The skirmish between the boys, though limited to taijutsu, created quite a commotion, quickly drawing a crowd of onlookers.
In the center of the scuffle, Kakashi found himself in a one-on-one duel now that Gai and Obito had drawn off two of his opponents. He swiftly gained the upper hand, his punches and kicks landing mercilessly on his target.
However, Gai and Obito were having a much harder time. They were, after all, still Academy students. While they might scrape by against a Genin, facing a Chunin was simply beyond their current capabilities.
Before long, both of them had taken quite a few hits.
Seeing this, Kakashi didn't hesitate. He intercepted the Chunin fighting Gai, taking on both Chunin by himself. This left Gai and Obito to team up against the lone Genin.
The situation turned into a stalemate, with both sides trading blows and taking damage, until a shout pierced the air: "The Police Force is here!"
A squad from the Uchiha Police Force—one Jonin and two Chunin—arrived and effortlessly separated the six brawlers.
The three older ninjas who had started the fight tried to act tough, but the moment the Uchiha Jonin released a burst of killing intent, they instantly wilted.
After questioning everyone and getting the full story, the Police Force members felt a wave of resignation. There had been so many incidents related to the rumors about Hatake Sakumo lately; they had already broken up several fights just like this one.
The Jonin leader, in particular, had access to more information and knew there was a powerful hand manipulating things behind the scenes. He had absolutely no desire to get dragged into that mess.
Besides, Hatake Sakumo's son was right here. A son fighting to defend his father's honor? That was only natural.
He looked at the two Chunin and one Genin who had started it. They were beaten black and blue, in worse shape than the kids. Grown ninjas losing a fight to a Chunin and two Academy students? Pathetic.
The Uchiha Jonin lost all interest in pursuing the matter. He gave both sides a lecture that was neither too harsh nor too lenient, then prepared to let everyone go.
But the three instigators weren't having it. They started shouting in protest.
"Jonin-sama, this isn't right! They attacked us first! How can you just let them go?"
"Yeah, look at these injuries! They did this! We were just chatting, and Kakashi attacked us out of nowhere!"
They whined and bickered like market shrews, giving the Police Force members a headache.
"Enough!" the Uchiha Jonin barked. "What kind of behavior is this? Are you even ninjas? Getting beaten up by a few students is disgraceful enough."
"If you keep making a scene, you can all come back to the station and cool off in a cell."
The Jonin's angry shout effectively silenced the trio. They were terrified of the Police Force station. That was Uchiha territory; nothing good ever happened to outsiders who went in there. Besides...
They glanced at Obito, who was still making faces at them from the side. An Uchiha kid was involved in the fight. If they went to the station, who knew whose side the police would actually take?
Dejected and looking utterly wretched, the three ninjas slunk away.
Kakashi, Gai, and Obito supported each other as they limped off in the other direction. It wasn't until they were well out of the Police Force's sight that they finally relaxed. Obito, in particular, let out a breath he felt like he'd been holding for ten minutes.
"What's wrong, Obito? Youth has no room for cowardice!" Gai asked with a grin, flashing his bright white teeth.
"What do you know?" Obito shot back. "That Jonin lives right next door to me! If he goes home and tells my grandma..." He shuddered at the thought.
Kakashi and Gai looked at Obito with sympathy. They knew how much Obito loved his grandmother; the depth of that love made his fear of disappointing her all the more intense.
After a moment of shared relief, the topic shifted back to Kakashi.
Obito's fear vanished as quickly as it had arrived. He turned to Kakashi. "By the way, we just had a huge fight, but I still don't know why we were fighting."
He had seen Kakashi getting gang-beaten and charged in without thinking. Now, he finally remembered to ask for context.
Kakashi hesitated, but remembering how fiercely Gai and Obito had defended him, he briefly explained the situation.
"What? That's ridiculous!" Obito looked incredulous. Even he had heard of the White Fang's fame. How could people slander him for such a stupid reason?
Forget abandoning the mission to save a comrade—even if he just failed the mission, so what? No ninja has a 100% success rate.
In Obito's simple, honest worldview, comrades were the most important thing. That was his understanding of the Will of Fire.
