---Ryouma's POV---
Across the park, I gathered with the others to discuss our plan. The situation with Kakashi's father needed careful consideration.
I'd chosen this spot carefully—the old oak trees provided enough cover to mask our presence from casual observers, while the open spaces meant no one could sneak up on us unnoticed.
Kakashi stood with his back against one of the massive trunks, arms crossed, trying to maintain his usual aloof demeanor. But the slight tapping of his finger against his arm betrayed his unease.
Rin sat on a nearby bench. Obito paced back and forth, kicking at loose pebbles, his energy barely contained.
I watched a pair of villagers walk past on the main path, talking about market prices and weekend plans. Normal life continued, even while Kakashi's world threatened to crack.
"Let's be clear about what we know," I said, drawing everyone's attention. "Your father's decision to abandon the mission was voluntary, Kakashi. It wasn't because he encountered a situation he couldn't handle."
His finger stopped its tapping. "That's right. With my father's abilities, he could have completed the mission even alone. He isn't someone who'd be overwhelmed by standard opposition."
Obito stopped his pacing, crouching down to draw patterns in the dirt with a stick. His brow furrowed in concentration—an expression I'd rarely seen on his usually impulsive face. He pondered for a while and spoke, "Hey... what if he made up a story? About some super-strong enemy forcing him to choose? That way, the village might—"
"No, that doesn't work," I cut in, though I noted his tactical thinking with approval. "Even with a cover story, the mission's failure remains a fact. The outcome doesn't change anything at all."
"Then what about having the ninja he saved explain things? If they described how dire the situation was, surely the villagers would understand?" Rin suggested, her voice hopeful.
"That won't work," Kakashi said with a sigh and a bitter smile. His finger resumed its tapping, faster now. "You might not know this, but the person my father saved... they're one of the loudest voices condemning him now."
Rin went silent.
A leaf drifted down between us, spinning lazily before settling in the dirt next to Obito's drawings.
I studied the minute changes in Kakashi's posture—the tightening around his eyes, the way his free hand curled slightly into a fist.
"What is your father's take on all this?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.
He pushed off from the tree, taking two short steps forward before stopping. "Physically, he's fine. But... He won't leave the house. Won't tell me how he plans to deal with this. Just sits there, like he's waiting for something," he replied, clearly troubled, as if somewhat dissatisfied with his father.
"Maybe he thinks time will fix things?" Rin suggested, fidgeting with the strap of her medical kit. "That if he waits long enough, people will forget? Hm... But isn't that approach a bit too passive?"
"Although it's hard to believe, that could be possible. Otherwise, there's no way to explain why my father remains so calm yet keeps himself shut away," Kakashi agreed somewhat with Rin's perspective.
"It's impossible." I said resolutely, drawing their eyes back to me. My mind was already piecing together the puzzle.
"Huh? Why not?" Obito jumped up, scuffing his carefully drawn patterns. "Rin's idea makes sense! People forget stuff all the time, right?"
I took a deep breath before explaining, "It's true that staying silent during the height of public pressure and waiting for things to settle might be a passive but effective strategy. However, you're overlooking something important."
Noticing their curious gazes fixed on me, each showing different levels of anticipation, I didn't keep them in suspense and turned to Rin. "Let me ask you something. If you had to choose—complete a crucial mission for the village, or save a teammate's life. Which would you pick?"
She froze.
"I..." Rin tilted her head and thought hard. I could see she was struggling with this fundamental dilemma of the shinobi world.
"I... I don't..." Her voice trailed off. She looked down at her hands, at the calluses earned from countless hours of training. "I honestly don't know. I might only be able to decide when the moment of truth comes," she finally admitted honestly.
I decided to make it more personal. "Then let me rephrase it. Suppose I were gravely injured, and saving me would cause the mission to fail. What would you do?"
"Of course, I'd save you, Ryouma!" The words burst out instantly, her head snapping up, eyes fierce with certainty.
No hesitation.
No careful consideration.
Pure instinct.
Her immediate response confirmed my theory. Just as I expected, when faced with a personal connection, the choice became crystal clear. This was exactly the kind of emotional response I needed to prove my point about loyalty and responsibility in our world.
