Chapter 6
The Way of the Ninja
If we were to ask what the most important ninjutsu in the Naruto world is, then aside from the Rasengan, it would be the Chidori.
Chidori is known as the ultimate lightning chakra nature transformation. It is not only powerful, but also has an extremely high degree of plasticity through its shape changes. Sasuke and Kakashi created two completely different systems with it, and this performance is exactly in line with the ability of "fierce fire".
Coincidentally, the creator of Chidori was right in front of Uchiha Mo, and according to the timeline, Chidori should be at least halfway complete by now.
Kakashi slowly composed himself, until the half of his face visible beyond the mask revealed no emotion, before he spoke:
"I didn't expect you to be this strong..."
Kakashi then recalled how he had secretly compared himself to and competed with others...
"He's just an unknown nobody; it's only natural that he lost to me. What are you doing back here? Have you suddenly had a change of heart?"
Upon hearing this, Mo shifted his gaze back to Kakashi's face, his tone indifferent. But Kakashi seemed already accustomed to Mo's coldness; after slightly adjusting his demeanor, he replied:
"You said...only the weak are caught in difficult choices, but I don't think my father was weak, he..."
Kakashi's voice grew increasingly urgent as he spoke, even trembling slightly. However, before he could finish, Mo withdrew his gaze and walked past him, slowly heading towards the woods behind him.
"What a pointless question. Do you want me to lecture you? Kakashi, are you craving a lecture? As a man about to become a Jonin, don't you think you're ridiculous and childish?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi's breath caught in his throat, and the words he was about to say were stuck in his teeth.
In fact, this was the first time Kakashi had opened his heart to someone since White Fang's death. Before this, he had never listened to Obito, Rin, or the Third Hokage.
In his view, his father's death proved only one thing: ninjas were machines existing solely to complete missions; comrades? Mere tools. Bonds? A joke.
For the past three years, he had lived like this until today, when Uchiha Mo shattered his long-held beliefs with his actions.
Faced with unknown intelligence, and having single-handedly eliminated a powerful enemy leading a Jonin, Mo's words, though unpleasant to hear, truly entrusted him with the hope of survival. In Kakashi's eyes, Uchiha Mo had crushed his beliefs with his own life, which is why he had opened his heart, desperately hoping for an answer.
The answer doesn't matter; whether it's letting him stick to his old ideas or returning to his original intentions, as long as it helps him out of his confusion, that's fine.
But clearly, Uchiha Mo had no interest in changing Kakashi.
Uchiha Mo paused slightly, turned around and said, "You risked your life to come back just for such a trivial matter? Kakashi, you truly are White Fang's son; father and son are both utterly useless."
Kakashi's pupils contracted, and his body trembled as he clenched his fists, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard.
"What did you say?!"
Although Kakashi's belief is that "those who do not abide by the rules of the ninja world are trash," it does not mean that he can tolerate others humiliating his father in front of him.
"Heh~"
Mo grinned, revealing an extremely mocking smile. "I'm telling you, you and White Fang are both trash!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi could no longer bear it.
He sprang up instantly, drawing the short sword from his back with his right hand and slashing and thrusting, while his left hand unleashed a burst of lightning!
"Hey——!"
In an instant, a crimson light appeared in Mo's dark pupils, and Kakashi's movements slowed down instantly. He raised his hand and grabbed Kakashi's right wrist, and the white light of the blade stopped! But the lightning on Kakashi's left hand was already close to Uchiha Mo's face.
Mo remained calm and showed no sign of panic, because Chidori itself required the Sharingan's dynamic vision to function fully. Kakashi alone could not control this technique, let alone the fact that Chidori was only a half-finished product at this time.
His left hand shot out like lightning, catching Kakashi's right armpit, and then with a powerful over-the-shoulder throw, he sent Kakashi flying!
"So fast!"
Kakashi felt his slash being blocked, and at the same time, a sharp pain came from under his armpit. Then the world spun around him, and he was sent flying!
"Pfft!"
