Offer
Kai was kind of surprised to see the Rokudaime to be this… laid down. The Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, sat on a chair looking really bored and uninterested in the subject at hand. And this was a war hero of not only one but two wars. Well, looks and behavior can be deceiving. He just thought about Yuma-san and Kiyoshi-san.
"Alright… You're, Fuma Kai, correct?" Kakashi-sama asked.
"Y-yes, Rokudaime-sama." Kai confirmed.
"Your reputation proceeds you. At your age being a psychologist… But then again, this generation brought really strong shinobi forth."
"I'm not a shinobi. At least not anymore."
Why was Rokudaime-sama even mentioning shinobi to begin with? He wasn't one anymore… Unless… His eyes widened upon realization. Hatake Kakashi wanted him to be a shinobi again! And what was about this special job as a psychologist helping former members of a special ANBU organization? Was this just a fluke? No! He didn't want to return to his life as a shinobi. He would rather give up being a psychologist and never ever see his parents again!
"No! I will not become a shinobi again! Never! You can't force me!" Kai declined.
"Well, I've never mentioned that." Kakashi-sama replied.
"Who do you think I am?!"
"The most famous psychologist from the Land of Earth." Rokudaime-sama said with a total serious face.
Was this some kind of a twisted joke? This man couldn't be serious! He made the implications that- ARGH! He was getting way too angry again. Alright… Take a deep breath and calm yourself, Kai told himself. This man had something to him that ticked him off so easily.
"But now that you mention it. Your job here requires being at least a chunin. So, better start training now. Unless you don't want to have the job." Kakashi-sama continued seemingly smiling under his mask.
"I don't take a job offer unless I know the details." the psychologist elaborated.
"Alright."
Rokudaime-sama leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the entire atmosphere in the room changed from comedic and light-hearted to dead serious. Kai swallowed the lump in his throat down. Whatever Kakashi-sama was going to tell him, it was something terrible.
"There is a series of mysterious murders here in Konoha." the Rokudaime began. "However, the person I tasked to solve this, asked for help. It is no coincidence that you met Tsuki Yuma. He is going to work on this team as well. The person specifically asked for one of the strongest jonin and one of the most intelligent people of Konoha. I would have asked Naruto and Shikamaru but the former is currently healing from his wounds he received in the war and the latter is busy with his clan."
"So, to sum it up. I'm here to solve a murder series. I… am not a detective nor a chunin. The rank I acquired then working as a shinobi was genin. Not only that, but I'm also from Iwagakure. In the Third Shinobi World War we were enemies. I don't think, I'm a good fit for this job."
"Time changes. You're, to put it bluntly, a genius." Kakashi-sama replied. "But I can understand if you don't want to work as a shinobi again."
"Thank you."
"However, the person whom I tasked to solve this was a member of a special underground ANBU organization. While there is a rehabilitation program for those members, to quote, to regain their humanity, the program fails on that person. I had hoped that you would help this person because of your status."
"So, it's actually two missions. I'm going to help solving the murder series while also helping one person regain their humanity." Kai assumed.
"Yes."
"Just… Let me have some time to consider this, Rokudaime-sama."
"I understand. Would one week be okay?"
Upon Kai's nod, the Hokage returned the same gesture. Then he focused back on his paper work. The psychologist closed his eyes. He had a lot of thinking to do… Also, he had to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of this mission. That was going to be a long day.
Kai laid down on a roof, one hand being tucked under his head while he gazed into the cloudy sky. He estimated some different forms. Some clouds looked like rabbits, others appeared to be turtle like. Some resembled buildings, other mountains.
The psychologist took a deep breath and pulled a piece of paper out. He wrote on it two words Advantages and Disadvantages. Then he started to consider…
Disadvantages:
1) Being forced to be a shinobi again = running into danger other might find out
2) Having to go through (probably hard) training in order to achieve the level of a chunin
3) The mission is dangerous = danger of losing his life
4) He is no detective
5) He is no shinobi = totally unfit for this job
6) Working for Konoha (his enemy)
No. He crossed out the last disadvantage. He should do the entire thing objectively. It didn't matter if Konoha was his enemy or the enemy of his home village. That was trivial. It was just a job, Konohagakure and Iwagakure had nothing to do with this mission. He should write down the advantages now.
