New Paths

Minato and Kushina watched Kakashi intently. He took a deep breath and focused his gaze on Minato. “First, I want to apologize to you. I’m sorry!” he said firmly. “I shouldn’t have just disappeared without speaking to you one last time. That wasn’t fair to you.”

Minato immediately straightened up and offered Kakashi an encouraging smile. “You don’t need to apologize. Really, it’s okay. The most important thing is that you came back safely.”

Kushina sighed and nudged Minato in the side, rolling her eyes. “Be honest with him, Minato. He’s old enough to hear the truth. Just tell him you were disappointed that he went behind your back and that you were seriously worried about him. Kakashi’s apology is more than justified.”

Minato let out a quiet sigh and leaned back into the sofa while Kakashi averted his gaze. He knew his sensei wouldn’t openly admit it, even if he was disappointed. Minato had always been that way—even in the future, he had never outright said when Kakashi had let him down, even though there must have been plenty of moments. But Minato cared too much about him to make him feel bad. Instead, he always tried to encourage and support him, no matter what.

Kakashi had never really shown Minato how much he meant to him or how grateful he was that Minato had stayed by his side—especially after the tragic failure of his father’s mission. Instead of expressing his gratitude, he had withdrawn, closed himself off, and kept his sensei at a distance. But despite his aloof nature, Minato remained patient, took care of him, and never left him alone. Only after Minato’s death did Kakashi realize how much his sensei had done for him and how deeply he had truly valued him—just as he had Kushina.

“She’s right, Sensei. You don’t have to go easy on me,” Kakashi said calmly, looking back at Minato. “You can be honest with me—I can handle it.”

Minato remained silent for a moment before sighing softly and lowering his head slightly. “Kushina is right,” he finally admitted. “I was disappointed, Kakashi. And I was worried about you—even knowing that Orochimaru was with you and that your father was likely watching over you. I thought we were a team. That we worked together.” His gaze found Kakashi’s again, filled with sincere emotion.

Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking quietly, “I hope you can forgive me—even if not right away.” His eyes briefly flickered to Kushina before returning to Minato. “From now on, I won’t shut you out anymore… no, I won’t shut either of you out. I’ve realized that I need help and that I’m in serious trouble.” His voice was calm but resolute as he met Minato’s gaze unwaveringly. His sensei looked back at him with clear concern.

It was no exaggeration—Kakashi truly needed help. He still didn’t know what Orochimaru intended to do with the information about his Sharingan. Perhaps he had already gone to Danzo and reported everything. If that were the case, Kakashi was in serious danger. Danzo would set his sights on him—more than he already had. He would want to uncover why Kakashi possessed the Sharingan and how he had obtained it. And in his current condition, Kakashi had little chance of evading him. With this weakened body, escaping Danzo would be impossible. And that man had no scruples—he wouldn’t hesitate to send his ANBU after him.

“What’s going on, Kakashi?” Minato asked in a serious tone, leaning slightly forward. His gaze hardened as he realized that this was something truly important.

Kakashi took a deep breath before he began to speak. “I told you that Obito died on an important mission. But what I haven’t told you yet is that, in his final moments, he gave me a gift.” He paused briefly, carefully choosing his words. “Just before he died, he awakened his Sharingan and entrusted it to me. To explain it better—before Obito’s accident, my left eye was severely injured in battle. As a farewell gift for my promotion to Jonin, Obito gave me his left Sharingan.”

Kushina’s eyes widened in disbelief for a moment. “Obito gave you his Sharingan?! How did the Uchiha react to that? I can’t imagine they just accepted it.”

Kakashi nodded slightly. “Let’s just say it wasn’t easy. The Uchiha weren’t exactly thrilled, but that’s not the most important thing right now. We can discuss that later, but first, I need to explain what happened before I go into what occurred on the front lines.”

He took a deep breath and continued. “During the Fourth Great Ninja War, many years later, we discovered that Obito hadn’t actually died on that mission. Instead, he stood against us as an enemy.” Kakashi paused briefly before continuing. “I know you have a lot of questions, but please be patient. I’ll explain everything step by step.”

He leaned forward slightly. “To make it short: in the end, Obito returned to our side and fought with us. But ultimately… he died.” Kakashi lowered his gaze for a moment before speaking again in a calm voice. “Before he left us, he once again transferred his Sharingan to me with the last of his chakra. With his power, we were able to end the war.”

Minato sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned forward slightly. “That’s a lot to take in at once, and I have to admit, I still have many questions. But I assume you’re not just telling us this story for no reason.” He paused for a moment before looking at Kakashi with a serious expression. “So, what exactly happened on the front lines that made you tell us this now?”

