Chapter 86: Deployment Order
"Hehe… can't I just be visiting you and Naruto?" Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly, but the guilt was written all over his face.
He knew he didn't have the right to say that—after being back in the village for a while, this was the first time he'd come to see Naruto.
Kakashi said nothing. After a moment, he finally spoke. "Jiraiya-sama, to be honest… you shouldn't have returned to get involved in all this mess."
"Uh…" Jiraiya was caught off guard by Kakashi's bluntness and didn't know how to respond.
"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi continued, "neither Douguang nor the Third would ever show the expression you're wearing right now."
"You're not fit for this. Forcing yourself into it will only make things worse."
Jiraiya fell silent. He understood exactly what Kakashi meant. Ever since being pushed into the role of Hokage Advisor by Hiruzen, he'd felt completely out of place. Politics, subtle maneuvering—he hated all of it.
"Kakashi, I need your help," Jiraiya said after a long breath, finally laying his intentions bare.
"Jiraiya-sama, you're joking. I'm a shinobi of the village. If you need anything, just give the order." Kakashi replied indifferently.
"You know I don't mean that kind of help," Jiraiya said, frustration creeping in at Kakashi's deliberate evasiveness.
"Then what do you mean, Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi countered.
——
The room fell into another silence. Kakashi sipped his sake slowly. After a long pause, he finally said, "You see? Jiraiya-sama, this is why I told you—you're not cut out for this."
"I have my reasons," Jiraiya muttered. "Douguang mustn't become Hokage."
"Why?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"If he becomes Hokage, the future will become uncontrollable. A terrible disaster might unfold," Jiraiya said with grave seriousness.
"The prophecy from Mount Myōboku, huh?" Kakashi almost laughed. If Jiraiya had said he simply disliked the Uchiha or didn't trust them, that might've sounded better than dragging up vague prophecies.
Jiraiya didn't speak—but his face confirmed the truth.
"Then let me ask you," Kakashi said. "If you become Hokage… what kind of future will you bring to the village?"
"I…" Jiraiya was caught off guard. He had never truly considered it before. After a pause, he answered, "I'll protect the village's peace until I pass the Hokage title to the Sixth."
Kakashi gave a knowing smile.
No wonder Douguang had never taken Jiraiya seriously. Kakashi had been getting anxious seeing Jiraiya frequently making public appearances around the village. But each time he brought it up, Douguang simply smiled and poured him tea, saying, "Don't worry." Now Kakashi finally understood—Douguang probably found his anxiety amusing.
Kakashi's amused smile puzzled Jiraiya.
"So, Jiraiya-sama… any new ideas for Icha Icha Paradise?" Kakashi asked casually. "If not, want to take a stroll through the red-light district?"
"…No thanks." Jiraiya quickly understood that Kakashi was rejecting him. "It's getting late—I should let you rest."
As Kakashi escorted him to the door, Jiraiya suddenly smacked his forehead.
"Oh right, nearly forgot in all the drinking. I came here for official business."
"Kakashi, recently, rogue Mist-nin have been popping up near the border. The village has received numerous requests for help—even the daimyo has inquired. The Third plans to send someone, and you're the best candidate to lead the mission."
Kakashi's expression darkened slightly.
So they're trying to remove me from the village…
"I understand," Kakashi said calmly.
——
Not long after Jiraiya left, Kakashi hurried to the Uchiha compound.
At Douguang's residence, the butler, Keiko, informed him that Douguang had gone out to train. After getting the location, Kakashi rushed there.
At the clearing, he saw Douguang sitting cross-legged in the forest, enveloped in calm.
"Coming to find me this late… must be something serious." Douguang's voice sounded in his ear, though he didn't break his meditative pose. "Jiraiya came to you?"
"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "He wants me to lead a mission to eliminate a sudden surge of rogue Mist-nin on the border."
"They're trying to get you out of the village?" Douguang ended his meditation and rose slowly, exiting Sage Mode. "Not a bad idea. You've been in the shadows of ANBU for too long. It's time you earned some visible achievements."
Though Kakashi had fought valiantly at Kannabi Bridge, most credited that victory to the Fourth Hokage. His time in ANBU meant many of his accomplishments remained classified. Unlike Douguang, whose legendary solo massacre of Mist-nin was widely known, Kakashi's glory was hidden.
This border mission would give Kakashi a chance to build reputation in the open.
"Will you be alright here on your own?" Kakashi asked.
"I'll be fine," Douguang chuckled. "Unless they want to start an internal war in the village, I doubt they'll make a move. The question is: can you complete this mission in style?"
"If I'm right," he continued, "they'll send the rest of the Fourth's old guard with you—Genma and the others. Their strength is decent, but if you run into an ambush, it'll get dangerous. Your strength has been stagnant since the Third War. At your age, White Fang was already far ahead."
"…You want me to give up this Sharingan?" Kakashi asked, hand resting over his left eye.
"No," Douguang shook his head. "That's a promise between you and my cousin. The Uchiha will always honor the will of our heroes. But—I do have some advice about your strength."
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