A gloomy night.
The Hokage building was pitch-dark; at this hour, even the village's roosters and dogs were asleep.
A figure quietly slipped into the archives vault, holding a dim flashlight, searching shelf after shelf for something.
The room was deathly silent, broken only by the sounds of pages turning and scrolls being opened.
"What are you looking for?"
Suddenly, a blinding light shone, piercing Kakashi's eyes and making him instinctively squint.
The person stood behind the light source, their silhouette and voice unmistakably familiar.
"Hakumen..."
Kakashi tightened his grip on the scroll.
Click—
The bright flashlight on the other side switched off, easing Kakashi's vision.
"Have you been following me?"
Kakashi had been on high alert the entire time, yet he hadn't noticed when the other person had approached.
Hakumen said coldly, "Your recent behavior has been far too suspicious."
Kakashi slowly closed the scroll. "I just have some things to investigate; it has nothing to do with you."
Hakumen sneered. "Have you forgotten my position? Saying something so laughable."
He was a direct subordinate of the Hokage, serving as a personal bodyguard.
With Kakashi's unauthorized entry into the archives, he had every right to arrest him.
"You're wasting your time. What you're looking for isn't here," Hakumen added.
"You know what I'm investigating?" Kakashi frowned.
"No," Hakumen replied.
"But the things in the archive vault are meant for people to see. The real secrets would never be written down."
That statement was true, but precisely because the information Kakashi sought was secret, he needed to comb through these classified documents to find any clues.
Kakashi turned off his flashlight as well, his gaze fixed firmly on the person not far ahead.
He said, "Hakumen, this matter is very important to me. I hope you won't try to stop me."
Hakumen responded, "And if I refuse? Will you fight me?"
"..."
Silence.
Kakashi had no desire to fight him.
Having spent a long time together, he admired Hakumen's character and strength.
He had long regarded him as a friend.
Fighting would mean openly placing himself against Hyuga Makoto and Orochimaru — a suicidal move.
Hakumen continued, "Do you think I can stand here without Lord Makoto already suspecting you?"
Kakashi was suddenly shocked.
Given Hakumen's personality, if he truly suspected him, he would have already reported it to Makoto.
Perhaps his tailing Kakashi was under Makoto's orders.
At that moment, Hakumen began walking toward him, step by step.
Kakashi instinctively held his breath.
"Kakashi, your heart is in turmoil."
"..."
"Is it because you're stuck in a quagmire?"
Kakashi remained silent.
Hakumen extended his hand toward him, revealing a white magatama resting in his palm.
"Kakashi, I consider you a friend. Why didn't you tell us about this sooner? Perhaps we could have helped you."
Kakashi simply replied, "This matter has nothing to do with you."
But Hakumen said, "Everything in the village concerns Lord Makoto. And anything that concerns Lord Makoto concerns me."
Makoto...
Hyuga Makoto, Orochimaru's deputy.
By all accounts, this placed him on the opposite side of Minato-sensei.
Given the opposing stances, how could Kakashi possibly turn to them for help?
Hakumen's white eyes fixed on him, and he said, "Kakashi, do you still have a choice?"
Kakashi's mind was racing.
The Nara clan's and Mr. Shikaku's plans had been discovered by Orochimaru, and now his investigation into confidential information had been found out by Hyuga Makoto.
The village was filled with spies from these two.
Kakashi pondered for a long time, then slowly reached out and took the white magatama from Hakumen's palm.
In that instant, he felt a sense of disorientation.
It seemed that the magatama carried some special chakra that disrupted his own magnetic field, making his vision blurry and the things around him appear distorted.
Hakumen said, "This thing will block your perception and shield you from certain eyes and ears. It's a one-time use."
Kakashi was astounded.
This thing was incredibly powerful, and to block perception... block whose perception?
He suddenly thought of Orochimaru, and how his conversation with Mr. Shikaku had somehow been discovered by Orochimaru.
But why hide it from Orochimaru?
"Come with me."
Hakumen turned and left the archives room without waiting.
Kakashi stood still for a moment, scanning the room.
Perhaps, just as Hakumen had said, what he was looking for wasn't here.
The real secrets were only stored in others' minds.
The two of them walked confidently down the street.
Kakashi held the white magatama tightly in his palm, feeling somewhat off-balance as he walked.
Eventually, they arrived at the Hyuga clan compound.
Kakashi sat alone in the living room, waiting.
Hakumen seemed to be informing someone.
After about ten minutes, Hyuga Makoto came out wearing a sleep robe.
Makoto glanced at him and said, "If you're not used to it, just throw away that magatama. In my presence, no one will know about our conversation."
Kakashi placed the magatama on the table, and the uncomfortable feeling immediately vanished.
Makoto then went straight to the point, saying, "What do you want to know, my weakness, or the Hokage's?"
Kakashi tensed up instantly, his clenched fist sweating.
Seeing that Kakashi remained silent, Makoto slowly continued, "Do you know what's most important when two armies are at war?"
"..."
"Intelligence."
Makoto said, "Whoever controls enough information can always gain the upper hand and easily defeat the enemy."
"The entire village is under the Hokage's control. Every word and action of yours can't escape his ears and eyes. And yet, you still want to oppose him. Isn't that the same as seeking death?"
"The Hokage hasn't removed you yet because he's just playing a game with you, watching how far you can go."
Orochimaru had his own spies, and Makoto had his.
After discovering the hidden White Zetsu during the meeting at the Nara household, Makoto immediately implemented countermeasures.
The white magatama contained seals that disturbed the surrounding natural energy, allowing the Hyuga clan members to remain hidden when gathering intelligence for Makoto.
Kakashi's thoughts raced, remembering what Hakumen had said when he brought him here.
"You called me here... are you able to help me?"
Makoto's gaze shifted slightly. "Why would I help you?"
He asked, "What can I gain from this?"
"I can give you what you want: the Hokage's weaknesses, the things he's done that he wants to keep hidden, and what he's been researching all this time."
"But what will you give me in return, Kakashi?"
These words were no longer a temptation but a form of coercion.
Makoto had pushed him to the edge of an abyss, and now Kakashi had no choice but to jump.
Kakashi swallowed, his throat tightening. "What do you want?"
Makoto pulled out a scroll and spread it out on the table.
Kakashi focused his eyes.
The scroll seemed to contain a seal, engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns, with a "Two" ( 二 ) character in the center surrounded by them.
"This is..."
"Sage seal, number two," Makoto said calmly.
"You can also call it—Kite."
A kite can soar high in the sky, but it is always attached to a string that binds it.
The soaring and falling all depend on the will of the one flying the kite.
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