The wind howled.
A rift tore open between the living world and the Pure Land.
"This..."
Kakashi was stunned as he gazed at the scene before him.
On the ground, talisman papers covered in black sealing formulas began to glow as he injected his Chakra into them. The dark inscriptions spread like veins over the old, worn fabric lying beneath the talismans. This was no ordinary cloth—it belonged to his father, Hatake Sakumo, the legendary White Fang of Konoha.
By using the remaining cell tissue from the old clothing, a specific connection was established.
A link between the genetic signature of the deceased and his departed soul in the Pure Land was formed.
And then—
A flickering, illusory figure began to emerge.
A middle-aged man with white hair materialized in front of Kakashi, his ghostly form swaying slightly as if he were caught between two worlds.
Kakashi's breath hitched.
"Father..."
His voice trembled. The figure before him was a face he had not seen in almost twenty years.
Yet, despite the hazy translucency of his form, he was unmistakable.
Hatake Sakumo.
Kakashi took a step forward, eyes widening in disbelief.
The last time he had seen his father… it had been under heartbreaking circumstances.
And now, here he was again.
"Kakashi?"
Sakumo's spectral form blinked in confusion as he gazed around, trying to process the situation.
Hadn't he… died?
Hadn't he taken his own life after being shamed and condemned by the very village he swore to protect?
Then why—?
"Father!" Kakashi's voice broke through his thoughts. "I used a special method to summon you back from the Pure Land!"
Sakumo's ghostly brows furrowed.
"A special method?" He paused, his expression darkening slightly. "You don't mean… the Second Hokage's Forbidden Jutsu, do you?"
His voice carried a hint of reprimand.
Had Kakashi really resorted to using Edo Tensei?
The mere thought made Sakumo uneasy.
But before he could dwell on it, something else caught his attention.
A man stood nearby, watching their exchange with a calm, thoughtful expression.
Sakumo's eyes widened in shock.
"You... you are—?!"
He stiffened.
The man before him bore an unmistakable presence.
A figure etched into history.
The very founder of Konoha himself—
"The First Hokage?!"
Sakumo's form flickered as he recoiled slightly, unable to believe what he was seeing.
How…?
How could Senju Hashirama be standing here?
Had Kakashi not only brought him back but also the God of Shinobi?!
"Hm?" Hashirama tilted his head, frowning slightly. "Have we met before?"
Sakumo swallowed.
"I once saw you from afar when I was a student at the Ninja Academy," he admitted, his voice laced with respect.
Then, turning back to Kakashi, he demanded, "Kakashi, what exactly is going on?"
Summoning him from the Pure Land was one thing—
But involving the First Hokage?
This was something far beyond what he had expected.
A Truth Buried for Decades
Kakashi took a deep breath.
He had brought back his father for a reason.
"Father…" His voice was firm now. "I need to know the truth about what happened to you."
Sakumo fell silent.
A flicker of emotion crossed his face, but he gave no immediate response.
Kakashi continued, "There may have been a conspiracy behind what happened to you."
He recounted everything he had uncovered from Yamanaka Kaze's memory.
The deeper he had dug, the more unsettling the pieces became.
His father's downfall… might not have been as simple as it seemed.
Had it been orchestrated?
Had someone deliberately pushed him into despair?
If so—who was behind it?
And why?
Sakumo listened in silence.
Finally, Kakashi took a deep breath and asked the question that had haunted him for years—
"Was there someone who framed you?"
His voice carried anger and determination.
If someone had played a hand in ruining his father's name…
They needed to pay the price.
The Burden of a Choice
Sakumo sighed.
"...Whether someone manipulated events from the shadows or not is irrelevant," he finally said, his voice quiet but firm.
Kakashi frowned.
"How can that be irrelevant?"
Sakumo met his son's gaze.
"The challenges I faced were real, Kakashi."
He paused, then continued, "When the ninja code and the Will of Fire clashed in my heart—when I had to choose between my mission and my comrades—"
His eyes darkened.
"I chose my comrades. I chose the Will of Fire that I believed in."
He exhaled.
"And for that choice… I was condemned."
He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Hashirama.
"First Hokage-sama," he asked, "in a situation like mine… what would you have done?"
Would he have followed the ninja code—even at the cost of a comrade's life?
Or would he have done what Sakumo did?
There was a brief silence.
Then—
Hashirama scratched the back of his head.
"Ah… well… if it were me… I'd probably choose both?"
Sakumo and Kakashi froze.
"..."
Sakumo's lips twitched.
Kakashi blinked.
Right.
They had asked Senju Hashirama of all people.
The man who, in most situations, could effortlessly protect his comrades while still completing the mission.
Sakumo sighed.
"...Forget I asked."
Kakashi clenched his fists.
"Father," he said, voice heavy with emotion. "I will continue to seek the answer to your question."
His gray eyes darkened.
"But for now, I still want to uncover the truth about your fate."
His father's reputation had been destroyed.
His death had left a scar on Kakashi that never fully healed.
If there was someone responsible—
They needed to be held accountable.
Sakumo was silent for a moment.
Then—
"...Alright."
He exhaled deeply, then nodded.
And slowly—
He began to tell his story.
The Mission That Changed Everything
It had been the 41st year of the Konoha Calendar.
The Third Shinobi World War had not yet begun, but tensions between Konoha and Sunagakure were rising.
Intelligence suggested that Suna's Jinchūriki might soon be replaced.
To confirm this, Konoha sent Hatake Sakumo on a high-priority mission.
However—
Upon reaching their target, Sakumo's team was ambushed.
His comrades were captured.
Faced with a terrible choice, he prioritized rescuing his team over completing the mission.
And the moment they returned to Konoha—
The rumors began.
Hatake Sakumo had failed.
He had disgraced Konoha.
But how had the news spread so quickly?
And who had ensured that the entire village turned against him?
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
There was something deeper at play.
And now—
He was going to find out the truth.
No matter what it took.
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