章 33: choice is given
"Was it all real?" Saeko asked, her voice shaky but her gaze sharp as she turned to Kakashi.
He had just pulled her out of the illusion a place that felt so tangible it could've been reality itself. The towering Hokage faces, the history of Konoha, the wars, the deadly missions it was overwhelming. Hours in that world, yet only a minute had passed in real life.
Kakashi had spared no details. He showed her the brutal training of children, the missions soaked in blood, and the unrelenting necessity to kill or be killed. He didn't sugarcoat any of it.
"What do you think?" Kakashi replied, handing her a water bottle casually, as if they weren't discussing something life-altering.
Saeko slumped to the floor, drained but oddly exhilarated. She emptied the water bottle in one go before muttering, "Another world? A world where you have to kill to survive..." Her voice was slow, measured, but Kakashi caught the growing excitement beneath the surface.
She paused, looking at him again. "How did you come here? To this world? I didn't see anything related to that ."
Kakashi tilted his head, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "You guess."
"Kekkei Genkai? A jutsu?" she offered, brows furrowed.
"Not that, but close enough," Kakashi said, dodging the question with a vague shrug. Not like I'm telling her anytime soon, he thought.
"What do you need from me, then?" Saeko asked, her sharp gaze locking onto the boy, who barely stood taller than her even as she sat on the floor. He's really just a kid, she thought, recalling the snippets she'd seen of his academy days.
"I need someone," Kakashi said simply. "Call it a companion, subordinate, servant, or even a slave. Someone who'll follow my orders."
"Any orders?" she asked cautiously.
"Any," Kakashi confirmed, his tone firm.
"But we'd be useless there," she said, shaking her head. "The ninjas in your world they're faster, stronger, and way more destructive."
"When did I say I wanted you to fight?" Kakashi countered. "Besides, making someone strong is the least of my worries. People can start late and still be useful."
"Then why me?" Saeko asked, narrowing her eyes. "Is it because I can learn to use chakra?"
"You're alone," Kakashi said bluntly. "You know how to fight. You want to improve. And no, I have no idea if you can learn to use chakra. This was just... a random move."
"Why didn't you choose someone from your world to form an organization?" she pressed, clearly aware that there were still many unanswered questions.
"Because they're strong," Kakashi replied with a smirk. "Too strong, in fact. The ones I'd find there might already work for someone, or worse, they could be spies. I prefer someone without any history in my world."
"Are you not afraid I'll tell someone about this?" Saeko asked, her expression serious.
"Should I be?" Kakashi replied calmly.
"With your strength, I guess not," she admitted, a hint of frustration in her tone. "It's not like anyone would believe me anyway."
"Will you kill me if I don't choose to go with you?" Saeko's gaze sharpened, her voice dead serious.
Kakashi didn't hesitate. "No. Even if you don't choose me, I won't kill you."
After a brief pause, he added, meeting her eyes, "You're not from there where people are either with you or against you. And I haven't lost myself to the point where I kill for enjoyment."
His words rang with sincerity. It was clear he didn't intend to harm her, even if she refused him.
Saeko considered this but frowned. "What if I can't learn to use chakra?"
"You're right," Kakashi said, his voice laced with dry humour. "What if you're killed the moment you arrive? It's a valid concern."
Saeko rolled her eyes. "I'm serious."
"So am I," Kakashi said, his tone suddenly lighter. "Maybe you'll never learn chakra or improve your strength. Maybe I just need your agreement to form a slave contract, after which you'll have no choice but to follow my every decision."
His words made her stiffen, but he didn't stop.
"Maybe everything you've seen is a lie," Kakashi continued, his voice unnervingly calm. "I've done it countless times in countless worlds. Regular smugglers do human trafficking between countries I do it between worlds. That's why you have to think carefully. Is it worth taking the risk?"
"Have you ever gone to another world? Not this one, but somewhere else entirely?" Saeko asked, her voice probing as she tried to make sense of Kakashi's claims.
"No," Kakashi replied casually, leaning against the wall. "In fact, this is my first time attempting this whether it's traveling to another world or bringing someone with me."
"Does anyone in your world know about your ability?" she pressed, narrowing her eyes.
"No," Kakashi said firmly. "And I don't plan on sharing it with anyone there."
"But you shared it with me," she pointed out, her tone skeptical.
"That's because you're not from my world," Kakashi replied smoothly, as if the distinction justified everything.
"Have you chosen anyone else to go with you? Other than me?" she asked, her curiosity spiking.
"I have," he admitted. "After arriving here which was today by the way ,you're the second person I've found who might be fit to go."
"Second?" Saeko raised an eyebrow, a strange mixture of relief and irritation flashing across her face. "And the first? What happened to them?"
"Hm, I haven't asked yet," Kakashi replied with a shrug, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Saeko blinked. "You didn't even ask them?"
"Not yet. Didn't feel like it," he said nonchalantly before shifting gears. "Okay, enough chit-chat. You can take your time deciding, but I'd prefer your answer sooner rather than later. I have about a month, give or take."
With that, Kakashi turned and started walking out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Saeko called after him.
"To the bath," he replied without looking back. "I'm hungry, so make something quick."
Saeko stared after him, incredulous. "Does he think he owns this place?" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. But as she let out a sigh, a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"A genius," she murmured, her eyes lingering on his retreating figure. She'd seen glimpses of his life how he graduated early, how he stood out even by the standards of his world.
There was no denying it. Kakashi Hatake wasn't just anyone. He was a prodigy, even in a world that demanded extraordinary talent to survive.
For better or worse, he'd chosen her.
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