Chapter 72: Kakashi's Eye-Opening Confrontation

Amidst the sharp sound, Funan was penetrated by lightning.

[Bang!]

An explosion of smoke rose.

Funan turned into a piece of wood. He then appeared in front of Kakashi, before launching a kick at him.

[Bang!]

Kakashi stretched out his hand to block it. The power of this kick was surprisingly great, enough to send him flying.

Immediately afterwards, a shuriken appeared in Funan's hand. He threw it at Kakashi, who had just landed on the ground, and quickly formed seals with his hands.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

The shuriken flying towards Kakashi turned into two in mid-air, then four... began to increase in number.

At the same time, Kakashi pressed his hands on the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of earth appeared in front of Kakashi, protecting him and blocking all shuriken.

Funan appeared behind Kakashi, chuckled, and stabbed Kakashi's waist with a kunai.

Kakashi's body tensed, and in the next instant, he turned into a mass of lightning that flowed towards Funan's body through and through the kunai.

This time, it was Funan's turn to stiffen.

Funan looked surprised. Actually avoided his Sharingan?

Kakashi's voice sounded: "Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

On the ground a pair of hands stretched out, grabbed Funan's feet, and dragged him into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.

"It's over, Uchiha Funan!" Kakashi appeared in front of Funan and looked at him condescendingly. Lightning appeared again on his hand.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!"

The hound composed of thunder and lightning roared towards Funan.

"Uchiha Funan, you should not desecrate the dead!" Kakashi's eyes were cold, and he struck without mercy.

A cry rang out.

Kakashi suddenly woke up, shocked to discover that the person dragged underground by the decapitation technique was himself.

"You... Genjutsu?" Kakashi's expression changed drastically, and he said: "When? What happened to my eye...?"

"Hatake Kakashi, you are indeed amazing!" Funan looked at Kakashi with a smile and said: "Although you are not from the Uchiha clan, you have controlled the Sharingan to an amazing level, that really surprises me."

"It's a pity that compared to me, it's still far behind."

Kakashi stared at Funan coldly.

"Your strength, even if you look at the whole of Konoha, there are not many stronger than you, the twelve-year-old Jonin, Hatake Kakashi!" Funan smiled and said: "But anger often leads to irrational acts. The incident with your father, that has upset you, otherwise, you would not have been captured by me so easily."

"Don't mention that man!" Kakashi growled.

Funan smiled, as he stroked Kakashi's head. "Young man, you are too impulsive. Of course, you are not a young man if you are not impulsive. I am quite optimistic about you."

Kakashi is now in his early twenties, very immature. Funan thought that this was a rebellious young man who needed a lesson from society, so he decided to beat him up in the name of society.

Kakashi stared at Funan coldly.

"You hate me?" Funan asked.

Kakashi said nothing.

"You shouldn't hate me, because I helped you!" Funan sat down opposite Kakashi, casually took out a piece of grass and stuffed it into Kakashi's nostrils.

"You helped me?" Kakashi sneered. "What did you help me with?"

Funan asked with interest: "Don't you understand what happened when your father died?"

Hearing this, Kakashi became calm instead. After a short silence, Kakashi said indifferently: "You don't need to provoke me. My father's death was just an accident."

"Accident?" Funan said in surprise. "How could Hatake Sakumo's death be an accident?"

"It was an accident!" Kakashi said calmly. "I am not a fool. I have investigated my father's death. Danzo triggered public opinion to attack my father. My father chose to commit suicide in order to prove his will of fire."

"I investigated my father's death and even questioned the Hokage myself."

"Oh!" Funan was really interested. "Have you ever questioned Sarutobi Hiruzen? What did he say?"

Kakashi stared at Funan coldly and didn't answer at all.

"Say it!" Funan stroked Kakashi's head, while continuing to stuff the grass into his nostrils. "Come on, tiger, tell me."

"Funan!!!" Kakashi roared. "I'm not your toy!"

[Bang!]

A shoe hit Kakashi on the head. Kakashi's eyes suddenly widened.

Funan was holding the shoe he had just taken off and pointing it at Kakashi. "Are you going to tell me? If you don't tell me, I'll hit you and to stop you from screaming, I'll cover your mouth with a sock."

"When the time comes, although you want to talk will depend on my mood."

"...Okay, I'll say it." Kakashi was frustrated. 'I got carried away with anger.' Kakashi thought full of regret. Why had he sought trouble with Funan knowing that he was no match for him? Had he gone crazy?

Funan urged: "Say it!"

Kakashi gritted his teeth and said: "My father died in an accident."

"Did Sarutobi Hiruzen tell you?"

"Yes!" Kakashi said coldly. "The Hatake clan was originally a samurai clan. My father, Hatake Sakumo, is a shinobi and a samurai. Such a person is not suitable to become Hokage."

"However, my father's reputation at that time was so high that even the Sannin of Konoha were suppressed by him. Furthermore, the Daimyo offered him the position of Hokage. The majority of Konoha's people thought he would be the Fourth Hokage."

