Watching Ido's frenzy and Yakumo's complete collapse, Kakashi showed no trace of panic. Instead, he looked like a spectator who had grown bored of the performance.
He clapped his hands lightly.
"That's enough."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it cut through the chaotic mental space with striking clarity.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my student," he said calmly, "or I'll really get a headache."
The sudden warning snapped Ido out of its cruel enjoyment. It spun around abruptly, that grotesque, demon-like face fixing its empty eye sockets on Kakashi, savage light blazing within.
"You meddlesome insect… you might as well die too!"
Ido roared as it flung its jaws open wide. A deafening howl erupted as a massive pillar of purplish-black fire burst forth, carrying heat intense enough to incinerate everything in its path, charging straight toward Kakashi.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Instinctively, he formed hand seals, attempting to use Water Release to block the attack.
But the moment the seals came together, he realized something was wrong. The chakra inside his body sank like a stone into the ocean, utterly unresponsive, unable to take shape.
"I see…"
Kakashi tapped the ground lightly with his foot and barely slipped past the raging flames. The purplish-black fire tore into empty space, burning a twisted hole into the fabric of the mental world itself.
In that instant, he understood.
This was a purely spiritual realm.
Here, conventional ninjutsu was completely useless. Attack and defense alike were determined solely by mental strength and willpower.
"Aaaaah!!"
Kurama Yakumo's agonized screams echoed as she hung suspended in midair. Her despair and collapse became a continuous source of nourishment.
As her spirit crumbled further, Ido's body began to swell grotesquely. It let out a series of arrogant, sinister laughs, its already massive demonic form growing even larger as the surrounding purplish-black mist thickened until it seemed almost liquid.
"Do you see this?!" Ido roared. "This is Yakumo's power! This is my power!"
Dark purple fireballs formed in countless numbers around it, raining down on Kakashi like a storm.
Kakashi weaved through the dense barrage, dodging with precision as he analyzed the situation.
This monster—Ido—had been born from Yakumo's long-suppressed resentment and the hatred she carried toward those who had stolen her dreams.
As long as Yakumo continued to break down, continued to flee and cling to that resentment, Ido would remain invincible.
"If this is a sickness of the mind," Kakashi murmured, "then it needs a cure of the mind."
Ignoring the scorching flames, he shot forward like an arrow, aiming straight for Yakumo in midair.
"Don't even think about it!"
Sensing Kakashi's intent, Ido swung its massive claws to stop him.
But Kakashi was faster.
"Look into my eyes, Yakumo!"
In her extreme pain, Yakumo subconsciously opened her tear-blurred eyes—and met the eerie crimson glow of the Sharingan.
Buzz—
In Yakumo's perception, the flames, the roars, and Ido's terrifying form vanished instantly.
When she regained awareness, she found herself standing on a pristine white canvas.
There was nothing around her—nothing except a silver-haired man in a mask, standing quietly before her.
"Where… am I?"
Yakumo stared blankly at her hands. The excruciating pain from moments ago felt like a distant dream.
"My inner world," Kakashi replied.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, his tone no longer casual, but carrying a rare solemn weight.
"That ugly thing outside is called Ido."
"Ido…"
Yakumo repeated the name over and over, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"It said… I killed my parents…"
"That's right," Kakashi said without hesitation. "Ido did it—which means it was you, when you lost control."
He made no attempt to soften the truth.
"So do you know why Kurenai went to such lengths to seal your power back then?"
Yakumo bit her pale lips, resentment flickering back into her eyes. "Because she was jealous of my talent… because she thought I was a dangerous monster…"
"Don't be stupid."
Kakashi cut her off sharply, his voice cold and merciless.
"If she was truly jealous, or believed you were beyond saving, she could've killed you outright—just like the rogue ninja. Why go through the trouble of sending you to Satomi Hill?"
Yakumo froze.
Kakashi continued, revealing the truth piece by piece.
"The reason Kurenai sealed you away was because she saw Ido."
