Chapter 100: 96: Kakashi and the Will of Fire (2)
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Kakashi's new team stood at Konoha's gate
"This mission is classified as a B-rank mission" .
The Jonin addressed his three team members with a grave expression.
"A B-level mission? That's quite rare," one of the Chunin said, clearly surprised by the Jōnin's words.
The other Chunin in the team nodded in agreement. Typically, missions were of the C-level, with B-level missions involving actual battles between ninja.
"Who's the target we're escorting?" Kakashi inquired, more concerned with the mission's details than its level.
In response to Kakashi's question, the two Chunin exchanged glances and subtly took a step back, clearly hesitant to be closely associated with him.
The Jonin sighed inwardly, expecting this reaction. He had assigned Kakashi to his team out of necessity. On one hand, it was a directive from the Hokage, and on the other hand, his team needed an enhancement in combat capabilities.
Adding Kakashi to the team was meant to address this deficiency. Unfortunately, Kakashi's problem wasn't a lack of strength. His promotion to Chunin at such a young age was a testament to his prowess.
"We're protecting a caravan from the Land Of Ghost" the Jonin replied.
"Land Of Ghost? Isn't that quite far away?" Kakashi and the others frowned upon hearing this.
The Land Of Demons, a neutral country in the world, bordered the Land of Snow and the Land of Earth to the north, the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Bears to the south, and faced the Land of Water and the Land of Thunder across the sea to the west. Despite its proximity to many countries, it did not share a border with the Land of Fire.
The Land and the Land of Fire were separated by several countries, requiring a long journey to reach.
"Don't worry, we won't need to go all the way to the Land Of Demons. Our task is to rendezvous with the caravan in the Land of Rain" The Jonin explained.
"Due to the considerable distance between the Land of Fire and the Land Of Demons, the client has hired Iwa Ninjas to handle the journey from the Land Of Demons to the Land of Rain. Our Konoha team will take over for the second part of the journey. Hokage-sama and Tsuchikage-sama have discussed this matter in secret, so there should be no diplomatic issues."
After listening to the explanation of the Jonin, the three of them finally understood.
Indeed, at the beginning of the last ninja war, Iwaakure was also a participant in the war. They had fought against Konoha a few times in the Land of Rain, but Iwa's main force was to deal with Hanzo of Amegakure, so the friction with Konoha wasn't deep.
However, Konoha and Iwagakure were not allies, and their relationship has always been lukewarm.
Given the different paths taken by Konoha and Iwa, it was essential for the leaders of both villages to coordinate such missions to prevent potential diplomatic disputes.
"If there are no further questions, let's depart now."
........
In the vast Forest of the Land of Fire, the team of four sprinted forward.
"By the way, Captain, why is a Land Of Demons caravan coming to the Land of Fire?" one of the Chunin inquired as he caught up with the Jonin.
During the journey, conversation was a welcome distraction from the boring travel.
The Jonin responded, "Actually, this time, the escorted caravan is establishing a presence within Konoha."
Kakashi and the other Chunin were surprised by this revelation.
"The Purple Rose Medical Company. Have you heard of it?" the Jonin asked.
"Yeah, I've heard of it. Although it's a relatively new company, their drugs are superior to others on the market. They've even gained sales in several neighboring countries, making quite a profit," one of the Chunin acknowledged.
"That's correct. The caravan we're escorting is a delegation from the Purple Rose Company. They plan to open a branch store in Konoha, a decision approved by both the Daimyo and Hokage-sama."
"That's impressive. It hasn't even been half a year since the company was founded" the other Chunin marveled.
"This is the skill of others. If the drug they developed was ordinary, they wouldn't get the consent of the Daimyo or Hokage-sama."
The neutral status of the Land Of Ghost provided significant advantages in this endeavor. Had the company been associated with powerful countries like the Land of Earth or the Land of Wind, or even backed by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire or the Hokage, they would likely have faced opposition.
This situation was like the Land of Iron opening a ninja tool shop in Konoha. The Land of Iron's neutral stance in the ninja world war and its esteemed reputation allowed Konoha to extend a warm welcome.
Moreover, many ninja villages hosted weapon merchants from the Land of Iron who set up branches, offering high-quality weapons to ninja.
The Purple Rose Company used a similar approach, leveraging its good reputation, neutral status, and exceptional drug research and development capabilities to gain approval for settlement.
"I've heard their monthly turnover of the company is staggering. It's probably a figure beyond the imagination of ordinary ninja like us" one of the Chunin commented.
"Well, then let's work diligently to complete this mission," the Jonin encouraged.
"But Captain, the pay for these missions isn't much" one of the Chunin complained.
