Bai Kakashi pondered the question, his mind a battlefield of conflicting emotions.
Obito's words echoed in his head.
"You want to know the truth, right? You want revenge? Then stop relying on a crumbling village. There is another way."
Indeed.
If he truly wanted to uncover the truth, to take vengeance for everything he had lost, then the only viable path lay in the power of the Otherworldly Empire.
Kakashi let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
Not long ago, he had warned Sasuke against accepting the invitation of these mysterious visitors from another world.
Yet now, here he was, faced with the same choice.
What an irony.
Would he abandon Konoha—the village that had shaped him—and defect to the empire from another world?
Kakashi closed his eyes, letting the weight of his memories press down on him.
The bridge in the Land of Waves... The clash with Momochi Zabuza... The arrival of the otherworldly warriors...
They had fallen from the sky like gods, each one possessing unfathomable power. Their words had been strange, yet filled with meaning that unsettled him.
Through them, he had learned of the empire of the Otherworld—an entirely different civilization with its own history, its own ninja system, and its own vision for peace.
To be fair, Kakashi couldn't deny feeling envious.
It wasn't just their strength that stirred something deep inside him.
It was the life his alternate self had lived in their world.
In the Konoha of that Otherworld, by the 40th year of the Konoha Calendar, the entire ninja world had been unified under a single rule, ushering in a long-lasting peace.
But here, in his reality...
Since the 41st year of the Konoha Calendar, his life had been nothing but loss and despair.
His father. His teammates. His teacher and his teacher's wife.
One by one, they had all left him behind, leaving only a hollow shell of a man—a scarecrow standing in an endless field of death.
For years, he had drowned himself in the darkness of the Anbu, carrying out brutal missions without question, earning the moniker of "Cold-blooded Kakashi."
Did he ever enjoy that life?
Of course not.
It wasn't until he became a Jōnin leader and took on Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura as his students that he began to feel a glimmer of life return to his heart.
But even then...
What was his true purpose?
If the empire had never arrived, if things had continued as they were supposed to, he would have simply trained Naruto and Sasuke to become weapons of Konoha—mere tools of war.
Was that really what he wanted?
Was this village truly worth his loyalty?
No.
Not anymore.
A new path had been presented to him.
A new possibility.
A future where he wasn't just a tool of destruction.
A future where he could be something more.
With a deep breath, Kakashi made his choice.
"I'll join you."
He looked Obito in the eyes, his voice steady.
"I don't want to be a ninja anymore."
What was the point of a life spent doing nothing but killing?
His mind flashed back to that fateful encounter on the bridge.
He still remembered how Menma—one of the Otherworld warriors—had mocked him and Zabuza.
"At least Dazna, the old bridge builder, is contributing something to the world. But you two? You're just hired killers."
Those words had stung.
Because they were true.
He didn't want to be that kind of ninja anymore.
Now, he had seen a different way forward.
A different future.
He would no longer cling to the past.
"Very good!"
Obito's face lit up with satisfaction as he stretched out his hand.
"Congratulations, Kakashi. You've made the right choice."
His voice brimmed with excitement.
"You didn't waste your fragile body and tiny strength trying to stop the march of the empire. Instead, you chose to be part of history! Join us, follow His Majesty, and one day, your name will be recorded in the annals of the empire's great legacy!"
It was obvious he had been waiting for this moment—waiting to deliver that speech in full.
Kakashi could only shake his head, unimpressed.
"That was unnecessarily dramatic."
Still, he reached out and clasped Obito's hand.
Even if Obito's style was... embarrassing, the man's determination was real.
"Alright," Kakashi said. "Let's discuss our next move."
Obito smirked.
"How about we start with Danzo?"
Root Base – Beneath Konoha
Deep underground, in the dark corridors of the Root Organization's secret base, Shimura Danzo's expression was as black as ink.
His grip on his cane tightened as he listened to the report before him.
"What did you say?!"
Aburame Ryoma, one of his trusted operatives, knelt respectfully.
"Fu and Togen are dead, Lord Danzo. Along with their entire squad."
Danzo's fingers dug into the wood of his cane.
"How?"
Aburame Ryoma remained calm.
"Fatal wounds were identical. All through the heart. The kills were clean, efficient—one strike per target. It's unclear whether it was done with a blade or Wind Style ninjutsu."
Danzo's mind raced.
Who could have done this?
Hatake Kakashi? No. He wasn't capable of such a clean execution. And even if he was, he wouldn't dare.
But if not Kakashi, then who?
"Whoever did this must be on the level of the Five Kage..."
Then, a thought struck him.
His lone eye gleamed with revelation.
"Jiraiya!"
Aburame Ryoma hesitated.
"Jiraiya? That... doesn't seem likely."
Danzo scoffed.
"It makes perfect sense! Jiraiya was also in the Land of Waves at the time. And he had Sarutobi Hiruzen's backing!"
Ryoma's brow furrowed.
"But Lord Danzo, would the Third Hokage really order such a strike?"
Danzo laughed bitterly.
"Oh, Hiruzen, you sly old fox..."
It all made sense now.
The Third Hokage must have seen his moves against the Nine Tails Jinchūriki coming.
So, he sent Jiraiya to deal a preemptive blow.
A warning.
"Lord Danzo," Ryoma said cautiously, "there's one more thing."
Danzo glanced at him sharply.
"Orochimaru sent a message."
The mere mention of the name made Danzo's lips curl in distaste.
"He's planning to ally with the Sand Village for the upcoming Chūnin Exams."
Danzo's fingers drummed against his cane.
"And what does he want?"
"A one-on-one duel with the Third Hokage," Ryoma replied. "He asks that you and Root not interfere."
Danzo's lips curled into a smirk.
Orochimaru still held a grudge over not being made Hokage all those years ago.
Childish.
But convenient.
If Orochimaru killed Hiruzen...
Then the Hokage seat would be his for the taking.
"Tell him I agree," Danzo said smoothly.
His time had finally come.
Hiruzen had ruled long enough.
Soon, he would claim what was rightfully his.
And Konoha would be his to reshape.
Forever.
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