The sound of a black umbrella tearing through the curtain of rain snapped Kakashi out of his overwhelming grief.
"Reki, why are you here?" He saw the raindrops frozen on the other boy's eyelashes and his knuckles turned white from gripping the umbrella handle.
Uchiha Reki leaned the black umbrella obliquely against the gravestone, letting the chilly drizzle wet his shoulders.
He withdrew a bouquet of bellflower blossoms covered in morning dew from his wide sleeves. The pale purple petals fell upon the carved characters of "Hatake Sakumo", as if tying a scarf around the cold stone monument.
"Because Senior Hatake Sakumo has always been my idol."
Kakashi's pupils shrank sharply. Aside from himself, was there really a second person in the world who idolized his father?
He suddenly recalled that on the very day his father died, Uchiha Reki had squeezed out from the crowd in this exact same manner, paying no heed to everyone's astonished gazes, and placed a bouquet of flowers before his father's gravestone.
"Li-kun, if it's convenient, please come with me."
With that, Kakashi turned and walked away, and Uchiha Reki followed without the slightest hesitation.
The two of them walked one after the other in this fashion, while Uchiha Reki explained the ins and outs of the situation to Senju Hashirama inside his body.
Senju Hashirama's pupils shook violently; he simply could not comprehend why such a thing could happen in Konoha.
A ninja who had protected his comrades actually became the target of universal condemnation, and among those people were even two individuals whom he had saved.
What was even more unbelievable was that right up until Hatake Sakumo committed suicide, the Konoha higher-ups did not utter a single word on behalf of this veteran with towering military achievements.
They didn't even hold a funeral, choosing instead to bury him secretly in the dead of night.
"That idiot Monkey, what on earth is he playing at?"
Regarding Senju Hashirama's dissatisfaction, Uchiha Reki did not say a single word.
*Dear Lord Hashirama, there are plenty of things that will leave you unable to believe your eyes.*
Amidst these drifting thoughts, Uchiha Reki followed Kakashi back home.
Kakashi bit his finger to form seals, and a sealing scroll revealed a stack of yellowed books amidst a puff of smoke.
"These are the *Analysis of the Will of Fire* left behind by my father. Inside are all of my father's interpretations of the Will of Fire proposed by the successive generations of Lord Hokage."
Uchiha Reki sat in seiza and opened the inner pages.
"Protecting comrades is not a violation of the rules, but the finest inheritance of the spark."
"When the system runs counter to human life, what on earth does a ninja fight for?"
"The child saved today might well be the prairie fire of tomorrow..."
"But here," Kakashi flipped directly to the final chapter, pointing at the handwriting on the page, "he wrote this three days before taking his life."
The handwriting was distorted and messy, making it impossible to tell what was actually written.
Uchiha Reki surmised that this was perhaps Hatake Sakumo's final venting before his death.
"So I want to know..." Kakashi suddenly raised his head. "Li-kun, what on earth does the Will of Fire you mentioned mean?"
Uchiha Reki narrowed his eyes. "Kakashi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"My father protected his comrades—isn't that the Will of Fire? Why was he still criticized by everyone? I don't understand, I really don't understand."
"Or is the so-called Will of Fire just a slogan, and the only thing we are supposed to do is complete missions?"
Watching Kakashi, who was somewhat out of control before him, Uchiha Reki expressed his own perspective.
"Actually, the so-called Will of Fire is nothing more than an excuse."
"Everyone's Will of Fire can be different."
Kakashi widened his eyes in disbelief. "The Will of Fire can be different too?"
Uchiha Reki nodded. "The Will of Fire is merely a noun, a code name."
"Protecting the lives of comrades is the Will of Fire."
"Untangling doubts for classmates and progressing together is also the Will of Fire."
"Helping an old granny carry things is also the Will of Fire."
"Advocating for peace is also the Will of Fire."
Hearing this, Senju Hashirama nodded.
He was familiar with that last one.
"Inner strength, facing other people's incomprehension and skepticism while sticking to your own path—that is also the Will of Fire..."
Kakashi furrowed his brow slightly. Uchiha Reki's perspective completely subverted his stereotypical impression of the four words "Will of Fire" over all these years.
[Derived from Hatake Kakashi, you have acquired Chidori.]
"But is this really feasible?"
Kakashi was somewhat worried; he never imagined the Will of Fire could be played with in such diverse ways.
Seeing that the timing was about right, Uchiha Reki delivered another heavy shock to Kakashi.
"Sometimes, using your fists to beat others into submission first and then reasoning with them is actually the Will of Fire as well."
Kakashi was practically sweating bullets. What this brat Uchiha Reki wrote on his exam paper and what he was saying now were completely two different things!
"Reki, although I won't tell anyone what you said, but..."
Uchiha Reki waved his hand dismissively. "Do you know Lord Hashirama? That's exactly how he did things back in the day."
Hearing his own name, Senju Hashirama instantly perked up.
"According to historical records, Lord Senju Hashirama convened the Shinobi World Summit, signed agreements with the Kages of various hidden villages, and secured many years of peace for the Shinobi World."
Senju Hashirama nodded repeatedly. Yes, absolutely right.
"But why did those villages obey Lord Hashirama's orders? Could it simply be because Lord Hashirama is handsome?"
Senju Hashirama's not-so-bright brain started working again. Could it be because of his own super-strong personal charm?
Kakashi stroked his chin. He had already been led astray by Uchiha Reki.
"It's very simple. That's because Lord Hashirama had already beaten those guys into submission."
"If they didn't sign the agreement, Lord Senju Hashirama would have his Wood Golem stomp their village flat with a single kick."
"They were terrified, so they became obedient."
Senju Hashirama blinked. Tobirama had said the exact same thing back then: it wasn't that they shared love in their hearts with Big Brother, but rather they knew for a fact that if they didn't listen to Big Brother, they would genuinely die.
Uchiha Reki took a sip of tea. "So, Kakashi, do you understand now?"
Kakashi swallowed hard. "Are you saying that from now on, if anyone attacks my father and speaks ill of him, I should just go up and beat them to a pulp?"
"Correct. You catch on fast, Kakashi."
Catch on your head...
If the Hokage were to say his father violated ninja regulations, would he really just draw his blade and slash him?
"Li-kun, I still don't understand. Between completing the mission and protecting my comrades, how on earth should I choose?"
Uchiha Reki rested his chin on one hand. "I said it before: a failed mission is a ninja's disgrace, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash."
"I would make the exact same choice as Senior Sakumo, and so will you, Kakashi."
"No," Kakashi instinctively retorted, "completing the mission must come first."
Uchiha Reki stared straight at Kakashi. "Kakashi, you will. Trust me."
Kakashi lowered his head. *Would I? Probably not. Who knows?*
Watching Kakashi—hesitant, trapped in endless internal conflict—Uchiha Reki felt such exasperation.
*You're just as stubborn and single-minded as your old man.*
Senju Hashirama felt equally distressed. In his eyes, Kakashi was nothing more than a child.
At such an age, losing a father in this manner—no one could simply walk away from that easily.
What was even more infuriating was what on earth the higher-ups of Konoha were doing!