Indeed, missions at the D-level and C-level didn't yield substantial rewards. After purchasing necessary ninja tools, there was often little money left.
"That's the way it is. Perhaps you can find part-time work during your free time"
"That's not possible. We need to focus on training in our spare time. Ninjas need to build their strength to tackle higher-level missions, which offer greater rewards," Kakashi explained.
"Good point," the Jonin nodded.
In the ninja world, the lower a ninja's strength, the lower the level of missions they could undertake, resulting in smaller rewards.
Upon careful reflection, the life of a ninja isn't exactly lucrative. It's only when you're at the level Jonin that things could start to change slightly.
Completing an A-level mission pays a minimum of over a hundred thousand taels, and S-level missions can fetch several hundred thousand taels for a successful completion.
"Alright, let's pick up the pace. We need to reach the rendezvous point in the Land of Rain as soon as possible. Be vigilant when we arrive; the environment there can be quite chaotic."
"Yes"
The Jonin leading the team emphasized, and Kakashi and his comrades nodded in agreement.
Though they hadn't gone deeply into the Land of Rain, they were aware of its turbulent domestic situation, plagued by rampant banditry and infiltrated by rogue ninjas.
...,...
The Land of Rain, near its northern border.
When the Konoha Team arrived, it was already around three o'clock in the afternoon on the following day. At the entrance of a town in the Land Of Rain, they encountered the caravan from the Purple Rose Company, hailing from the Land Of Demons.
The caravan consisted of twelve carriages loaded with precious medicines. After taking the task from the Iwagakure team, the Konoha Jonin in charge completed the necessary paperwork, and the Iwagakure Jonin departed with three of his teammates.
Afterward, the Jonin leading the Konoha team turned his attention to the representative of the Purple Rose Company caravan.
This young man, named Kado, was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He wore round black sunglasses, a sleek black suit, and held an umbrella. Kado was the president of Purple Rose Medical Company a shrewd businessman with a powerful reputation.
In less than half a year, he had risen from an unknown person to become a prominent global figure. The four Konoha members respected him, despite him being a non-ninja. As a newcomer in the business world, he had already garnered a five-million-ryo bounty in the underground black market, a significant sum for a regular person.
With the increasing capital and influence of Purple Rose Company, it was expected that Kado's bounty would rise even higher, potentially exceeding tens of millions of taels.
The sudden emergence of Purple Rose Company had severely impacted many small medical businesses, squeezing out their profits. Hence, Kado's head was now in high demand in the black market.
"Let's spend the night in this small town, Konoha team. I've already booked a hotel. How about departing early tomorrow morning?" Kado suggested, pushing his black sunglasses up his nose and offering a calm smile after shaking hands with the leading Jonin.
"That sounds reasonable, especially since traveling at night isn't advisable"
Furthermore, the carriages contained valuable medicines, so ensuring their safety was paramount.
Observing Kado's two guards, clad in black windbreakers adorned with the Purple Rose logo on the back, the Konoha team understood they weren't ordinary protectors. These guards were part of the same faction, evident from their matching attire.
Additionally, around the twelve carriages, nearly two dozen guards, similarly outfitted in black windbreakers with the Purple Rose logo, stood guard. This emphasized the caravan's immense value and the need for heightened protection.
This, however, wasn't the Konoha team's concern. Their duty was to safely escort the company's delegation to Konoha. The rest of the business dealings were Hokage's responsibility.
???
The following morning, Konoha's four-ninja team, accompanied by the guards from the company, set off towards the Land of Fire with twelve carriages laden with medicines. Due to the precious cargo, the convoy moved at a slow pace.
It wasn't until two o'clock in the afternoon that they reached the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.
"Kado-san, we'll pass through the canyon ahead. A bit further, and we'll reach the Land of Fire's border" the Jonin pointed to the vast canyon shrouded in rain, guiding Kado.
"Tell the rear teams to pick up the pace" Kado instructed a guard beside him.
"As you wish" the guard replied and relayed the order to the others.
"Once you cross into the Land of Fire, you needn't worry about bandits on the road. Our Konoha border defense force is stationed there" the Jonin explained with a reassuring smile.
"Konoha Ninja have always been renowned for their exceptional abilities. Our company has complete trust in that. In fact, we approached this mission with the mindset of a mutually beneficial partnership" Kado responded, offering a warm smile in return.
As the conversation continued, the convoy slowly entered the canyon. Here, the rainfall had decreased, but the muddy road still posed challenges. Not only was walking on foot difficult, but the convoy also had to slow down to safeguard the medicines in the carriages.
