At a Konoha park, Mitsuki and the other three were discussing their plan.
“The information we have now is that your father, White Fang, voluntarily gave up the mission, and it wasn’t because he encountered an impossible situation,” Mitsuki said, looking at Kakashi.
“That’s right. With Father’s strength, he could have completed the mission even by himself.”
“Then, can’t Kakashi’s father claim that he encountered a powerful enemy and couldn’t complete the mission?” Obito thought for a moment and proposed a solution.
“No, first of all, whether Mr. Sakumo is willing to lie, even if he is, the fact that the mission was not completed remains, and the outcome hasn’t changed,” Mitsuki retorted.
“Then can’t the Ninja that Uncle Sakumo saved come forward and explain the situation? If the situation was truly dire, the Villagers should be able to understand,” Rin also offered her idea.
“No, you probably don’t know this yet, but the person my father saved, he was also among those attacking my father,” Kakashi said with a sigh and a bitter smile.
“What does Mr. Sakumo himself think?” Mitsuki asked Kakashi again.
“Father is still in good spirits, but he just doesn’t want to go out, and he hasn’t told me what he plans to do,” Kakashi was troubled, seemingly a bit dissatisfied with Sakumo Hatake.
“Is Uncle Sakumo planning to wait for the storm to pass with time?” Rin felt a hint of doubt; wasn’t that a bit passive?
“Although it’s a bit hard to believe, there is indeed such a possibility. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain why Father is clearly calm yet still stays indoors,” Kakashi actually somewhat agreed with Rin’s view.
“No, there’s no such possibility,” Mitsuki said decisively.
“Eh? Why? I also think what Rin said makes sense,” Obito wondered.
“Indeed, not showing up when public opinion is at its peak, and waiting for the storm to pass, might be a passive but effective method. However, you’ve overlooked one thing,” Mitsuki explained to the three confused individuals.
Seeing their curious gazes, Mitsuki didn’t keep them in suspense and continued.
“Rin, in your opinion, if you could only choose one between a comrade’s life and a mission vital to the Village’s interests, which would you choose?”
“I…” Rin tilted her head, thinking hard. To her, this was indeed a question that was difficult to decide on immediately.
On one hand, she really wanted to choose a comrade’s life; on the other hand, the Ninja education she had always received and the environment she lived in told her that the rules of the Ninja world were to complete missions.
“I, I don’t know… I might only be able to make a choice when the actual decision needs to be made,” she finally said honestly, stating her viewpoint.
“Then let me rephrase it. If I were severely injured, but saving me would lead to mission failure, Rin, what would you do?”
“Of course, I’d save you, Mitsuki!”
Rin answered without hesitation. In Rin’s view, saving Mitsuki and completing the mission were not even a choice.
The problem lies here.
“Mitsuki, your meaning is that the key to the incident isn’t how the Villagers view Father, but how the person who was saved views Father.”
“Since, at the moment of decision, he chose to save a comrade even if it meant mission failure, then I don’t believe Mr. Sakumo wasn’t prepared to be condemned by everyone. Only the accusation from the person who was saved is truly the sharp blade piercing White Fang,” Mitsuki laid out his thoughts completely.
“Damn bastard, if you were saved, just honestly be grateful,” Obito, after hearing Mitsuki’s analysis, couldn’t help but start cursing.
Thank you, my internet mouth-stand-in.
It must be said that having a straightforward friend like Obito by your side is indeed a good thing.
“So, our main goal now should be to find the person who was saved, and just make that scoundrel apologize to Kakashi’s father!” Obito continued to vent.
“Indeed, if Uncle Sakumo’s mission failure caused losses to the Village, then the Villagers’ anger is unavoidable. However, that person, in particular, should not criticize Uncle Sakumo from the position of a victim,” Rin believed she was willing to sacrifice her life for the Village.
But if she were saved by a comrade without her knowledge, when that comrade was blamed, she would only attribute all fault to herself and would never harm her well-meaning comrade.
Moreover, frankly speaking, mission failure itself is the responsibility of the entire squad. Even if Sakumo Hatake was the captain, the fact that a team member’s injury affected the continuation of the mission is also true.
“Alright,” Mitsuki said, seeing that everyone’s opinions were consistent. “Now that we have a plan, let’s start executing it. First, we need to find that scoundrel—uh, slip of the tongue—we need to find the person who was saved. Kakashi, you should have information, right?”
Mitsuki was also led astray by Obito. It must be said that occasionally swearing is not without its enjoyment.
Hearing Mitsuki’s question, Kakashi thought back and said, “The comrade Father saved is named Shimura Arima, and he should still be hospitalized at Konoha Hospital.”
“Shimura?” Mitsuki muttered.
“Did you find anything, Mitsuki?” Obito had been staring intently at Mitsuki’s every move since Mitsuki started his analysis.
Obito actually admired, or rather envied, people with flexible minds like Mitsuki and Kakashi. Mitsuki’s analysis just now greatly impressed Obito, and a sentence kept repeating in his mind:
This is exactly me!
...On the way to Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi asked Mitsuki, “After we meet Shimura Arima, how can we make him apologize to Father?”
This was also what Rin and Obito wanted to ask internally.
“I don’t know,” Mitsuki replied unhurriedly.
“Nani?!” × 3
“Hey, hey? That joke isn’t funny, Mitsuki. Quickly tell us your good idea, Mitsuki,” Obito said, implying that Dora Mitsuki was just joking with him.
“I’m not joking, and I really haven’t thought about how to make that Shimura Arima apologize to Mr. Sakumo,” Mitsuki said slowly again.
“Then shouldn’t we discuss the plan again? Since that Shimura Arima already chose to backstab Uncle Sakumo, someone who evades responsibility like that wouldn’t easily be willing to apologize to Uncle Sakumo, right?” Rin wanted to hold another strategy meeting.
“Mitsuki, you must have another way. It seems you never intended for Shimura Arima to apologize from the start; you just asked for Shimura Arima’s location,” Kakashi said, realizing something.
“Come to think of it, Mitsuki really didn’t say what he wanted Shimura Arima to do,” Obito tried to recall their previous conversation.
Rin also cast a questioning gaze at Mitsuki, her face clearly showing her curiosity.
Mitsuki smiled at Rin and said, “The key to the matter is Shimura Arima, but it’s not just Shimura Arima.”
Then Mitsuki looked at Kakashi and continued, “It’s also you, Kakashi.”
Upon hearing this, Kakashi pointed at himself with one index finger.
“Me?”