"What the hell now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed on instinct. This shit kept happening, and every single time it was bad news.
"Lord Hokage, the latest Ninja World Big Events Weekly has an interview with Kakashi. He says he's still alive—but not in Konoha. The Kakashi walking around the Leaf is a fake."
Hiruzen's mind exploded with a loud, sickening boom.
It felt like something had detonated inside his skull.
For a moment his consciousness drifted. His body swayed, barely staying upright.
The ANBU lunged forward and grabbed his arm.
"Lord Hokage! Are you alright?"
Alright? How the fuck could he be alright?
Hiruzen snapped back to reality. It felt like he'd been dropped into an ice bath.
Kakashi wasn't dead?
He'd given an interview to the Ninja World Big Events Weekly?
And he was calling the Kakashi in Konoha a fake?
Hiruzen didn't even want to imagine what would happen once that paper spread. The rumors. The accusations. The damage to his reputation.
It was going to be catastrophic.
"Why? Why is this happening?"
"Why is Kakashi still alive?"
"Danzo… was this part of your plan too?"
"You absolute bastard!"
Hiruzen rushed back to his office with the Weekly clutched in his hand. He sat down, spread the paper flat on the desk, but couldn't bring himself to look at it right away.
He took a deep breath, clinging to the pathetic hope that maybe he'd imagined the whole thing.
Then he opened his eyes.
The words were right there. Exactly what the ANBU had said.
Kakashi was alive. He'd spoken to Sunagakure's reporters. He'd personally confirmed that the Kakashi in Konoha was an impostor.
"Kakashi!"
"Even if you're still breathing, you didn't have to do this."
"Do you really hate me that much?"
"I never ordered your death. Danzo acted on his own."
"Couldn't you at least think about the village for once? Even if you don't give a damn about me?"
The moment the new Weekly hit the streets, the entire ninja world erupted.
"Kakashi really is alive. Just not the one in Konoha. That guy's a fake."
"What does that tell you? It tells you the Leaf tried to kill him. Why else would he run straight to Sunagakure for an interview?"
"Because he hates the Leaf. Obviously."
"He gave everything for that village and they tried to murder him. That's some sick irony."
"This proves the White Fang rumor was true all along."
"Otherwise why the hell would they try to kill Kakashi now?"
"They're scared he'll come back for revenge. Plain and simple."
People talked like the White Fang scandal and Kakashi's attempted murder were settled facts.
"I used to actually like the Leaf. What a joke."
"I can't believe Hiruzen Sarutobi is this kind of man."
"He'll destroy his own people just to protect his power? And this guy's been Hokage for decades?"
"The Leaf must be rotten to the core by now."
"From now on I'm giving my missions to any other village. Screw Konoha."
Some laughed openly at the Leaf's incompetence.
"Konoha can't even kill one guy named Kakashi? They let him escape and now he's exposing their dirty laundry?"
"Exactly. Kakashi's a genius, sure, but he's not that strong yet. How the hell did they fail to finish him off?"
"Maybe the ANBU they sent couldn't bring himself to do it," someone suggested. "Kakashi's already been through enough. Maybe some Leaf ninja still have a conscience."
Kakashi would've laughed in their faces if he'd heard that.
He knew exactly what kind of monster Danzo was. He remembered how vicious those Wind Release attacks had been. If the Akatsuki hadn't shown up when they did, Danzo would've turned him into bloody chunks.
Conscience?
Everyone had one.
Except Danzo.
"What's Konoha gonna do now?"
Everyone waited for the Leaf's response—specifically Hiruzen's.
Iwagakure.
Ōnoki sat across from Kitsuchi. Even though he wasn't thrilled with his son's performance lately, blood was still blood. Kitsuchi was the one he actually wanted to succeed him.
"Kitsuchi. What do you think?"
Kitsuchi thought for a moment.
"I think the Leaf's gonna deny everything."
"Deny it?"
"Yeah. They'll say the interview's fake. Even if Kakashi is alive, they'll claim the one in the Weekly is the impostor and the one walking around Konoha is the real deal."
Ōnoki nodded slowly.
"Not bad. Stonewall it. Let both Kakashis exist at the same time. People will still talk, but at least the narrative won't be one-sided."
"And they can send assassins to finish the job on the real Kakashi this time."
Kitsuchi had another thought.
"Father, should we send people to protect Kakashi? A living Kakashi keeps hurting the Leaf. That works in our favor."
Ōnoki shook his head.
"No need. Sunagakure will guard him like a treasure. We don't lift a finger. We just wait."
"We don't know why Sunagakure keeps provoking the Leaf, but if those two villages actually go to war, Iwagakure can pick up the pieces."
"No point making an enemy of Konoha right now."
"Instead, we focus on digging up every secret Sunagakure is hiding."
"They've got way too many."
Kumogakure.
The Fourth Raikage suddenly stood up.
"I've made up my mind!"
Bee looked confused.
"Lord Raikage? Mind telling me what you decided?"
The Raikage's voice was iron.
"Now's the perfect time to hit Konoha. They're tangled up with Sunagakure and Kakashi just stabbed them in the back. The whole village is in chaos."
"This is our best shot at stealing the Byakugan."
"Mist pulled the same move once and got away with it."
"If they can do it, we sure as hell can."
"Bee, you're in charge of the plan. Make it fast."
Bee hesitated for half a second, then nodded.
"Yes, Lord Raikage."
The Raikage watched Bee leave, then clenched his fist and stared out the window.
"The Byakugan belongs to Kumogakure."
"That damn eye has hurt us too many times. The only way to stop fearing it… is to have it ourselves."