Chapter 209: Kakashi's Resolve — A New Light
"Is that... a cherry blossom?"
The rain fell without end.
In this city forged of steel, a blue-haired woman looked at the cherry-pink petal that had drifted into her palm from parts unknown.
In a place where it rained year-round and sunlight was a rarity, that splash of vivid pink was startlingly out of place.
Konan's expression softened slightly as she studied the petal, then placed it in a nearby planter alongside some greenery.
At that moment, her ring pulsed with a message.
All members assemble.
Her expression sharpened.
Three years ago, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura had fallen in battle, and the Three-Tails had been in the process of reconstituting ever since.
Now...
Was it finally time to begin?
In the central steel tower of the Hidden Rain, the Akatsuki assembled.
Their leader surveyed the gathering — every one of them a name featured prominently on the most-wanted lists of major shinobi villages — and waited calmly for the final member to arrive.
Tap... tap... tap...
Crisp, metronomic footsteps echoed through the candlelit space.
At the sound, the Akatsuki members' expressions shifted, growing uniformly grave.
The footsteps were unnervingly regular — each one timed to within the tiniest margin of error — indicating someone with absolute mastery over their own body, drilled into pure instinct.
And among the Akatsuki's current roster...
Three years had passed, and Uchiha Itachi looked no different than before.
Only his expression was unreadable in the flickering candlelight.
The Akatsuki was still one member short.
And that person was—
"My apologies... I'm late..."
A slightly hoarse voice accompanied the sound of a door swinging open, and Uchiha Obito's face appeared before everyone.
Half twisted, half normal — that face entered every line of sight.
"No matter."
Pain regarded Obito with a calm expression.
Hiruko sat alone in a corner, shadows obscuring his features. Beneath the candlelight, a flickering smirk was faintly — almost irritatingly — visible.
Three years...
THREE years!
Behold — his masterpiece!
His life's work!
The Spiral Rot technique!
Sharingan, Wood Release, Steel Release, Swift Release, Storm Release!
A monster forged from the fusion of five kekkei genkai!
"Tch... this guy — how come after three years of not showing his face, he seems so different... hm."
Deidara, typically the most boisterous of the group, eyed Obito with some discomfort.
"Shut up, idiot."
Sasori shot Deidara a withering look.
"Zetsu — brief us on the latest intelligence."
Pain turned his gaze to Zetsu, who had just arrived from the Hidden Cloud.
"The freshest news in the shinobi world — roughly ten days ago, Konoha's Haruno Sakura took down Danzō head-on and ascended to the Hokage seat."
Zetsu spoke evenly. The reactions around the room varied.
Kakuzu and Sasori, in particular, looked deeply grim.
These two — aside from Obito — were the only Akatsuki members who'd faced Pinky in direct combat.
Without exception, both had been utterly crushed.
Three years had passed. Kakuzu and Sasori had both grown stronger, but Pinky certainly hadn't been standing still.
A shinobi's life saw its most explosive growth between ages twelve and twenty. Pinky had already been dominating the shinobi world three years ago. How strong would she be now...
"Also... I seem to have uncovered someone rather remarkable."
Zetsu regarded the group and continued:
"Tobirama Senju appears to have been active in the shinobi world since approximately three years ago."
This piece of intelligence produced a different set of reactions entirely.
Tobirama Senju?
Wasn't he long dead?
Everyone present knew of the Second Hokage — the man who'd fallen in battle decades ago. After all, Tobirama had been renowned as the fastest shinobi alive, with Water Release mastery beyond compare.
"Impure World Reincarnation."
Kakuzu — the most experienced, the most widely traveled — spoke slowly.
"That technique was the Second Hokage's own creation. He likely gave instructions before his death to have Konoha revive him at the right moment."
"It seems the arrival of this Fifth Hokage convinced Konoha's people that the time had come."
"Two Hokage working in tandem — who in the shinobi world could keep Konoha in check..."
Kakuzu's voice was dark.
Having fought Hashirama Senju himself, he knew Tobirama's capabilities and cunning intimately.
Back in the day, while others bled on the front lines, the Second Hokage had been using Impure World Reincarnation to covertly eliminate enemy elites.
Reanimate an enemy's relative. Set mutual-detonation explosive tags. Partially release control of the reanimated body so it could approach the target naturally. Then trigger the tags.
Countless powerful shinobi had died under this strategy without ever understanding what killed them.
"Continue."
Pain spoke calmly.
He was unconcerned with the Second Hokage. Merely a relic of a bygone era.
To a god, such things posed no threat.
