I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

evening.

The setting sun bathed the teaching building in a dim yellow light.

As Kakashi walked out of the school gate, a hand blocked his way.

It's not blocking the way. It's that kind of posture—standing there, blocking the way, not letting you pass, but not knowing what to say.

Matt Kai.

He stood at the school gate, his tight-fitting clothes soaked with sweat, two blades of grass stuck in his watermelon-shaped haircut, his chest still heaving—clearly he had just finished his last lap and rushed over.

Kakashi stopped and looked at him.

Kai opened his mouth, then closed it. He opened it again, then closed it again.

Kakashi waited for three seconds, then walked past Guy and went forward.

"..."

"If you're going to leave, you'll have to have a match with Shogobi."

Kai finally let out what he had been holding back all the way.

Kakashi paused in his tracks.

"Otherwise, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Kai's voice wasn't loud, but it was very serious. He was serious unlike his usual self, the one who only knew how to yell and shout.

Kakashi didn't speak immediately.

The setting sun shone on his face, and his eyes squinted slightly.

He fought against Uchiha Sakugo.

Of course he had thought about it.

I've been thinking about this since the day of the entrance exam.

That perfect score, that name that weighed heavily on him, that person who was always indifferent in the classroom—

How could he not want to?

but--

Kakashi continued walking forward.

"He is at the Uchiha headquarters. Outsiders are not allowed to enter."

His tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Kai hesitated for a moment, then chased after him.

"So, we'll just leave it at that?"

"It's not that I'm forgetting."

Kakashi didn't stop.

"It's because we don't want to break the Uchiha clan rules and cause unnecessary trouble."

He was telling the truth.

Outsiders were never allowed to enter the Uchiha compound at will. His reckless intrusion to challenge the Uchiha clan head's nephew—regardless of the outcome—would be used against him. He didn't want to cause trouble for his father.

Kai fell silent.

He didn't understand these things. He didn't know anything about clan rules or causing trouble. He only knew one thing—if Kakashi left like this, there might never be another chance.

"But--"

"Kai".

Kakashi stopped and turned to look at him.

"Do you think that person in the classroom is the real entity?"

Kai was stunned.

"What...does that mean?"

Kakashi did not explain.

He simply looked up and glanced in the direction of the Uchiha camp.

That guy has never taken school seriously since day one.

The shadow clone sat in the classroom, while the real body was cultivating somewhere unknown.

Uchiha Sakugo didn't need a school for a long time.

The only difference is that he didn't apply for early graduation.

Kakashi looked away.

"Let's go."

He turned around, ready to leave.

"I'll take you in."

A voice came from behind.

They both turned around at the same time.

Obito Uchiha stood on the steps at the school gate, clutching his scabbard. He had just come from the school's training grounds, his goggles pushed up to his forehead, and his face was still covered in sweat.

He glanced at Kakashi, then at Guy.

"You two were whispering to each other at the school gate, thinking no one could tell?"

Kakashi frowned.

"Obito—"

"If you really want to fight Shuoge, I'll go and pass on the message for you."

Obito's tone was straightforward, as if he were talking about something perfectly normal.

Kai's eyes widened.

"You...you're willing to help us?"

"I'm not helping you."

Obito jumped down the steps and walked up to the two of them.

He glanced at Kakashi.

"I just don't want to see some people leave with regrets."

Kakashi didn't say anything.

Obito snorted and looked away.

"And—I also want to see just how strong that guy Shuoge really is."

His voice lowered, as if he were talking to himself.

"That guy, he's from the same clan as me, and I don't even know how strong he is..."

After Obito finished speaking, he slung the shuriken pouch over his shoulder.

"Let's go. I'll take you inside."

He turned and walked towards the Uchiha camp.

He took two steps, then turned back.

"You two, keep up!"

Kai paused for a moment, then grinned.

"oh!"

He followed in stride.

Kakashi stood still, watching the backs of the two people in front of him.

The setting sun cast long shadows on them.

A green bodysuit and a pair of goggles.

One is a hot-blooded idiot, the other is an impulsive moron.

He stood there for a while.

Then take a step.

They followed.

……

……

……

Uchiha headquarters, training ground.

The moonlight spilled across the open space, casting long shadows of the two people.

Uchiha Sakugo stood in the center of the field, without a sword in his hand. His long sword was stuck in a tree trunk ten paces away, its scabbard still covered with wood shavings left from cutting ironwood earlier that day.

Kakashi Hatake stood opposite him, a kunai in his hand, his eyes beneath his headband fixed on Sakugo. This was the opponent he had long awaited, the one who had surpassed him in the entrance exam, the genius of the Uchiha clan—and now he stood before him, empty-handed.