The Chidori instantly pierced through a large tree, and Kakashi was also stuck in the tree along with his left arm.
"Has he been blinded by rage? He actually used such an imperfect, self-destructive technique. What a piece of trash."
In reality, if Kakashi had followed his usual fighting style and used ninjutsu to assist his swordsmanship, he might not have defeated Uchiha Sumi, but he could at least have caused him some trouble. However, Kakashi was clearly blinded by rage at this moment.
Kakashi silently pulled his arm out of the tree, then slumped to the ground like a dog whose bones had been removed, his expression ashen and lifeless.
"..."
Uchiha Mo stared at him for a moment, then suddenly stepped closer.
"Your technique gave me some inspiration. In return, I'll tell you a principle that even a brat from the Uchiha clan understands."
He knelt down in front of Kakashi, his gaze piercing through Kakashi's disheveled white hair and staring straight into Kakashi's eyes.
"Listen, Kakashi."
As the voice faded, Kakashi slowly turned his lifeless eyes and met Uchiha Mo's clean black eyes.
"This world is objective. It won't be lenient towards you just because you're kind, nor will it be cruel to you just because you're evil. So, even though White Fang saved his companion, his companion might still blame his benefactor because of the village's gossip. What consequences will your choices bring? Nobody knows."
"But whether you choose companions or missions, these are just your own guidelines for conduct. What makes us human is that we have our own thoughts and our own consciousness."
"When ideals collide with the barriers of reality, it becomes a test of faith. White Fang's insistence that comrades are more important than missions was not recognized by the world, and he wavered. His way of dealing with it was not to take action, but to choose suicide because he could not accept the facts, leaving you, who was five years old, alone. So, whether as a ninja or a father, he was a coward."
"The beliefs you uphold do not stem from yourself, but from the fate of White Fang. People are influenced by worldly affairs, but Kakashi, you have been completely lost, becoming a continuation of the past."
"They risked their lives, even to the point of suicide, to complete the mission, hoping to prove that white teeth were right or to wash away the stains on white teeth with their own deaths."
"If one person's death can turn your life into a complete mess, how narrow is your perspective on life?"
Chidori is known as the ultimate lightning chakra nature transformation. It is not only powerful, but also has an extremely high degree of plasticity through its shape changes. Sasuke and Kakashi created two completely different systems with it, and this performance is exactly in line with the ability of "fierce fire".
Coincidentally, the creator of Chidori was right in front of Uchiha Mo, and according to the timeline, Chidori should be at least halfway complete by now.
Kakashi slowly composed himself, until the half of his face visible beyond the mask revealed no emotion, before he spoke:
"I didn't expect you to be this strong..."
Kakashi then recalled how he had secretly compared himself to and competed with others...
"He's just an unknown nobody; it's only natural that he lost to me. What are you doing back here? Have you suddenly had a change of heart?"
Upon hearing this, Mo shifted his gaze back to Kakashi's face, his tone indifferent. But Kakashi seemed already accustomed to Mo's coldness; after slightly adjusting his demeanor, he replied:
"You said...only the weak are caught in difficult choices, but I don't think my father was weak, he..."
Kakashi's voice grew increasingly urgent as he spoke, even trembling slightly. However, before he could finish, Mo withdrew his gaze and walked past him, slowly heading towards the woods behind him.
"What a pointless question. Do you want me to lecture you? Kakashi, are you craving a lecture? As a man about to become a Jonin, don't you think you're ridiculous and childish?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi's breath caught in his throat, and the words he was about to say were stuck in his teeth.
In fact, this was the first time Kakashi had opened his heart to someone since White Fang's death. Before this, he had never listened to Obito, Rin, or the Third Hokage.
In his view, his father's death proved only one thing: ninjas were machines existing solely to complete missions; comrades? Mere tools. Bonds? A joke.
For the past three years, he had lived like this until today, when Uchiha Mo shattered his long-held beliefs with his actions.
