When Sakumo Hatake rose to fame, it was during the peak of Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule—when the Third Hokage's grip on power was strongest, and his desire to maintain that control was at its height.
And then Sakumo received an unprecedented honor: "Half a Hokage's Sleeve."
A title no one before or after him ever bore.
It wasn't just praise.
It was a political threat.
From that angle, Hiruzen's decision to allow the village's rumors to spiral out of control—even subtly guide them—suddenly made chilling sense.
Kakashi's body trembled.
He had never imagined that his father's death might conceal something this ugly beneath the surface.
But the more he thought back, the more inconsistencies surfaced.
And disturbingly—
Jin's explanation fit better than anything he had ever believed.
"...Kakashi."
Rin looked at him anxiously.
"I'm fine."
His eyes were bloodshot, but his voice was steady as he gave her a faint shake of the head.
Then he turned back to Jin.
"If my father hadn't chosen suicide… what would have happened?"
He still couldn't reconcile that part.
Jin considered for a moment before answering.
"There are only two likely outcomes."
"First—he resists. Forcefully."
"Second—he endures. Swallows the humiliation."
The First Possibility: Open Resistance
"Back then, the Second Shinobi War had only recently ended. The great villages were still licking their wounds—but they were also rebuilding. The entire world was unstable."
"With your father's prestige, if he chose to fight back, he could absolutely have stirred a storm inside Konoha."
"But replacing Hiruzen outright? That would've been extremely difficult."
"The more probable result?"
"An internal power struggle."
"Konoha weakens itself through infighting."
"And the other villages seize the opportunity."
"The Third Shinobi War ignites earlier."
"In the worst case… Konoha faces annihilation."
Kakashi's brows knit tightly.
Given the geopolitical situation at the time—
That outcome was terrifyingly plausible.
The Second Possibility: Silent Endurance
"As for compromise…" Jin exhaled softly. "No one can fully understand another person's mental anguish. Not even me."
"But based on the result, forcing Sakumo Hatake to endure that humiliation would have meant denying everything he believed in."
"For someone like him, living in self-negation would have been worse than death."
"So he chose death."
Jin's voice softened slightly.
"In this entire matter… the only person your father truly wronged may have been you."
"But I suspect… he believed you would one day overcome the shadow."
If it had been Jin?
He would have shattered the jade rather than accept the tile.
Even if it meant dragging the village down with him.
But everyone lived by different convictions.
Jin did not agree with Sakumo's choice—
Yet he understood it.
What he could not forgive were those who exploited another man's sense of responsibility for their own political security.
Silence returned.
Kakashi's thoughts were a tangled knot.
Then Jin changed direction abruptly.
"You probably don't know this," he said casually, "but your teacher, Minato Namikaze, is about to become the Fourth Hokage."
Kakashi blinked.
He had heard rumors of Hiruzen stepping down, but he hadn't cared enough to confirm anything.
He certainly didn't know Minato's succession was imminent.
Jin continued.
"I told you about your father not to reopen wounds—but to correct a misunderstanding."
"His death was not cowardice."
"It was sacrifice."
"Whether that choice was right or wrong depends on one's beliefs."
"But one thing is certain—"
"The higher levels of this village are rotten."
"And your father's tragedy was engineered."
Rin and Kakashi both stiffened.
"Minato and I intend to change that," Jin said calmly.
"This will not be a polite transition."
"It will be a life-or-death struggle."
"Minato isn't from a major clan. His foundation is thin. Aside from comrades like us, he can only rely on his students."
Jin's eyes sharpened.
"Look at yourselves."
"Can you truly become his support?"
"Or do you expect him to fight political war while shielding you at the same time?"
Shame flickered across both their faces.
Then—
Resolve ignited.
Kakashi exhaled slowly.
Murderous intent flickered faintly in his eyes.
"Thank you, Jin-sensei."
"I won't let Minato-sensei down."
Rin clenched her fists.
"I'm not weak anymore. Isobu is willing to lend me his power."
Jin allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
Whether Kakashi had fully untangled his heart or not—
He had at least reclaimed his conviction.
"That's good," Jin said. "Train hard. You don't have much time."
Kakashi nodded firmly.
"I'll make the name White Fang echo through the shinobi world again."
Jin reached into his ninja pouch and withdrew a glass container filled with nutrient solution.
Inside floated a three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Obito's eye must be returned," Jin said plainly. "The Sharingan reaches its full potential only in pairs. Losing one limits him."
"As compensation, I can transplant another Sharingan into you."
"I'll place a sealing technique on it so it remains dormant outside of combat. It won't hinder your development."
"But listen carefully—"
"Don't rely on it."
"This is just to prevent your combat strength from dropping too abruptly."
Kakashi bowed deeply.
He understood the significance of this gesture.
Strength could not be rebuilt overnight.
Losing Obito's eye would undoubtedly reduce his current combat capability.
This was a bridge across that transition.
He turned toward Rin.
"Rin… I'll leave it to you."
Rin nodded seriously and stepped forward.
The operation began.
An eye for an eye.
But this time—
It was not born of hatred.
It was preparation for the storm to come.
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