The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Konoha Village.

Smack!

A rotten egg splattered against Kakashi's shoulder. A furious middle-aged woman glared at him with venom in her eyes.

"Die, you bastard!"

Next came wilted vegetables, and even small stones, hurled mercilessly by the angry mob. By the time Kakashi arrived at a nearby restaurant, his once-pristine appearance was a disheveled mess.

"Sorry, we're closed," the owner said flatly, his tone void of sincerity.

It was barely midday. Closed? Impossible.

Through the window, Kakashi could clearly see patrons sitting at tables, eating and chatting. It was a blatant lie.

With a weary sigh, Kakashi turned and trudged toward home, his steps heavy and listless.

Since Konoha's crushing defeat in the battle against Sunagakure, Danzo had pinned the blame squarely on him and Shikaku Nara. Both had faced brief detainment as scapegoats.

But Shikaku was the head of the Nara clan, a cornerstone of the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance, and Danzo dared not push him too far. Kakashi, however, lacked such protection. Not only was he made to shoulder his own blame, but the portion meant for Shikaku as well.

The villagers' rage focused entirely on him. Families mourning their fallen loved ones vented their grief and anger at Kakashi relentlessly. Were it not for Jiraiya's vocal support, Kakashi's situation would have been even more dire.

In a nearby alley, two Konoha shinobi strolled by, their conversation dying the moment they spotted him. Their expressions darkened.

"There he is! If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have lost! So many wouldn't have died!" one spat, his voice deliberately loud enough for Kakashi to hear.

"Hmph! I don't know how he can live with himself. He should take after his dead father and end it already!"

"That's right. He's the son of Konoha's White Fang, after all. Suicide runs in the family!"

Kakashi's fists clenched tightly, his nails biting into his palms as rage surged through him. But just as quickly as it came, it ebbed, leaving behind a hollow sense of despair.

He recognized them. Those shinobi had been part of the same failed assault on Sunagakure. They knew the truth—or at least, they should have.

And yet, they echoed Danzo's narrative, some out of fear, others to shield themselves from guilt, and perhaps some because they had come to believe the lie.

It was absurd. As if Konoha's defeat was solely Kakashi's fault.

Ridiculous. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, was still alive.

That was the real reason for their failure.

"Father… is this how you felt back then?"

Kakashi's thoughts turned inward.

"I used to think you were weak. But now… I'm no stronger than you were."

Dark thoughts crept into his mind. For a moment, he considered ending it all. But then, a fleeting image of a young boy with messy blond hair flashed before him.

Naruto.

Naruto had grown up in this same unforgiving environment, bearing even heavier burdens. How had he managed to remain so strong, so hopeful?

What once baffled Kakashi now felt miraculous.

The thought of Naruto snapped him out of his spiral, the urge to end it fading slightly. With a long, shaky breath, he resumed his trudging, moving forward like an automaton.

Suddenly, a vibrant green blur appeared around the corner.

"Yo, Kakashi!"

"Let's have a youthful duel!"

It was Might Guy, his trademark grin sparkling like the sun.

His exaggerated thumbs-up, gleaming teeth, and unrelenting energy were both irritating and oddly comforting.

For a moment, Kakashi's suffocating gloom lightened.

"Thanks, Guy."

He allowed himself the faintest smile.

Father… I'll keep going. I'll live. I'll endure.

...

Meanwhile, in another part of Konoha, the Inuzuka and Aburame clans were holding a secret meeting.

Neither clan wanted to resort to such clandestine measures, but Danzo's increasingly oppressive regime had left them no choice.

From the moment he had taken office as Hokage, Danzo demanded members from each major clan to replenish his ranks in the Root.

But the Root was no ordinary unit like the ANBU. Its recruits were brainwashed and branded with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, severing all ties to their clans and becoming nothing more than Danzo's tools.

No clan was happy about it, but most complied, not wanting to be the first to defy the new Hokage.

Yet just months after his first demand, Danzo was at it again. This time, his excuse was Konoha's recent defeat, claiming the Root needed reinforcements.

"How can this go on?" head of the Inuzuka clan, growled, pacing the room. "Does he think our clans are breeding grounds for disposable soldiers?"

Aburame Shibi, the Aburame clan leader, adjusted his glasses, his face grim. "I… don't know."

Unlike the larger clans like the Hyuga, or those allied with Danzo such as the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, smaller clans like the Inuzuka and Aburame bore the brunt of the burden.

Both clans had already suffered significant losses during the war.

Now, Danzo's demands threatened to halve their remaining forces, leaving their clans critically weakened.

"Should we… defect?" Shibi's voice was barely audible, the forbidden word hanging heavy in the room.

The suggestion shocked everyone into silence.

Defection was no trivial matter. It could lead to the total annihilation of their clans.

Realizing the weight of his words, Shibi backpedaled. "No… forget I said that. We're not at that point yet."

Tetsu shook his head but didn't argue. None of them wanted to admit it, but the future looked grim.

For now, all they could do was endure and hope for a change.

Konoha may have stumbled, but it's still the strongest village. It has to be.

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon

Patreon(.)com/Jixo