"Kakashi, don't worry about it," Gai said solemnly, dropping his usual goofy pose. "Justice is in the hearts of the people. Sakumo-san's achievements over the years can't be shaken by these nobodies. Besides, plenty of people in the village think he did the right thing. Just like Obito and me—comrades are the most important thing!"
"A failed mission can be retaken. A lost comrade is gone forever!"
Gai's serious expression gave his words a heavy, trustworthy weight.
Kakashi felt a surge of emotion. He, Gai, and Obito were all young, filled with the righteous hot blood of youth. Their priorities were simple, and comrades undoubtedly held the heaviest weight in their hearts.
The unreserved support from Gai and Obito tipped the scales in Kakashi's heart further toward the side of "comrades."
The three boys exchanged heartfelt words, their friendship deepening. Even though they were still bickering and teasing each other, it was a closeness born of shared struggle.
As the night deepened, they said their goodbyes and headed home.
When Kakashi walked through his front door and saw his father sitting in the living room, a look of unnatural stiffness crossed his face.
Sakumo had been waiting eagerly to have dinner with his son. But when he saw Kakashi walk in—bruised, clothes rumpled and dirty—his gaze sharpened instantly.
He set down his teacup, his voice low but gentle. "Did you get into a fight?"
Kakashi lowered his head, mumbled a quiet "Yeah," and sat down across from his father.
Sakumo didn't scold him. He just sighed softly. "Because of the rumors?"
Sakumo himself didn't care about the slander, but he hadn't anticipated the impact it would have on Kakashi. Remembering Taiichi's parting words, he realized he needed to have a proper talk with his son.
He gestured to a chair, inviting Kakashi to sit and talk. This surprised Kakashi; aside from training, he and his father rarely had heart-to-hearts like this.
The thought flashed through Kakashi's mind, but was quickly replaced by the memory of the vicious rumors. He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with suppressed anger. "They... they said you aren't fit to be a ninja because you abandoned the mission. They said your actions caused huge losses to the village..."
Sakumo was silent for a moment, his eyes resting on his son's stubborn profile. "And what do you think? Did I do the right thing?"
Kakashi froze, looking up at his father. Seeing the solemn, caring look in Sakumo's eyes, he lowered his head in thought.
He remembered Gai and Obito rushing in to help him without hesitation, just because they were friends. He remembered Taiichi asking him which was heavier: the mission or his comrades. He remembered the worried look in Rin's eyes.
As the images flashed through his mind, he suddenly understood.
"You did the right thing," Kakashi said, his voice firm. "Missions can be redone, but a comrade's life happens only once. If it were me... I would choose to save my comrade, too."
Sakumo was stunned. A look of surprise and relief washed over his face. He reached out and ruffled Kakashi's hair, a rare smile breaking through his stoic demeanor. "It seems my son has grown up and has his own thoughts now."
He wasn't happy that his son agreed with him; he was happy that his son had thought for himself.
Kakashi turned his face away, embarrassed, but the corners of his mouth quirked up.
Sakumo looked out the window at the night sky and spoke softly. "Remember, a true ninja isn't a tool that only knows how to complete missions. A ninja is a shield that protects those who are precious to them. As long as your conscience is clear, you don't need to take the words of outsiders to heart."
Father and son exchanged a smile. The distance between them had never felt smaller.
Kakashi followed his father's gaze out the window. The moon was exceptionally bright tonight, mirroring his mood. He agreed with most of what his father said, but he couldn't just ignore the rumors. After all, they were talking about his dad.
---
The next day, after his morning training, Taiichi went straight to the Konoha Hospital.
The staff were surprised to see him. Taiichi usually came to help in the afternoons; they had never seen him there in the morning before.
Taiichi laughed off their curiosity. The fewer people who knew about his agenda today, the better.
If you want basic information on a ninja in Konoha, the obvious place is the Archives. But a mere Chunin like Taiichi couldn't just walk in there and browse files without leaving a trace.
The other place, less known to the average person, was the hospital.
People get sick. Ninjas get injured. The hospital had medical records for everyone.
And conveniently, Taiichi was a doctor there. He had the clearance to access medical files, especially since Yusuke wasn't a black-ops ninja requiring high-level security clearance.