"What…?" Yakumo's pupils shrank violently.
"She discovered the monster growing in your subconscious—a being that had already begun manipulating genjutsu to cause real-world disasters."
"If the source of your illusions hadn't been cut off, Ido would've eventually devoured your soul completely, turning you into a true monster."
Kakashi sighed, his tone softening slightly.
"To save you from being consumed by your inner demons, Kurenai chose to become the villain who 'destroyed your dreams.' She was willing to shoulder all the hatred you've harbored for years, just to seal your power and keep you alive."
"And what did you do in return?"
The truth struck Yakumo like a hammer.
"Sensei… she did it to protect me?" Yakumo whispered. "But… but I…"
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees, tears pouring down her face.
"I killed my parents… and I hated the person who tried so desperately to protect me… I don't deserve to live…"
"How long are you going to cry here?"
Kakashi walked up to her and looked down.
"The reason you're in pain is because you still desire something."
"You want to become a ninja. You want to revive the Kurama Clan. That desire isn't wrong."
"The mistake was choosing to run away and drown in hatred when you faced setbacks."
"Ido was born from the dark side of your heart," Kakashi continued. "But that's only the cowardly, escapist part of you. It isn't all that you are."
He pointed at the blank canvas beneath their feet, his voice pounding against Yakumo's soul like a war drum.
"If you don't even have the courage to face your own darkness—and let that monster use your name to kill the teacher who sacrificed everything for you…"
"Then no matter how overwhelming your talent for genjutsu is, you're nothing but a coward who can't even hold a paintbrush."
"I… I'm not a coward…"
Yakumo whispered, slowly lowering her hands from her head.
Her frail body still trembled, but she forced herself to stand.
"I don't want to hurt Kurenai-sensei… I want to… become a ninja!"
With that cry from the depths of her soul, a dazzling light erupted across the white canvas.
The confusion and self-blame drained from Yakumo's once-empty light-brown eyes, replaced by an unprecedented resolve.
"That's right."
Kakashi smiled faintly, satisfaction flickering across his lips.
"Go. Take back the power that belongs to you—from that imposter."
Click.
Like glass shattering, the illusion space formed by Kakashi's Sharingan collapsed instantly.
They were dragged back into the mental world ruled by Ido.
"Aaaaah!! You Konoha trash! I'll burn you to ashes!!"
Unaware of the change within Yakumo, Ido unleashed a raging black storm toward Kakashi.
At the same time, Kurenai Yuhi, suspended in midair, slowly regained consciousness.
She forced her eyes open, and the first thing she saw was that massive, horrifying monster.
"Ya… Yakumo! Run!"
Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, as she desperately tried to muster the last remnants of her spiritual power.
But in this world dominated by Ido, she was utterly powerless.
Yakumo hovered in midair, her light-brown eyes reflecting Ido's ferocious face and Kurenai's pained struggle.
A resolute gleam flashed within them.
"Shut up."
Her voice was soft, yet carried an uncanny authority that echoed throughout the entire mental space.
Boom!
The soul-rending black storm slammed into an invisible, indestructible wall—and instantly shattered into countless purple specks of light.
"What?!"
Ido froze, disbelief filling its hollow eye sockets.
"How can you resist me?! I am the deepest hatred in your heart! I am you!"
"You're not me."
Yakumo slowly raised her right hand.
The fallen paintbrush transformed into a beam of light and landed firmly between her pale fingers.
With her left hand, she grasped the air—and the wooden palette returned to her palm.
This time, the paints no longer oozed nauseating dark purple. Instead, they glowed with warm, vibrant, rainbow-like brilliance.
"You're nothing but a pile of filthy mud," Yakumo said coldly. "How dare you call yourself 'me'?"
She swung the paintbrush sharply.
Whoosh!
A massive golden slash of spiritual energy tore through the air and struck Ido head-on.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Ido screamed as its body was cleaved in two, purplish-black mist pouring from the wound.
