The Will of Fire Is a Tool to Deceive the Lower Class
After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished discussing Kakashi's situation with Chi Yu, the conversation shifted to more serious matters.
The Third Hokage's expression hardened.
"Chi Yu, you've been stationed in Konoha long enough. The situation in Kusagakure is growing tense. It's time for you to return to the frontlines. Right now, every ounce of Konoha's strength matters. Unity is more important than ever."
Chi Yu sneered inwardly.
So this was what all the pretense had been for.
With a conflicted expression, Chi Yu responded, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but I cannot leave Kakashi and head to Kusagakure. Not yet."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed, but before he could speak, Chi Yu cut him off.
"As Kakashi's teacher, I feel it's inappropriate to abandon him now, especially at a time when he's at his lowest. Regarding Kusagakure, I suggest you send Jiraiya-sensei. With his abilities—and the support of someone like Shikaku Nara—the situation can be stabilized."
Chi Yu looked Hiruzen in the eye.
"At the Academy's opening ceremony, you told us that 'Where the leaves dance, there the fire burns. The Will of Fire is passed on.' I have always carried that belief with me."
He paused, letting the weight of his words linger.
"Kakashi is that leaf. Right now, he's withering. It is my duty—as both a teacher and a fellow shinobi—to help him endure and grow again. His talent is undeniable. With proper guidance, he may surpass even his father, the White Fang."
Chi Yu spoke with quiet conviction.
"For Kakashi. For Konoha's future. I hope you'll understand my decision."
There was a quiet defiance in his voice, masked by reverence. He had thrown Hiruzen's own words back at him.
Hiruzen's face stiffened.
If he rejected Chi Yu's request now, he'd appear contradictory—and worse, disingenuous. Besides, Chi Yu wasn't wrong. Kakashi's talent was rare, and given the trauma of Sakumo Hatake's death, the boy was dangerously close to collapse.
After a pause, the old Hokage gave a slow, thoughtful nod.
"You've inherited the Will of Fire well, Chi Yu. I am… relieved. Stay with Kakashi, help him through this darkness."
Chi Yu bowed slightly.
"I'll do my best. Once his condition stabilizes, I'll return to the frontlines without hesitation."
After taking his leave, Chi Yu exited the Hokage Tower. His expression darkened as he walked through the streets of Konoha.
Was it really worth risking his life for this village?
The truth was clear: Hiruzen Sarutobi had never truly grieved for Sakumo. The village's elders spoke of loyalty and sacrifice—but only when it served their interests.
All that talk of "we're all one family in Konoha" was nothing but dogma, used to manipulate the idealistic and obedient.
Later that evening, after dinner, Chi Yu saw Kakashi preparing to return to his room, still drowning in silent isolation.
He stopped him.
"Kakashi. It's been days. You need to face it. Let's talk."
Kushina Uzumaki, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, paused and glanced over.
Kakashi nodded silently.
Chi Yu turned to Kushina.
"We'll be outside for a while."
She nodded. "Take your time."
They walked together into a quiet patch of forest on the outskirts of Konoha. The trees rustled faintly in the breeze. They sat down cross-legged.
Kakashi's head remained bowed, shoulders heavy, eyes empty.
Chi Yu spoke first.
"Have you thought about my question? About whether the Will of Fire is truly right?"
Kakashi's voice was hoarse.
"…No."
Chi Yu sighed.
"When you asked me if your father was wrong to follow the Will of Fire, I told you I didn't know. Not because I doubted Sakumo-sama's conviction, but because I've never fully understood why he clung to that ideal so strongly. But I can tell you what I believe."
Kakashi slowly raised his head.
Chi Yu met his gaze.
"In my eyes, the Will of Fire is a joke. Not because the philosophy itself is flawed, but because of those who claim to uphold it."
His voice deepened.
"Hashirama Senju may have meant every word he said. When the First Hokage created this village, he believed in true unity—love over hate. Sacrifice for peace. But with every generation, that spirit eroded. The Will of Fire has become nothing more than a slogan, a tool for those in power to pacify the shinobi beneath them."
Kakashi's gaze dimmed.
Chi Yu continued:
"Your father, Sakumo Hatake, was a casualty of that hypocrisy. He was loyal—truly loyal. He abandoned a mission to save his comrades. He thought Konoha would understand. Instead, he was branded a failure."
He looked down briefly, then back up.
"I heard that, shortly before Sakumo-sama died, four comrades who were on that same mission came to visit him. Of the four, three were the ones who spread the story of the failed mission. And the fourth—the one Sakumo saved—joined them in denouncing him."
Kakashi's eyes widened, hands clenched.
Chi Yu's voice lowered.
"Imagine that. Even the person he saved… turned on him. That kind of betrayal, after sacrificing everything for the 'Will of Fire'? That's what pushed him over the edge."
Kakashi's chakra flared, his killing intent rising.
"I'm going to kill them…"
Chi Yu's tone turned sharp.
"If that's the path you choose, Kakashi, then forget I was ever your teacher. You'll just become another tragedy—just like your father."
Kakashi grit his teeth, trembling.
"But they killed my father!"
"No," Chi Yu said coldly. "They were just the spark. The true cause of your father's death was the village that let it happen. The elders who valued image over life. The people who praised the Will of Fire in public, but abandoned it when it mattered."
Chi Yu stared at him, unwavering.
"Do you understand now, Kakashi? This village loves martyrs, not heroes. Your father died for a principle that those in power no longer respect."
Kakashi sat frozen, silent tears running down his face.
And Chi Yu said nothing more. The forest wind whispered between them, brushing past the leaves of a village built on sacrifice—and deception.
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