Sure enough, typing Yusuke's name into the terminal brought up his basic information and medical history.
Taiichi only needed his home address. Knowing where to find him was the first step.
Leaving a Shadow Clone to work his shift, Taiichi's main body headed toward Yusuke's home.
Pondering what to say, Taiichi moved quickly using the standard ninja method of travel—roof-hopping in a straight line. Before long, he was nearing Yusuke's neighborhood.
But before he arrived, a familiar voice arguing loudly drifted to his ears. It was unmistakably Yusuke.
Taiichi dropped from the roof, silently hiding around a corner to listen to the conversation echoing from a secluded alley.
"What?! You want me to join you in denouncing Captain Sakumo?" Yusuke sounded shocked. Then, realizing something, his tone turned sharp. "Who are you people? What is your agenda here?"
"We just can't stand Hatake Sakumo's hypocrisy. Completing the mission is a ninja's first priority. He abandoned it casually and caused such huge losses to the village."
Taiichi, eavesdropping, almost laughed. What a bunch of idiots. Pointing at the monk and cursing the bald donkey. Did they forget who Sakumo abandoned the mission FOR?
The Yusuke in this timeline was a healthy, promising Special Jonin, not the crippled, guilt-ridden wreck from the original story.
Moreover, Sakumo had completed the mission in the end. As ninjas, they were responsible for execution; the political fallout wasn't their concern. Yusuke understood this clearly.
"I think you two are spies from another village trying to stir up internal conflict in Konoha," Yusuke said, cutting the crap. He drew his short sword and advanced on the two men. "Come with me to see the Hokage. Or I'll make you."
The two agitators hadn't expected this. Their intel said Yusuke was a "mission-first" guy. Seeing him approach with a blade, they panicked. They certainly couldn't go see the Hokage. They turned and sprinted toward the alley exit.
But before they could escape, a small figure blocked their path.
"Move, kid! Don't block the way!" the leader roared, not slowing down as he charged straight at Taiichi.
Behind them, Yusuke stopped chasing. He recognized Taiichi. He had heard from Sakumo that Taiichi wasn't just a medic—his combat strength rivaled a Jonin.
Sure enough, Taiichi didn't even draw a weapon. He used a short-range Body Flicker to close the gap instantly. Before they could react, he buried a fist into each of their stomachs, dropping them to the ground.
Watching them retch on the dirt, Taiichi sneered, "Scum." He delivered a chop to the back of their necks, knocking them out cold.
Yusuke walked over, looking from the unconscious men to Taiichi, his eyelid twitching.
That was brutal. Yusuke had called them spies to scare them, knowing they were likely just pawns. But Taiichi had hit them for real.
"Taiichi. What a coincidence seeing you here."
"I actually came specifically to find you," Taiichi said, kicking the unconscious bodies lightly. He shook his head. "But it looks like I didn't need to worry."
Yusuke paused, then understood. "It's about Captain Sakumo, right? The rumors in the village."
"Yeah. Someone is obviously pushing this from the shadows. I was worried they would try to use you, so I came to check."
He kicked the men again for good measure. "I didn't expect these guys to be so persistent."
"Is there anything I can do to help? I am one of the people involved, after all."
Yusuke was eager to help. Sakumo had saved his life, and he wanted to clear his captain's name. He completely missed the strange look Taiichi was giving him.
In the original timeline, Yusuke was a primary cause of Sakumo's suicide. Here, he was actively trying to help. Experience truly does change a person's perspective.
"Just hand these two over to the Police Force. Tell them they're spies spreading rumors to destabilize the village."
"That simple? We aren't going to investigate who sent them?"
Taiichi was genuinely surprised now. This guy has guts. Most people in Konoha wouldn't dare dig too deep, but this Special Jonin wanted to investigate the mastermind? Taiichi was impressed.
"No need. The water is too deep here," Taiichi said, looking at Yusuke with interest. "For now, just holding your ground is enough. Sakumo-san doesn't care what strangers think, but he cares a lot about what his teammates think."
Yusuke nodded solemnly, pledging his unwavering support, though he still couldn't figure out why Taiichi kept looking at him like he was a rare animal.