"Vengeance."
Kei "stared" at Kakashi with those clouded, lifeless eyes as he spoke.
Before Kakashi could react, Kei repeated himself slowly, solemnly, "The meaning of life… is vengeance."
"You should understand by now, what happened to your father wasn't as simple as it seemed."
"Those villagers who surrounded your home, who kept cursing and condemning your father, they weren't acting alone. Someone, or perhaps multiple people, orchestrated it. They weaponized rumors to drive your father to the edge."
"So tell me, don't you want to find out who it was?"
"Don't you want to destroy them, to avenge your father?"
Kakashi was stunned by Kei's answer. He had expected something like to live or to protect, but vengeance?
That was heavy.
Drawing in a quiet breath, Kakashi said, "Of course I want to. But I can't just let my personal grudge plunge the village into chaos."
"You think staying silent will keep the village stable?" Kei shook his head. "Have you considered that whoever destroyed your father could just as easily destroy others the same way?"
"Kakashi… do you want to watch more people suffer as your father did? Families torn apart. Lives ruined."
Kakashi shook his head. "Of course not. But…"
Kei's tone sharpened. "To know where evil lies and do nothing, that is the real crime!"
Kakashi, like many shinobi and villagers, loved the village with all his heart. He loved his comrades. He embodied the Will of Fire.
People like Kakashi were everywhere, those who placed the village above themselves, willing to sacrifice anything to protect it.
But Kei's words cut deep.
Silence and Tolerance. These weren't virtues, they were complicity.
Those who twisted the Will of Fire into a tool for personal gain, the parasites hiding in the roots of Konoha… if left alone, they would rot the entire tree.
If the village was to have a brighter future, it wasn't enough to endure. They needed to be purged.
While Kakashi still struggled with this thought, Kei continued, voice low and stirring:
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will burn. The flame will continue to illuminate the village, giving birth to new growth."
"That's what the Will of Fire teaches us, to sacrifice ourselves for the village's sake. Surely, you don't disagree with that, do you?"
Kakashi paused, then nodded slowly. "No… that is the meaning of the Will of Fire."
Kei tilted his head slightly. "Then isn't now the time to sacrifice your comfort, your safety, to eliminate the darkness within the village?"
"Or are you saying, Kakashi, that you're unwilling to sacrifice for a better future?"
Kakashi didn't answer.
Kei looked at him with disappointment.
"…So I was wrong about you. I thought you were stronger than that. Turns out you're just selfish. Afraid to die."
"No, I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid that- "
Kakashi tried to explain, but Kei cut him off.
"Then what's the problem? If you're not afraid, then stand up. Take action. Eradicate the rot from this village."
"This isn't just about revenge, it's about ensuring that no one else has to go through what your father did. It's about giving Konoha a real future."
Kakashi was stunned.
He couldn't find a single point to refute… and yet everything Kei said felt so different from what he believed.
He hesitated. But deep down, something was stirring, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
Vengeance could be for the sake of the village.
Still, wasn't sacrifice supposed to mean selfless devotion? Why did it sound like Kei had twisted it into revenge?
And how could revenge lead to peace?
Kakashi was torn.
Kei said gently, "Kakashi… I'm not forcing you to choose anything right now. I'm just giving you a different perspective."
"This mission ends here. Take your time. Go home. Think it over."
"Whatever you decide… it'll be your decision. But no matter what, we both want the same thing, for the village to be better."
Kei knew Kakashi would be conflicted for a long time.
Because today, he'd given him a new version of the Will of Fire.
One still grounded in sacrifice, but with a very different target.
From Kei's perspective, the Will of Fire as it existed now had strayed far from what the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had originally intended.
Hashirama created the village to protect the next generation, the young leaves of Konoha. He believed the older generation, the veterans, the leaders, should shelter them, even die for them if needed.
But when that will was passed to Hiruzen Sarutobi, it became warped.
Now it emphasized blind sacrifice from the individual, in service of the village's prosperity.
And in theory, that wasn't wrong.
But in practice?
The new generation had been dying, again and again, while the old guard drained every ounce of strength they had left.
It sounded conspiratorial, yes.
But the results spoke for themselves.
Konoha's rising stars, its youth and core strength, had either died, defected, or disappeared.
Again and again.
No matter the reason, those parasites within the village bore responsibility.
Kei's version of the Will of Fire was fundamentally different from the one Kakashi had learned since the academy. There was no way he could understand it all at once.
As Kakashi stood lost in thought, Kei suddenly heard the long-awaited system notification:
[Psychological Therapy Complete. The subject has been deeply moved by your experimental methods. Due to your ideology, their mind is now in turmoil. Emotional fluctuation level: Outstanding.]