"One month ago, the Fifth Mizukage — Six-Tails jinchūriki Utakata — left his village and made covert contact with Konoha's Mei Terumi outside the Hidden Mist."
"Five days ago, the Fifth Raikage — Eight-Tails jinchūriki Killer Bee — completed mastery of the Lightning Release Body Technique."
"Three days ago, the Fifth Kazekage — One-Tail jinchūriki Gaara — secretly departed the Sand Village for the Land of Lightning. He met with Killer Bee and paid three tons of gold for training methods to become a Perfect Jinchūriki."
"In the Hidden Stone, the Four-Tails jinchūriki Rōshi — dissatisfied with Ōnoki's policies — has chosen to leave the village and wander."
Zetsu delivered the latest intelligence in one breath, including numerous closely guarded secrets.
Then, as if an afterthought — eyes flickering with what might have been interest, or might have been nothing at all — he mentioned one more item.
"The remnants of the Hidden Sky appear to have joined forces with the remnants of the Hidden Grass."
The Hidden Sky had been an active force during the Second Great Ninja War, until they'd made the catastrophically poor decision of crossing Konoha. The White Fang had led a squad to wipe them out.
The Hidden Grass, meanwhile, had been destroyed during the Fourth Great Ninja War three years ago — caught between Iwa and Konoha due to their geography, obliterated by Ōnoki himself on his way home to prepare for war.
"The Sky remnants possess several large naval warships and an aircraft carrier. The Grass remnants control the Blood Prison, which conceals a legendary treasure of the Sage of Six Paths."
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss."
Pain's expression shifted ever so slightly.
He had no interest in the Sky remnants. But a treasure belonging to the Sage of Six Paths — that caught his attention.
The self-proclaimed god was deeply intrigued by the Sage — the god of a thousand years past.
If his treasure had surfaced in the Blood Prison, then—
"Divine treasures should not remain in the hands of mortals — much less a pack of stray dogs."
The implication was clear: the Box of Ultimate Bliss was his.
"What about the Three-Tails?"
"Still not revived?"
Hidan's voice cut in abruptly, and the room's interest visibly sharpened.
"Roughly three more months."
Zetsu made a quick estimate, sounding somewhat uncertain.
But the answer drew a lingering look from Pain.
Even he couldn't pinpoint the Three-Tails' revival timeline — at most, he could guess it was imminent. Yet Zetsu had narrowed it to within a few months.
"Heh — I'm not entirely useless outside of intelligence, you know..."
Zetsu brushed off the curious stares and said nothing more.
No one pressed the matter. Everyone had a card or two they kept close to the vest.
"Still, when you think about it — three out of nine jinchūriki are Kage now?"
Deidara let a nasty grin spread across his face.
The room maintained composed expressions that betrayed nothing.
But everyone knew: even though the Sand and Cloud had cooperative arrangements with the Akatsuki, demanding they hand over their Kage would absolutely start a war.
That would mean confronting an entire shinobi village.
And the Nine-Tails and Two-Tails were both in Konoha — which meant an unavoidable clash with the newly minted Fifth Hokage, Haruno Sakura.
As if reading the room's unease, Pain spoke.
"There's no need for concern. The Nine-Tails and Two-Tails — I will capture them personally."
At these words, a palpable wave of relief passed through the group.
If Pain himself handled the Nine-Tails and Two-Tails, then they'd only need to draw some of Konoha's pressure away from him.
Besides — what did Konoha have beyond Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Mei Terumi?
If all nine of them moved together, who could possibly stand against them?
Uchiha Obito sat apart, watching everything in silence.
Over these three years, he'd grown in more than just strength. His temperament had changed too.
After his successive failures against Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi — his first real setbacks since committing to the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan — combined with three years of Black Zetsu's patient instruction, he was no longer the person he'd been.
Growth in power was secondary.
An indomitable spirit mattered more.
He looked at his own palm. Not a trace of wavering in his heart.
His will was absolute.
Rin... wait for me.
I will create a world where you exist.
"You're sure?"
Inside Konoha, Sakura — wearing the red-and-white Hokage ceremonial robe — looked at Kakashi with mild surprise.
"Yes. I'm sure."
Kakashi reaffirmed his decision.
The Hokage's office currently held four people: Sakura, Kakashi, Tobirama, and Yamanaka Inoichi.
After deliberation between Sakura and Tobirama, the plan was set: Inoichi would learn Dragon Life Reincarnation, and Kakashi would exchange the Kamui in his eye for Kotoamatsukami and learn Izanagi.
When the time came, Inoichi would possess a death-row inmate implanted with Hashirama cells and perform Dragon Life Reincarnation to resurrect Tobirama. Kakashi would then activate Izanagi to protect Inoichi from the technique's lethal cost.