I gestured toward the village. "When it's theoretical, we can debate protocol and duty. But when it's someone you know, someone you care about? The choice becomes crystal clear."
"So, you're saying that the key to this situation isn't how the villagers view Kakashi's father but how the person he saved views him?" Rin asked, her eyes lighting up with understanding.
"Exactly. If, during the moment of decision, someone chooses to save a teammate at the expense of the mission, they must be prepared to face public condemnation. The criticism from the person who was saved—that is the true dagger that pierced the White Fang," I explained, watching comprehension dawn on their faces.
"That bastard!" Obito exploded, kicking a stone hard enough to send it flying into the bushes. The impact scattered a group of birds.
"Someone saves your life and you turn around and stab them in the back? What kind of—" He kicked another stone, harder this time. "And now he just sits at the hospital, probably feeling sorry for himself while Kakashi's father—" he started ranting angrily after hearing my analysis.
"Obito." Rin gestured at Kakashi, who had gone very still.
Sometimes Obito's honesty is exactly what we need, I thought, Other times...
"Then we make him apologize! We find this ungrateful jerk and make him take back everything he said about Kakashi's father!" Obito continued, his energy still undiminished.
Rin sighed, and added her support, though more measured. "The villagers' anger might make some sense from their perspective... but someone who owes their life to Kakashi's father has no right to join in the criticism."
"Alright then." Seeing that everyone was in agreement, I said, "First, we need to find that bast—I mean, the person who was saved. Kakashi, you should have some information, right?"
I had to admit, Obito's colorful language was starting to rub off on me. Despite my usual calculated approach, there was something refreshingly honest about his way of expressing frustration. Perhaps we all needed that occasional release from our rigid ninja protocols.
"The teammate my father saved is named Shimura Arima. He should still be hospitalized at Konoha Hospital," Kakashi replied after a moment's thought.
"Shimura?" I murmured, the name catching my attention.
"You noticed something about the name, Ryouma?" Obito asked, his eyes fixed on me with that familiar look of anticipation I'd noticed before. It was amusing how he hung on my every word, though I understood his desire to learn and improve. After all, in our world, analytical skills could mean the difference between life and death.
I hid a smile at this. His faith in my analysis was touching, if sometimes overwhelming. But he wasn't wrong—in the shinobi world, catching these details could mean the difference between success and failure.
---
As we made our way to Konoha Hospital, Kakashi fell into step beside me, and turned to me with a question. "Once we meet Arima, how do we get him to apologize to my father?"
"I don't know," I replied nonchalantly, already formulating the next phase of my plan.
"What?!" The synchronized shock in their voices almost made me smile.
"Hey, hey! That's not funny, Ryouma!" Obito grabbed my sleeve, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Stop joking and tell us your brilliant plan already! You can't just say you don't know!"
"I'm not joking. I really haven't thought about how to get Arima to apologize to Kakashi's father," I repeated, maintaining my calm demeanor.
"Then shouldn't we discuss a new plan? Arima doesn't sound like the kind of person who would easily take responsibility and apologize," Rin said.
"Ryouma, you must have another idea," Kakashi said, showing his sharp insight. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You never actually planned to get an apology. You just wanted to know where Arima was."
I watched as understanding slowly spread across their faces. I met Rin's questioning gaze with a slight smile before turning back to Kakashi.
The hospital was getting closer.
"The key to this isn't just Arima." I studied his reaction carefully. "It also involves you."
"Me?" Kakashi pointed a finger at himself, puzzled.
---
As of the latest advance chapter, the MC is very powerful. Giving him the Rikugan, well, what should I expect, right?
I can give him a skill which has pros and cons to balance it, or I can let it be. I mean, if you read Gojo's story, it would be an OP MC story.
So, GSiN is for me about how to utilize different skills and... ahem, items. Yeah, MC already used an item to fight an enemy. I won't say which one, only that it was one of the 10 mentioned so far. Sadly, I didn't get feedback, so I don't even know if I should continue using consolation prize items in battles.
I even did a poll on what to name MC's sword, which will decide a skill he will receive, but I only got one voter... So the name was decided. Oh yeah, the poll was between Frostmourne and Lostvayne.
You can suggest items, it can be anything. If I find them good, I will use them.
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