Kakashi nodded solemnly and lowered his gaze. “Our troops were in a difficult position—the enemy had positioned themselves strategically perfectly. A direct attack would have cost us many lives, so my father decided against it. But the pressure from others kept growing. So, I suggested a diversionary tactic and volunteered for it. My father was anything but pleased, but the council supported the plan. In the end, it was decided that I would carry out the mission alone.”

Before Kakashi could continue, Kushina interrupted him. “Why did you volunteer? You’re supposed to take care of yourself!” she scolded, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Kakashi sighed and lowered his head. “I had to do it. I couldn’t let my father make the same mistake again,” he murmured, then added quietly, “I can’t and won’t lose him again.” His hands clenched into fists in his lap. The thought of losing his father the same way again was unbearable to him.

Minato gently placed a hand on Kushina’s thigh to calm her and gave Kakashi an encouraging smile. “And then what happened?” he asked patiently.

Kakashi shook off the thoughts creeping into his mind and refocused on the conversation. “To keep it brief—the diversion worked, and our troops were able to attack. But as I tried to retreat, I was spotted by enemy shinobi and pursued. While escaping, I fell down a slope and got my leg trapped. Before I could free myself, they had already surrounded me.”

He paused for a moment, his voice lowering slightly. “Just as they were about to attack me, my father appeared and saved me, defeating the enemy shinobi. But before we could escape, more opponents arrived. They attacked us, and my father was injured. They wanted to kill him and capture me when…” Kakashi trailed off, his gaze shifting to the window. “I awakened the Sharingan—and managed to defeat them.”

Kushina and Minato stared at him, eyes wide with shock, completely speechless. A moment of silence stretched between them until Kushina audibly sucked in a breath.

“That’s impossible! How can that be? You’re not an Uchiha—awakening the Sharingan on your own should be impossible!” Her voice was a mix of disbelief and concern.

Kakashi gave a slight nod and offered Kushina a tense smile. “That’s exactly part of my problem. I have no idea why I awakened the Sharingan—let alone how to control it. After the fight, I passed out from exhaustion, and when I woke up, it was deactivated. But the strange thing is… in the future, I was never able to turn it off, and now it seems like I have no control over it at all.”

Minato leaned forward thoughtfully, rubbing his hands together. “If you can’t control it, it could activate at any moment. That could be a serious problem, especially if someone notices. You have no plausible explanation, and the Uchiha definitely wouldn’t take it lightly that you suddenly have a Sharingan.” His brows furrowed as he considered the situation. Then he lifted his gaze back to Kakashi. “But you said that’s only part of the problem. What’s the other part?”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair with a small grin. “And this is the far more troubling part. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw Orochimaru arriving to help. I’m pretty sure he saw everything—my fight and the Sharingan.” He paused briefly before continuing. “Before you ask—no, I haven’t had the chance to talk to him. My father hasn’t let me out of his sight for a second, and Orochimaru himself has been deliberately keeping his distance from me ever since.”

Kushina and Minato watched Kakashi closely. Worry was evident in Kushina’s eyes, while Minato’s gaze remained calm but carried a hint of underlying tension. Kakashi knew his sensei immediately grasped the weight of the situation.

Minato let out a slow breath, leaned back, and tilted his head up. “If Orochimaru saw it, we have to assume that Danzo already knows as well. And that puts you in serious danger.”

Kushina glanced at Minato briefly before turning back to Kakashi. “Danzo will want to find out exactly how you got the Sharingan. He won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get to you.”

Kakashi nodded seriously. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I’m already on Danzo’s list—he wants to use me to get to my father and prevent him from becoming the next Hokage. But if Orochimaru gives him this information, I’ll be completely at his mercy.” He averted his gaze and added quietly, “The way I am now, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him. In my current state, I wouldn’t even be able to fight back.”

Minato’s eyes widened in surprise as he immediately turned his gaze to Kakashi. Kushina also looked at him in shock. “You’re seriously thinking about fighting Danzo?” Minato asked in disbelief.

Kakashi slowly nodded, his eyes lowering to the floor. The thought of facing Danzo had been haunting him ever since he returned to the past. Especially after Pakkun had suggested that Danzo might have been responsible for his father’s suicide. Kakashi couldn’t just ignore that. He wouldn’t allow Danzo to go unpunished. One day, he would face him—and hold him accountable for everything he had done.

“This time, I’ll be the one to stop him.” Kakashi’s voice was calm, but there was an unwavering determination behind his words. “I’m certain he’s responsible for my father’s suicide. I have no concrete proof, but I know Danzo—his methods, his intentions. As Hokage, I read countless reports. I know exactly what he’s capable of.”

His fists clenched unconsciously as he continued. “He is a serious threat to the future, and it’s up to me to stop him.” Kakashi kept his gaze on the floor, his mind racing with all the things he knew about Danzo—and all the things he still needed to uncover.