The dark purple thorns binding Yakumo and Kurenai withered instantly, crumbling into dust like dead trees stripped of their roots.
"Yakumo…"
Tears welled in Kurenai's eyes—relief and joy mingling as she saw her student overcome her inner demons at last.
"Sensei," Yakumo said softly, turning with a weak but sincere smile. "I'm sorry for making you carry so much."
Then she looked back at the struggling remnants of Ido, her gaze turning icy.
"Now… it's time to eradicate this cancer."
She dipped her brush into the brightest gold on the palette.
"The Demon-Sealing Prison!"
With her final stroke, a golden cage materialized from the void, descending from the sky and trapping Ido inside.
"No! Let me out! I'm your strength! Without me, you're nothing!!"
Ido slammed wildly against the bars, but the golden cage remained unmoved, radiating searing heat that burned away its mist.
Golden flames engulfed everything within. Ido's screams ended abruptly.
As Ido dissipated, the distorted mental world collapsed as well.
The sky cleared. Sunlight poured down. The scenery rippled like water before fading away, returning to the slightly dilapidated hall of Satomi Hill.
The real world.
Kakashi and Kurenai opened their eyes at the same time, standing at the entrance of the manor's main hall.
At the far end of the corridor, a door stood half open.
The once-empty hall was now littered with unconscious bodies—medical ninja, ANBU guards, and several masked members of the Kurama Clan.
These assassins, who had tried to take advantage of the chaos to kill Yakumo, had all been dragged into her berserk genjutsu and knocked unconscious.
"Yakumo!"
After confirming everyone was still breathing, Kurenai rushed toward the open door.
Kakashi rubbed his slightly aching left eye and followed.
"Tch… mental cross-dimensional instruction isn't cheap," he muttered.
Inside the room, Kurama Yakumo sat weakly against an easel, her face pale and drenched in sweat.
Yet an expression of unprecedented relief rested on her lips.
Kurenai rushed over and hugged her tightly, tears streaming down.
"Thank goodness… thank goodness, Yakumo…"
"Sensei…"
Yakumo clung to her, full of dependence.
"I'm sorry… I misunderstood you all this time. I want to… become a real ninja."
"You can," Kurenai said firmly, nodding through tears. "Now that your inner demons are gone, everything will be alright."
Leaning against the doorway, Kakashi watched quietly, a faint smile in his eyes.
After a while, Yakumo looked up and noticed him flipping through a suspicious-looking book titled Make-Out Tactics.
"Um… sensei…"
She stood with effort, her voice hoarse but sincere.
"Thank you. If you hadn't guided me… I might've really become that monster."
"Don't thank me," Kakashi said, closing the book.
"The fact that you defeated Ido yourself proves your will is strong enough. Congratulations—you've crossed the first threshold to becoming a ninja."
Kurenai turned, determination shining in her eyes.
"Kakashi… would you be willing to mentor Yakumo? My strength isn't enough to fully guide her genjutsu anymore."
Kakashi scratched his silver hair. "Team Seven is already enough trouble for me."
Then he sighed lightly.
"But as joint guidance… I suppose I don't mind being a special instructor."
Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade listened to Kakashi's report, her expression grave.
"A subconscious entity capable of affecting reality…" she muttered. "If that girl had fallen, it would've been a disaster."
"Well done, Kakashi."
"This is my duty."
Later, Kakashi added calmly, "I'd also like to recommend Sakura Haruno… as your apprentice."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"If you're that confident," she said after a pause, "send her to me tomorrow at eight."
Outside, Kakashi strolled through Konoha, book in hand.
Then—
"Stop right there, you damn pervert!!"
At the end of the street, Jiraiya fled in a panic, Naruto chasing after him.
Kakashi sighed.
"These guys never change…"
As Naruto charged through an intersection, he collided head-on with a short blond boy.
"Ouch!"
They both fell backward.
Kakashi's gaze paused.
The boy's clear blue eyes were exactly like Naruto's.
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