to lose a few more members."
Before anyone could respond, his figure flickered and vanished.
Izumo and Kotetsu could only stare at the now-empty office, wide-eyed.
"…Lord Hokage's speed…" Kotetsu muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "That wasn't even a standard Body Flicker."
Izumo swallowed hard. "I didn't see him move at all. One second he was here, the next… gone."
In truth, Kakashi hadn't used the Body Flicker Technique at all. Instead, he had harnessed the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, the Logia Devil Fruit of lightning. His body became electricity, allowing him to travel as a bolt of lightning itself.
Even now, as he surged through the sky at near-instantaneous speed, Kakashi marveled at the absurdity of the ability.
This fruit… It's ridiculous. Not only is the speed unreal, but the intangibility makes most attacks useless. It's damn near perfect.
Thoughts like these barely lasted a heartbeat before he arrived at his destination. The location is marked in the report.
A dense forest just outside Konoha.
He re-materialized on the outskirts of a clearing, landing without a sound. A large cave loomed at the edge of the open space, partially obscured by foliage.
Before heading in, Kakashi turned his attention to a concealed presence nearby. With a flicker of movement, he appeared beside the Konoha shinobi stationed there, resting a hand on their shoulder.
The shinobi stiffened instantly, nearly drawing a weapon, until they saw who it was."What the hell? Kakashi!" the ninja hissed, exhaling sharply. "You scared the hell out of me."
Kakashi chuckled. "My bad."
Then, as he got a better look at the ninja's face, he paused. "…Wait a minute."
He raised an eyebrow.
Might Guy.
Of all the people to be assigned to a surveillance mission, it was none other than his oldest rival, Konoha's Green Beast.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temple. "…Of course it's you."
Guy, ever the enthusiastic one, grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Who else? A mission like this requires peak conditioning, maximum endurance, and unwavering vigilance. Naturally, I was the perfect choice."
Kakashi gave him a flat look. "You mean they needed someone with enough stamina to stay crouched in a bush for hours without getting bored."
"EXACTLY!" Guy beamed, completely missing the sarcasm. "And let me tell you, Kakashi, I haven't moved a muscle. I am as steady as the mighty boulder, as still as the great..."
Kakashi held up a hand. "Got it, got it."
He glanced toward the cave entrance, his expression turning serious once more."…So? What are we dealing with?"
Guy's grin faded, his tone shifting to one of professionalism. "Two Akatsuki members confirmed inside. They arrived an hour ago. Haven't left since."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Perfect. "Then let's not keep them waiting."
And with that, he moved forward, silent as a storm brewing on the horizon.
The hunt had begun.
If Might Guy truly fought with all his strength, he could likely take down most of Akatsuki by himself. The sheer power of the Eight Gates was more than enough to devastate even the strongest shinobi. But with Kakashi leading the mission, that level of force wouldn't be necessary. Guy knew better than anyone that Kakashi was no longer the shinobi he used to be.
As the two observed the cave entrance, Kakashi turned to him. "Any movement? Have they come out?"
Guy shook his head. "No. It's only been about two hours since they entered. They should still be inside, probably resting." He folded his arms, his tone shifting to something more serious. "There are two of them. One is Hoshigaki Kisame, a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The other is Black Zetsu."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. Kisame. That name carried weight. Even among the Akatsuki, Kisame was a monster in battle, armed with his living blade Samehada and an absurd chakra pool that rivaled a Tailed Beast's.
Guy continued, "Kisame's strength should be considerable. As for Black Zetsu, I doubt he's much of a fighter. He's probably just an intelligence operative."
Kakashi processed the information. Guy's scouting was sharp, and everything aligned with what he already knew, except for one key difference. Kisame normally worked with Uchiha Itachi. But this time, he was paired with Black Zetsu. That meant this wasn't a combat mission. It was likely an information exchange.
Unlucky for them, Konoha's surveillance was too tight. They got caught.
Without another word, Kakashi vanished.
The moment he moved, Guy's eyes widened. The speed. The sheer absence of motion. It was as if Kakashi had blinked out of existence. Guy felt a surge of admiration, followed immediately by something else. Determination.
Guy's eyes widened before narrowing with fierce determination. His fists clenched, his body tensing with renewed resolve.
"Kakashi's even faster now… I couldn't see him move at all!" His competitive spirit ignited, burning hotter than ever. "There's only one answer to this. I must train harder. The flames of youth will not be outdone!"
The air inside was damp, the walls slick with condensation from the underground water veins running beneath the forest. Kisame and Black Zetsu sat in the dim glow of a weak fire, their forms hunched as they reviewed a recently unsealed scroll filled with sensitive information.
Black Zetsu's body had already begun merging with the stone, his pale, plant-like form sinking seamlessly into the cave wall. In a few more seconds, he would be gone, slipping into the earth, taking the intel with him.
Then, the air changed. The temperature spiked. The dim glow of the fire was instantly overwhelmed by an explosion of blue light.
Lightning crackled through the cave. Kakashi appeared.
Black Zetsu barely had time to react before a bolt of searing blue energy tore through the air, striking him with pinpoint precision. The cave trembled, the walls shaking from the sheer force of the attack. He tried to phase deeper into the rock, but it was already too late. The moment his body touched the stone, Kakashi's lightning followed, surging through the mineral-rich surface, conducting straight into him.
Zetsu convulsed. A second later, he collapsed. His body twitched once, then went still. The light in his mismatched eyes faded.
Not even a second had passed. One of Akatsuki's most elusive intelligence operatives was eliminated before he could even cry out.
A strange silence followed. The fire flickered, briefly struggling against the static-charged air.
Across the cave, Kisame's grin had vanished. His sharp teeth, usually bared in amusement, were clenched as his shark-like gaze flickered between Black Zetsu's unmoving corpse and the figure now standing before him.
"…You?" Kisame's deep voice finally broke the silence, his disbelief evident. "Kakashi?!"
He wouldn't have reacted like this before. Back then, he had considered Kakashi Hatake just another Jōnin, talented, yes, but nothing special. Someone not worth fearing.
But now? Kakashi had single-handedly wiped out four Akatsuki members. And from what Kisame had heard, he had done it effortlessly.
His grip on Samehada tightened. He had no time to think. In an instant, Kisame swung his blade, aiming to cleave Kakashi in half.
The massive sword tore through the air, but instead of hitting flesh, it passed straight through.
Kisame's eyes widened. The figure in front of him twisted unnaturally, morphing into a surge of crackling blue lightning. Not a clone. Not genjutsu.
This was something else.
Kakashi's body reformed behind him, his voice calm but carrying an edge of something new. "Having trouble, Kisame?"
Kisame turned sharply, his instincts screaming danger in a way they never had before.
His heart pounded. His grip on Samehada felt strangely uncertain. This wasn't the Kakashi Hatake he had heard about.
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