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Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, puffing on his pipe, looked at Kakashi who had come to report, his eyes filled with a complex expression.
Kakashi, the genius shinobi of Konoha, was truly deserving of the title. His natural attributes were identical to his, and his exceptional talent was outstanding. He was the son of the White Fang and a student of the Fourth Hokage, a protagonist straight out of a novel.
"Kakashi, this morning, Maito Gai, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, Kawazu Tetsu, Kamizuki Izo, and Ebisu, your classmates, came to see me. They pleaded with me to transfer you out of ANBU."
The Third Hokage had heard about Kakashi's increasingly gloomy and isolated personality after the Nine-Tails Incident, as well as his reckless, death-seeking combat style. The title of 'Cold-Blooded Kakashi' had even spread within ANBU.
The Third Hokage exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and said to the Konoha genius shinobi Kakashi, but Kakashi showed no reaction, his indifference extending to his own life.
Seeing Kakashi's indifferent gaze, the Third Hokage frowned and shook his head. "Kakashi, I didn't expect the war to have such a profound impact on you. If they hadn't come to me, I wouldn't have believed it."
War trauma was a real thing, but for an outstanding ninja, it was hard to believe. He truly hadn't expected Kakashi to be in such a state.
In ANBU, Kakashi was a sharp blade, but this blade needed maintenance. The Third Hokage wasn't ready to see such a precious blade, which had yet to reach its peak, break. Therefore, he decided to put the blade back in its sheath for a while to properly maintain it.
"Kakashi, you need to rest now."
Kakashi's eyes were filled with indifference, and he only bowed his head in silence. At this moment, he was nothing more than a machine following orders, or a pure tool ninja.
"Kakashi, I heard that you and Uchiha Yoru sparred last night and it ended in a draw?"
In the oppressive atmosphere, the Third Hokage, a seasoned politician, asked casually while refilling his pipe with tobacco.
Kakashi, however, lowered his head and said in a low voice, "I lost!"
His tone was indifferent, as if he wasn't talking about himself. At this moment, Kakashi didn't care about his reputation as a genius. He was in the darkest period of his life, where even his own life was a matter of indifference.
The Third Hokage, however, smiled and shook his head. "Can you tell me about the fight last night in detail?"
It seemed like a question, but it was clear he already knew everything. He wanted to hear it from Kakashi's perspective.
Kakashi, still masked, reported the events of the previous night in a cold, indifferent manner, as if he were giving a mission report after returning from an ANBU mission.
"...The fight went as follows: Uchiha Yoru's chakra level is at the Jounin stage, his control far surpasses that of an average Jounin. His taijutsu is at the Jounin level, and he is proficient in Fire Release and Lightning Release. Based on the intelligence, Uchiha Yoru's overall strength is at the Jounin level."
The Third Hokage listened to Kakashi's report with narrowed eyes, gaining a clear understanding. Uchiha Yoru, Orochimaru's student and his own grandstudent, had indeed reached the Jounin stage with the help of the Sharingan.
Uchiha Yoru awakened his Sharingan at the age of fourteen during the Nine-Tails Incident and evolved it to the two-tomoe stage in just half a year. A fifteen-year-old Jounin was indeed a genius, but much of it was due to his bloodline.
The Sharingan possessed the abilities of observation, replication, hypnosis, and superior insight, making it a natural genjutsu eye. Once awakened, the Sharingan could leap forward in genjutsu abilities.
The Third Hokage had already analyzed Uchiha Yoru's current strength. In a life-or-death battle, if Kakashi hadn't been in the state he was in last night, Uchiha Yoru might not have won.
"Kakashi, how many years have you been in ANBU?"
The Third Hokage sighed wistfully, like a kind old man looking at a younger generation. Kakashi, below, responded respectfully, "Since the time of the Fourth Hokage, it's been almost two years."
Kakashi, masked and head lowered, showed no change in expression as he answered respectfully. The Third Hokage, however, puffed on his pipe and sighed in a caring, elder-like manner, "When Minato had you join ANBU, it was to drive away the darkness in your heart. When I returned to the position of Hokage, I took over the Fourth Hokage's ANBU without changes.
"However, almost two years have passed, and not only has the darkness in your heart not been expelled, but your war trauma has worsened. If Asuma hadn't mentioned it to me, I wouldn't have known how severe your condition is."
First, he spoke kindly about the past, then he put on the guise of a caring elder. This was the Third Hokage's old trick, a technique that had won over countless ninjas.
"Kakashi, continuing this way will only worsen your condition. The heavy tasks of ANBU might push you further into darkness."
The Third Hokage, with a caring elder's gaze, shook his head and sighed, "Kakashi, take off your mask. You need lighter tasks to heal the wounds in your heart."
Kakashi, like a machine, indifferently and slowly removed his ANBU mask. For him, there was only the execution of tasks.
When he removed his mask, revealing his youthful face, the Third Hokage's eyes flashed with a hint of regret. Such a young genius, it was a pity.
"Kakashi, publicly, I will relieve you of your ANBU duties, but secretly, you will report directly to me. There is a mission for you to consider."
Kakashi, upon hearing this, responded indifferently, "Kakashi is willing to accept the mission."
Kakashi didn't hesitate. At this moment, he was in the darkest period of his life, and perhaps only endless missions could stop him from dwelling on the painful memories.
The Third Hokage, upon hearing Kakashi's willingness to accept the mission, didn't rush to explain it. Instead, he turned his head and looked out the window at the Hokage Rock.
"Kakashi, the village has just recovered from the Third Great Shinobi War, which was brutal, to say the least. Last year's Nine-Tails Incident almost disrupted the balance of the shinobi world and could have triggered the Fourth Great Shinobi War. All of this was because of the Nine-Tails."
"I'm sure you saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes that night. I will tell you clearly, the Nine-Tails Incident had a mastermind, and this person is highly likely to be from the Uchiha clan."
The Sharingan was a fact, and the Third Hokage, using his old trick, first invoked the village's greater good before gradually introducing the mission.
"I heard that Uchiha Yoru invited you to join the Police Force last night. When I relieve you of your ANBU duties, Maito Gai will go to the Police Force and request Uchiha Yoru. At that time, you can join the Police Force smoothly. I want you to investigate secretly whether the Uchiha clan is the mastermind behind the incident."
The Third Hokage exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, which obscured his view. His aged, solemn voice echoed slowly in the office.
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(End of Chapter)