Bab 94: No Lollygaggin'
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Kakashi's team, along with Karin and Team Asuma, walked through the gates of Konoha, their mission in the Sand Village complete. With Karin's healing abilities, they were able to save Rasa and Kankuro, but the village had suffered the loss of their tailed beast and one of their strongest shinobi. The Sand Village was left to cope with the burden of their new reality.
The weary group of shinobi trudged into Konoha, their spirits dampened by the recent events in the Sand Village. With Gaara gone, the village had to come to terms with the loss of not just their tailed beast, but a skilled ninja who was expected to become the next Kazekage.
As they crossed the threshold into the village, Koushin and his teammates couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at being home. It had been a long and difficult mission, and the familiarity of their surroundings brought a measure of comfort.
Kotetsu and Izumo, the eternal gate guards, spotted Koushin and approached him, grinning. "Koushin, no lollygaggin'," they teased before bursting into laughter. However, their laughter died abruptly as they noticed Kakashi's face. The sight of the normally composed and stoic man appearing so worn and haunted unsettled them.
Their eyes widened as they took in Kakashi's now identical eyes. The Sharingan, his trademark, was gone. They glanced at each other, then simultaneously pinched each other's arms, as if to confirm that they weren't dreaming. What could have happened on the mission to cause Kakashi to lose his Sharingan?
Kakashi, sensing their confusion and concern, offered a weary smile. "It's a long story, Kotetsu, Izumo. We'll fill you in later." He didn't want to relive the events of the mission just yet; he needed time to process and come to terms with the loss of his Sharingan.
Kotetsu and Izumo exchanged worried glances but nodded in understanding. "Alright, Kakashi-san. We'll be here if you need to talk," Izumo said, trying to offer some comfort.
The group continued through the village, each lost in their own thoughts. Naruto, feeling the weight of his own failure to save Gaara, clenched his fists in determination. "I won't let this happen again," he vowed under his breath, determined to grow stronger and protect his friends.
Hinata, who had been quietly walking beside him, placed a gentle hand on his arm. "We'll get through this together, Naruto-kun. We just need to keep moving forward and do our best."
Naruto turned to her, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Hinata. I don't know what I'd do without you."
The teams arrived at the Hokage's office, the air heavy with anticipation. As they entered, Tsunade and Shizune looked up, their eyes immediately drawn to Kakashi's face. They exchanged shocked glances upon seeing the change in his eyes but didn't have time to question it before Kakashi began to report on the mission.
"During our mission to track down Gaara, we followed the lead Kankuro provided about Sasori of the Desert, one of the Akatsuki's puppet masters. As we made our way, we were confronted by reanimated corpses of the Edo Tensei," Kakashi explained, his voice steady and calm.
"Orochimaru was behind it," he continued, "He summoned three Uchiha, all of whom I recognized from the Konoha Police Force. Koushin and others managed to seal them away and we continued our pursuit."
As Kakashi detailed their journey, Tsunade and Shizune listened intently, their expressions growing more somber with each word.
"Upon arriving at the cave, we met up with Team Asuma, and together we broke the seal guarding the entrance," Kakashi continued. "Inside, we found Deidara, Sasori, and Gaara waiting for us."
Tsunade frowned, her concern growing. "And Gaara? What happened to him?"
Kakashi hesitated, his voice strained as he explained, "Gaara looked somber, but he eventually declared that he had joined the Akatsuki and had no intention of returning to the Sand Village. He said that he had been freed from the One-Tail, and from then on, he was free."
A heavy silence filled the room as Tsunade and Shizune processed the information. It was hard to imagine Gaara, who had fought so hard to protect his village and friends, choosing to join the enemy.
"Before the battle began," Kakashi continued, his voice tinged with pain, "a masked man appeared out of nowhere and attacked me, removing my Sharingan. He later revealed that the Sharingan was his, confirming his identity as Obito Uchiha."
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, and she slammed her fist on the desk. "Obito?! How is that possible?!"
Kakashi could only shake his head. "I don't know, but it was him. I'm certain of it."
Shizune, still reeling from the revelation, turned her attention to Kakashi's eyes. "What happened to your Sharingan? Can it be replaced?"
Koushin stepped forward, explaining his role in the events. "I used a rare healing technique I've learned thanks to my summons, one that I can only use once every three years. I was able to heal Kakashi-sensei's eye, but the Sharingan is gone for good."
Tsunade looked at Koushin with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. "Thank you, Koushin. You did well."
Koushin bowed his head, humbled by her praise. "I only did what I could, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade's annoyance bubbled to the surface as she reached for a bottle of sake from a drawer in her desk. Uncorking the bottle, she took a generous swig, her eyes narrowing as she pondered the implications of the events they had just recounted.
"If they can remove a tailed beast without killing the host, that means the Akatsuki are even more dangerous than we anticipated," she muttered, taking another swig of the sake. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If it's not the same for everyone, they may decide it's easier to kill the host and resurrect them using the Edo Tensei, causing even more chaos."
She set the bottle down and looked directly at Kakashi, her brow furrowed in concern. "Why did you seal away the reanimated Uchiha instead of destroying them? And how did you come up with the idea?"
Kakashi glanced at Koushin before answering. "It was Koushin's idea, actually."
Koushin stepped forward, explaining his thought process. "During the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, Hiruzen used sealing techniques to immobilize and weaken the reanimated First and Second Hokage. I thought that if we could use similar techniques, we might be able to seal away the reanimated Uchiha and prevent Orochimaru from using them again."
Tsunade nodded, impressed by Koushin's quick thinking and resourcefulness. "That was a smart move, Koushin. Your ability to adapt and learn from past battles is a valuable asset."
Koushin bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I only did what I believed would be most effective in the situation."
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