Kakashi had just asked Namikaze Minato whether Katsuhiko Takei's punishment could include death.
Minato spoke in a grave voice, "Kakashi, the dead cannot be brought back. What Katsuhiko Takei did was truly unforgivable, but I hope to give him a chance—an opportunity to atone for his sins!"
Kakashi let out a bitter laugh. "Namikaze Minato, you're making me sick. If you give him a chance, then who will give Obito a chance? Wasn't Obito your subordinate too?"
Kakashi turned to Sora. "Sensei, I'm still the captain of this mission, right?"
Sora glanced at Minato's darkening expression and replied with a slight smile. "That's correct. Namikaze Minato and I jointly decided that you would be captain. Your authority can only be revoked if we both agree to it, and I do not consent to removing you from command!"
In an instant, Kakashi formed a Chidori and thrust it mercilessly toward Katsuhiko Takei's chest.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Minato grabbed Kakashi's arm. "Kakashi, don't do this!"
Katsuhiko Takei cowered in terror once again.
Sora placed his hand on the hilt of his ninja sword, partially drawing it from its scabbard. "Namikaze Minato, are you interfering with Kakashi's right to deal with a traitor?"
Minato's eyes narrowed. "Sora, why can't you listen to me just this once?"
Sora sneered. "Listen to you? Why should I listen to you? You disgust me. You're choosing to protect someone who betrayed his comrades. If something like this hadn't happened to you personally, you wouldn't understand the pain."
"Uchiha Obito deserved a better teacher than you."
Sora's voice hardened. "Let me make this clear: what Kakashi wants to do now is fully within the rules, and you have no right to interfere."
"If you try to force your way, Namikaze Minato, I will consider you a traitor for attacking Kakashi!"
Minato's face paled. After a long moment, he slowly released Kakashi's arm.
He knew Sora was right. Kakashi's position as captain had been jointly appointed by both of them, and Minato could not unilaterally revoke it.
Furthermore, Katsuhiko Takei had indeed leaked critical information that resulted in Uchiha Obito's death.
In wartime, Kakashi, as mission captain, had the authority to deal with Katsuhiko Takei as he saw fit.
The moment Minato let go, Kakashi's Chidori plunged straight into Katsuhiko Takei's chest.
Blood splattered across Kakashi's face.
His expression remained cold and emotionless.
Namikaze Minato turned away, refusing to witness the execution.
Nohara Rin burst into tears. In just one day, everything had changed so drastically, in ways she could never have imagined, leaving her heart aching with grief.
...
Night fell.
Kakashi sat alone on a boulder, staring blankly at the night sky.
Sora joined him, also gazing upward at the stars. "What do you see?" he asked.
Kakashi's voice sounded distant. "I can't see anything—only darkness. Sensei... I've lost all faith in Konoha..."
Sora asked, "Regarding Konoha, I've been disillusioned since the moment I first entered the village. Now you've experienced its true nature twice, so you understand. You now know what Konoha really is, don't you?"
Kakashi lowered his head and whispered, "Cold, hypocritical, despicable, ugly, stubborn, jealous, corrupt..."
Hearing Kakashi's assessment, Sora smiled faintly. "A fitting evaluation indeed. Now, Kakashi, let me explain some things about the Sharingan."
Sora's expression turned serious.
Kakashi focused his attention on his teacher, waiting for him to continue.
Sora spoke carefully. "You can feel it, can't you? The Sharingan is constantly draining your chakra."
Kakashi nodded.
And the amount of chakra being consumed was substantial.
Sora continued, "In truth, with your natural abilities and my training, you don't actually need the Sharingan. It will only become a burden to you. So my suggestion would be to remove it..."
Kakashi's entire body tensed, his heart clenching in fear.
Sora sighed and added, "But I know you won't give up this Sharingan, so I'll find a way to help you manage this problem."
Kakashi immediately relaxed, gratitude evident in his voice. "Thank you, sensei."
Sora ruffled Kakashi's hair affectionately. "Why are you so formal with your teacher? You're my precious student."
Kakashi's despondent mood, brought on by losing Uchiha Obito, lightened slightly at Sora's gesture.
Sora explained, "The Sharingan possesses powerful abilities—observation, copying, hypnosis, and more. Since you can't deactivate it now, when you look at things, some of these abilities, like observation and copying, will activate automatically."
"Using these abilities accelerates your chakra consumption. So when you're not actively using the Sharingan, cover it to prevent unnecessary chakra drain. Understand?"
Kakashi nodded and pulled down his forehead protector to cover the Sharingan.
Sora's expression then grew solemn. "But the real trouble won't come from the Sharingan itself, but from the Uchiha clan. You know what kind of people they are. They will never allow a Sharingan to remain with someone outside their clan."
"Even though Uchiha Obito freely gave it to you, they will do everything in their power to reclaim it. They may even pressure the Third Hokage to order its return."
"The challenges you'll face will be immense. You need to be prepared."
Kakashi covered his left eye with his hand and said firmly, "I will never surrender this Sharingan. It was Obito's gift to me, and I won't give it to anyone!"
Sora's eyes flashed coldly. "Don't worry. I'll support you in this matter. If those Uchiha want to touch you, we'll see if their necks are strong enough. I wouldn't mind breaking the Uchiha clan's spine!"
After speaking with Kakashi a while longer, Sora went alone to the place where Uchiha Obito had been buried.
Sora narrowed his eyes as he gazed ahead.
Uchiha Madara's hidden tunnel was located near the spot where Uchiha Obito had been crushed by boulders.
By now, Uchiha Madara would have rescued Obito, used Hashirama's cells to replace the crushed right half of Obito's body, and begun instilling the Eye of the Moon plan into the young Uchiha's mind, preparing to push him into complete despair.
Sora felt a twinge of regret that he couldn't witness most of these events, missing out on potential witness points.
But... perhaps it wasn't completely impossible. The current Uchiha Madara... should be quite weakened.
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