Except—
Kakashi didn't want to use Kotoamatsukami for Izanagi. He'd chosen his own eye — Kamui. Or rather, Uchiha Obito's Kamui.
"Obito's sins — I'll be the one to make amends."
"This eye..."
Kakashi gently touched his Sharingan.
Three years ago during the war, this eye had already been used for Kamui multiple times. In the years since, he'd used it several more times on missions.
Now, this eye could barely see at all.
If that was the case, then let its final power serve the Hokage's resurrection.
Sixteen years ago, Uchiha Obito had used one Kamui Mangekyō to kill a Hokage.
Sixteen years later, Kakashi would use the other Kamui Mangekyō to resurrect a different Hokage.
By now, Kakashi knew the full truth of what had happened sixteen years ago — that the man responsible for Minato Namikaze's death was Uchiha Obito.
The knowledge had left him hollow.
If this Sharingan could help a fellow Flying Thunder God user in Tobirama Senju — whatever it took, he would give it willingly.
"In that case, Kotoamatsukami could be..."
Sakura began, thoughtful.
"No need."
"I... don't need the Sharingan anymore."
Kakashi stopped her.
"I am the son of Konoha's White Fang."
"I am Hatake Kakashi — not 'Kakashi of the Sharingan.'"
Sakura regarded the man before her, expression even.
"Without one eye, your combat effectiveness will drop significantly. Shall I arrange for a replacement from the hospital?"
Kakashi hesitated briefly, then nodded.
The hospital's eye bank held donations from fallen comrades — eyes removed only with the consent of the volunteers and their families, kept in reserve for those who might need them someday.
"Then go to the hospital and find Tsunade. Have her make the preparations."
Kakashi nodded, then walked out of the Hokage's office carrying something heavy that wasn't visible.
"That young man seems to have some psychological issues."
Tobirama watched Kakashi leave with a contemplative expression.
"If you'd been through what he's been through, not developing clinical depression would already be a testament to your mental fortitude."
Sakura sighed, then turned her attention to the silent Yamanaka Inoichi.
"Inoichi-senpai — here's the Dragon Life Reincarnation scroll. When the time comes, I'll be counting on you."
Sakura brought the scroll to Inoichi.
"Three months. I'll have it mastered."
Inoichi spoke with solemn conviction.
As a Konoha native through and through, he knew exactly who Tobirama Senju was.
Even without Izanagi as a safety net — if his death was what it took to resurrect the Second Hokage — he'd do it without hesitation.
And now that Sakura had arranged for his survival, the only variable left was him.
The moment he mastered Dragon Life Reincarnation was the moment Tobirama could be reborn.
"There's no need for such gravity. Truthfully, I haven't minded my current state all that much."
"But even so — I must say thank you."
Tobirama looked at the solemn-faced man.
"This isn't a Hokage's gratitude. This is my thanks — from Tobirama Senju, personally."
With that, Tobirama produced another scroll from his equipment pouch and handed it to Inoichi.
"This is a sensory technique unique to me. It should be of some use to your clan."
Sakura raised an eyebrow from the side.
This was the sensory jutsu Tobirama had used in the original series when he'd stayed behind to buy time for Hiruzen and the others — capable of detecting the exact number of pursuing enemies, right down to their individual strength levels.
Its range might have been smaller than the Blood Haze Mind's Eye, but it was on par with the Byakugan.
Kakashi walked the streets alone, hands in his pockets, eyes on the ground.
Everything in the village was moving in a positive direction. Everything except him.
He looked up. The sky was very blue. Kakashi was very melancholy.
At the hospital, he went straight to Tsunade — whom he found secretly drinking in her third-floor office.
Seeing the door push open while she was mid-sip, Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Well, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"
Tsunade looked at Kakashi with an amused expression.
"Lady Tsunade..."
"I need an eye."
Kakashi didn't beat around the bush.
???
Three question marks appeared above Tsunade's head as she looked at Kakashi in bewilderment.
Kakashi explained the situation with Tobirama concisely. Tobirama was Tsunade's great-uncle — not a stranger.
"..."
Tsunade fell silent as she listened.
Her great-uncle... was going to be brought back?
"I recall your old teammate was named Nohara... Rin?"
Tsunade, seemingly a bit tipsy, stood and walked to a tall filing cabinet, searching for something.
"Yes, that's right."
Kakashi answered with some confusion.
He had no idea why Tsunade had suddenly brought this up.
After receiving confirmation, Tsunade rummaged through the cabinet for some time before pulling out a file.
