After discussing Kakashi's recent situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Qianyu got down to business.
Hiruzen's expression turned serious. "Qianyu, you've been in Konoha for a while now. The situation in the Land of Grass is growing tense. It's about time you returned to the front lines. Every bit of strength is crucial to Konoha now. Unity is more important than ever."
Here it comes, Qianyu thought, scorn dripping through his thoughts. All that preamble, finally getting to the point.
Qianyu's face twisted into a mask of difficulty. "My apologies, Hokage-sama, but I cannot abandon Kakashi to go to the Land of Grass just yet."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Qianyu was faster.
"As Kakashi's teacher, leaving my student during his darkest hour would be utterly irresponsible. For the situation in the Land of Grass… you will likely send Jiraiya-sensei. With him working alongside Shinsuke-san, stabilizing the current situation should be assured."
Qianyu's tone shifted, becoming earnest, almost reverent. "At the opening ceremony of the Ninja Academy, Hokage-sama, you told us: 'Where the leaves dance, the fire's shadow grows. The Will of Fire should be engraved deep in everyone's heart.' I have always taken those words as my personal creed."
He leaned forward slightly. "Right now, Kakashi is a young sapling showing signs of withering. It is my duty to stay by his side, to help him find his way back. Moreover, Kakashi possesses immense talent. With proper guidance, he will undoubtedly become the next Konoha's White Fang. Kakashi is Konoha's future. As his elder, I must have faith in him. I must protect him."
Qianyu's voice solidified into unwavering conviction. "Hokage-sama, for Kakashi's sake, for Konoha's future… I believe you understand my feelings. You understand my decision."
He looked Hiruzen squarely in the eye, wielding the very 'Will of Fire' the man loved to preach.
You wanted to use the Will of Fire to tie me down? Qianyu thought, a cold amusement flickering beneath his earnest facade. Fine. Let's see you try to order me to the front lines now.
Hiruzen's expression turned awkward. Refusing Qianyu would make him seem in the wrong.
And one thing Qianyu said was undeniably true. Kakashi's talent was extraordinary. With proper nurturing, he might indeed reach the heights of Sakumo Hatake.
Hiruzen considered for a moment. He trusted Jiraiya. With Nara Shinsuke's support, they should manage the Land of Grass.
He nodded, a veneer of paternal pride smoothing over his features. "Qianyu. You have truly inherited the Will of Fire. It warms my heart. Very well. Stay with Kakashi for now. Help him through this shadow."
Qianyu bowed his head. "I will do my utmost. Once Kakashi's condition improves, I will depart for the front lines immediately."
After bidding farewell to the Hokage, Qianyu left the administration building.
He walked the streets of Konoha, his face a dark cloud.
Not worth it, the thought coiled, cold and sharp in his gut. Selling your life for a village like this.
Hiruzen hadn't shown a shred of genuine regret over Sakumo's death. He saw nothing wrong with how a hero of Konoha had been treated.
For Hiruzen and Konoha's other high-ranking officials, it was always about existing power structures. Preserving the status quo.
'Everyone in Konoha is family'? Qianyu's lips curled. That line only works on the ones already brainwashed by the Will of Fire.
He returned home. After dinner, as Kakashi made to retreat to his room and his self-imposed isolation, Qianyu stopped him.
"Kakashi. It's been days. Time to face reality. Let's talk. Just the two of us."
At the sink, Uzumaki Kushina paused her washing, glancing between them.
Kakashi, silent, gave a single nod.
"We're going out, Kushina. We'll be back later."
"Okay."
Qianyu led Kakashi deep into the woods surrounding Konoha. They sat cross-legged on the forest floor.
Kakashi's head remained bowed, a portrait of utter dejection.
"Have you found an answer?" Qianyu asked, his voice cutting through the quiet. "To the question I posed before. Is the Will of Fire right?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No," he rasped.
Qianyu's gaze was stern. "Before, you asked me: 'Was my father wrong to uphold the Will of Fire?' I said I didn't know. Because I couldn't comprehend why Sakumo-sama held onto it so fiercely. But I can tell you what I understand about the Will of Fire."
Kakashi's head lifted slightly. His eyes were empty pools.
Qianyu leaned in, his own eyes locking onto Kakashi's. "In my eyes, the Will of Fire is a joke. Not because the spirit itself is wrong… but because of the people who claim to inherit it."
He let the words hang. "The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was crucial in shaping that will. In the beginning, Konoha likely did uphold it. But after a few changes in leadership… it lost all its original meaning. It became a tool. A tool for Konoha's upper echelons to deceive and manipulate those beneath them."
Confusion flickered in Kakashi's vacant stare.
"Your father," Qianyu said, his voice low. "Sakumo-sama. He is, in my view, a tragedy born from being fooled by that very tool."
Kakashi flinched.
"The Will of Fire gave him a powerful sense of belonging to Konoha. It made him willing to dedicate everything, to sacrifice anything. He saw the village leaders as the very embodiment of that will. So, he did what he believed was right by its tenets. And he was condemned for it by those same leaders. It sowed doubt. Confusion."
Qianyu's tone grew colder, sharper. "But what truly broke his spirit… was the final visit from those four teammates."
Kakashi's eyes snapped into focus.
"I heard," Qianyu continued relentlessly. "In the days before his death, the four comrades from that mission went to see him. You must have heard too. The rumor about Sakumo-sama abandoning the mission… it was spread by three of them. And the fourth? The one your father saved to cause all this? He likely went along with them. To add his voice to the accusations."
He let the image sink in. "The man he chose to save over the mission… turning around to blame him. We can't possibly imagine what Sakumo-sama felt in that moment. He upheld the Will of Fire. He chose to save a comrade. And the only reward was condemnation from all sides."
Qianyu's final words were quiet, final. "Consumed by that despair… I imagine that's why he chose the path of seppuku."
A tremor ran through Kakashi's body. Then another. A raw, murderous intent erupted from him, sharp and suffocating.
He shot to his feet. Tiny blood vessels webbed the whites of his eyes. "I'll kill them!" he snarled, the sound tearing from his throat.
Qianyu didn't move. He simply shook his head. "If you want to follow in your father's footsteps, Kakashi, then go ahead. Then I'll consider you were never my student."
Kakashi was breathing in ragged, furious gasps. "But they killed my father!"
Qianyu's voice dropped, heavy and severe. "Those four were merely the trigger. The spark. The real cause… is the entire village of Konoha itself! A village that has long abandoned the true Will of Fire, yet uses its name to deceive others! Do you understand now?!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (100+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!