The Uchiha clan, which was wiped out entirely, lacked vision.

Chapter 111 Kakashi's Defection

Chapter 111 Kakashi's Defection

The night in Konoha was gloomy and cold.

A sense of despondency and sorrow permeated the entire night sky after the war.

Although the basic buildings have now been completed, many supporting facilities are still not up to par.

The streetlights that should have illuminated every corner of the village are now scattered in the soil, with only the bright moon in the sky still casting its cold light.

The patrol team's figures would occasionally flash in the corners, only to quickly disappear into the shadows.

Countless sentries, hidden in the shadows, were scanning the area intently, guarding against any potential enemy attack.

"Squeak—"

The jarring sound of doors suddenly rang out, exceptionally clear in the deep night.

Almost simultaneously, everyone around turned their gaze over, but after only one glance, they breathed a sigh of relief and looked away.

That distinctive figure was recognized by everyone; it was clearly Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin from the village.

With the village's fighting strength greatly diminished, Kakashi, the genius Jonin, becomes all the more important.

Kakashi strolled leisurely down the street, but no one seemed to notice.

Although the situation has improved somewhat, the village is still in a state of war, so it is perfectly reasonable for Kakashi, a Jonin, to come out and patrol at night.

Even if it's not an inspection, it's perfectly normal to go out for a walk because you can't sleep at night.

After all, in the midst of successive wars, everyone lost loved ones and friends, and it was all too common for people to be awakened by nightmares at night and unable to sleep.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Kakashi, as if sleepwalking, walked straight along the main road, step by step, to the gate of Konoha Village.

Originally, Konoha Village had a security barrier that served multiple functions, including warning and defense, with the main gate being a key defensive position. However, due to previous events, the Konoha Village gate now serves only as a symbolic ordinary doorway.

The number of guards at the gate was naturally reduced accordingly, leaving only a few ordinary ninjas as guards.

Upon seeing Kakashi appear, a ninja immediately teleported over and politely asked, "Lord Kakashi, does the Hokage have any mission for you?"

Kakashi's gaze was unfocused; he didn't answer his question at all and simply continued to walk forward unsteadily.

"Hmm?" The ninja immediately noticed Kakashi's unusual behavior and instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword.

But the instant he revealed his hostility, Kakashi suddenly moved, knocking him unconscious with a punch that Kakashi couldn't react to.

"What?!" The other guards were immediately shocked, but before they could call the police, Kakashi rushed over like a whirlwind and knocked them all unconscious with a single punch.

After completing these tasks, Kakashi's body returned to its sleepwalking state, and he staggered out of the gates of Konoha Village, heading towards the deep mountains and dense forests in the distance.

It's not peacetime now, and patrols are very frequent. Soon, the anomaly at the gate was noticed.

After a sharp whistle, the entire Hidden Leaf Village erupted in excitement.

Firelight gradually illuminated the house, and figures appeared on the rooftop, rushing towards them.

"What happened? Where did the enemy come from?" The Third Hokage, carrying his Vajra Cudgel, appeared in front of the gate and asked in a deep voice.

"Lord Hokage, it's Kakashi Hatake." The gatekeeper, who had just been awakened, was indignant. "He suddenly appeared at the door, and when I went to ask him something, he knocked me down. I don't know what happened after that."

"He headed towards the forest," Asma reported after carefully examining the tracks.

At this moment, Asma's face was weathered, his beard was thick, and he had lost some of his passion but gained more composure.

"A forest?" The Third Hokage looked in that direction, but the night was so dark that he couldn't see anything clearly.

"Could it be that Kakashi has defected?" A voice rang out from the crowd, causing a stir among them.

"Impossible!" the Third Hokage categorically denied. "Kakashi would never defect; something must have happened that we don't know about."

"Teacher, let me go after them and see what happens. I will definitely bring Kakashi back."

Jiraiya arrived, and after figuring out what had happened, he volunteered to chase after the person.

The third generation stared intently into the distance, where it was dark and nothing could be seen clearly.

After a long silence, the Third Hokage slowly shook his head and refused, saying, "Kakashi wouldn't leave the village without a reason. Something important must have happened that forced him to leave."

"I'm very worried that this is a conspiracy by other villages."

"Whoever lured Kakashi away, there must be a trap ahead. We can't take that risk."

"But, teacher, if we don't go to save them, then Kakashi—"

"Alas." The Third Hokage sighed, his face full of sorrow, "We are currently at war, and it was only with great difficulty that we captured Rasa and turned the tide. This excellent situation must not be ruined."

"We have to think about the bigger picture!"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya became even angrier.

"The enemy might not necessarily be Sunagakure, and even if it is, so what?"

"We're in control now; they should be begging us to let them have their shadowy figures back!"

"What if they capture Kakashi and try to make a deal with the Kazekage?"

"Should we just ignore it and let Kakashi get killed?"

After hearing this, the third generation fell silent. After a long while, he glanced at the faces of the people around him and found that everyone was avoiding his gaze. He knew that his reputation was not as good as before, and that most people had significant objections to his decision.

"Fine, Jiraiya, you're right. We can't abandon any of our comrades!"

"You will lead the team to rescue Kakashi."

"The village's fighting strength is limited right now, and we can't afford to lose any of our high-level fighters. You must be extremely careful on this trip and never be careless."

"Of course I know." Jiraiya agreed and immediately ran out of the village, with more than a dozen ninjas following closely behind.

After watching Jiraiya and the others leave, the Third Hokage sighed and turned to the others, instructing them: "The rest of you must also be vigilant. Be careful that the enemy is using a diversionary tactic to attack while the village is rescuing Kakashi."

"Understood, Lord Hokage." Everyone responded in unison, and each went to different parts of the village to begin their vigilance.

After leaving the village, Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals and slapped the ground. A small purple-haired toad appeared in the white smoke and jumped onto his shoulder.

"Hey, little Jiraiya, you guys are fighting so late at night, don't you ever get any rest?" The little toad complained as soon as he appeared.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, Master Shima." Jiraiya said apologetically.

He briefly explained the situation, then requested, "Could you please use your sensory abilities to investigate and see which direction Kakashi went, and whether there are any enemies or traps nearby?"

"Alright." Shima sighed, closed his eyes, and after a moment, pointed forward. "Over there. The enemy's chakra reaction is strong, so be careful. Don't die here!"

Jiraiya laughed heartily and said confidently, "Master Shima, rest assured, I will absolutely not die before we find the savior."