Kushina sighed and leaned back. “At least you realize that you don’t stand a chance against him right now. Otherwise, I’d be afraid you’d run off to confront him this very moment.” Her voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed her concern.

Then her tone grew more serious. “You do realize you’d be getting yourself into even bigger trouble, right? Even if you managed to defeat him—which is far from certain—you’d be arrested and charged with the murder of a village elder. That would be the end for you.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t let revenge drive you, Kakashi. Even if you’re right, it won’t get you anywhere. Haven’t you got enough problems already?”

Kakashi bit his lip, keeping his gaze lowered. He was well aware of the consequences—and he was prepared to accept them. But Kushina was right. For now, there were more pressing issues, and fighting Danzo at this moment would be pointless. He wasn’t strong enough. Not yet.

“Maybe for now, we should focus on your Sharingan and Orochimaru. That’s already a big enough challenge,” Minato suggested calmly, deliberately leaving the topic of Danzo untouched.

Kakashi furrowed his brow slightly. He had expected his sensei to say something more, but Minato let the subject rest. Maybe that was for the best—for now. So, he gave a small nod and turned his gaze to him. “I need to find a way to talk to Orochimaru and figure out what he’s planning.”

Minato nodded seriously and leaned slightly forward. “How sure are you that he actually saw everything? There’s a chance he only arrived after it was already over.”

“I’m absolutely sure,” Kakashi replied, sitting up straighter. “A few days after the incident, when I was conscious again, Orochimaru came to see my father and spoke with him. He claimed that he was the one who defeated the enemies and that he arrived just in time. But I know he was lying. He was standing right in front of me—we made eye contact. He must have seen the Sharingan.”

Minato hummed thoughtfully and gazed out the window. “So we can be certain that he knows,” he concluded, pausing for a moment before continuing. “We have to assume that by now, he’s already spoken to Danzo and told him everything. That means we need to stay vigilant—especially you. You shouldn’t be out alone, particularly at night.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Kushina nodded in agreement. “Now the real question is why your Sharingan activated in the first place and how we can make sure you can control it. No one else should find out about this—it would only put you in even greater danger,” she said, furrowing her brows in thought. “You mentioned that Obito helped you with his chakra before he died. Maybe some of his chakra remains within you, and that triggered the activation. The only question is, why now? I assume nothing like this ever happened in the future?”

Kakashi slowly shook his head. “No.” He let out a quiet sigh and took a deep breath. “If there really are traces of Obito’s chakra still inside me, that could explain why my Sharingan awakened at that exact moment. Obito awakened his to protect his team—and I was willing to do anything to save my father. But that doesn’t help me figure out how to control it.” He furrowed his brows and continued in a serious tone, “I have to make sure no one else sees it. Especially when we’re on missions with Rin and Obito. Or in front of my father.”

“Have you ever considered telling your father everything?” Minato asked calmly. “Doesn’t he have a right to know? He’s your father—he’ll want to help you and, most importantly, protect you.”

Kakashi shook his head. “I can’t tell him. He already has enough problems.” He deliberately left out the fact that, during the mission, he had come close to revealing everything. But now, he had decided against it. He didn’t want to burden his father even more—especially not by telling him anything about his future. “I’ll tell him one day,” he added quietly. “But only when the time is right.”

Kushina sighed and shook her head. “There will never be a perfect time, Kakashi. I don’t know why you’re avoiding it, but you shouldn’t wait too long.”

Kakashi pressed his lips together and looked away. “I’m not here to argue about that. I need your help.”

Minato offered a reassuring smile. “Just think about it. And of course, we’ll help you.” His expression grew more serious. “First, we need to speak with Orochimaru and find out what he’s planning. Then, we need to understand what’s happening with your Sharingan—and hopefully find a way to control it.”

“Tomorrow, I’m meeting with Mikoto. Maybe I can casually bring up the topic of the Sharingan,” Kushina suggested. “It won’t be easy, and I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a try.”

Kakashi nodded slightly and sighed tiredly. “I hope I can talk to Orochimaru soon. But honestly, I have little hope that he hasn’t already spoken with Danzo.” Slowly, he closed his eyes, feeling exhaustion creeping over him.

“Maybe we should call it a night and get some rest. I’ll think everything over, and don’t worry—we won’t leave you alone,” Minato said as he stood up.

Slowly, Kakashi got to his feet and looked at Minato gratefully. “Thank you.” His gaze shifted to Kushina, who gave him a gentle nod and a soft smile. “I should head home before my father notices I’m gone.”

Kushina stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry too much, we’ll figure this out.” Her voice was firm, and her words were accompanied by an encouraging smile. Then, she let go and turned slightly away. “Let Minato take you home. It’s best not to take unnecessary risks.”

