Konoha’s Five-Element Ninja

Chapter 67: A Father's Humiliation, A Son's Fury

Early the next morning, after wasting an entire day, Hayama dressed neatly and arrived at the training ground, ready to resume his practice. However, the clashing sound of metal against metal quickly caught his attention.

In a small clearing, five or six children were engaged in a fierce sparring session, each wielding kunai. Their techniques appeared somewhat immature to Hayama, yet the intent behind their strikes was ruthless—each move aimed directly at their opponent's vital points.

If it had nothing to do with him, Hayama would have merely told them to stop fighting and wouldn't have interfered. After all, Konoha was a militarized village where strength was paramount. Minor conflicts among ninjas were common, as long as they didn't result in fatalities. However, one of the children—a silver-haired boy—made Hayama pause. If he wasn't mistaken, that child was the son of Sakumo Hatake.

Narrowing his eyes, Hayama carefully sensed his surroundings. He detected at least three hidden shinobi watching from the shadows. His lips curled into a smirk.

"Interesting... These are ANBU... No, they're from Root."

As the fight intensified, Kakashi and a boy with thick eyebrows, who relied solely on taijutsu, found themselves at a disadvantage. Hayama estimated that unless Kakashi used a different approach, he would be defeated within ten exchanges.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

The thick-browed boy executed a swift kick, forcing his opponents back. Taking advantage of this, Kakashi hurriedly formed a few hand seals, albeit somewhat clumsily, before slamming his hands onto the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave!"

This was a D-rank Earth Release technique, a support-style jutsu that disrupted the terrain, creating an unpredictable flow of earth to throw enemies off balance and create openings for attack. While not particularly powerful, it was highly practical.

Hayama silently admired Kakashi's composure. Despite being no older than five, Kakashi had the keen battle sense to seize the right moment and execute the most effective jutsu to turn the tide. His talent for both ninjutsu and combat strategies far surpassed any genius Hayama had ever seen.

Sure enough, Kakashi's well-timed jutsu caught his opponents off guard, leaving them unsteady. The thick-browed boy took advantage of the situation, using his explosive physical power to close the distance and deliver a relentless series of kicks, sending his opponents crashing to the ground, groaning in pain.

Hayama was slightly surprised—this thick-browed child's taijutsu skills were incredibly advanced. Most shinobi prioritized ninjutsu over taijutsu since pure taijutsu had many limitations in battle and was often countered by ninjutsu specialists. Yet this child was a purely taijutsu-based ninja, which piqued Hayama's curiosity.

Suddenly, kunai shot out from the shadows, aiming directly at the children who had fallen to the ground!

Sizzle—

The distinct sound of exploding tags burning filled the small training ground. Kakashi's eyes widened in shock as the kunai approached. Caught completely off guard, he had no way to intercept them and could only scream in his mind in despair.

However, Hayama had anticipated such a move. Seeing that the Root operatives intended to frame Kakashi and the others, he sneered. Lightning flickered around his body as he vanished.

In a flash, he reappeared and effortlessly caught the incoming kunai. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent them flying back toward the Root operatives' hiding spots.

Boom!

Kakashi stared in shock at Hayama, who had appeared out of nowhere. He was still processing the sudden turn of events.

Hayama chuckled, disappearing once again. A brief but intense exchange of clashing metal resounded from the forest. Moments later, Hayama returned, dragging three unconscious Root operatives behind him.

Casually tossing the shinobi onto the ground, Hayama pulled out a kunai from his pouch, crouched down, and pressed the blade against one of their throats.

"Wait!"

Kakashi's young, yet firm voice interrupted his motion. Hayama smiled at him, tilting his head.

"Why? These guys just tried to frame you."

"Because they are Konoha shinobi. They are our comrades."

Hayama's smile deepened, but there was an unmistakable trace of mockery in his expression.

"Comrades? You call this garbage 'comrades'? Let me teach you how to deal with scum like this."

Saying this, Hayama put away his kunai and instead raised his foot before ruthlessly stomping down.

"If you must kill them, don't dirty your hands. Step on them like the vermin they are. Understand?"

"And don't ever call this kind of trash 'comrades' again. If I hear you say that, I'll slap you. Got it?"

His ruthless demeanor sent shivers down the spines of the children. One of them even began sobbing quietly.

Hayama ignored their reactions and turned his gaze toward the group.

"So? Why were you fighting?"

Kakashi stubbornly turned his head away, speaking indifferently.

"It's nothing, just a personal matter."

Hayama sneered and pointed at a trembling child.

"You, explain."

The terrified child, who clearly wasn't used to such intense situations, stammered, "W-We only said something bad about Lord White Fang, and then Kakashi attacked us..."

Noticing Hayama's face darken further, the child hastily added, "B-But we just repeated what we heard from the villagers! It's not our fault!"

"Get lost."

Hayama wasn't interested in arguing with children. He coldly dismissed them before turning back to Kakashi, tossing him a roll of bandages to treat his wounds. Then, he moved toward the Root operatives' bodies and began sealing them away.

A father's disgrace, a son's fury—there was nothing to criticize about that. In fact, such behavior was praiseworthy.

"You did well. If something like this happens again, do the same thing. Understood?"

Kakashi huffed proudly, refusing to answer directly, then hesitantly asked, "Hayama, was my father really wrong?"

Finishing his task, Hayama dusted off his hands and walked over to Kakashi. Placing a hand on his silver hair, he said, "Lord White Fang wasn't wrong. Don't let others mislead you."

"But they all say my father was a coward... that he caused the Canyon Massacre..."

Hayama chuckled. "Those people are just weaklings. Remember, only when you are strong enough can you overturn their words. Understand?"

Kakashi nodded slightly, though he still seemed uncertain.

Honestly, Hayama wasn't the best at speeches. He kept repeating the same phrases, lacking eloquence. If the topic were about aircraft carriers, he could passionately discuss it for days.

Root's actions had completely enraged Hayama. Normally, he was cautious, but this time, he had acted out of raw anger and openly executed the Root operatives in front of the children. However, with the Uchiha clan backing him, killing a few worthless pawns didn't matter.

With that thought, he lost interest in training for the day. After escorting Kakashi home, he made his way to the Uchiha compound, where he reported the incident to Fugaku Uchiha.

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