"So, what was Kakashi doing?"
At that time, Hui was only focused on the battle and completely forgot to pay attention to Kakashi's situation.
It shouldn't have affected him…
With the strength of the attack at that time, even if Kakashi had been caught in the aftermath, he wouldn't have been taken out completely, right?
Sakumo Hatake would probably hack me to death if something happened to him.
Hui thought deeply about this.
Kakashi had been in a daze and didn't react in time. The shock overwhelmed him, causing him to faint.
After Hui left the scene, the Third Hokage arrived, found the unconscious Kakashi, and ordered the Anbu to send him to Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi was still lying in the hospital. The doctor said he had suffered mental trauma and needed time to recover. He recommended hospitalization for further observation.
"The commotion earlier was huge. The whole village is talking about it. It's a good time to gather information."
After ensuring that his body was recovering its chakra, Hui left a shadow clone behind and departed from his residence.
He wasn't worried at all about leaving his body unguarded.
Hui had his own information network in Konoha and quickly found… Uchiha Fugaku.
Cough, Uchiha Fugaku—an old, reliable intelligence source.
Uchiha Fugaku was exasperated by Hui's frequent information-gathering requests, but since Hui often operated outside Konoha, Fugaku knew his knowledge was limited. So, he usually helped him gather intel.
This time, when Hui inquired about the recent attack, Fugaku shared what he knew.
"The two attackers were quite bold, managing to escape in the end. That's impressive.
Also, I heard that the one who attacked the Hatake clan took White Fang's body. No one knows why. There haven't been any reports that Iwagakure is specifically interested in ninja corpses."
"You think it could be someone who knew White Fang personally? Otherwise, why take the body?"
"But the reports from Root state that the attackers were from Iwagakure. One of them seemed to have a connection with White Fang."
Uchiha Fugaku shared his thoughts along the way.
This wasn't just Fugaku's doubt—Hiruzen and Danzo were equally puzzled about the attacker's motive for taking White Fang's corpse.
Could White Fang still be alive?
No, impossible.
Danzo had personally confirmed White Fang's death. There had been no signs of a faked death.
Hui wouldn't reveal his identity. Not that he distrusted Fugaku, but the fewer people who knew, the better. Ideally, only his main body and a few clones should know.
Besides, there was no point in revealing the truth to Uchiha Fugaku.
After hearing about Konoha's reactions—including Kakashi's situation—Hui said goodbye to Fugaku and headed toward Konoha Hospital.
Many people knew Orochimaru's assistant had a good relationship with White Fang. Visiting Kakashi was reasonable, so Hui didn't have to worry about suspicion.
On his way to the hospital, Hui analyzed Konoha's response.
Frankly, he hadn't expected Hiruzen to take such a tough stance, demanding compensation from Iwagakure. Though he didn't threaten war outright, his words were harsher than usual.
"Is it because he couldn't bear to see his old friends being manipulated again and again?"
An inexplicable thought crossed Hui's mind.
...
Honestly, it seemed likely.
White Fang's suicide was a huge loss for Konoha—a top-tier combat asset gone overnight. While Iwagakure wasn't directly responsible, the psychological pressure they had exerted on White Fang had led to his demise. It was entirely possible that Hiruzen was directing his anger toward them.
Hui almost felt bad for Iwagakure.
A year ago, rumors had emerged about them gaining a new Kage-level powerhouse. Just when things had settled, that same powerhouse showed up in Konoha and stirred up chaos.
The worst part? Iwagakure had no idea who he was. If the man was truly from their village, they would have claimed him. But he wasn't.
Tsuchikage Ōnoki had already cut ties with Tushi after his defection. They had no connection whatsoever.
With all these thoughts swirling, Hui arrived at Konoha Hospital.
"Excuse me, which room is Kakashi in?"
"Oh, go straight down this hall. Second-to-last room on the right."
"Thanks."
Following the receptionist's directions, Hui found Kakashi's room. Inside, he saw Kakashi sitting in a daze.
"Yo, Kakashi, this isn't like you."
Hui wasn't great at comforting people. Or rather, Uchiha Kiyo wasn't.
"White Fang-sama took his own life, but you need to stay strong. Otherwise, he'll be disappointed. How can you ever become a ninja like him?"
"Disappointed? He's a coward! He abandoned his mission for personal reasons and couldn't even endure the backlash. He lacked the courage to face it. I will never be a ninja like him!"
Kakashi's words exploded like a bomb.
Hui frowned. He hadn't realized Kakashi's misunderstanding of White Fang ran this deep. Hadn't his main body already taught him once?
Uh… well, it was barely a lesson.
"Kakashi!
You're misunderstanding White Fang-sama. What he did was not cowardly—it was great!"
Hui spoke with unwavering conviction.
White Fang had sacrificed himself to awaken the true meaning of being a ninja. That was greatness.
But Kakashi was still a child. He didn't understand.
To him, his father had abandoned his duty, couldn't handle the consequences, and took his own life.
Looking at Kakashi's stubborn expression, Hui sighed and stopped trying to convince him.
Someone else would have to handle this.
Besides, White Fang would wake up soon. He could set things right himself.
But first, Hui had another goal to accomplish.
Placing his right hand on Kakashi's head, he used a precise burst of chakra to knock him unconscious.
Then, he examined Kakashi's body and found traces of White Fang's sealing technique.
"Good thing I got here early. These seals would have faded over time. No wonder Kakashi never noticed."
Deciphering White Fang's method would take effort, but breaking it? That was easy.
Placing his palm on Kakashi's stomach, chakra flared at his fingertips.
"Five Elements Seal—Release."
The Five Elements Seal had many applications. When mastered, it could break most sealing techniques.
After finishing, Hui quietly left the hospital.
No one had noticed him enter or leave. He wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Just as he stepped out, a boy with goggles and a gentle girl with face paint walked past.
"Rin, that Kakashi guy—"
"Obito, White Fang-sama just passed away. Kakashi must be feeling awful. Don't provoke him."
"Hmph, fine. I'll let it slide this time."
Hui blinked. Obito and Rin?
Sure enough, Obito was carefree, and Rin was kind—just like in the original timeline.
Meeting them here was unexpected.
Still, it wasn't the time for interactions.
As Hui unsealed Kakashi, White Fang's soul left his body, preparing to enter the Pure Land. However, drawn by a special force, it instead traveled toward Hui's residence, where White Fang's body rested.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kiyo was recovering chakra and planning his next move.
"Hm? Just now… did something change?"
He sensed an unfamiliar fluctuation.
"Soul energy?"
His clone had worked fast—White Fang's soul was already free.
Noting the unusual energy, Uchiha Kiyo resumed his thoughts.
Then, another presence approached—cold and snake-like.
Inside the isolation barrier, he sensed a familiar chakra.
"…Orochimaru?"
A bit of a coincidence.
Hui quickly stepped outside.
"Qing?"
Orochimaru was surprised to see him.
Uchiha Kiyo smirked. "Teacher, we meet again."
Orochimaru's suspicions deepened.
PS :
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE CHAPTERS
We're already at Chapter 393 on Patreon!
▶ patreon.com/HACKDWORLD ◀