A clean, clear, and bright eye, like a black gemstone, was set in the socket.
Kakashi gazed at his own eyes in the mirror.
There was no difference.
If there was one single difference, it was that Rin's eye seemed to hold a hint of 'cheerfulness'?
Perhaps it was an illusion.
How could an eye carry a cheerful emotion?
"How does it feel?"
Shizune, who had already finished packing, smiled as she watched Kakashi examine his eye in the mirror.
"It feels just like my own eye."
Kakashi spoke truthfully.
"That's good, I'm relieved."
"I'm leaving now."
Shizune was very busy.
As Tsunade's first disciple, she had been thrown into the hospital by Tsunade since the day she returned to Konoha.
Every day, she rushed between various patients.
"When can I be discharged?"
After a few days of rest, Kakashi felt that while not fully recovered, he was about seventy or eighty percent there.
Rather than staying in the hospital room, it would be better to go back early.
"Well..."
"Will you be okay on your own, Kakashi?"
Shizune, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks and looked at the white-haired boy with some hesitation.
"No problem."
Kakashi nodded.
"In that case, you can be discharged anytime."
Shizune nodded.
Kakashi could have actually been discharged three days ago.
She had considered Kakashi's past experiences and the recent pain of losing his teacher, and was afraid he might do something rash, so she never brought up his discharge.
Now, Rin's eye had restored the light for Kakashi.
No matter what, Kakashi would never do anything irrational with this eye.
"Thank you so much."
Kakashi said sincerely.
Although it had only been a few days, Kakashi really disliked being in the hospital.
"It seems you don't like it here, Kakashi."
"I suppose so. After all, this is a place filled with death and sorrow."
Perhaps Kakashi's expression was too obvious, as Shizune gave a helpless smile.
[Shizune's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
"That's not it. The hospital is a place of salvation."
"It's the first and only battlefield where the living fight against death."
"And as a medical-ninja, Shizune, you are a hero who battles the God of Death."
Kakashi shook his head.
[Shizune's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
"Is that so? Then I'll take your word for it."
Shizune smiled calmly, waved her hand, and left the room.
But the prompt in Kakashi's mind indicated that Shizune was not as calm as she appeared on the surface.
After Shizune left, Kakashi efficiently completed his discharge procedures.
Carrying his few belongings, he left the hospital room alone.
"Kakashi-kun, take care of yourself~"
"So handsome!"
"Kakashi-kun, are you being discharged?"
On the way, nurses greeted Kakashi enthusiastically, but before they could say much, they were dragged back by the ear by a grumpy head nurse.
"There are still so many injured people, and you have time to swoon here."
"I see you think your workload isn't heavy enough, is that it!"
Kakashi, who was about to respond to the nurses, showed a hint of helplessness at the scene.
[Kakako's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
The prompt appeared in his mind once again.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
I know.
Kakashi glanced at the poor nurse and completely ignored the buff-triggering prompt in his mind.
Leaving the hospital, Kakashi walked alone through the streets of Konoha.
A scene of devastation.
That was the only way to describe it.
Although the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb had been redirected by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, its destructive path had still destroyed many buildings along the way.
Before the Nine-Tails was teleported away, the Konoha ninja had fought it with their lives on the line.
This resulted in a large number of casualties.
The post-war reconstruction work was now in full swing.
Workers and ninja participating in the reconstruction were everywhere.
"Who's that guy?"
"Never seen him before."
"I think... that's Kakashi?"
"So that's what he looks like under the mask?"
"So handsome."
"Stop swooning and get back to work."
[...Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
Clearly, very few people cared whether you were handsome or not.
The kind of infatuation seen in the original story, where girls his age chased after Sasuke, would only happen with naive children who hadn't yet been beaten down by life.
"Kakashi!"
A familiar voice, accompanied by a trail of dust, came rushing towards Kakashi.
[Might Guy's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
Guy, you rascal.
You're surprisingly good at providing emotional value.
His voice arrived before he did.
Even before seeing Might Guy, he had already provided Kakashi with plenty of emotional value.
"Guy."
His eyes curved into crescents as he prepared to turn and greet Might Guy.
The moment Kakashi turned, his body almost instinctively ducked.
There was a good reason: if he hadn't ducked, his head would have been hit squarely by the large bundle of long wooden beams Might Guy was carrying on his shoulder.
"Kakashi!"
"You're finally out of the hospital!"
"As expected of my eternal rival!"
"Let's have a duel!"
"This is youth!"
Might Guy, carrying the large bundle of wood with one hand, gave Kakashi his signature bright white smile and a thumbs-up.
"Sorry Guy, next time."
Wiping away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, Kakashi looked at the bowl-cut-haired boy with a sense of helplessness.
He had just been discharged; how could he have the strength to duel with Might Guy?
Besides, he really should go pay his respects to Minato Namikaze.
He had been in a coma for ten days; Minato Namikaze had already been buried.
As his student, he should go and pay his respects.
"What a shame. I wanted to have a true man's duel with Kakashi."
"To celebrate your discharge from the hospital."
Hearing Might Guy's somewhat regretful words, a drop of cold sweat ran down Kakashi's back.
Your way of celebrating is a duel, huh...
But considering it was Might Guy, Kakashi felt at ease.
He didn't dislike this kind of personality.
"Well, next time."
"I'll treat you to a meal next time, Guy."
Kakashi said with a shrug.
"In that case, it's a promise!"
"This is a promise of passionate youth between men!"
"Sing its praises!"
"Work hard!"
"I, Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy's youth!"
[Might Guy's Emotional Fluctuation +1]
[Chakra +1%]
With Might Guy's roar, he charged towards the end of the road, carrying the large bundle of wood.
That was the construction site.
Clearly, while celebrating his youth, Might Guy was also doing what he could to help.
"This guy..."
Watching that rushing figure, Kakashi smiled helplessly.
He didn't even notice my Sharingan is gone.
Should I say, as expected of Guy?