"Hm?"
Uchiha Obito leaned over, glancing at the textbook Kakashi was holding. His eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
"Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen is the strongest Hokage in history? What kind of nonsense is this?"
He stared at the words in frustration.
Was the Konoha Shinobi School seriously teaching this as fact? The claim that Hiruzen was the strongest Hokage felt like blatant revisionist history.
"There's no way this is true…"
Senju Hashirama, standing beside them, scratched his head with an awkward smile. It wasn't arrogance that made him doubt the statement—it was simple logic.
He had spent time in the Empire and learned about the reincarnation cycle of Indra and Asura. His own power, as the reincarnation of Asura, represented the pinnacle of what a mortal could achieve.
Even beyond that, he had been personally told by His Majesty that, among all reincarnations of Asura, he was a unique, upgraded version.
So where exactly did Sarutobi Hiruzen rank in comparison?
"He doesn't even come close…" Hashirama muttered.
The Sarutobi clan, while proficient in all five chakra natures, lacked any powerful bloodline limit or special abilities. What could Hiruzen possibly have that placed him above the likes of himself or even his brother, Tobirama?
"This is so off," Kakashi muttered, flipping through the pages. He frowned. "I don't remember seeing anything like this in the textbooks when I was a kid."
"Maybe it's a generational thing," Obito suggested, checking the publication date. "This book is from the current ninja school curriculum, but back when you were a student, there were still plenty of people alive who had witnessed the power of the First Hokage firsthand."
He continued, his voice laced with irritation.
"At that time, even if Hiruzen had the guts to lie, nobody would've believed it. But now? Sixty years have passed. Most of the people who saw the First Hokage's power are gone. So, I guess they thought they could get away with rewriting history."
"But why?" Hashirama looked genuinely confused.
"Why would they do this? What's the point?"
His words weren't spoken out of arrogance, but there was a sense of disappointment in his tone. He wasn't the type to dwell on personal recognition, but something about this rubbed him the wrong way.
"…I think I get it."
Kakashi was quiet for a moment before he sighed and explained.
"Hiruzen stepped down after the Third Shinobi War. Minato-sensei became Hokage. But after the Nine-Tails attack, Minato died, and instead of appointing a new Fifth Hokage, Hiruzen took back his old position.
"Some people in the village weren't happy about it. To maintain authority, he might've needed to build up his image—even if it meant distorting the truth."
"So he rewrote history… just to consolidate his power?" Hashirama's face darkened.
This was absurd.
A Hokage who couldn't win the people's trust should step down and let someone else lead. Resorting to deception to maintain power was unacceptable.
Suppressing his frustration, Hashirama continued reading. However, the further he went, the more his disappointment deepened.
"Where are the important events?"
His fingers tightened around the book.
Konoha's White Fang—Sakumo Hatake—what happened to him? There was no mention of his tragic suicide.
Orochimaru's defection—what caused it? No mention of his human experiments or his attempt to take over the village.
The Uchiha Clan Massacre—completely erased from history.
This book didn't even compare to the historical records he had read in the Land of Rivers!
"This… this isn't history," Hashirama muttered, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior.
"I don't know all the reasons behind this," Obito spoke up, his tone laced with suspicion. "But one thing is clear—there's something very fishy about all of this."
Kakashi nodded in agreement.
Even Obito, who wasn't the most perceptive person in the world, could see that something was wrong.
The truth had been buried.
And in Kakashi's case, that truth likely involved his father.
At Kakashi's Home
"You live alone?"
Obito glanced around the sparsely furnished home.
"You're already this old, and you don't even have a girlfriend?"
Kakashi, who had just walked in carrying a heavy box, froze for a moment before shooting Obito an unimpressed look.
"Do you have one?" he asked flatly.
"Of course I do!" Obito blurted out immediately, his face twitching. "I'm a genius of the Uchiha clan! Girls are practically lining up—"
"Yeah, okay."
Kakashi cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"You're single. Got it."
Obito's eye twitched, but he wisely chose not to argue.
Kakashi set the box down on the floor and opened it.
"These are my father's old clothes. There should be some of his skin cells or hair strands left on them."
His voice was calm, but there was a slight hesitation in his movements.
If they could extract even a small sample of his father's DNA, then—
He could use Impure World Reincarnation to bring his father back.
"That should be enough," Obito said, activating his Sharingan. "Hold on. I'll be back."
The air around him twisted into a vortex as he disappeared into Kamui.
Seconds later, he reappeared.
In his hand was a small, intricate piece of talisman paper inscribed with black seals.
"Here," he said, handing it to Kakashi. "This is a single-use Impure World Reincarnation Talisman. No need for a living sacrifice. Just channel your chakra into it."
Kakashi's fingers brushed over the seal markings.
"Who developed this?" he asked.
"The naturally evil Senju old ghost," Obito replied without hesitation.
Kakashi blinked. "Who?"
Hashirama coughed awkwardly.
"Tobirama," he admitted.
Kakashi let out a slow exhale. Of course.
Even in the Empire, Impure World Reincarnation remained a forbidden jutsu. No one was allowed to use it freely. But for this mission, Tobirama had designed these talismans to assist the advance team.
"Well, let's not waste time."
Kakashi took the talisman, channeled his chakra into it, and carefully placed it over his father's clothing.
The paper began to glow.
A complex pattern spread across the floor as the seals activated. The air around them crackled with energy.
And then—
A figure slowly materialized in front of them.
A tall man with silver hair, wearing a standard Konoha flak jacket, his face calm but eyes sharp.
His presence exuded strength.
"…This chakra."
Obito's breath hitched.
It was him.
Kakashi clenched his fists as he looked up.
"…Dad."
The White Fang of Konoha had returned.
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