On his way to the ANBU base, Kakashi passed by villagers furiously protesting in the streets. His expression was distant, almost dazed.
He couldn't quite believe that all of this... was actually caused by him.
All he had done was put up a few large-character posters and used genjutsu to manipulate a few people into writing news articles. He never imagined it would spiral into this chaos.
Just as Itachi had said—on a blank sheet of paper, even a single black dot draws all the attention. People won't focus on the white space, only on the blemish.
Even if the white covers the majority of the page, why is it that everyone only sees the black dot?
Did they not see the rest of the white paper?
No—it's simply that their eyes are drawn to the blemish, fixated on it, and so, in their hearts, that tiny black dot grows larger and larger.
Take Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, for example. He reformed the ninja academy's education system, trained the Legendary Sannin, and nurtured generations of talent.
Yet, all it takes is one stain—the human experimentation involving Hashirama's cells—to destroy his entire legacy.
No matter how he tries to defend himself, the villagers won't believe him.
Just like Kakashi's father—the White Fang of Konoha.
He had completed countless missions, his strength rivaled even the Sannin, and he had shed blood and earned glory for Konoha, striking fear into enemy villages.
He was a hero known as the "White Fang of the Leaf."
But during one critical infiltration mission into enemy territory, he faced a difficult choice: complete the mission or save his comrades.
According to the rules, abandoning the mission was strictly forbidden. But his father chose to save his comrades. In the end, the very ones he rescued turned on him. The village blamed him for the losses, and even those he had saved criticized him.
Heartbroken and demoralized, his father ultimately took his own life.
Back then, Kakashi didn't understand why his father had done it.
But now... he does.
"A hundred mouths can melt metal; accumulated slander can grind bones to dust."
His father had completed countless missions in his lifetime, but all it took was one failure to ruin everything.
Just like a white sheet of paper stained by a single black mark.
His reputation was destroyed.
Because in the villagers' minds, Sakumo Hatake was such a perfect figure—how could such a man have a blemish?
It had to be false.
They couldn't accept it.
They loved to worship heroes—only to destroy them later.
It didn't matter whether you were a hero, or what you had contributed. As long as you did something they couldn't accept—something that shattered their biased beliefs or challenged their comfortable assumptions—they would tear you down.
The definition of a hero wasn't about actual achievements, but about conforming to the public's fantasy.
"You're a hero! How could you be the first to break the rules? You've disappointed your admirers! How are you supposed to be a role model now?"
Those words cut like a knife.
Hundreds of successes mean nothing in the face of a single failure.
And then there's Danzo.
He had done so many vile things in the shadows—crimes too numerous to list.
Yet, because he finally did one good thing, a tiny white spot appeared on an otherwise pitch-black sheet. People started to overlook the blackness. Some were even surprised—how could such a dark person have a white spot?
And so, his past sins were ignored.
This is the ugliness of human nature.
Kakashi felt sorrow for Hiruzen Sarutobi, sorrow for his father... and sorrow for Konoha itself.
But even so, sorrow was not enough. The Third Hokage still had to step down, and Danzo still had to die.
Because, as Itachi had said, Kakashi's father—Sakumo Hatake—was a Kage-level powerhouse, a Konoha elite, who received only S-rank missions.
And S-rank missions were known only to the Hokage, his assistants, and the two elders.
Yet somehow, after the mission failed, the details of that confidential operation were known throughout the village. If there wasn't someone leaking information behind the scenes—someone pushing the narrative—Itachi Uchiha would never believe it.
After hearing that, Kakashi had his own revelation.
The mission was issued by the Hokage. If there was a leak, wasn't he responsible? And what about the comrades his father saved—did they bear no responsibility? Why was the blame placed solely on his father? Just because he was the leader?
Another suspicious detail: Itachi mentioned that since it was an infiltration mission, the fewer people involved, the safer and more likely it would succeed. Sakumo Hatake could've completed the mission alone—he was known for excelling in solo combat, and his chakra short sword was unstoppable.
So why had the higher-ups insisted on sending several useless tagalongs with him?
Everyone knew that White Fang was strongest in one-on-one combat. But because of his compassion, he sacrificed the mission to save a few burdens.
And the cruelest part? Those very burdens didn't even feel grateful—instead, they turned on him, slandering him. If no one had orchestrated that, Itachi wouldn't believe it for a second.
Thanks to Itachi's insight, even someone as slow as Kakashi could now see the truth.
That mission was a setup from the start—a calculated move to ruin Sakumo Hatake's career with a permanent stain.
But why? Why go to such lengths to destroy the White Fang of Konoha?
Itachi offered two reasons.
First: Sakumo's success threatened Hiruzen's authority, so the Hokage deliberately allowed the rumors to spread, doing nothing to stop them.
Second: Danzo wanted the Hokage's seat. Sakumo was an obstacle, so Danzo schemed to eliminate him.
Sakumo, proud and righteous, had seen the corruption among the higher-ups. And since it's been said since ancient times that a loyal subject cannot serve two masters—Sakumo, disillusioned and defeated, chose death.
Just as Itachi said—both the Third Hokage and Danzo were complicit in his father's death.
The hatred for a father's murder is irreconcilable. Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen's inaction or Danzo's manipulation—they were both guilty.
If not for them, Kakashi wouldn't be an orphan.
They had slandered his father and the Uchiha clan. And all those debts... would be repaid.
What he and Itachi were doing now—was merely returning the favor.
So no—I'm not wrong, Kakashi thought. They are. The world is.
From the shadows, Uchiha Shisui watched Kakashi, who was now seething with rage and bloodlust, consumed by hatred. (｀Д)ゞ
Since when did Itachi's "talk no jutsu" become so powerful?
Could it be... as Itachi claimed? That when his Kotoamatsukami combined with Itachi's silver tongue, it evolved into Genjutsu: Talk no Jutsu: Kotoamatsukami?
It seems giving Itachi his eye, so he could witness the changes in the ninja world, had truly been the right choice.
Now it was time to stoke the flames beneath Sarutobi Hiruzen even more.
For Konoha. For the Uchiha.
Even death would not be too great a sacrifice—thought Uchiha Shisui.
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and continued casting genjutsu on the protesting crowd.
He had seen it in their eyes—they were the right people.
Any villager or ninja who accidentally met Shisui's gaze instantly fell under his illusion.
Now, in their minds, those killed in the human experiments and the Nine-Tails incident were their own family. They wanted revenge.
Their crazed eyes, murderous stares, and frenzied expressions seemed to cry out that Hiruzen Sarutobi had killed their fathers, stolen their wives, and murdered their sons. The hatred was absolute.
They wanted to tear his flesh, drink his blood, rip out his tendons, and grind his bones to dust.
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