"Hah~"
Half an hour later, Kakashi finally rolled off Hiruzen and collapsed onto his back, staring up at the canopy.
"My hands are sore… first time I've ever gotten tired from punching. I should start charging for boxing lessons."
He exhaled, long and weary.
"Kakashi… am I really that bad?"
Hiruzen's hoarse voice croaked out as he stirred from the fog of semi-consciousness.
Kakashi blinked.
Eh? Did I hear that right?
Hiruzen, his face swollen into something resembling a pig's head, was actually reflecting on himself?
Don't tell me I knocked the brains out of him. If I drag back an idiot… well, not like anyone will notice the difference.
Or maybe… he'd just discovered the same mysterious technique Naruto used to win over enemies? Beat them half to death, then hit them with a sob story?
So the secret of persuasion was really fists first, philosophy later?
Kakashi's thoughts spun with sarcasm, but outwardly his tone stayed calm.
"Yes. Took you long enough to notice."
Hiruzen's battered face twitched.
"So that's it… I understand, Kakashi."
"When I return… I'll commit seppuku. Atonement to Sakumo's spirit. From then on, the protection of the village will be yours."
His voice carried no hesitation. He knew full well Minato had evidence in hand, and once it came to light, the backlash would be enormous. His name would become a banner for clans to rally against Minato.
Even knowing their corruption, he could not bring himself to crush the four great clans that had once helped him.
So—why not end it with his death? A final sacrifice for the village.
"You wish."
Kakashi's blunt dismissal crushed the resolve in an instant.
"Kakashi, you don't understand. If I live, the clans will wave my name to resist Minato! The village will be torn apart!"
"Oh, please." Kakashi's lips curled. "You're flattering yourself. Four clans with no real Kage-level fighter left, except you? They can't stir a puddle, let alone a storm."
His tone dripped sarcasm.
"I know you're itching to 'atone' by dying. But you're still Kage-level. You've got more jutsu catalogued in that head than the academy library. You think the village can just order another one like you from some scroll shop?"
Kakashi's voice cut sharp.
"What, make mistakes all your life and then escape by dying? Convenient. Too convenient."
"…But…" Hiruzen faltered. He knew—death would only be an excuse to dodge consequences.
"If you really want atonement, live. Face the mess you created. Show it with action."
Kakashi leaned closer, voice cold.
"You've got two choices."
"First—you resign as elder and renounce your ties to the Sarutobi clan. From now on, live as a commoner. Taste the village from the ground, not the Hokage's tower. I'll arrange for you to work at the Academy as a teacher."
"You'll write down every crime of Danzo and his allies and teach it in class. Personally."
"And you'll restore the Uchiha name in textbooks. Stop letting children grow up believing their clan was nothing but traitors."
"We're all shinobi of the same village. Why was Uchiha's sacrifice ignored, while two advisors' petty contributions became classroom legends?"
Kakashi scoffed.
Hiruzen's swollen face burned with shame. Kakashi hadn't said his name, but he knew the truth—he too had glorified himself in lectures. At least, it wouldn't show under the bruises.
"Actually, as a ninjutsu encyclopaedia, you're perfect for teaching. Academy instructors are so weak, I could beat most of them when I was five. No wonder I had to send clones to class just to keep from dying of boredom."
Kakashi shook his head.
Hiruzen's gaze shifted. "And… the second option?"
Kakashi formed seals.
Ninjutsu: Soundproof Wall.
An invisible barrier surrounded them.
"During an Anbu mission, I stumbled across a group—Akatsuki. They pose as mercenaries, but their real goal is collecting all nine Tailed Beasts to forge a weapon capable of wiping out nations."
His tone was deadly serious.
"Hah. Gather all the Tailed Beasts? Absurd." Hiruzen snorted—only to hiss in pain as swollen flesh pulled.
"Sounds ridiculous, right?" Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "What if I told you their leader wields the Rinnegan—the Sage of Six Paths' eye?"
Hiruzen froze.
"What…?! The Rinnegan actually exists?"
"Surprised? Uncle Jiraiya never told you? He took in three orphans during the Second War. One of them awakened the Rinnegan."
Kakashi let the words sink in, his tone mocking.
"Tsk tsk. Look how far you've fallen. None of your own disciples trust you with the truth."
The words struck Hiruzen like a blade through the chest.
But his mind snagged on the Rinnegan.
"If that's true… then the threat is grave. But if he's Jiraiya's disciple, why oppose the Five Nations? Jiraiya would have taught them his belief in peace."
His voice carried conviction.
He trusted Jiraiya's heart completely. The man had no faults—except his weakness for bathhouses.
Well… perhaps that part Jiraiya had learned from him. After all, Hiruzen had once been caught peeking with the Telescope Technique when Jiraiya was a boy.
Of course, he would never admit it. Jiraiya was just too obvious about it. Who lurks outside bathhouse doors when you could watch comfortably from your office chair?
Hiruzen chuckled bitterly to himself, unconsciously ignoring that his access had only ever been possible thanks to the crystal ball tied to Konoha's barrier.