Kakashi crouched low to the ground, his visible eye fixed on everything Senju Haruto had done from beginning to end.
In his view, Haruto's methods were completely unlike those of a boy his age.
Especially the way he dealt with those three human traffickers.
It wasn't just execution.
It was psychological torture—granting them the illusion of hope, letting them taste the sweetness of survival, only to strip it away and hurl them into hell at the very last instant.
Haruto was undeniably a powerful shinobi, but until now he had always defeated his enemies by sheer overwhelming strength.
This time, however, his approach was entirely different.
Not an exaggeration to say—just imagining that plunge from heaven into hell, Kakashi couldn't help but shiver.
But it wasn't over yet.
The Kusagakure shinobi's desperate rambling meant nothing to Haruto.
He hadn't come here for negotiations.
This trip had three purposes:
to complete his sign-in,
to take Karin with him,
and to destroy Kusagakure.
He intended to bring the Land of Grass under the dominion of the Fire Country.
Without hesitation, Haruto plucked the kunai from Karin's trembling hand and hurled it.
The speed was terrifying—far beyond what the Kusagakure shinobi could react to.
The blade slit his throat in a clean arc.
Blood erupted in a fountain, pain searing his body in a way he had never known.
He hadn't even had the chance to move, much less strike back.
With a choking gasp, he dropped to his knees, clutching desperately at the gaping wound in his neck.
No sound came out—only a voiceless plea in his wide, terrified eyes, fixed on Senju Haruto until his life bled away completely.
Through it all, Haruto kept his hand firmly over Karin's eyes.
Kakashi, however, watched everything.
Watched the Kusagakure shinobi writhe in agony, watched life drain from him inch by inch.
For most shinobi, there would be at least some hesitation—a concern for treaties, for political consequences.
But Haruto truly didn't care about such things.
If you cross me, you face the consequences.
It was that simple.
But Kakashi knew this act would not fade quietly.
The moment Kusagakure learned that their own had been slain by shinobi from Konohagakure, retaliation would be inevitable.
And with Karin's rare healing ability at stake—no village would willingly let her go.
On top of that, it was Haruto who struck first, giving Kusagakure all the justification and motive they would need.
"Haruto… we need to leave. Now."
Kakashi's voice was low, weighted with tension as he pushed himself upright.
He wasn't afraid of being hunted.
What worried him was something else—that if things dragged on, Haruto would, almost without realizing it, end up annihilating Kusagakure itself.
"Leave?"
Haruto glanced at him sideways.
Leaving wasn't an option—not yet.
His system hadn't confirmed the sign-in location.
How could he walk away?
"…At least let's find somewhere to rest first. You're badly injured."
Haruto paused, then added, "And besides, I still have things to do here."
His gaze drifted to the corpse on the ground.
A simple hand seal, and the earth beneath it softened into sand, swallowing the body into the depths.
With passersby already avoiding this area, no one would likely notice what had transpired.
"You… you're injured?"
Karin had been silent until now, listening intently to the exchange.
Earlier, all of her attention had been locked on the traffickers and Haruto himself.
Only now did she finally notice the subtle weakness in Kakashi's stance, the wounds across his body.
Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but then—resolutely—she rolled up her sleeve and stretched out her pale arm toward him.
Kakashi instinctively looked—and froze.
Her arm was littered with deep, uneven bite marks, scarred impressions left by countless jaws.
In that moment, he could almost imagine the pain, the humiliation, the relentless suffering she had endured.
A child, turned into a tool.
But this was the shinobi world.
Not every village was like Konohagakure—powerful, stable, blessed with periods of peace.
And even Konoha had only recently entered such an era.
As much as he pitied her, Kakashi knew—there were children across the world living through even harsher tragedies.
And he… he had no power to change it.
Just as he had been powerless to protect his own comrades.
Haruto noticed Karin's gesture but said nothing.
He had promised her—he hadn't saved her out of desire for her body, and he would never treat her the way Kusagakure's shinobi had.
Nor would he ever force her to let him use her abilities.
But if she offered of her own free will… then it was her choice to make.
Yet, when faced with Karin's outstretched arm, Kakashi remained still.
The rumors were true—he had just witnessed it for himself.
Her chakra really could heal injuries, as long as one bit into her flesh.
But looking at those scars, those teeth marks carved into her skin, Kakashi's throat tightened.
The physical wounds were one thing.
But the psychological scars—no.
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
Instead, he shook his head firmly and gently lowered her arm, pulling the sleeve back down to cover the marks.
Karin froze, wide-eyed.
No one had ever refused her before.
Every shinobi she had met—even those with the slightest scratch—had been eager to sink their teeth into her.
Some bit her even without injury, simply to replenish chakra.
It had been endless. Hopeless.
She had never been allowed to refuse.
Yet now—when she had finally, of her own will, chosen to offer herself—she was rejected.
Rejected…?
Could such a thing really be possible?
Even Kakashi himself was a little stunned at what he had done.
Had it been his darker self from before… perhaps he would have bitten without hesitation.
But now… the darkness in his heart had faded.
And so, both Haruto's restraint and Kakashi's rejection stirred something deep within Karin.
For the first time in her life, she felt like more than just a tool.
These two shinobi saw her as a person.
Especially Haruto.
Cold and ruthless as his methods seemed—standing beside him, Karin felt an overwhelming sense of safety.
Whatever dangers lay ahead, she wanted to follow him.
But just as Haruto prepared to lead them both toward the hospital, a low, raspy voice drifted across the street behind them.
"Well, well… never thought I'd meet you here, Kakashi. But tell me… letting this chance slip by—are you sure that's wise?"
Haruto, Karin, and Kakashi all turned sharply toward the sound.
Kakashi stiffened immediately.
That voice alone was enough to send his nerves on edge.
And when the figure stepped into view—his fears were confirmed.
The speaker was none other than the man who had once betrayed Konoha.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
Orochimaru.
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