Kakashi rolled his eyes but decided against arguing. Instead, he simply nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” A faint smile flickered across his face.

“Thanks for taking the time to talk and listen to me. See you next time.” With that, he turned to Minato, who smiled at him patiently and gave a nod of agreement. Kakashi returned the gesture, and together, they set off.

They moved in silence across Konoha’s rooftops, their movements soundless in the cool night air. Only when they neared the Hatake estate did they pause, landing together on a sturdy tree branch. From there, they observed the house—it was still and dark. It seemed his father was in a deep sleep and hadn’t noticed Kakashi was gone at all.

“Kakashi?” Minato said quietly, crouching beside him. Kakashi hummed in acknowledgment and turned his gaze to his sensei. Once he had his full attention, Minato continued, “I’m really glad you came to us and asked for help. I know that’s not easy for you.”

Kakashi smiled slightly beneath his mask and lowered his gaze. It was true—asking for help had always been difficult for him. He preferred to handle his problems alone, to keep others out of it, and, most of all, to protect them.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said casually, waving it off before looking at Minato. Then his expression grew serious. “But you have to promise me that you’ll take care of yourself and Kushina.” His voice was calm but firm as his eyes drifted back to the house. Worry gnawed at him—if Danzo set his sights on him, he wouldn’t hesitate to target those close to him as well.

Minato raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. He took a deep breath, exhaling as his shoulders relaxed slightly. “Stop worrying about me or Kushina. Trust me, no one will get to her—I’ll make sure of that.” His gaze followed Kakashi’s toward the house before he continued firmly, “And I’ll make sure no one gets to you either.”

Kakashi knew Minato was serious and would do everything in his power to protect them. But he also understood the danger Danzo posed all too well—and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to be put in danger because of him. Deciding to drop the subject, he stretched slightly. “We shouldn’t worry too much. Everything will be fine.”

Minato nodded in agreement, pausing for a moment before speaking again. “I want to ask you to always keep my kunai with you and let me know immediately if you need help.”

Kakashi smiled, reached into his weapon pouch, and pulled out one of Minato’s kunai. “I already told you, you don’t need to worry about me.” Slowly, he lowered his hand and cast his gaze downward. “Thanks… really,” he murmured.

Minato smiled and placed a hand on Kakashi’s head. “Stop saying thank you all the time. We’ll figure this out together.” He ruffled Kakashi’s hair before pulling his hand away. Kakashi huffed in protest and quickly fixed his hair while Minato continued, “You need to keep me updated as soon as you hear anything or take any action.”

Kakashi nodded seriously. “I’ll spend the next few days talking to Orochimaru—that’s long overdue. After that, I’ll decide what to do next. I need to find out what he’s planning.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Minato asked.

“It’s probably best if I speak with him alone first. If anything happens, I’ll signal for help,” Kakashi explained, looking at Minato. “To be honest, I’m not sure if he’s already spoken with Danzo. If my suspicions are right, I might still be able to prevent it.”

Minato nodded slightly, his brow furrowing. “I’ve had the same thought. If Danzo knew something, he would’ve let you know by now—or he’d already have you under surveillance.”

Kakashi frowned, pressing a hand against the tree. “I’ve been very observant over the past few days. I haven’t noticed anything that suggests I’m being followed. Of course, these are highly trained shinobi who know how to stay hidden, but I also know how the Anbu operate. Maybe I’ll get lucky and convince Orochimaru to keep it to himself.”

“Maybe…” Minato murmured, gazing thoughtfully at the sky. “But we shouldn’t rely on that too much.”

Kakashi nodded, knowing his sensei was right. Convincing the Sannin wouldn’t be easy—if not outright impossible. But if there was even the slightest chance, Kakashi would take it. In the worst-case scenario, he was prepared to make a deal with Orochimaru. After all, Kakashi possessed plenty of information about the Sannin and might be able to pressure him into a mutual silence.

But for tonight, they should let the topic rest. “You should head home. Otherwise, Kushina will start worrying. I’ll keep you updated,” Kakashi said.

Minato nodded in agreement and stood up from his crouch. “You’re probably right. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. I’ll wait until you’re inside, then I’ll leave.”

Kakashi nodded and leaped to another tree, but Minato stopped him.

“And Kakashi?”

Kakashi turned, looking at him questioningly.

“Sleep well, Kashi!”

Kakashi stared at Minato for a moment before allowing a small smile to form. “You too, Minato-sensei!” Then he turned and made his way toward the house. His mind was filled with thoughts he needed to organize first. The most important thing was to develop a strategy for how to approach Orochimaru. A lot depended on that conversation, and Kakashi knew he couldn’t afford to wait much longer—time was running out.