Many people aren't even qualified to attend the Ninja Academy.
After all, the Academy only recruits thirty students a year. You can imagine how many never make the cut.
But Naruto did. Not only did he get in, he somehow managed to avoid expulsion despite his abysmal grades every time.
Yoruha thought to himself — if it were him, he wouldn't have gone dark; he'd probably have died from sheer joy.
Sasuke, on the other hand, personally witnessed Itachi kill their parents. Itachi even made him relive how every member of the Uchiha clan was cut down, one by one, by his own hand.
The terror, despair, and confusion on their faces before they died — each enough to shatter a six-year-old Sasuke's mind countless times.
Naruto never saw his parents die at the hands of the Nine-Tails. But Sasuke watched Itachi slaughter the people who had cared for him since childhood.
That night drenched in blood — if Yoruha had experienced it himself, he would have long fallen into darkness.
Kindness? After something like that? Yoruha thought that if she could gain power to kill Itachi, it wouldn't matter how many people had to die.
After such trauma, no one could stay rational. At least Yoruha knew he wouldn't have been able to. He could never have kept his heart pure.
But Sasuke did.
He loved his family deeply — loved his clan.
That's why he sought power so desperately, even if it meant risking his body being taken by Orochimaru. He still went.
Yet even while following Orochimaru, Sasuke never killed the innocent. Not once. Even unrelated shinobi — he never killed them needlessly.
Most importantly, he was trained by Orochimaru, yet managed to keep that kind of heart. That alone showed just how kind he truly was inside.
He just had no one mature enough to guide him on the right path.
Kakashi's mindset was mature, but he wasn't strong enough.
Before coming to this world, Yoruha had admired Naruto.
After arriving, he found herself admiring Sasuke even more.
Of course, Yoruha had no intention of meddling.
Admiration alone wasn't enough reason to change someone's fate.
A life only holds meaning when one experiences it themselves.
Only lessons learned through one's own journey are never forgotten.
Kakashi, seeing Yoruha's expression, patted him on the shoulder. "Now you understand why Sasuke is the way he is, right?"
"But I still hope you can change him."
Yoruha froze, looking up at Kakashi with confusion. "Me?"
Kakashi nodded. "That's right. When I was lost, it was my comrades who pulled me back."
"I hope you can do the same. You're strong enough — and Sasuke is proud. The same words coming from you would mean far more than if Naruto said them."
But Yoruha shook his head. "I wouldn't mind trying, but I don't think interfering with Sasuke's choices is a good idea."
"Especially at his age — the more you interfere, the more he'll rebel."
"At best, you can guide him. But the more you try to control him, the further he'll stray."
Kakashi sighed. "Of course I know that… I just don't want him to lose his way. To gain power, he might do things that go against the village's rules."
Yoruha stayed silent.
Sasuke would eventually defect from Konoha.
But he hadn't expected Kakashi to already think this way.
He really did understand Sasuke deeply.
Compared to Naruto, Kakashi clearly paid closer attention to Sasuke.
Yoruha could understand that — Kakashi's combat style and ninjutsu suited Sasuke more.
And considering Obito's influence, it was natural that Kakashi focused more on him.
Besides, Kakashi couldn't really teach Naruto much anyway.
Soon, the Chūnin Exams would begin, and Jiraiya would return to the village.
But Yoruha didn't believe that Jiraiya's return was mere coincidence.
Nor that he came back just because Naruto said a few words to him.
If any other ninja had sought Jiraiya out, asking to be his student, he'd probably tell them to get lost.
So his return during the Chūnin Exams could only mean one thing — he already knew Naruto had graduated from the Academy and came back specifically to train him.
Would Kakashi really dare stop him?
Seeing the worry on Kakashi's face, Yoruha chuckled. "Kakashi-sensei, you're overthinking it."
"With Sasuke's personality, even if he breaks Konoha's rules one day, it won't be anything truly unforgivable."
"His nature is still quite balanced."
Kakashi sighed helplessly. "I certainly hope so."
"Speaking of Sasuke, I still need to teach you how to deal with the Sharingan."
"The Sharingan doesn't just copy ninjutsu — its true danger lies in its genjutsu."
"This is crucial. No matter how strong your ninjutsu is, if you don't know how to counter illusions, you could fall in an instant."
Yoruha nodded in agreement.
"That's true. But genjutsu is really difficult to defend against — especially when it's from the Sharingan."
Genjutsu from the Sharingan was unlike ordinary illusions.
He knew all too well how Kurenai — a master of genjutsu — was instantly defeated by Itachi.
Though she seemed weak in that confrontation, Kurenai was actually one of the strongest genjutsu specialists among the jōnin. She even became a full-fledged jōnin because of her genjutsu.
She wasn't a special jōnin — she stood on the same rank as Kakashi, Asuma, and Gai.
That alone showed how capable she was, especially since her fighting style revolved entirely around illusions.
And yet, even someone like her was completely overwhelmed in a single moment by Itachi.
That battle not only displayed Itachi's mastery of genjutsu but also the sheer, overwhelming power of the Sharingan.
Not just Itachi — the Sharingan had long been one of the most feared abilities in the shinobi world.
It forced many villages to develop specific countermeasures just to deal with it.
That alone showed how much the world feared — and respected — the Sharingan's power.
Yoruha's chakra was immense, and he had already mastered three S-rank offensive techniques.
In straightforward combat, he wasn't afraid of most jōnin.
But the Sharingan could neutralize all of that in a single glance.
Just one look — and all his strength could be rendered meaningless.
No matter how powerful a jutsu is, it's useless if you can't release it or hit your target.
Kakashi said, "It's not like there are no ways to deal with it. Over the years, the shinobi world has found several countermeasures."
"Most aren't very practical, though."
"But you have one innate advantage — your sensory perception is extremely strong."
Yoruha blinked. "You mean… fight with my eyes closed, relying only on sensory perception?"
Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. For most ninjas, that'd be impossible to manage."
"But I know how sharp your senses are — strong enough to replace vision entirely."
"Your perception rivals the Sharingan's dynamic vision."
"When you use Chidori, you move at incredible speed yet still strike with pinpoint accuracy."
"That's something only you can do — not even I could manage that."