"So?" Funan looked at Kakashi with a smile.

"That's why Danzo manipulated public opinion to discredit my father!" Kakashi said coldly. "Hokage-sama knew these things from the beginning, but as Hokage, he must consider the overall situation."

"Appointing someone who was not suitable to be Hokage would have been irresponsible. That's why he had to sacrifice my father."

Funan nodded slightly and said: "Is there more?"

"Everything is Danzo's fault." Kakashi said calmly. "The Hokage made mistakes, but I didn't expect my father to make such a drastic decision."

"His original plan was simply to disqualify my father from the position of Hokage." At this moment, Kakashi gritted his teeth, his expression turning icy. Obviously, he was very resentful about that.

"That's it?"

"What else do you think?" Kakashi looked at Funan coldly and said: "There is no need to sow discord between Hokage-sama and me, Uchiha Funan."

"I admit that I am very dissatisfied with Hokage-sama's decision and even hate him. However, as a shinobi I understand that the necessary sacrifices are indispensable!"

Funan shook his head and slapped Kakashi in the face with his shoe.

Kakashi: "I@#￥%&*"

"You are wrong, Kakashi!" Funan looked at Kakashi with a smile and said: "Your explanation also reflects the thoughts of many in Konoha."

"They also believe that Danzo tried to slander your father to take away his chance to be Hokage, and Hiruzen enabled his actions. Sakumo's death was an accident due to these circumstances."

"But that is not the case!"

Kakashi stared at Funan coldly and said nothing. He didn't believe Funan's words at all.

"Hatake Sakumo was Konoha's sharpest sword. During the Shinobi World War, he mainly appeared on the front lines against Sunagakure."

"The Hokage never came out to fight. It was Konoha's White Fang who took action against Sunagakure's ultimate combat power, the Third Kazekage." Funan said calmly. "If you encounter Konoha's White Fang while doing a mission, you can directly abandon the mission and run away for your life first."

"This phrase originated in Sunagakure and spread throughout the world."

Kakashi stared at Funan, still silent.

"His reputation was so great. But the Third Hokage didn't want to retire, what could he do then?"

Kakashi showed a sarcastic smile and said: "You mean, my father's death was the Hokage's intention?"

"That's how it is." Funan said calmly. "Danzo just wanted to discredit your father and make him lose the qualification to become Hokage. He didn't want to break this sharp knife. But Sarutobi Hiruzen always intended to see him dead."

"Absurd!" Kakashi snapped.

"Hokage-sama was over fifty years old at the time. He had reached the time when he had to find the next generation of Hokage. How could it be possible..."

"Who said I had to quit?" Funan directly interrupted Kakashi's words, with a disdainful smile on his lips, and said: "Power is an addiction for many people."

He stared into Kakashi's eyes and said: "After Namikaze Minato died, there has been no new Hokage. Isn't this the most obvious evidence?"

"Don't you think it's ridiculous that he was appointed to temporarily take over as Hokage at a critical moment, but he stayed on temporarily for three or four years?"

"Don't say, there is no suitable candidate."

"Tsunade and Jiraiya, do you think that if Hiruzen wanted them back, they would refuse?"

'They would.' Funan muttered in his mind. He even suspected that if Jiraiya and Tsunade hadn't left Konoha, they might end up dying inexplicably one day. It wasn't a wild guess, there were too many strange coincidences. Orochimaru is a clear example of how they could end.

"Still, that doesn't prove that the Hokage forced my father to die." Kakashi spoke in a low voice. He stopped struggling and chose to talk to Funan.

"What was the reason why your father was defamed?"

"He abandoned the mission for his companions." After Kakashi finished speaking, he was startled.

Funan spread his hands and said with a smile: "Isn't this the best reason?"

Looking at the absent-minded Kakashi, Funan smiled and said: "Hiruzen would not tolerate someone putting his teammates above the mission. For him, that is an unforgivable offense."

"If everyone chooses to give up their mission for the sake of their companions, will Konoha still exist?"

"Your father unintentionally challenged Konoha's rules of survival. He must die, otherwise, once someone follows suit, Konoha will cease to exist!"

"Shinobi, the mission comes first!"

"Danzo just wants to make your father miserable, Sarutobi Hiruzen is the one who truly has murderous intentions!"

Kakashi muttered absentmindedly. "Impossible, isn't it the will of fire that the Hokage admires?"

Funan laughed. "Haven't you heard the rumors these days? Has the Hokage always followed the will of fire? At least, the first time your father was accused, the one who respected the will of fire, should have come out to defend him."

"Of course, if he stands up, it means he is encouraged to give up the mission for the sake of his companions."

"It is a vicious circle."

"He chose to let Sakumo die to break that cycle."

"Kakashi, do you still believe that it was Danzo who killed your father and that the Hokage just made a mistake?"

Danzo is probably the most pitiful one. From the beginning to the end, he takes the blame for Hiruzen.

To me, Uchiha Funan, I would like to call you: Blamekage!

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