"Elder Koharu, don't you owe me an explanation?"
In the conference room, seventeen-year-old Kakashi stared straight at the frail old woman, his gaze devoid of any deference toward his elders.
"What sort of explanation are you looking for?"
Utatane Koharu's eyes were cold as ice, her heart seething with fury as she ground her teeth and glared at the three young men whose ages combined didn't even match her own.
Cough, cough...
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he could no longer stay silent.
"Apologize!"
Just then, a voice cut through the tension.
All eyes turned toward the source, landing on the young man beside Kakashi who had abruptly risen to his feet, glaring defiantly at Utatane Koharu.
It was Asuma Sarutobi!
Others might cower before Utatane Koharu's longstanding authority, but Asuma Sarutobi did not.
If it came down to it, he would even dare to openly challenge his own father.
Asuma's bold move drew every gaze in the room instinctively toward the true authority figure of this meeting.
No matter how you looked at it, this was the Hokage's son.
With his son now taking a stand, how would the Hokage respond?
"Yes! The fire of youth burns against slander!"
"Elder Koharu, you must apologize to Kakashi!"
Might Guy leaped to his feet without a second's hesitation, true to the vow he'd made from the start.
He would stand unwaveringly by Kakashi's side.
"You three!"
"You've crossed the line!"
Utatane Koharu was cornered now, and she couldn't hold back her furious outburst at the three hot-blooded youths.
And you—why are you pretending to be deaf and dumb?
Your own son is practically trampling all over me!
In that moment, Utatane Koharu's rage wasn't just directed at Kakashi and the other two; she shot a withering glare at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been playing ignorant all this time.
"Enough of this nonsense! All three of you, sit down!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer remain on the sidelines. He had called this jonin meeting precisely to give Kakashi a platform to prove himself—to show what he was truly capable of.
But as things stood... Hiruzen couldn't help but feel Kakashi was pushing too far.
Cough, cough. "In that case, I'll set aside my old pride and apologize to Kakashi on Elder Koharu's behalf."
At that moment, the last of Konoha's top elders spoke up, instantly commanding the room's attention.
Everyone turned to the bandaged, black-robed old man, their faces etched with shock.
Was this man... really so reasonable?
Not just those in the room, but even Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado exchanged uncertain, surprised glances with their decades-old comrade.
The one who had uttered those words was none other than... Danzo Shimura?
"Kakashi, speak your mind. I will back you."
Amid the stunned silence, Danzo Shimura slowly rose to his feet.
Gazing at the resolute young man before him, Danzo felt his heart race uncontrollably.
How many years has it been?
Finally, someone who truly understands me!
Kumogakure dared to covet Konoha's Byakugan—they all deserve death!
Peace?
Peace, my ass!
If they have the guts, let them come and fight!
And Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure—they should all bow at Konoha's feet!
No—at my feet!
The entire ninja world should kneel before me!
I never noticed before, but this old fool Hiruzen's grand-student is so strong... he suits my tastes perfectly!
"Kumogakure hid behind the banner of peace while scheming to seize the Byakugan—their malice couldn't be clearer. To them, this so-called peace is nothing but garbage."
"Only through war—by striking them hard, by making them suffer until they can't even fend for themselves—will they truly grasp the meaning of peace."
"What's more, if Konoha compromises on this for the sake of some 'greater good' and 'peace,' where does that leave the prestige we've built over decades?!"
"The whole ninja world would see Konoha as a paper tiger, ripe for anyone to bully."
"Then wouldn't our ancestors—who fought and died for this village—have sacrificed in vain?!"
Kakashi didn't linger on his grievance with Utatane Koharu; instead, he steered the conversation back to the heart of the matter: Kumogakure.
Yes!
That's exactly it!
Danzo's emotions surged like a storm, joy flooding his chest.
Finally, a sane voice!
What peace? What greater good? What damned principles?
The fist is the only principle!
If your fist is big enough, you can beat someone half to death, and they'll still give you a thumbs-up, praising your strength!
"Do you even realize what you're saying?"
"War would mean countless deaths!"
"Can you shoulder the weight of all those lives?!"
"Kakashi!"
Utatane Koharu slammed her palm on the table and shot to her feet, her clouded eyes locked on him.
She could stomach Kakashi defying her personally.
But on this issue alone, she would not yield!
"Konoha can no longer afford—"
"And so what?"
Kakashi cut her off without a trace of hesitation.
His dark eyes bored into the elder high above.
She had sat in that seat for far too long; the true spirit of a shinobi had long faded from her memory.
In this moment, she was a politician through and through—not a ninja!
"To swallow insults when others spit in our face, to endure when they reach their filthy claws toward our comrades! My teacher never taught me that the 'endurance' in shinobi was spelled that way!"
"You're afraid of death. You're afraid of loss!"
"I'm not."
"Elder Koharu can rest easy in the rear. I'll go out and crush the enemy myself! You can keep living your safe, comfortable life!"
Kakashi's words sliced like kunai, sparing her no courtesy.
"Be quiet!"
"What do you think life is?!"
"A game?!"
"Do you have any idea how cruel war truly is?!"
Utatane Koharu's face twisted, her voice trembling with fury.
"Life only has meaning when it has value!"
"Valueless existence is nothing more than a walking corpse!"
"And as for understanding war's cruelty—it's because I know it so well that I refuse to let more innocents die needlessly!"
In that instant, every eye in the room fixed on Kakashi.
No one could fathom how someone so young could speak with such conviction.
But recalling Kakashi's past, a wave of sorrow and quiet sighs rippled through the crowd.
He had lost his mother at birth, his father at five, his teammate had left him at twelve, and mere months later, he had bid farewell to another comrade with his own hands. At fourteen, his sensei and his wife had followed.
A Kakashi forged in such fire...
"The Hyuga Clan is prepared to declare war on Kumogakure."
At that moment, the clan head in white robes spoke slowly, his words shocking the room into silence.
Though Kakashi harbored the will to fight Kumogakure, he hadn't outright demanded it—but the Hyuga head had stepped forward to make it explicit.
"Hiashi, you're indulging this madness too?!"
Homura Mitokado's expression darkened with displeasure at Hyuga Hiashi's declaration.
"This isn't a whim, nor is it out of gratitude to Kakashi."
"I simply believe he's right. Even an ordinary man, in a blaze of rage, will spill blood within five paces."
"Now, I feel it's time I did something for Konoha."
"So I've spoken up."
"That's all."