"Without a knife?"

Kakashi's voice was somewhat deep.

"Need not."

Shuo Ge's answer was indifferent.

Kakashi paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the long sword on the tree trunk. "You're underestimating me."

"No," Shuoge looked at him, "I just wanted to see how far I could go without a knife."

Kakashi didn't say anything more. He understood—this person wasn't letting him win, but testing his limits.

Suffering cannot break through the void.

Kakashi's attack came without warning. A kunai flew past Sakugo's ear, severing a few strands of hair and embedding itself in the tree trunk behind him. In the same instant, Kakashi was already in front of Sakugo—he hadn't expected the kunai to hit; it was just a feint.

The real killer move is the knee.

Shuoge turned to the side, his knee brushing against the hem of Shuoge's clothes.

The moment Kakashi landed, he swung his elbow at the back of Sakugo's neck. Sakugo didn't turn around, but simply lowered his head slightly, the elbow whistling past his head. Then he moved, stepping into Kakashi's arms and slamming his shoulder into him.

boom.

Kakashi was knocked back three steps, his feet carving two shallow furrows in the mud. He steadied himself and looked at Sakugo—this man hadn't retreated a single step from the beginning.

"Is all you can do to hide?"

"It's not about hiding," Shuoge said. "It's about observing."

"Observe what?"

"To see how much you weigh."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He threw away his kunai and formed hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Technique".

*Thump thump.* Two Kakashis appeared in front of Sakugo. Three figures rushed forward simultaneously, one from the front, two from the sides. Their coordination was perfect, and their angles were tricky.

Shuoge didn't retreat. His body shot out like a bow—a punch slammed into the chest of the clone in front of him, and the clone vanished with a thud. He turned and swept his leg to the left, kicking away the second clone. The kunai on his right was already piercing his ribs.

Sakugo's palm struck Kakashi's wrist at the last moment, altering the trajectory of the kunai.

The blade sliced ​​through the sleeve, taking away a wisp of fabric.

Kakashi didn't stop; he switched the kunai to his left hand and slashed across Kakashi's throat. Sakugo leaned back, the kunai passing just above his nose, and then his foot was already kicking Kakashi's shin.

Kakashi staggered and knelt on one knee. Sakugo's hand stopped three inches in front of him. He didn't strike.

"Is this the end?"

Kakashi looked up. Moonlight shone on Sakugo, whose breathing was steady, and whose clothes were only slightly torn.

Kakashi stood up and brushed the mud off his knees. He didn't speak, only glanced at the knife on the tree trunk. The man hadn't touched the knife at all.

He had already used kunai, shadow clones, and every other means at his disposal.

A draw?

No. He knew he had lost.

"You're very strong." Kakashi's voice was calm, but earnest.

Shuoge did not speak.

"Next time, bring a knife." Kakashi turned around. "I don't want to fight these pointless battles anymore."

He took two steps, then suddenly stopped. "Why don't you apply for early graduation? There's nothing left to learn at school."

Shuoge was silent for a moment. "It's not time yet."

Kakashi didn't ask any further questions and continued walking. After a few steps, he stopped again. This time, he didn't look back.

"Kai." His voice drifted on the night breeze, "I also look forward to fighting you."

After saying that, he left.

At the edge of the training field, Kai stood there the whole time, without saying a word. He saw it all—two figures intersecting, separating, and intersecting again in the moonlight. He saw Sakugo blocking all of Kakashi's attacks with his bare hands. He saw Kakashi's last glance—at the sword that had never been drawn.

Kai clenched his fist. That image was etched into his mind. Not an attack, but a target. A target higher than Kakashi.

Shuoge walked to the tree trunk and drew his long sword. He didn't stop as he passed Kai.

"Did you see it clearly?"

Kai paused for a moment, then chased after him. "You...you're not using a knife because you're afraid of hurting Kakashi?"

Shuoge paused for a moment. "It's not that I'm afraid of hurting him."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's not time to use a knife yet."

"When will you arrive?"

Shuoge did not answer. He looked up at the night sky; the moon was round and bright.

War is coming.

When using a knife, it won't be too far.

Kai stood there, watching Sakugo's figure disappear into the night. He remembered what Kakashi had said when he left.

"I also look forward to fighting you."

"I won't let you down, Kakashi!"

Kai clenched his fists, turned, and ran towards the playground. Five hundred laps, a thousand push-ups, a thousand leg kicks. He hadn't finished for today.

-

Kakashi's figure disappeared into the night. Guy's footsteps also faded into the distance.

