Jin took a slow breath before speaking.
"Even if you haven't brought it up in years… you never truly let go of your father's death, did you?"
If they were going to talk tonight, they were going to talk properly.
A shinobi's mindset shaped his ceiling more than talent ever could.
In the original timeline, after Obito and Rin "died," Kakashi's strength stagnated. He hovered at elite jōnin level for years, never truly advancing.
Only after becoming Naruto's teacher—after slowly coming to terms with loss—did his growth resume.
Later, during the Pain invasion, he encountered his father in that space between life and death. Their conversation dissolved the last knot in his heart.
From then on, Kakashi changed.
By the Fourth Great Ninja War, his Raikiri no longer hesitated. He fought alongside Naruto and Sasuke without falling behind.
That was what happened when the heart was unchained.
If Kakashi could resolve everything now—
His future wouldn't be limited to support roles.
He could become a true frontline pillar.
Kakashi remained silent.
He neither confirmed nor denied Jin's words.
Years ago, his father—Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang—had chosen to save his comrades at the cost of a mission.
The mission failed.
The village suffered losses.
Public opinion turned vicious.
The same villagers who once praised him began condemning him.
Even those he had saved stood up and blamed him.
That was the final straw.
The White Fang of Konoha—once considered stronger than the Sannin—took his own life.
Young Kakashi had internalized a brutal conclusion:
A shinobi must prioritize the mission above all else.
Anything else was weakness.
And so he walked an extreme path.
But was that truly what he believed?
Not entirely.
Obito's stubborn insistence on protecting comrades had eventually influenced him.
Kakashi ultimately made the same choice his father once had—
He abandoned the mission to save a teammate.
Yet the tragic outcome failed to untie his deepest knot.
He understood his father's decision.
But he never understood his father's suicide.
Jin watched him quietly before continuing.
"Your father's case wasn't as simple as you think."
Kakashi's head snapped up.
Jin met his gaze evenly.
"Mission failure isn't rare. And failing because you chose to save comrades? That's not unheard of either."
"The real question is this—"
"How did a highly classified, deep-penetration mission become public gossip the moment your father returned?"
Kakashi's pupils contracted.
He had never thought about that.
The mission had been confidential.
Even if it failed, it should never have spread.
Yet the entire village seemed to know instantly.
At the time, everyone had argued about whether Sakumo was right or wrong.
No one questioned how the story leaked.
Not even Kakashi.
Until now.
"It was a trap," Jin said calmly.
"No matter what your father chose, the outcome was predetermined."
"If he abandoned his comrades to complete the mission, the narrative would've been—"
'Hatake Sakumo is cold-blooded. He sacrifices allies. He lacks the Will of Fire.'
"If he saved his comrades and failed the mission—"
"He'd be labeled shortsighted. Soft. Unfit for leadership."
Kakashi's voice turned icy.
"Who did it?"
Jin answered without hesitation.
"The operation was likely executed by Danzō Shimura."
"But it would not have happened without at least the tacit approval—if not direct consent—of Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Why?!" Kakashi demanded.
Danzō, he could believe.
But the Third Hokage?
Jin's voice was steady.
"Because your father shone too brightly."
"'Half-sleeve of the Hokage.' Do you understand what that meant?"
Sakumo's prestige had surpassed the Sannin.
His reputation rivaled Hiruzen's.
He had the Daimyō's recognition.
In every measurable way—
He had the qualifications to become Hokage.
"And that," Jin said quietly, "was his crime."
Kakashi clenched his fists.
"My father never wanted power! He was just doing his duty!"
"Intent doesn't matter," Jin replied.
"In politics, capability is enough."
"If someone possesses the ability to take power, they are already a threat."
Silence settled heavily.
Jin continued.
"From their perspective, they had to eliminate the possibility."
"If he chose comrades, he lacked strategic vision. 'Kindness cannot command armies.'"
"If he chose the mission, he lacked humanity. A leader who discards allies cannot inspire loyalty."
"No matter the choice—"
"With a little narrative manipulation, his reputation would collapse."
Kakashi's breathing grew uneven.
Jin's words were dismantling everything he thought he understood.
"Their original intention," Jin added, "may not have been to drive him to death."
"They likely assumed he would endure it."
"But they underestimated how proud he was."
Sakumo Hatake had been a blade.
Straight. Unbending.
"He probably saw through everything," Jin said quietly.
"He understood the manipulation."
"He refused to bow to those methods."
"And he refused to let the village fracture because of him."
"So he chose the only path left that harmed no one else."
"Suicide… was his final act of resistance."
Not surrender.
Resistance.
The room fell silent.
Kakashi stood there—
Breathing shallowly.
Eyes trembling.
For the first time in years—
The narrative of "my father was wrong" cracked.
And behind it—
Was something far heavier.
And far more dangerous.
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