"By the way, isn't Sister Kana supposed to start school today?"
Naraku reminded her suddenly.
"Oh no!"
Kana shrieked, clutching her head as she frantically searched for her schoolbag under the bed.
She had been so engrossed in watching Naraku's treatment that she had completely forgotten about her first day.
"I-I-I-I'm leaving now! I'll come back to see you after school, Naraku!"
The sound of hurried footsteps grew distant, followed by the unmistakable clatter of her tripping down the stairs.
Naraku's eyebrow twitched. "Is Sister Kana going to be okay...?"
Why hadn't he noticed before that Kana was a bit of a klutz?
"I'll go check on her!" Shizune shouted, running out while still cradling the piglet.
Naraku deactivated his Sharingan and asked innocently, "Lady Tsunade, does this mean my illness is cured?"
"Not by a long shot, kid."
Tsunade had to tell him the truth.
The subsequent treatment would not only be lengthy but potentially ineffective.
It would be impossible to hide that from a smart Uchiha kid like the one Sakumo had described.
"This is just the first step. Moving forward, I will have to test many different jutsu on you."
"Only then might I find a way to cure you completely. It could take several years to finalize a treatment method."
Kakashi clenched his fists tightly, then quickly forced himself to release them.
He didn't want Naraku to see how upset he was.
"I'm going out for a bit."
Leaving the hospital, Kakashi walked aimlessly, having no destination in mind.
The streets were bustling with people, and as he walked, he heard the constant criticisms directed at his father.
He felt countless needle-like gazes pricking at him and fell into a state of deep confusion.
Was his father truly wrong?
Was a mission really more important than a comrade's life?
He asked himself if he had to choose between a mission and a friend, and he realized he would likely make the same choice as his father.
Just as Naraku had said, no matter the cost, he would come to save him.
So, Kakashi thought, they were simply destined to make mistakes.
After wandering the village, Kakashi eventually returned home.
He found his father kneeling in the living room with his head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
"Father."
"Hmm?"
Sakumo snapped back to reality.
Seeing his son's face full of worry, he knew the recent events had hit Kakashi far too hard.
What he was planning to do was too rebellious, and he felt it was no longer suitable to leave Kakashi in the village.
He beckoned to the boy, gesturing for him to sit beside him.
"Are you unhappy, Kakashi?"
"A little..."
Admitting his negative emotions in a low voice, Kakashi sat down next to Sakumo.
He looked up at the father he had always revered and admired.
His father remained calm, seemingly unaffected by the controversy, which made Kakashi feel a little better.
"What exactly are you thinking, Father?"
"I still believe that shinobi are not just tools for slaughter."
Sakumo articulated his philosophy gently.
Seeing that Kakashi still looked conflicted, he patted the boy's shoulder and made a suggestion.
"Alright, these things will pass. There is no need to worry."
"Lady Tsunade just told me she needs a rare medicinal herb. Why don't you go outside the village to retrieve it?"
"Perhaps by the time you return, people will have stopped talking about all of this."
"But Naraku is still—"
"Lady Tsunade is looking after him; he'll be fine. If you keep being so gloomy, Naraku won't be happy either."
Considering his current state of mind, Kakashi also felt he wasn't fit to be by Naraku's side during his recovery.
He went to the hospital laboratory to find Tsunade and inquire about the exact location of the herb.
Sakumo remained at home, sitting in silence.
Soon after, Tsunade personally came knocking at his door.
"What's going on? Why are you making up excuses to send Kakashi away?"
"I'm just letting him clear his head," Sakumo said with a smile. "He's really had a difficult time in the village these past few days."
Tsunade stared at Sakumo suspiciously for a long time before reluctantly accepting the explanation.
She then informed him of her arrangements.
"I sent Kakashi to Tanzaku Town. There's a medicinal herb shop owner there I'm familiar with."
"Good."
"Kakashi, you're leaving the village to get medicine?"
Naraku touched his newly changed bandages and looked at the fully armed Kakashi, feeling that something was wrong.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade needs a medicinal herb that Konoha doesn't have in stock."
"Did Lady Tsunade tell you that herself?"
"Father told me to go. He said... I should go out and clear my head."
Kakashi looked at Naraku, feeling as though he was abandoning his friend to escape alone.
His tone unconsciously carried a hint of guilt.
Naraku paused, then immediately forced a smile.
"That's good. You've looked exhausted lately, Kakashi. It's good to go out and see the world. But remember to bring me back a souvenir, okay?"
"Yes, I will."
As soon as Kakashi left the hospital, Naraku immediately climbed out of bed.
Disregarding his wounds, he jumped out the window and headed straight for the Hatake household.
"Master!"
He rushed into the living room, only to see Sakumo sitting there calmly wiping his white light chakra sabre.
Sakumo was not a corpse lying in a pool of blood as Naraku had feared.
Releasing a long-held breath, Naraku swayed, grabbing the doorframe to keep himself from collapsing.
"Naraku, why have you come back?"
Sakumo quickly moved to help him sit, lifting the boy's shirt to check if the wounds had reopened.
Naraku seized the opportunity to grab Sakumo's wrist and stared directly into his eyes.
They were different from usual.
Sakumo's eyes held a sense of calm acceptance toward death, just like many others Naraku had seen before.
He had to stop him now!
In an instant, Naraku's eyes turned blood-red.
He nearly emptied his entire chakra reserve and, catching Sakumo completely off guard, unleashed the strongest genjutsu he had obtained from the system.
Demonic Illusion: Kyoka Suigetsu.
Sakumo realized something was wrong at the last moment, but it was already too late.
The moment he fell under the genjutsu, he lost consciousness and slumped heavily to the floor.
Naraku, his chakra suddenly depleted, collapsed beside him.
He recovered for a few minutes before checking on Sakumo, confirming the man couldn't break free.
He had been refining his genjutsu skills for this very day—to forcibly prevent Sakumo's suicide when all other methods failed.
Kyoka Suigetsu was powerful, but its duration was limited.
He had to act tonight.
Since Danzo Shimura wanted him in Root, he would join.
He would make a scene, exposing all of Danzo's shady dealings for the village to see.
He would reveal Danzo's greed and his plot to plunder the Uchiha Sharingan.
At that point, every ninja clan in Konoha would feel threatened, and Danzo would be caught in a storm of public outrage.
They would see if the old man still had the energy to target Sakumo then.
This time, he had to hammer that old geezer so deep into the ground that he could never get back up.
Naraku carried Sakumo to the bedroom and laid him down.
He propped him up with pillows and covered him with a blanket, making it look as though he were merely sleeping.
"Sleep, Master. When you wake up, everything will be better."
He slung a katana onto his back, grabbed several soldier pills from a cabinet, and stuffed them into his pocket.
Then, he resolutely headed toward the Forest of Death.