Those who fight monsters should be careful not to turn into monsters. When you stare into the abyss, the abyss is staring at you.

I remember someone saying that.

~~~~~~

Go back in time.

It was the first day that the three of them took over the task on the winter night of Rukawa and officially left Konoha Village, no, it was past midnight, to be precise, it could already be regarded as a new start for the next day.

Inside the Hokage's office.

At this time, the three generations of Konoha Hokage always habitually drank bitter tea, and he was already about to enter old age, and his energy did not allow him to stay up late for a long time like now, so he could only use such a small means.

While carefully spreading the bitterness with the tip of his tongue, he leaned back against the soft sofa and tried to squint his eyes slightly to dispel the sleepiness in his consciousness.

And then, heard? No, I felt it, the door was opened.

"You're here?"

"You're looking for me."

It's not an inquiry, it's a calm statement, and his statement is more like, because you're looking for me, so I'm here, as if I'm answering my own more questions with such a causal relationship.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late."

"I thought you were asleep."

He specially asked him to come over, and for this incident, the three generations made a sincere apology.

"Really? I thought you were asleep too. ”

"After all, I'm not used to sleeping alone until you don't sleep."

If the cold tea is a little warm, it will be very sensitive and perceive it in this season.

"You still like to joke."

"When I only have friends, I try to get used to the atmosphere."

"Even if it's me, I'll cherish my friends, after all, I don't have many friends."

"Is this also a joke?"

"I don't know, what do you think?"

He laughed first, as if he had heard something funny, which was his bad habit, and he always fooled what he wanted to say by [joking].

"Let's drink tea, it won't taste good when it's cold."

"It's already cold tea."

Wrapping the tea in his mouth for a moment, he thought it was [warm] before swallowing it into his throat, but sure enough, the cold still invaded his viscera.

"It's been half a year, hasn't it?"

"What?"

"Su Mao, after that, I always felt that I hadn't seen him for a long time."

"Recently, I've been thinking about why I didn't see him more and talk to him more."

His eyes were lowered as he stared at the tea leaves wafting in his teacup.

"He's dead."

"Qimu Shuomao, he's dead, Ape Fly."

Frowning, he uttered a repetitive affirmation, his strong will was convincing and admirable, but.

"yes, he's dead."

"But, you know what? Hidden. ”

The three generations of Hokage were asking, staring at his [old friend] and asking strange questions.

"He left behind, his most important treasure in the world."

"What do you want to say now?"

He didn't ask what his words were trying to say, he just wanted to explore the man in front of him, what he wanted to say.

"Kakashi Hachiki, son of Sakumo Hachiki."

"He is the most important treasure left by Sakumo Qimu in this world."

"I'm getting more and more curious, what the hell are you trying to say?"

One is a one-sided self-question, and the other is a similar question that is repeated once, and the two people seem to be in different channels for a conversation.

"Kakashi Hachiki, like his father, no, he's more of a genius than his father."

"You seem to be concerned, this [genius]."

The words of the two people finally continued normally, and the third inquiry was not spoken.

"It's not [genius] that I care about, it's Kakashi Hachiki."

"Really?"

"You don't believe it?"

"No, I believe you."

"However, what Konoha needs is a [genius], not just Kakashi Hachiki."

It seems to be clear that the other party is taking things out of context, so I reminded it very seriously, but it doesn't seem to have an obvious effect. Those eyes are really powerful, because they are eyes that have never changed, and they are still holding on to their beliefs.

"Well, you suddenly advance the name of a dead man."

"What are you trying to say? Ape Fly. ”

Finally, the third inquiry, accompanied by the pronunciation of the name of this friend of his, was said very seriously.

"Do I want to explain something?"

"Are you asking my opinion?"

"Of course, the Hokage of Konoha is not me."

"It's you."

As if to increase his persuasiveness, he raised his intact right hand and pointed at the man in front of him without shaking.

"I didn't expect you to care about my opinion, I don't think you'll care about it."

"Did I say something wrong? Your emotions seem to be a little agitated. ”

Yan Zang poured the last cold tea into his throat comfortably, and his words were as flat as water.

"So, don't you think it's very similar? Kakashi Hachiki, as well as "

"Rukawa Winter Night."

He remembered the name of a certain teenager deeply, a certain person who swore in front of him the existence of Rukawa Winter Night, which was left by Rukawa Seihiko, the only boy in this world.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it's like Sakushige Hachiki and Makohiko Rukawa."

Instead of refusing to add tea to his empty teacup, he felt like the taste of the tea, which was bitter enough to keep him energized.

"Like I said, I don't care about [genius], but all the ninjas of Konoha, whether it's Kakashi Hachiki or Rukawa Winter Night."

He is always one step slower, and he drinks tea very slowly, and there is still a cup of bitter tea left.

"It's been half a year."

"It's still fair to say, it's only been half a year."

"As for the memory, now that I think about it, it all feels like it happened just yesterday."

Sandaime, who stood up from the sofa, slowly walked to his Hokage's desk.

"Man should learn to forget, ape fly."

"There are too many reluctances in life, and in the end they all become forgotten. In life, we should not let ourselves live too tired, we should learn to relax ourselves appropriately, learn not to be greedy, not to be extravagant, learn to be at peace with what happens, and be content and happy. ”

Standing up as well, he walked to a place close to the other party.

"Are you comforting me?"

"You can think so."

There was a clear look of disbelief on the face of the Miyome Hokage.

"You wouldn't have said anything like that before."

"People are always changing, and so am I."

"Really? I always thought that that kind of person must not include you, hiding. ”

Yes, he is not like himself, he will not change.

"Are you talking about my stubbornness?"

"Let's just put it that way."

The three generations smiled perfunctorily, and at the same time handed a text message from the dark department not long ago to the other party.

"What is this?"

As he asked, he naturally spread out the paper.

"Can I trust you?"

When he should have finished reading the above content, he suddenly asked.

"I don't know,"

"I don't know if you'll believe me."

Raising their heads, the sharp eagle eyes, the two of them finally looked at each other completely.

"They are all the future of Konoha."

"The leaves and roots of Konoha."

A smile appeared on his face that didn't match his impression at all, so it looked weird.

"I don't want the same thing to happen."

"I'll send someone to help them."

"Roots?"

"After all, I'm the only one they can use."

This was the end of the conversation between the two, and the lone figure left, leaving only another person staring out the window into the dark night, and suddenly dissipated his sleepiness.