Kakashi lay in bed, eyes closed, tossing and turning. He couldn't sleep.
Scenes flashed through his mind—his father's suicide, the moment he killed Rin with his own hands, and the chaos of the Nine-Tails Incident, when Minato and Kushina died in battle.
He used to be powerless. But now that he had the ability to act, should he still hesitate?
Would he remain a coward for life—or be a hero for just one second?
Was he still the cold-blooded Kakashi that once made enemies tremble? Why now, at this crucial moment, was he hesitating?
Kakashi opened his eyes—murderous resolve flashing in them. Danzo. The one who brought about his father's death, and his sensei's death. These grudges must be repaid!
A gentleman's vengeance does not wait overnight; a man's pride demands immediate justice.
He knew he alone couldn't defeat Danzo or Root—especially since Danzo's right eye was a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Only a Sharingan can counter a Sharingan.
Kakashi immediately thought of the Uchiha Clan.
Dressing quickly in his ANBU gear, he set out for the Uchiha compound. He was ready to report Danzo by name—to reveal his human experiments and connection to the Nine-Tails Incident—to the Konoha Military Police. With the Uchiha's help, he could finally bring down Danzo!
Surely, the Uchiha would be thrilled by such news. This was the perfect borrowed blade tactic—letting others eliminate the enemy in silence.
Just as Uchiha Itachi was sleeping soundly, he suddenly snapped awake—someone had broken into the Uchiha compound!
Why can't people just let me sleep?! he thought irritably.
Irritated from being woken, Itachi donned his ANBU uniform, grabbed a katana, and vanished in a blur.
The sound of clashing weapons echoed through the night.
By the time Itachi arrived, he saw Shisui Uchiha engaged in combat with an ANBU—someone wearing a familiar cat-eyed mask and white hair.
Kakashi. No doubt.
Even without using his Mangekyō, Shisui was evenly matched with Kakashi. As expected of the famed Copy Ninja.
"Captain Kakashi, what brings you to the Uchiha compound in the dead of night?" Itachi ordered Shisui to stand down and addressed Kakashi directly.
"I have urgent intel for Captain Fugaku. I'm formally reporting Shimura Danzo, aide to the Hokage, for conducting human experiments, using the Mangekyō Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails, and causing the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife—all in a bid for power!" Kakashi said between gasps, staring coldly at the black-clad shinobi who'd intercepted him.
He hadn't expected to be caught so soon—and if he hadn't fought Shisui to a standstill, he might have been captured and interrogated already.
Even a nobody among the Uchiha was this strong—no wonder they were feared. With their help, he was even more confident he could take down Danzo and Root.
Shisui's eyes widened. The Nine-Tails Incident was caused by Danzo? He had once naively followed Danzo's instructions to stop the Uchiha's rebellion—what a joke!
"Captain Kakashi, do you realize what you're saying?" Itachi asked seriously. "Without evidence, we can't arrest anyone."
"And this involves ANBU—our police force has no authority to interfere."
"Not to mention, your target is Hokage's aide, Shimura Danzo! Without solid proof, how can we trust you?"
"I don't have hard evidence," Kakashi admitted, "but I saw his Mangekyō Sharingan with my own eyes—and his right arm, made of Hashirama cells. If you raid the Root base, I guarantee you'll find proof of his experiments."
The Konoha Military Police maintained village order, enforced laws, and arrested criminals. But they had no jurisdiction over the ANBU, especially Root—directly under Danzo.
"If what you say is false," Itachi replied, "we'd be guilty of insubordination. Do you think we'd risk that for you?"
"Danzo is also my superior."
"I suggest you speak to the Third Hokage. With his orders, we'd act without hesitation."
"But the only ones I can count on now are the Uchiha police. If even you can't hold Danzo accountable, then there's no justice left in the world," Kakashi said solemnly, looking Itachi in the eyes.
Itachi and Shisui fell silent.
"Are you serious about this, Captain Kakashi?" Itachi finally asked, acting solemn.
"I'm ANBU under the Hokage. I have no reason to lie. If the Third Hokage weren't shielding Danzo, I wouldn't have come here begging you." Kakashi's voice was bitter.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. If it's as you say—then I'll gamble with you," Itachi said. "The Uchiha won't let a villain go unpunished—but we also won't wrong an innocent man."
"History can judge justice. But if what you say is true, we'll join you in this madness. We'll expose the shadows, bring down Danzo, and restore light to Konoha!"
"You mean you agree?" Kakashi's eyes lit up.
"I said I'll bet with you—if your intel is true, we'll go all-in. But it has to be true," Itachi reaffirmed.
"So you still want more proof?" Kakashi frowned.
"Exactly," Itachi nodded.
"Fine. Here's two more pieces of intel," Kakashi said. "My father, the White Fang, died because of Danzo. And my subordinate, Tenzo, is a surviving subject of Danzo's Hashirama-cell experiments—he possesses Wood Release. He's the only one who successfully inherited those abilities."
"What?! The White Fang was killed by Danzo? And Tenzo has Wood Release?" Shisui was stunned, his face pale, then flushed.
The legendary White Fang—once Konoha's terror to its enemies—killed by Danzo's slander?
Shisui felt a sharp pang. He too had been betrayed by Danzo—poisoned, eyes gouged, and driven to death.
And to think Danzo and the Third had hidden a Wood Release user in the shadows all this time…
So vicious!
Shisui cursed himself for ever sharing his Mangekyō ability with Danzo, thinking it would prevent a Uchiha coup. What a fool he'd been!
"But I thought White Fang committed suicide?" Itachi asked.
"He did. But only because Danzo's rumors drove him to it. So now—old and new grudges—I'm settling them all," Kakashi said through clenched teeth.
"Then let's use his tactics against him," Itachi said. "Let Danzo feel the pain of slander himself."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin