Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

At the same time, in different places, different people harbored different thoughts and emotions.

The Hatake clan was now reduced to just two members: Hatake Sakumo and his son, Hatake Kakashi. It could hardly be called a "clan" anymore, but because of Sakumo's reputation, the Hatake name still carried weight in the village of Konoha.

As Sakumo's son, Kakashi had always outshone his peers with his talent. By the age of twelve, he had already become a jonin.

Kakashi had always aspired to surpass his father, whom he deeply respected. But now, his goal had shifted. Before surpassing his father, he first had to surpass that man—Ye Zi.

After that night's events, Kakashi's mindset underwent a complete transformation. Guy's relentless training and constant challenge to him had never truly affected Kakashi, and he never felt compelled to work as hard as Guy. But that man, Ye Zi, who had casually overpowered him and shattered his pride, was different.

"A competitive spirit, huh..."

Despite the burning pain in his limbs from intense training, Kakashi gritted his teeth and continued, letting sweat soak through his clothes until they clung to him like a second skin.

In his mind, he recalled Guy's repeated challenges and how, despite constantly losing, Guy's determination never wavered, nor did it affect his relentless training.

Although Kakashi didn't want to admit it, the once "dead last" Guy had grown stronger and stronger, creating increasing pressure on him. There were moments when Kakashi feared that, if he didn't push himself harder, Guy would eventually surpass him.

Under Guy's influence, Kakashi had been training more diligently than ever before, but even then, he felt Guy nipping at his heels. He figured as long as he could stay ahead, it didn't matter if he couldn't shake Guy off.

But now, that lazy attitude had been completely discarded.

From this moment forward, Kakashi resolved to put in ten, even a hundred times more effort than before.

Both Guy and Kakashi had changed due to Ye Zi's impact, and these changes would spark even more transformations, like in Obito, who had been striving to catch up to Kakashi.

Training late into the night, Kakashi's overworked limbs suddenly gave out. The enormous training boulder, ten times his size, plummeted toward his back.

"Damn it..."

Kakashi's expression shifted, but despite his will, his body refused to move.

Just then, a hand reached out and effortlessly stopped the massive boulder. Kakashi collapsed to the ground, expecting to be crushed, but the expected pain never came.

Relieved, he glanced up to see his father standing in the yard.

"Father, you're back."

Sakumo gently set the boulder down, careful not to disturb the nearby neighbors with any noise. His strength was remarkable, and this was also a testament to his fine control over his chakra.

"What's driving you to work so hard?" Sakumo asked, his face showing signs of fatigue. Like Ye Zi, Sakumo was a mission-oriented ninja, capable of completing high-difficulty tasks with great efficiency. He was one of Konoha's most valuable assets, especially during these turbulent times. His return came right after completing an S-rank mission, and the timing couldn't have been more coincidental.

Sakumo was surprised by his son's sudden diligence. Kakashi had always been talented, far ahead of his peers, but he hadn't been this driven before.

This shift in attitude was something Sakumo attributed to Guy's influence. Though Kakashi was already quite hardworking, his efforts paled in comparison to Guy's.

Helping his exhausted son to sit on the wooden floor of the veranda, Sakumo sat down beside him.

"I want to get stronger," Kakashi said, his head drooping, staring at his feet. His voice was drained of energy.

"Did something happen?" Sakumo asked, studying Kakashi's silver hair, so similar to his own. He had been away from the village for about ten days, unaware of Orochimaru's defection and Ye Zi's involvement in the events. Naturally, he had no idea that his son had narrowly escaped death at Ye Zi's hands.

Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then recounted everything that had happened that night, detailing how Ye Zi had completely overpowered him.

After hearing his son's account, Sakumo's expression remained calm, but a spark flickered in his eyes.

"So that's why you want to get stronger?"

"Yes," Kakashi responded, regaining a bit of strength, clenching his fist.

Sakumo smiled slightly as he watched his son's clenched fist. "I'm glad to see you so determined. But I'll be honest, surpassing Ye Zi won't be easy. I've never fought him myself, but I know enough to say that I don't have complete confidence in beating him. He's a formidable ninja, without a doubt."

Kakashi blinked, surprised. This was the second time his father had praised Ye Zi, calling him strong.

In Kakashi's eyes, his father was the strongest—perhaps even stronger than Minato-sensei.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. I've been so busy with missions that I've never really had the chance to train you properly," Sakumo said, his gaze shifting to the large training boulder in the yard. He seemed to be considering something seriously.

Kakashi felt a pang of disappointment but didn't let it affect his tone. "It's fine. A ninja's worth is in their missions, isn't it? The contributions you've made to the village have always been something I've been proud of."

"Kakashi," Sakumo said seriously, "a ninja's value isn't just in missions. True value lies in protecting what's important."

"But…" Kakashi murmured, the images of Rin and Obito flashing through his mind.

"One day, you'll understand. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to begin training you," Sakumo said, as though he had made an important decision.

"Huh?" Kakashi looked stunned, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. "What about the village's missions?"

Sakumo smiled softly. "Your growth is more important right now. I'm sure the Fourth Hokage will understand." He placed a hand on Kakashi's head. "Kakashi, I'm looking forward to the day you surpass me."

"Father…" Kakashi looked at his father's sincere expression and broke into a broad smile.

Though many had credited Kakashi's prowess to his father's influence, the truth was that Sakumo had been too busy with missions to personally train him much.

Growing up, Kakashi had always wished his father could spend more time with him, but as he advanced as a ninja, that desire gradually faded.

He knew how important his father was to the village.

Still, that longing had always remained in his heart.

Now, his father had offered what he had always hoped for, and Kakashi couldn't hide his excitement.

Meanwhile, in the Forest of Death, a young boy dressed in green spandex continued his relentless training, even in the middle of the night. It was none other than Might Guy.

Guy's talent and natural ability couldn't compare to Kakashi's, so he compensated with hard work and effort beyond what most could imagine.

Some people were fortunate; others weren't.

Kakashi had his father, but Guy had the treasure his own father had left him.

Get stronger. Stronger!

For a certain goal, for a certain person.

These two boys were walking the same path.

What impact would their choices bring?

.....

Three days later, Nagato called an unexpected meeting.

Using the Hologram Projection Jutsu, he summoned all the core members wearing their rings to appear in a specific location as projections.

This technique allowed him to instantly gather people scattered across different areas.

In the room, a series of black shadows stood tall. Although their features were hazy, certain details, like their eyes, were still discernible.

As the group waited in silence, all eyes turned toward the figure in the center, the one with the Rinnegan: Nagato. Everyone awaited his words.

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Currently on Chapter 293 - Changed Dynamics Within the Akatsuki