The Jonin and Kado didn't comment on this. The Land of Rain, plagued by years of chaos, couldn't even allocate excess funds for road construction, let alone ensure the safety of its people.
"Captain..." Kakashi and the two Chunin approached the Jonin, speaking in hushed tones.
"Ah, I understand," the Jonin replied. Since entering the canyon, he had sensed an unusual atmosphere, a coldness mingling with the rain.
Boom! An explosion rang out suddenly, but neither the guards nor the ninjas were too alarmed. As flames burst on the rock wall, massive rocks tumbled down.
Kakashi acted swiftly, drawing his White Fang from his back and slicing one of the falling rocks in half. Using another rock as a makeshift platform, he propelled himself toward the top of the rock wall. The captain and his two teammates joined him.
They were met with a barrage of kunai and shuriken raining from the sky. Kado stood stoically, flanked by two guards in black windbreakers, who resembled unmoving pillars in the downpour.
Half of the guards remained with the carriages, while the other half, along with the four ninjas, engaged the incoming attackers.
"They couldn't resist joining the fray as soon as we arrived here. It seems I overestimated these individuals," Kado commented, seated on a carriage's platform. Not disturbed by the sounds of battle around him, he continued, "But I can't blame them; the allure of this batch of medicines is just too great."
"It's more like a sideshow. Let's wrap this up quickly," he added.
"Yes" replied the Jonin.
Kakashi, while battling the attackers, quickly deduced their identities. They were samurai with some knowledge of chakra usage and rogue ninjas with rudimentary low-level ninjutsu skills.
Their strength posed no significant threat to him, given his mastery of the White Fang style. However, it might be a bit challenging for his two Chunin companions.
He monitored their struggle closely, ensuring their safety. Although the pair was nearly struck several times during the intense battle, Kakashi was confident that with the Jonin nearby, their lives were not in danger.
Therefore, he chose not to directly intervene, focusing instead on swiftly eliminating the enemy to secure the medicines.
After ten intense minutes, the battle concluded. Several minor injuries were sustained, but they had successfully defeated the attackers. Some, realizing the unfavorable situation, fled, and pursuit was deemed unnecessary.
"Kado-san, we can continue our journey," the Jonin said as he wiped blood from his clothes. The scent of blood was barely perceptible amidst the rain.
As Kado pushed his sunglasses up his nose and gave the order for the convoy to proceed, Kakashi seemed to provoke a dispute.
"Hey, Kakashi, what's your deal? Didn't you see that we signaled for your help back there?" The two Chunin who had cooperated with Kakashi for the first time were dissatisfied with his seemingly indifferent attitude during the battle.
They were especially frustrated since they had been surrounded by numerous enemies.
"As I said, I assessed that the two of you were not in life-threatening danger. At that moment, the top priority was to eliminate the enemy as quickly as possible. Prolonging the battle would have put the convoy at greater risk. In comparison, the safety of this batch of medicines took precedence over yours" Kakashi explained bluntly.
The faces of the two chunin darkened, their dissatisfaction evident.
"What did you say? Do you have the guts to say that again? Aren't we teammates?" One of them challenged, grabbing Kakashi's collar.
"As I mentioned, I believed that the two of you had the situation under control, and that expeditiously neutralizing the enemy was the most critical course of action." Kakashi retorted.
Unwilling to prolong the argument, Kakashi turned away, confident that his decision had been correct.
The Jounin intervened, scratching his head and attempting to alleviate the escalating tension among the team members. "Alright, you three, let's not escalate things further. I was observing the situation too, and I can assure you that none of you were in immediate danger."
"We can't get along with him"
The two Chunin reluctantly relented, proceeding to tend to their wounds.
"I simply aimed to minimize the risk of mission failure," Kakashi stated, still convinced that his decision had been the right one.
The Jounin, scratching his head in exasperation, understood that dealing with Kakashi was more challenging than he'd anticipated. He had to concede that Kakashi's psychological issues were more complicated than he'd initially thought, and he gave up on correcting him.
Perhaps it was best if some seasoned Jōnin could properly mentor this prodigious young ninja and send him on missions independently. Otherwise, if things persisted as they were, forming a cohesive team would be impossible.
The Jonin laughed in a light-hearted manner as he said, "Well, I'm sorry Kado-san, you've witnessed an embarrassing side of Konoha."
"It appears that being a Jōnin is no easy feat," Kado sympathetically responded, prompting a wry smile from the captain. He recognized that Kakashi's issues ran deep, and he'd need more than basic correction.
.....
Two days had passed, and the Jonin captain arrived at Konoha, having successfully escorted the mission's target.
After releasing Kakashi and the other team members, The Jonin proceeded to the Hokage Building to submit his mission report.
