Chapter 14: Accidental Encounter with an Enemy

Having rejected Might Guy's special training method, the three of them ultimately just engaged in some general sparring at Kakashi's house, then each went their separate ways home.

After leaving Kakashi's house, Uchiha Feiyu walked straight toward his own home, but halfway there, he felt the soul of Hatake Sakumo beside him suddenly become agitated.

"What's wrong? Ran into an acquaintance?"

Uchiha Feiyu asked with some curiosity, turned his head to look in the direction of Hatake Sakumo's gaze, and saw a ninja who looked slightly familiar.

He could be certain he had seen this ninja before, but he couldn't recall the name; clearly, they weren't exactly acquaintances, but this guy must have left a deep impression on him at some point... Right, isn't this guy that scumbag teammate whom Hatake Sakumo rescued?

"So it's this guy... Want to take revenge? Senior Hatake Sakumo?"

Uchiha Feiyu asked, and Hatake Sakumo gave a bitter smile:

"I'm in this state now, how could I possibly seek revenge on him? Besides, he is, after all, a ninja of Konoha; if there's no reason to attack a ninja without cause, it won't do you any good."

"Don't worry... Don't forget our age. For a ninja of this age, being a bit impulsive is normal, right!"

"I don't think you're that kind of impulsive ninja. Didn't you say your life goal was to do less, take more, and reap without sowing... Wait?! What did you say, 'we'?!"

Hatake Sakumo didn't think this "we" referred to himself and Uchiha Feiyu; he wasn't some kid at an impulsive age. Who it referred to was self-evident—wasn't it his precious son?

Uchiha Feiyu's words confirmed Hatake Sakumo's guess, and he heard him say in a ghostly voice:

"Of course it's us! I'll devise the strategy from behind the scenes, and then let Kakashi and Guy go beat that guy up; there shouldn't be any problem with that, right?"

"Theoretically speaking, this guy has a father-killing feud with Kakashi; Kakashi just beating him up is already very restrained."

"The key point... shouldn't just be beating him up, right!"

"It seems, Senior Hatake Sakumo, you're quite savvy too! Then why were you pushed to the point of wanting to commit suicide?"

Hearing about his own suicide again, Hatake Sakumo only felt a bit flushed. Over these past few days, having been lectured by Uchiha Feiyu, this White Fang of the Leaf already felt that such a thing was his dark history.

But now was not the time to care about such things, and Hatake Sakumo spoke with a rather serious expression:

"I did indeed see some problems. The things Bangyan said at my door back then were clearly intended to ignite public opinion... There must be others behind him..."

"You can just say he's being directed by Konoha High Command! Senior Sakumo, which Konoha High Command member do you think is behind him?"

"How would I know such a thing? And perhaps it's not Konoha High Command, but a ninja spy from another Ninja Village..."

"If he were a ninja spy from another Ninja Village, he would have been caught and interrogated by now, right? I don't believe Konoha would show mercy to a spy who caused the death of a ninja of your level!"

Hatake Sakumo was instantly speechless. Even if the other party really were a spy from another Ninja Village, after he committed suicide, this guy should have been the first one investigated!

Since the other party wasn't investigated, it was clearly because the high-level officials of the Ninja Village didn't suspect this guy was a spy at all. The only reason was that this guy's actions back then were directed by the high-level officials of the Ninja Village.

Seeing Hatake Sakumo fall silent, Uchiha Feiyu shook his head:

"It seems you can't even fool yourself with that statement!"

"Aren't you afraid of attracting the attention of Konoha High Command?"

"That's why I said let Kakashi take the lead! Making some irrational moves because of his father's passing, isn't that a very normal thing?"

"You have to know that after you died, the entire public opinion did a 180-degree turn. If we don't take this opportunity to act now, it'll be too late if we drag it out!"

"I don't believe Konoha High Command would punish Kakashi for his impulsive behavior!"

Hatake Sakumo was stunned for a moment. His memory had remained on the day he died, and he hadn't thought about the series of consequences his death had brought.

"I never imagined... after I died, public opinion actually reversed... I saw how deserted the Hatake house was and thought the people in the village were still reviling me!"

"Death is the ultimate matter! As long as one isn't a villain who has extinguished all humanity, dying always leaves behind a good reputation!"

"Alright, don't say any more. I was already very regretful, and now I feel that the me from back then must have had a broken brain. Why would I think of something like suicide!?"

"But even with enough of an excuse, that guy Bangyan is a Special Jonin. If we don't count you, relying solely on Kakashi's strength, he's still not his match!"

"A Special Jonin? That doesn't exceed my expectations."

Uchiha Feiyu remained unmoved. To be able to go on an S-Rank Mission with the White Fang of the Leaf, there's no way he could be a common Genin or Chunin. The minimum standard was likely that of a Special Jonin with some kind of specialty; otherwise, when executing a mission, he would only be a pure burden.

However, since Uchiha Feiyu already had an idea, he naturally had a countermeasure ready long ago:

"Don't worry, Senior Sakumo, the Spirit Control and Command Technique can be used for more than just myself."

"I can use the method of Spirit Control and Command to let you directly possess Kakashi. You two are father and son and have a strong blood connection, so there won't be much consumption when possessing Kakashi."

"With your combat awareness and combat experience, Senior Sakumo, even using Kakashi's body, it shouldn't be difficult to deal with a Special Jonin, right?"

The Eight Extraordinary Techniques known as Spirit Control and Command had completely transformed Hatake Sakumo's body, making him closer to those spirits from *Under One Person*, possessing the ability to directly possess others.

However, only Uchiha Feiyu, who himself practiced Spirit Control and Command, could fully utilize Hatake Sakumo's spirit body; not only would he not suffer damage, but he would also gain a portion of the spirit body's own power. If others were possessed, both Hatake Sakumo and the possessed would suffer certain injuries.

It was only because Kakashi was Hatake Sakumo's direct bloodline that there would be no backlash after possession, even if there were no bonuses, which was why Uchiha Feiyu proposed this plan.

The chakra system practiced by ninjas focuses more on techniques rather than the Dao, so the essence of life for most ninjas actually doesn't have much of a gap.

Even if Hatake Sakumo controlled Kakashi's body, relying on his constitution and chakra, he could exert strength exceeding that of an average Jonin; dealing with a Special Jonin really wasn't difficult.

(End of chapter)