Advantages:
1) The person who was a member of a secret ANBU organization
2) Working with Yuma-san
3) Staying with the "clan"
4) Would get a huge boost to his already good reputation
Kai laid down yet again and looked at the piece of paper he held in his hands. The disadvantages definitely outranked the advantages. He should decline. There were more disadvantages, although it was only one point. Besides, he clearly didn't want to lose his life. Not after everything that happened.
He sighed and channeled Doton into the paper. It crumbled and then turned into dust. Yes, he wouldn't stay here. He should return back to his life in Iwagakure. This journey was a complete waste of his time. Well, not a complete waste of time. He met Yuma-san and his grandfather Kiyoshi-san, two surviving members of the Uchiha clan. And honestly, he got well along with the Konoha shinobi.
No! He was totally unfit for this position. He shouldn't even consider it! It was dangerous… He was going through a lot of hard training! It was not worth it in the end.
But…
Another part of him actually wanted to accept this job. Yuma-san was the main reason actually. Never had he felt so happy in his life before. If he accepted he would spend more time with his new friend. Whom he could also lose… He could lose him and that would cause some trauma in him developing his Sharingan further.
Was it in the end worth the risk? Would he achieve complete happiness… or would he lose everything in the process?
He was afraid. Afraid of the bonds he already formed whom he could lose easily again. Heck, he could even lose his own life because of his inexperience. It was like a huge boulder weighed him down or a hole appearing underneath him and swallowing him up completely. He felt helpless. One part of him wanted to do this mission, another part of him was afraid. And he couldn't ask someone. Yuma-san and Hokage-sama would definitely agree that he should join in. There would be no one else he could ask… except for Kiyoshi-san.
He could ask him. He was old and wise. He could give hindsight to things he overlooked. Yes, that was a good idea. He should ask him for advice of what he should do.
Kai smiled and jumped down from the building. He took another deep breath and began walking to Yuma's and Kiyoshi's home unaware that someone had been watching him the entire time.
She had been watching Fuma Kai ever since he had left Hokage-sama's office. She found him to be rather interesting. Something about him was different than other people she had met before. Or was it her imagination? She couldn't truly say. But he seemed to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of joining her mission against each other.
She didn't care. It was just another mission for her. Another mission to protect the great tree known as Konoha. Never mind that said tree had been tumbling down on several occasions since the founding of it. However, it was always built anew. And again, the roots of said tree were there to protect it from the shadows. And this was her job.
Then Kai sat down in front of Kiyoshi-san, he knew that he wasn't going to get the answers he longed for. Just seeing in the old man's single eye made him realize that. Still, he would give him his opinion on the matter. At least, he hoped for. But a part of him also knew that Kiyoshi-san wasn't even giving him his opinion on the matter.
"I know why you are here… It's about the mission my grandson will have with you and one other person." the elderly man said before sighing. "And I won't tell you my opinion on that unless you have already decided, Kai-san. You see, the elders of the Uchiha clan always decided the destiny of the next generation. Someone was unfit to be the heir, that someone was murdered and replaced by either a younger brother or by a male cousin."
"That's cruel. Our clan… their history was built upon blood, correct?" Kai assumed.
"Yes. That's why I… and Yuma-san… decided to not influence on your decision of joining the mission. But I understand that you must be afraid of losing my Omagosan. Even in this short amount of time, you two formed a close bond. If one of you lose the other… you might succumb to the Curse of Hatred."
"What's that? If you don't mind asking."
"It's alright. When we lose someone, we have a close bond with, our love can instantaneously turn into hatred, leaving us more inclined to do anything and everything in our power to achieve our goals and show our own superiority, regardless of the consequences and repercussions of our actions. Because of the despair, a unique chakra manifests in our brains causing the Sharingan to develop. That's the Curse of Hatred."
Kai could now conclude his opinion on the mission.
"So, according to what you've said… I should probably never attend this mission to begin with. Because then Yuma-san might lose me… and that would cause this Curse of Hatred to manifest in him." Kai concluded.
"Not really. There are many things different from our branch than from other branches of our clan." Kiyoshi-san stated.
"How so?"
"I'm not inclined to tell you." he denied him the answer. "But in one thing, you are correct. I don't want you to accept this mission because of selfish reasons. I want to protect Yuma-kun from negative emotions."