Faced with unknown intelligence, and having single-handedly eliminated a powerful enemy leading a Jonin, Mo's words, though unpleasant to hear, truly entrusted him with the hope of survival. In Kakashi's eyes, Uchiha Mo had crushed his beliefs with his own life, which is why he had opened his heart, desperately hoping for an answer.
The answer doesn't matter; whether it's letting him stick to his old ideas or returning to his original intentions, as long as it helps him out of his confusion, that's fine.
But clearly, Uchiha Mo had no interest in changing Kakashi.
Uchiha Mo paused slightly, turned around and said, "You risked your life to come back just for such a trivial matter? Kakashi, you truly are White Fang's son; father and son are both utterly useless."
Kakashi's pupils contracted, and his body trembled as he clenched his fists, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard.
"What did you say?!"
Although Kakashi's belief is that "those who do not abide by the rules of the ninja world are trash," it does not mean that he can tolerate others humiliating his father in front of him.
"Heh~"
Mo grinned, revealing an extremely mocking smile. "I'm telling you, you and White Fang are both trash!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakashi could no longer bear it.
He sprang up instantly, drawing the short sword from his back with his right hand and slashing and thrusting, while his left hand unleashed a burst of lightning!
"Hey——!"
In an instant, a crimson light appeared in Mo's dark pupils, and Kakashi's movements slowed down instantly. He raised his hand and grabbed Kakashi's right wrist, and the white light of the blade stopped! But the lightning on Kakashi's left hand was already close to Uchiha Mo's face.
Mo remained calm and showed no sign of panic, because Chidori itself required the Sharingan's dynamic vision to function fully. Kakashi alone could not control this technique, let alone the fact that Chidori was only a half-finished product at this time.
His left hand shot out like lightning, catching Kakashi's right armpit, and then with a powerful over-the-shoulder throw, he sent Kakashi flying!
"So fast!"
Kakashi felt his slash being blocked, and at the same time, a sharp pain came from under his armpit. Then the world spun around him, and he was sent flying!
"Pfft!"
The Chidori instantly pierced through a large tree, and Kakashi was also stuck in the tree along with his left arm.
"Has he been blinded by rage? He actually used such an imperfect, self-destructive technique. What a piece of trash."
In reality, if Kakashi had followed his usual fighting style and used ninjutsu to assist his swordsmanship, he might not have defeated Uchiha Sumi, but he could at least have caused him some trouble. However, Kakashi was clearly blinded by rage at this moment.
Kakashi silently pulled his arm out of the tree, then slumped to the ground like a dog whose bones had been removed, his expression ashen and lifeless.
"..."
Uchiha Mo stared at him for a moment, then suddenly stepped closer.
"Your technique gave me some inspiration. In return, I'll tell you a principle that even a brat from the Uchiha clan understands."
He knelt down in front of Kakashi, his gaze piercing through Kakashi's disheveled white hair and staring straight into Kakashi's eyes.
"Listen, Kakashi."
As the voice faded, Kakashi slowly turned his lifeless eyes and met Uchiha Mo's clean black eyes.
"This world is objective. It won't be lenient towards you just because you're kind, nor will it be cruel to you just because you're evil. So, even though White Fang saved his companion, his companion might still blame his benefactor because of the village's gossip. What consequences will your choices bring? Nobody knows."
"But whether you choose companions or missions, these are just your own guidelines for conduct. What makes us human is that we have our own thoughts and our own consciousness."
"When ideals collide with the barriers of reality, it becomes a test of faith. White Fang's insistence that comrades are more important than missions was not recognized by the world, and he wavered. His way of dealing with it was not to take action, but to choose suicide because he could not accept the facts, leaving you, who was five years old, alone. So, whether as a ninja or a father, he was a coward."
"The beliefs you uphold do not stem from yourself, but from the fate of White Fang. People are influenced by worldly affairs, but Kakashi, you have been completely lost, becoming a continuation of the past."
"They risked their lives, even to the point of suicide, to complete the mission, hoping to prove that white teeth were right or to wash away the stains on white teeth with their own deaths."
"If one person's death can turn your life into a complete mess, how narrow is your perspective on life?"