[Based on diagnostic outcome, you've received: Chidori]
[Note: Chidori is a Lightning Release technique developed by Kakashi. The user channels high-voltage chakra into the hand and charges forward to pierce through the target. Due to the speed required, it may leave the user unable to perceive counterattacks.]
Kei was satisfied.
Chidori, an advanced jutsu involving both chakra shape and nature transformation, was a valuable prize. Highly flexible and evolution-rich.
With it, one could develop Chidori Stream, Chidori Blade, Chidori Spear, Chidori Senbon… even Kirin.
In many ways, it rivaled Rasengan in versatility.
As for its weakness?
Kei wasn't worried.
He couldn't see, after all. He relied entirely on sensory perception.
And that perception was far more precise than eyesight.
No one could escape his awareness once they were inside his field.
Even without a Sharingan, or vision at all, Kei could predict his enemies' every move.
He didn't press Kakashi further.
Instead, he turned and began the journey back to the village with him.
They had spent over a month outside. The return trip took far less, under three days, they arrived at the village gates.
Standing at the entrance, Kei said, "Let's go report to Lord Third. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you doing better."
Kakashi was still mulling over everything Kei had said. But he nodded and followed.
Soon, the two entered the Hokage Building. Kei pushed open the office door.
"Lord Third, I've brought Kakashi back."
He smiled as he spoke.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi added quietly. His tone was still calm, but there was a spark in his expression that hadn't been there before.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up from behind the desk.
At first, he was distracted, smiling at Kei's warm expression. It reminded him of someone else who had once smiled just like that.
If only that tragedy had never occurred… maybe that smile would still be here today.
Pushing the memories away, he turned to Kakashi, and stopped.
Kakashi's face was no longer cold. His eyes were no longer dead.
"…Kei, did you really bring Kakashi back this quickly?"
He was surprised. One month, just one month, and the transformation was visible.
Had Kei really been this skilled?
"Not entirely my doing," Kei said humbly. "Kakashi had just gotten stuck in his own thoughts. I simply took him out to clear his head."
Hiruzen stroked his chin, then asked, "Can you explain it briefly? What you've done is remarkable."
"Oh, it's nothing. Just some basic emotional guidance, mostly focused on helping him reconnect with his father."
The moment Kei mentioned "father," Hiruzen paused.
His hand trembled slightly around the pipe.
His face flickered with regret.
And maybe… guilt.
After a brief silence, he exhaled heavily.
"Kakashi… what happened back then, I never expected it to spiral that way. I failed to speak up. Failed to defend your father."
"…I bear responsibility. If I had realized it sooner, maybe it wouldn't have ended in tragedy."
Kakashi hesitated, then said, "What's done is done, Hokage-sama."
"You've carried a heavy burden all these years." Hiruzen turned to Kei. "Kei… well done."
"I only did what I could. I'm glad Kakashi was able to regain clarity."
"You're being too modest," Hiruzen said, shaking his head. "This wasn't a simple task."
Even Minato had tried. First by immersing Kakashi in ANBU, hoping the missions would numb the pain.
It didn't work.
Then he assigned Kakashi to watch over Kushina, hoping new life might rekindle warmth.
But after the Nine-Tails Attack, after Minato's death…
Kakashi had shut down completely.
Before Kei's therapy, Kakashi had become more machine than man.
That cold, lifeless stare had unsettled even Hiruzen at times.
But now…
Kakashi wasn't whole, not yet. But he was healing.
"Kei, do you think further sessions are needed?" Hiruzen asked.
"No, Lord Third. What Kakashi needs now is rest."
"Rest, hmm…" Hiruzen looked to Kakashi. "And what do you think?"
"I'd like to rest for a while."
"Then you're dismissed from the ANBU. When you're ready, I'll assign you something else."
He turned to Kei. "You should rest too. I'll call on you when I need you again."
"Yes, Lord Third. I'm always ready."
Hiruzen nodded in approval and waved them off.
Outside the office, the two exited together.
Back at his desk, Hiruzen watched them from the window, the smoke from his pipe curling around him.
He hadn't expected Kei to succeed in one month.
Not just to stabilize Kakashi, but to help him let go of his inner torment.
Kei's grasp of psychology, and his deep, unshakable Will of Fire, was beyond anything Hiruzen had imagined.
Maybe… Kei could be more than just another "Shisui."
Maybe he could help the village in ways no one else could.
There were many shinobi in Konoha with unhealed trauma. If Kei could help even some of them…
That would be enough.
After all the mistakes Hiruzen had made, this was his chance to make amends.
He called for an ANBU guard.
"Bring me Kei's case files."
If Kei had greater value…
Then the village needed to show him the respect, and resources, to match.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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