"Thanks for your hard work" The Hokage greeted the Jonin with a warm smile.
"It's nothing. Although we encountered a minor incident on the road, it has been resolved, and the issue wasn't significant" the Jonin replied.
"I believe I have a good grasp of the situation" Hiruzen stated, his expression turning serious as he reviewed the captain's report.
"Hokage-sama, is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" the Jonin inquired.
However, Hiruzen had a different question on his mind. "Kakashi, is there truly no way to address his issues?" he asked, concerned.
"With my current abilities, I cannot help him overcome his problems. I can't predict how long he can remain on the team in this state, but it's likely that I'll need to find a replacement within a month" the Jonin admitted.
He understood why Kakashi had become the way he was, but he couldn't allow one team member to disrupt the teamwork of the entire team. His responsibility was to safeguard the team's collective interests, not cater to Kakashi alone.
"I see. I'll carefully consider this matter. You may leave for now," Hiruzen replied.
"Please excuse me, Hokage-sama" the Jonin said, bowing respectfully before exiting the office.
Once the captain had left, Hiruzen fell into deep thought. "Are we really considering placing him in Anbu?" he pondered, his brow furrowing.
Kakashi was still too young, lacked experience, and had not yet reached the required level for Anbu. Furthermore, Hiruzen had reservations about inducting Kakashi into Anbu in his current state.
He grappled with a difficult question: which was more important, the mission or the teammates? The answer to such a question...
Hiruzen sighed inwardly. It was a question he felt ashamed to answer. Telling Kakashi one answer would mean denying the other. How could he explain the death of Sakumo? It was an incredibly conflicting question, and Hiruzen himself didn't possess a definitive answer.
"Hokage-sama, Kado, the representative of the Purple Rose Company, wishes to meet with you" an Anbu reported as they entered the room.
"I understand. Please, let him in," Hiruzen said, straightening his expression. Purple Rose Company had entered into a crucial business partnership with Konohagakure, collaborating with both Iwagakure and Sunagakure, and establishing branch stores in these ninja villages.
This had significantly alleviated the medicine shortages in those villages, yielding substantial results. Thus, this business alliance was of great importance to Konoha, and Hiruzen couldn't afford to be rude to their guest.
....
In the evening, at the Konoha Cemetery, Kakashi stood alone before the grave of his father, Sakumo Hatake. He gazed blankly at the black and white photograph displayed there, where his father's eyes held a gentle smile, radiating love for the world.
However, that loving gaze sent an unsettling shiver through Kakashi. He felt like a stray dog, impeccably dressed but ultimately lost and homeless.
"Father, please tell me... why..." Kakashi murmured, his eyes distant.
He couldn't comprehend it. He didn't know what was right or how to proceed. His father had saved his comrades, but in return, he had been dishonored, slandered, and ultimately chosen to end his own life. Then, Kakashi had prioritized the mission over his comrades, but why did they still reject him?
Kakashi grappled with this question, struggling to find an answer. He was baffled, a young ninja who had graduated from the academy at an astonishingly young age, yet this was the first time he had been so confused.
The Will of Fire he had been taught emphasized that everyone in the village was like family. They were comrades, akin to a family, to be protected at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing one's life.
Yet, his father had taken his own life due to his choice to save comrades, which had led to a mission failure. In other words, ninja should prioritize missions; comrades were merely tools for accomplishing those missions. When necessary, their lives could be discarded without hesitation.
So, what was the point of the Will of Fire he had learned in the academy? Kakashi wondered, his thoughts spiraling into absurdity.
As he grappled with these contradictory ideas, Kakashi's mind seemed to split in two. The concepts of "comeades" and "mission" relentlessly clashed in his thoughts, pushing him to the brink.
Suddenly, Kakashi clutched his head, his face contorted in pain. The pain was excruciating, and it felt like his skull was about to burst.
Which path was the correct one? Why had he chosen the mission, yet still faced rejection? If he was wrong, then his father's choice was right. But why had his father committed suicide?
Should he prioritize companions or missions? What truly was the Will of Fire?
Tormented by these conflicting thoughts, Kakashi finally succumbed. He knelt before his father's grave, his hands pressed to the ground, cold sweat beading on his face.
"Damn it... My head... Tell me, Father... What's the right path..."
In the woods next to the cemetery, a figure leaned against a tree, with only half of his face exposed, while the other half of his face was shrouded in darkness.
It was the face of a young male... Shiraishi.
He was leaning against the tree , with his hands in his trouser pockets, quietly listening to Kakashi's vaguely painful moans.
He stopped there for a while, then disappeared from behind the trees without leaving a trace.
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