Root Headquarters.
The underground bridge was steeped in darkness, lit only by dim, indirect lamps. When Hatake Kakashi arrived, Shimura Danzō's aged face showed something rare.
A smile.
That smile deepened after Kakashi dropped to one knee and calmly delivered his report. For a brief moment, Danzō looked surprised. Then satisfaction crept in.
"So that's it," Danzō said. "The Third publicly removes you from ANBU, but in truth he wants you placed in the Military Police's Seventh Unit to investigate the Uchiha. He's relying on two things. Your Sharingan, and the special position of that unit."
Danzō let out a low chuckle.
Sarutobi thought he was clever. Too clever.
In reality, he had just handed Danzō a winning board.
"Kakashi," Danzō continued, his tone firm, "the Uchiha are inherently dangerous. The Nine Tails being controlled by the Sharingan is an established fact. I want you to infiltrate the Military Police. For Konoha."
The calculation formed instantly.
If Kakashi entered the Police while hiding his connection to Root, Danzō gained everything. Another set of eyes inside the Uchiha. A shinobi with a Sharingan, uniquely suited to observe them. And on the surface, Kakashi would still appear loyal to the Third Hokage.
A blade pointed in two directions.
Danzō straightened, fully convinced he now sat above the board as its true player.
Kakashi lowered his head. His exposed eye glowed faintly, the three tomoe steady and unshaken.
He needed answers.
The truth about that night. About the Hokage. About whether everything had been engineered to reclaim power.
"Yes, Danzō-sama," Kakashi replied.
Serving the Third in secret. Answering to Root in truth. Preparing to enter the Military Police openly.
Any one of those roles was dangerous.
All of them together bordered on suicidal.
But Kakashi didn't care.
His own life had long since lost its weight.
Hokage Tower.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, pipe clenched between his teeth as smoke filled the room.
"You're saying Kakashi went to Root last night?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the ANBU operative replied, kneeling. "He encountered Danzō-sama at the Memorial Stone in the evening. Later that night, Kakashi entered Root's facilities. I didn't pursue further."
The Hokage's eyes sharpened.
"Good," he said. "Treat this as if it never happened. Continue observing Kakashi's movements. Your sensory ability is exceptional, but do not act rashly."
He paused.
"If Kakashi returns to ANBU archives, pay close attention to what records he searches for."
"Yes, sir."
After the operative departed, the Hokage exhaled slowly and smiled.
"Danzō… do you really think you're the one moving the pieces?"
This was exactly why he had assigned that particular ANBU agent. No one else was better suited to keep Kakashi within sight.
Danzō would predictably attack him using old wounds, old accusations, old tragedies. All he needed to do was see which answers Kakashi went looking for.
The finest counterintelligence didn't rely on persuasion.
It let the subject uncover a carefully prepared truth on their own.
The Hokage chuckled softly.
"A sharp blade indeed," he murmured. "Root. The Police. How many hands will try to wield you, Kakashi?"
Konoha Village.
News spread quickly.
Somehow, word of Kakashi's spar with Uchiha Yoru had leaked. Before long, Yoru's name was spoken in the same breath as the Copy Ninja's.
A prodigy who could stand toe-to-toe with Hatake Kakashi.
With that reputation, Uchiha Yoru's position as leader of the Military Police's Seventh Unit became unquestioned. Authority, recognition, and strength all aligned.
No one could deny it.
Naka Shrine.
Uchiha Yoru stood before the clan leadership, reporting evenly.
"Recently, several new members have joined the Seventh Unit," he said. "Including Hatake Kakashi and Might Guy."
His tone was calm. No pride. No self-importance.
That restraint pleased both the Clan Head and the senior advisor.
To outsiders, the explanation was simple. Guy had joined to watch over his troubled friend. Kakashi needed light duties and time to recover.
Uchiha Fugaku nodded slowly.
"Yoru, the Seventh Unit is now fully exposed," he said. "Everyone is watching it. You must be cautious. There will be people from every faction mixed in."
His gaze sharpened.
"Especially Kakashi. Try to draw him in, but never drop your guard. He came from ANBU."
Beside him, the elderly advisor spoke up in a low voice.
"Kakashi may be a spy," he said. "Or he may simply be broken. Either way, never forget his surname."
He lowered his head slightly, his expression hidden.
"The Hatake name still carries weight. The White Fang's influence hasn't faded. If Kakashi is handled properly, that legacy could align with Orochimaru's interests."
He continued, voice steady.
"The Uchiha and Hatake once had ties. Otherwise, do you think a Sharingan would have remained so safely in Kakashi's possession?"
Yoru stiffened.
That connection was new to him.
The advisor noticed his look and shook his head.
"Don't overthink it. The White Fang's reputation was overwhelming in his prime. Even the Third Hokage couldn't eclipse him. At one point, he was widely regarded as the next Hokage."
Fugaku sighed quietly.
A shinobi who stood alongside the Sannin, yet surpassed them. A legend whose fall no one had anticipated.
The room fell silent.