Chapter 162: The Chasm of Ideals
Minato's sharp command cut through the rising tension. "That's enough from both of you!"
He fixed a stern gaze on the two boys. "Kakashi, I don't know the exact tenets of Kagenori's teachings, but while rules provide a necessary framework, they are not absolute. A shinobi must sometimes adapt to the reality of the situation." His eyes shifted to Obito. "And you, Obito. You wear goggles. How could sand get in your eyes? If you speak of self-control, you must cultivate mental fortitude as well."
As Minato lectured, Kagenori stood silently to the side, a faint, cynical smirk playing on his lips, offering no defense or argument.
Obito hung his head, chastised into silence.
Kakashi, however, brushed the dirt from his flak jacket with an air of detached indifference. His gaze, when it met Minato's, was flat and unyielding. "Minato-sama, for a shinobi, the rules are absolute. There is no 'adaptation.' As the mission captain, if I had ordered Obito to act as a diversionary target against that Rock-nin, he would have been obligated to comply. To do otherwise would be a breach of protocol." His voice was chillingly logical. "You speak of adapting to the situation. That is not a justification for a shinobi to use, but for the rule-makers themselves. Otherwise, when a mission fails, the blame falls on 'improvisation,' and the shinobi is scorned by all. Is that not correct?"
Minato's expression grew grave. "The most important principle for a shinobi is teamwork, Kakashi!"
Kakashi turned his head slightly. "Is that so, Kagenori-sensei?"
Kagenori gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Teamwork is essential, of course. But teammates are not friends, nor are they brothers. They are assets assigned to complete an objective. If a teammate becomes a liability that jeopardizes the mission, they should be abandoned. They can even be utilized as a deliberate sacrifice to facilitate an attack or a retreat. This is the foundational principle I imparted to you on your first day on the battlefield."
Minato's composure finally cracked, a flash of anger in his blue eyes. "Kagenori, that is a poisonous philosophy! Teammates are comrades! They are friends you trust with your life! How can you speak of abandoning them, of using them as bait?!"
Kagenori's sneer was cold and sharp, forged in the fires of his own bitter experience. "Think carefully before you preach, Namikaze. Kakashi and I have learned to fear the knives in our backs more than the ones in front of us. And often, those knives are wielded by those we are told to call 'teammates.'"
The argument was a dead end. Minato saw the unbreachable wall in Kagenori's eyes, a cynicism so deep it was a fundamental part of his being. A pang of regret struck him. Perhaps I should have fought harder to keep Kakashi under my wing. Maybe then he wouldn't have become this… this cold instrument.
Later that night, after they had made camp in a secluded hollow, Uchiha Obito found Minato sitting on a moss-covered boulder, staring up at the fragmented moon through the canopy. He sat down quietly beside him.
Minato glanced at the boy, noting his slumped shoulders.
"I… I do know teamwork is important," Obito began, his voice thick with frustration. "It's just… Kakashi's always treated me like an idiot, ever since the Academy. I can't help it… I was born into the elite Uchiha clan, but I'm the dead-last. I admit it, Kakashi is… he's on a completely different level."
Minato offered a small, understanding smile. "Kakashi is the son of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo—a genius so feared his name overshadowed the Legendary Sannin. And after that, he was personally trained by Kagenori, another prodigy in his own right. He has spent his entire life surrounded by that caliber of genius. It's natural he would have… high standards."
"The White Fang…" Obito murmured, confused. "I heard from the teachers that Kakashi's father died in the line of duty. They told us to help Kakashi get past it, but he never talks about it. And whenever I mention his dad, he just glares at me."
Minato's smile faded into a somber expression. "I was on a mission with you all when it happened, so it's not surprising you don't know the details. Sakumo-sama was a man Kakashi respected above all others… until the incident."
Obito's eyes widened. "Incident?"
"Perhaps it's not my place to say," Minato said softly, "but you and Kakashi are comrades. You should understand." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "The way Kakashi treats you is different. He may say he dislikes you, but he is utterly cold to others. With you, he argues. He engages. Even if he won't admit it, I believe Kakashi does see you as a friend."
He took a breath. "Five years ago, Sakumo-sama was leading a critical mission. He infiltrated an enemy stronghold. There, he faced a choice: complete the mission, or save the lives of his teammates. The shinobi code is clear—the mission comes first. But Sakumo-sama chose to save his comrades. The mission failed, and the consequences for the village were severe. He was condemned by the village… and in the most bitter betrayal, even the comrades he saved turned their backs on him, blaming him for the failure."
Obito's breath hitched. "What…?"
"His spirit broken, Sakumo-sama took his own life," Minato concluded, his voice heavy. "Since that day, Kakashi has become fiercely protective of his father's memory and rigidly adherent to the rules. It is a shield for him, Obito. He has no ill intent towards you. He is trying to protect himself from suffering the same fate."
Minato's gaze then grew distant, more troubled. "What truly worries me is not Kakashi, but his teacher. Kagenori."
"Kagenori-sensei?" Obito asked, puzzled. "Why?"
"As a member of the Uchiha clan, you must have heard things about him," Minato stated, not as a question.
Obito nodded hesitantly. "Some things… but I'm not sure what's true. Most of it is… people saying awful things about him. What kind of person is he, sensei? I could feel the tension between you two."
"This was mild," Minato said with a helpless sigh. "It was far worse before… Kagenori's childhood… was something no one should endure." He looked at Obito squarely. "I heard he came to Konoha when he was four or five. Despite carrying Uchiha blood, the clan rejected his very existence. And as for the Uchiha's standing in the village…" He trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
Obito offered a bitter, understanding smile. He knew all too well. The Uchiha were feared and resented, their pride seen as arrogance. His own habit of helping others made him an oddity, a strange exception in the eyes of both his clan and the villagers. He lived in that chasm every day. And now, he was beginning to understand that Kagenori had been born into it, and had chosen to weaponize the hatred from both sides.
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