"Found it!"
She handed it to Kakashi without ceremony, then dropped onto the sofa. From an angle Kakashi couldn't see, a smile touched her lips.
"As luck would have it, this volunteer's eyes are still available. From now on, you'll see the world in her place."
Kakashi stared at the file in his hands, utterly baffled by Tsunade's words.
"Open it."
Tsunade didn't need to say more. Kakashi was already reading.
And there — a familiar name appeared before his eyes.
"How... how can this be?!"
Kakashi stared at the file clearly labeled Nohara Rin, stunned beyond words.
Tsunade, however, seemed to have anticipated this reaction. She responded with casual ease.
"That girl was a medical ninja."
"And at least half of all medical ninja sign posthumous organ donation forms."
"This Nohara Rin — she was one of them."
Listening to Tsunade's words, Kakashi looked at the familiar yet childish signature on the form.
Nohara Rin.
These were Rin's eyes.
A storm of emotions churned inside Kakashi — impossible to articulate.
"Once your Sharingan goes blind, I can arrange for this girl's eyes to be transplanted."
Tsunade poured herself another cup of sake and downed it in one go.
"Don't overthink it. When she signed that donation form, she'd already made her peace."
"Not just her — every shinobi who signs their name does the same."
"Kakashi — you should see this world on her behalf."
"She'll be forever frozen at thirteen. And you will become her new light."
"If it's you... I think she'd be happy."
Kakashi stood in silence.
Having decided to give up the Sharingan, he'd been given a new source of light.
As though it had been fated all along.
Rin...
He gently traced a finger over the photo of a young girl on the file. Something stirred in his chest.
Instinctively, he turned to look beside him.
There, he could almost see a girl with short brown hair, smiling at him with that familiar, gentle warmth.
Kakashi — let me be your new light.
"Rin..."
Kakashi murmured her name.
"What are you staring at?"
Tsunade looked at Kakashi, who was standing motionless and gazing at empty space, with some confusion.
"Nothing, Lady Tsunade."
"Please prepare Rin's eyes for me."
Kakashi's resolve was now absolute.
Having abandoned the Sharingan and returned to the blade, Kakashi had once again received a gift from a comrade.
"Mm, sure. Go on — I'll have everything ready."
Tsunade waved him off casually.
Kakashi gave a small bow, then left the hospital alone.
He glanced back at the building once, then walked on.
He stopped at the Yamanaka flower shop, bought a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, and headed for the cemetery.
Many of Konoha's fallen heroes were buried here. Among them — Kakashi's teammate, Nohara Rin.
Uchiha Obito's grave was no longer here.
After Obito's identity had been revealed, his cenotaph had been removed.
"Rin..."
Kakashi placed the white chrysanthemums before the headstone and stood there for a long, long time.
"I think I..."
Looking at the sweet-smiling girl on the gravestone, Kakashi couldn't find the words.
"...I'll see this world for you."
In the end, that was all he said. And then he stood in silence again, unable to speak.
"YO! Kakashi!"
"I KNEW you'd be here!"
A familiar, booming voice. Kakashi didn't need to turn around.
"Come on, Kakashi!"
"Time for our five hundred and seventy-second match!"
The green bowl-cut bounded over and followed Kakashi's gaze to the headstone. Without a word, Might Guy produced a bouquet of white chrysanthemums of his own and placed them beside Kakashi's.
Every time Kakashi visited the cemetery, Guy brought flowers too.
Beneath the loud, passionate, hot-blooded-idiot exterior, Might Guy was attentive in ways most people never noticed.
"Sure. Let's race to see who reaches the Hokage cliff first."
Kakashi didn't refuse Guy's invitation.
If he'd truly wanted to refuse, the previous five hundred and seventy-one matches wouldn't have happened.
"YOSH!"
"Same as always!"
"Starting line — Konoha Main Gate!"
Guy struck a series of poses showcasing the Power of Youth, finishing with a thumbs-up and a blinding flash of his gleaming white teeth.
Rin...
You're going to be seeing a lot of this idiot from now on...
But please — bear with it.
Guy may be a fool, but he's the best friend I've got.
Kakashi looked at the headstone, then at Guy, and something warm kindled in his eyes.
"LET'S GO, KAKASHI!"
"RACE YOU TO THE MAIN GATE!"
"DON'T DISAPPOINT ME!"
Without waiting, Guy took off at a dead sprint toward the village gate.
"That guy..."
Kakashi shook his head with a resigned smile. One last look at the gravestone — and then he chased after Guy.
The sky... seemed just a little bluer than before.
☆☆☆
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