Watching as they were about to enter the bathroom and disappear.
Kakashi suddenly said, "Who is it?"
"Father, can I know whose 'Swordsmanship' this is?"
The boy was impressed, though unclear, but it didn't stop him from... feeling amazed, especially when he had a pair of... discerning eyes....
Who? Sakumo Hatake paused, and instantly in his mind appeared a face somewhat like Fugaku, seven times more like Mikoto, along with eyes that were far too mature for his age...!
"Uchiha Jin... your Uncle Fugaku's son...."
'It's him?' Kakashi was stunned,
"What, do you know him?" Sakumo Hatake noticed his son's unusual reaction and looked back.
Kakashi slowly shook his head, "I don't know him, I just heard about him from Obito."
"Your teammate Uchiha Obito?"
"Yes." Kakashi shrugged, "I sense he admires Uchiha Jin quite a bit; today, he's the one who made me look like this."
"Of course," Kakashi quickly added, "He got beat up worse by me."
"Really?" Sakumo Hatake was a bit surprised. As a father, he had some understanding of Kakashi's two teammates, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, from conversations with Minato… It's said that Uchiha Obito is a laggard, beaten every time in training by his own son, yet today things were different... As Sakumo's gaze flickered, he considered a possibility:
"Seems, he has awakened the Sharingan."
Kakashi didn't think he could hide it from Sakumo Hatake and acknowledged openly, "Yes... he's opened his eyes."
A slight gloomy sense appeared on the boy's cold face, recalling the training battle with Obito this afternoon, his moves, including 'Substitution Jutsu', couldn't escape the Sharingan... an indescribable discomfort and constraint.
Kakashi had to admit... the Sharingan is indeed formidable.
"No wonder..." With the guess confirmed, Sakumo Hatake comforted gently, "Kakashi,"
"Since Obito's awakened the Sharingan, you can't see him as a laggard anymore; you should learn to rely on him more often... after all, just like Nohara Rin, he's your comrade...."
"I know," Kakashi said in a muffled voice, "Father, honestly, I never thought he could awaken it. According to the teacher, even among the Uchiha, not many can awaken the Sharingan...."
Not many? Sakumo Hatake thought of the two pairs of Sharingan he saw this morning, one belonging to Shisui, another to Roy, both young, even… that child Jin had also awakened his Swordsmanship realm 'Sword Eyes', falling into an eerie silence....
"Hoorah~" A gust of wind blew in from the window, taking away the last trace of heat from Kakashi's curry...
His white hair moved with the wind, noting Sakumo Hatake's unusual behavior, Kakashi raised an eyebrow, wondering... did he say something wrong?
Another glance at Sakumo Hatake,
The man stood with his back to the bathroom, thoughts swirling, an absurd notion suddenly popped up... Is it possible—
Can all Uchiha awaken the Sharingan?
Quickly Sakumo Hatake forcefully quashed this thought, almost... saving himself... from being frightened by his own idea....
"Minato's right, the Sharingan isn't easily awakened,"
"Even among the Uchiha, Obito counts as a genius tier, you should take him more seriously." Sakumo Hatake snapped back to reality, instructing Kakashi before pushing open the wooden door to the bathroom and stepping inside... This time the man rarely took a cold shower, calming his mind, and at the same time... expelling those absurd thoughts from his head....
"Huala~" The sound of running water....
Kakashi scooped another spoonful of cold curry into his mouth, just about to go to the kitchen to replenish with some hot, suddenly remembered something, yelled through the wooden bathroom door, "Almost forgot, father, you mentioned that Uchiha Jin seems to have become my teammate...."
"Squeak—"
The faucet was forcefully turned off by a large hand!
The bathroom door cracked open, revealing Sakumo Hatake's wet forehead: "What did you say?"
Kakashi, expressionless, said, "In the evening, Minato sensei said a new member will join our squad tomorrow, asked us to take good care of him. Obito asked who it was, said it was Uchiha Jin, that guy... went dumb right on the spot."
Sakumo Hatake: "...."
Felt something was stolen from his heart, silently closing the wooden bathroom door.
"I understand,"
An ethereal voice came, adding more desolation....
Kakashi felt inexplicably bemused,
As usual, a new member joining always required a test... What kind of abilities does Uchiha Jin have, since he can be admired by Obito, self-create 'Swordsmanship', even leading his father to practice in the courtyard... they'll find out tomorrow.
Kakashi mechanically shoveled another spoon of curry into his mouth, accidentally biting into a grain of salt, and in excessive saltiness... his mouth twitched unwillingly, bringing on a look of pain.
"How many floors can a bag of rice carry... Father, the salt didn't dissolve...."
Sakumo Hatake: "Eat if you want,"
Kakashi: "...."
For the first time, suffering a ruthless attack from fatherly love, leaving him stiffened for a moment....
.....
"Achoo~"
"Why are you sneezing?"
Hunter World, Republic of Padokea, Kukuroo Mountain.
At the Zoldyck Family castle, approaching dusk, the sun sets... Roy, having undergone 'Toxin Resistance Training', was basking in the sun, long-desiring gratitude after 'Ten Thousand Basic Swings', as usual... he left the practice room, walking slowly towards the basement, to 'worship' Grandpa Jager, to continue exploring the Dark Continent... Halfway, he happened to meet Illumi, who had just come from the basement.
The foolish Mamen Bean saw him sneeze, stopped, staring with those hollow eyes... not seen in a few days, skin whitened much, white to the point of pallor, like a ghost... spooky....
"Who knows?"
Perhaps the toxins inside weren't fully digested, or maybe it was a whim....
Roy flexed his nostrils, hearing the third answer from Illumi—
"Maybe someone's thinking of you behind your back."
"Please don't tell me it's you?" Roy glanced at him indifferently, "You know my punch hurts."
"I'm learning 'Nen' from great-grandfather," Illumi treated Roy's raised fist as air, said fearlessly, "Once I grasp 'Ken', my hits will also hurt."
"Then congratulations in advance...." Roy stepped with the Great Success Dark Step, his figure flickered, flickered, flickered again, brushing past Illumi's shoulder... This time the boy attempted to mimic Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, through the 'Gate of Cognition', the unwittingly showcased 'Flash Step'... Feet shuffled with a hint of rhythm, in the blink of an eye... left Illumi behind.
Illumi was taken aback, his long straight black hair caressed by the breeze Roy created, gently swaying... When the boy came to, the mottled ancient corridor was empty, where was Nissan's figure, only he remained,
seemingly immersed in that wondrous rhythm, not returning to his senses for a long time....
'Is this the Dark Step?'
'Why does mine differ from his?'
With a hint of doubt, three parts confusion, seven parts bewilderment, ten parts perplexity... Illumi decided, tomorrow he'd ask Grandpa properly,
Thinking, away from Roy's departure direction, he headed towards his bedroom, that hole.....
"Step... Step....." Two sets of footsteps split into directions, diverging along different paths....
Roy attempted to mimic the 'Flash Step', eventually remaining at the 'mimicry' stage.... Upon encountering Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni back then, didn't think of opening the Sharingan for detailed observation, just wished to debate swordsmanship...
Thinking now, somewhat regretful....
"Next time... there will definitely be a next time...."
"Presumably in front of him, reproducing on-site, he... certainly won't mind, right...."
A hint of crimson flashed in his eyes....
Roy's lips curled upwards as he approached the basement.