บท 231: Chapter 230 : Goodbye!!
After going through many trials, Konoha finally settled down.
However, the aftereffects of the terrible events were far from over, and some were even worsening.
Orochimaru openly declared his defection from the village during the Hokage inauguration ceremony and committed unforgivable crimes. As a result, Konoha became a joke in the eyes of the Land of Fire's Daimyo and other great nations.
Many mission assignments were canceled, aid funds from the Land of Fire were reduced, vast forest resources were destroyed... and a series of other problems followed one after another.
What was even more concerning was the loss of unity among the people and ninjas of Konoha. The "Will of Fire," once widely promoted, now seemed like a joke.
From the outcome of the war, Konoha was the victor.
But... looking at the long-term future, Konoha had suffered the worst defeat.
The position of Fifth Hokage remained vacant.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, using the title of former Hokage, temporarily assumed the Hokage duties, managing the current Konoha. At the same time, he issued the highest-level bounty order to the entire ninja world for Orochimaru—"Kill on sight."
The Second and First Hokages declared they had returned to the Pure Land, but in reality, they had infiltrated the village in secret to investigate the "Aurora Order."
Notably, due to his outstanding performance in the Third Great Ninja War, his accomplishments, and after passing evaluations by several Jōnin, Kakashi was officially promoted to Jōnin.
He was just 11 years old!
After receiving the official appointment, Kakashi accepted everyone's congratulations, then left alone.
He stopped in front of a flower shop by the street. After a moment of silence, he stepped forward and said, "Please give me a bouquet of flowers."
"Ah, what a handsome little brother~"
The shopkeeper, a pretty woman with long hair, was immediately drawn to Kakashi's cold aura. Her eyes lit up, and she approached, speaking warmly, "But little brother~ you shouldn't just buy flowers randomly. If you don't mind, can you tell me who you're buying flowers for?"
"No need. Please give me a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. Thank you."
Looking at the approaching woman, Kakashi silently took a step back as usual.
"Ah, white chrysanthemums? I see. I understand."
The shopkeeper's smile faded, replaced by a touch of solemnity. He selected a few pure white chrysanthemums, arranged them, and handed them to Kakashi, saying, "Little brother, please accept my condolences."
"Mm."
Kakashi took the bouquet silently, turned, and left.
The shopkeeper watched the young man's back, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar. After a moment, he slapped his head and remembered, "I got it! Silver hair... He's Hatake Kakashi, the genius who became a Jonin at just eleven!"
Kakashi, holding the pure white flowers, made his way through the bustling crowd toward the Konoha Cemetery.
Though it had been damaged before, it had been repaired and mostly restored to its original state. The graves of the Konoha ninjas who died in battle were all here.
However, not long after Kakashi entered the cemetery, preparing to visit Rin's grave and vent his frustrations, he suddenly paused for half a second. He was surprised to find that, aside from himself, there was another person in front of Rin's tombstone—a stranger in a black cloak.
Sensing the gaze behind him, the man slowly turned around.
He wore a spiral-patterned mask, and through a hole in the mask's left eye, his gaze met Kakashi's.
"Who are you?"
Kakashi furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes tinged with suspicion.
"Me? Heh, just a dead man."
The masked man's voice was raspy, as though his throat had been damaged, filled with a gravelly, unpleasant sound.
"Then why are you here at Konoha Cemetery?" Kakashi stared at him intently, feeling that the man seemed familiar, though he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
"Her."
The masked man pointed at Rin's tombstone, then tilted his head and looked at Kakashi. "I'm here to take her."
"Her? Rin!" Kakashi's eyes flashed with killing intent as he spoke. "Why do you want to take Rin's body?"
"Heh, that's none of your business."
The masked man chuckled coldly.
"I won't let you take Rin's body!"
Although Kakashi didn't know why this person wanted Rin's body, he wasn't going to let him take it. He crouched slightly and drew the short blade from his waist.
"Heh, you alone can't stop me."
The masked man's voice was full of mockery, and he even motioned with his fingers, "Come on, aren't you the genius from Konoha? Let me see, what kind of ability does an eleven-year-old genius who became a Jonin have?"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Almost immediately after his words, three kunai flew toward the masked man.
The masked man slightly tilted his head and easily dodged the kunai. Just as he was about to mock again, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi charging forward with a short sword, moving at an even faster speed. The blade cut through the air, delivering a fierce strike.
White Fang Sword Style!
The short sword traced a sharp arc through the air, the edge and angle almost perfect, as if pulling a thread-like trail of light behind it.
The masked man's left eye slightly contracted, and his feet erupted with chakra, allowing him to quickly retreat several meters.
Swish!
The short sword passed just half an inch in front of the masked man's face.
The mask was instantly sliced into pieces by the blade's pressure, but the masked man took the opportunity to pull back, retreating several meters away.
The broken mask fell from his face, and the man covered his cheek, raising his head with a sinister look.
When Kakashi saw the familiar face, his eyes gradually widened in shock, and his voice trembled. "Is... is it really you, Obito? Is it really you?"
"It's been a long time, Kakashi."
Covering his wounded, scarred face, Obito's eyes were filled with malice. "It's me, of course it's me. What's the matter? Surprised to see me?"
"So... you're not dead?!"
Kakashi was still in disbelief. He had thought Obito had died, but he never expected... he was still alive!
"Heh, of course, I'm alive, and I'm doing just fine!"
Obito slowly stood up, his face twisted into a cruel smile. "Didn't expect that, did you? Disappointed? Not only did I survive, I clawed my way out of hell. Now, I want to live... and get my revenge on all you hypocrites!"
"Wait, Obito, there must be some misunderstanding!"
Looking at his once cheerful friend, now turned into something like a vengeful ghost from hell, Kakashi immediately felt uneasy.
"Misunderstanding? Hahaha..."
At those words, Obito laughed, as if hearing something ridiculous. Clutching his head, he grinned. "No, there's no misunderstanding. I've simply seen the true face of the Shinobi world."
"Obito, what happened during the time you disappeared?" Kakashi asked seriously, his sharp eyes noticing that something was off about Obito. He looked like a prisoner who had just escaped from a prison, almost consumed by a wild desire.
"What happened?"
Suddenly, Obito seemed stunned, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes. "I... I don't remember."
All he could recall was escaping from a prison, but everything that happened before that was a complete blank. His mind was empty.
At that moment, a dark figure emerged from the shadows, speaking coldly. "Obito, why waste time talking to him?"
"You're right, Black Zetsu."
Obito regained his composure, his eyes now filled with madness. "I don't need to explain anything to you, Kakashi!"
********
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