Only Sakugo and Obito remained on the training ground.

Moonlight shone on the empty ground, and a gust of wind blew, stirring up a fine cloud of dust. Obito was still standing there, his sword pouch clutched to his chest, as if he had forgotten to put it down. His gaze shifted back and forth between the sword and the scar on the tree trunk, his lips moved, then closed again.

Shuoge didn't say anything. He simply hung the long sword back on his back and patted the spot on his sleeve that had been torn by the kunai.

Silence spread like water.

"Um..." Obito finally spoke, his voice half as soft as usual, "You really didn't use a knife just now."

"Um."

"Kakashi is actually quite strong."

"Um."

Obito opened his mouth, but then didn't know what to say. He scratched the back of his head, his goggles were askew, and he hurriedly straightened them.

"Aren't you going back?" Shuoge asked.

"Huh? Oh, go back. Go back right away."

Obito turned and took two steps, then stopped. He glanced back at Sakugo and hesitated for a moment.

"Um... are you coming to training tomorrow?"

"Come."

"Oh. Well... see you tomorrow."

"Um."

Obito, clutching his sword pouch, jogged away. After running a dozen steps, he turned back and waved.

Shuoge did not respond, but simply stood there, watching the figure disappear into the alley of the Uchiha compound.

A night breeze rustled the leaves. Shuoge looked up at the moon; it was round and bright.

Uchiha Obito —

Sakugo knew what this person would become in the future—he would die in a war, give his eyes to Kakashi, crawl out of hell, and plunge the entire ninja world into war.

But that's for later.

The current Obito is just an ordinary kid who would linger a little longer at the training ground, stop Kakashi at the school gate, and clumsily relay messages for outsiders.

A kind-hearted fool who helps old ladies cross the street, gets nagged by Rin for being late, and shouts "I'm the one who's going to become Hokage!" at Kakashi's back.

Sakugo withdrew his gaze and walked towards home. He didn't need to do anything to Obito now. He was confident he could change that future. He was also confident—to suppress it.

In the alley, Obito's figure had long since disappeared. A few barks came from afar, then silence returned. The moonlight cast a long shadow of Sakugo as he walked, step by step, steady and resolute.

……

……

……

The news of Kakashi passing his graduation exam spread on a rainy day.

"Passed with full marks. Full marks in practical combat, written test, and ninjutsu."

The news spread from the teachers' office to the classrooms, and then from the classrooms throughout the entire grade.

Everyone fell silent.

It wasn't shocking—it was taken for granted.

Kakashi graduating early was inevitable, and achieving a perfect score was also inevitable. But when that day finally arrived, everyone realized that the silver-haired figure hadn't appeared in the classroom for several days.

Kai didn't go running that day. He sat by the track, rainwater streaming down his head, indistinguishable between rain and something else. He held a stone in his hand, grinding a kunai back and forth. He ground it for a long time.

Obito didn't react in any particular way. But when he was daydreaming in class, he would habitually glance to the side—Kakashi's seat was empty, the desk was completely bare, as if no one had ever sat there.

"That guy, he really got away cleanly," Obito muttered, burying his face in his arms.

Lin didn't reply. She simply wiped Kakashi's desk, then opened her textbook and turned to the page the teacher was currently lecturing on.

The days continued to move forward.

Kakashi's name would occasionally reach the school. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, just bits and pieces of news.

"I heard Kakashi has completed five more D-rank missions."

"Only one week? Five?"

"After all, he's Kakashi."

Later, the news changed.

"Kakashi has participated in a C-rank mission."

"Rank C? Doesn't that mean we have to leave the village?"

"It seems to be escorting a caravan; the round trip should only take two or three days."

"Two or three days is still leaving the village... How old is he?"

No one answered the question. But from then on, the topics of conversation during breaks quietly changed. Before, people talked about whose kunai was the most accurate, whose transformation technique was the most realistic. Now they talked about the situation at the border, the movements of Iwagakure, and those upperclassmen who would never return.

Kakashi's name is mentioned less and less. It's not that people have forgotten him, but rather that they've begun to feel that his world is no longer the same as theirs.

Kai still runs laps every day. Five hundred laps, a thousand push-ups, a thousand leg kicks. Only occasionally, after finishing the last lap, he would stand by the track and glance at the school gate. It was empty; there was no one there.

Summer is almost over. The cicadas' chirping grows weaker each day, and the leaves are beginning to turn yellow. On the ninja academy's training ground, that green-skinned figure is still running. Lap after lap. As if chasing something, or perhaps waiting for someone.

And that person probably won't come back.