Chapter 223 Exceptional Equality
Obito Uchiha's voice arrived before he did, drawing the attention of Rin Nohara and Haruko.
Kakashi Hatake quickened his pace and stopped in front of Haruko at the same time as Obito Uchiha. He asked first, "How are you feeling?"
Obito Uchiha, oblivious to the difference, continued, "Is there anything that's bothering you? Or is it that you're feeling unwell? Or perhaps..."
"I'm fine, absolutely fine," Haruko interrupted him helplessly.
Obito Uchiha didn't believe it and wanted to check her injuries, but before he could touch her, Rin Nohara, who was protecting Haruko, grabbed him.
Seeing Obito Uchiha's puzzled expression, Rin Nohara smiled and said, "I've already checked her out, and Haruko is recovering very well."
“Is that so…” Obito Uchiha awkwardly withdrew his hand.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself: Why is Lin's smile so strange? It seems the same as usual, but it also seems a little different. I guess I'm just overthinking it.
Kakashi Hatake, who was standing next to him, keenly realized that Rin Nohara had become much more assertive than before.
Minato Namikaze called out to them, "Alright, don't disturb Haruko's rest. Come over here and let's discuss the battle plan again."
Despite their unease, Rin Nohara and Obito Uchiha obeyed Minato Namikaze's instructions and went to his side.
Seeing that Kakashi Hatake didn't move, Obito Uchiha waved to him, "Let's go, Kakashi."
"You guys go first, I have something to say to Haruko." Kakashi Hatake glanced at Haruko, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression.
His gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. Obito Uchiha felt slightly annoyed, but after receiving Haruko's agreeing look, he finally left first.
Before Kakashi Hatake could speak, Haruko first showed concern for his left eye, which was thickly wrapped in bandages.
Is the eye injury serious?
Kakashi Hatake crouched down and replied calmly, "It's not serious, but vision loss is unavoidable."
"Can I take it open and have a look?"
Kakashi Hatake didn't ask her what she was going to do. He simply and efficiently started to remove the bandages. One by one, the clean white bandages fell off as he moved. The more he removed, the more the bandages inside were stained with blood.
He's still just a child...
Haruko couldn't help but feel heartache in her eyes. Although she had already witnessed the cruelty of war, the melancholy and sense of loss that rushed over her became even stronger when this cruelty befell those around her.
Once all the bandages were removed, the long, thin, and terrifying scar on Kakashi Hatake's left eye came into her view.
Haruko forced a smile at him, "Don't be afraid, Kakashi, it won't hurt for long."
She raised her hand and gently touched Kakashi Hatake's left eye, a soft green light emanating from it, slowly and gently repairing his nerves.
Kakashi Hatake quietly watched her as she focused on the treatment, suppressing his feelings that were as poignant and unnoticed as the mountain breeze blowing across the green fields.
Perhaps even he himself didn't realize that his gaze towards her intensified naturally with each approach.
"Alright." The emerald green in Haruko's hand faded, and before taking it back, she gently rubbed the corner of his eye. "Although the scar won't disappear for a while, we can go back to Tsunade."
Haruko thought he would ask her how she suddenly learned medical techniques, and she even had an excuse ready, saying that Tsunade taught her. But Kakashi Hatake didn't ask anything and simply thanked her.
Kakashi Hatake tentatively opened his left eye, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, he looked at her with his deep gaze, "Obito... do you need me to keep this a secret?"
Haruko was taken aback, then realized that he was referring to the secret technique she used to revive Obito Uchiha. She felt both gratified and touched.
Kakashi has unknowingly changed from the cold and aloof child he once was.
Although he turned out to be a morally questionable teacher when he grew up, he was quite considerate and reliable when he was a child.
"So Kakashi trusts me that much!" Haruko teased him.
Kakashi Hatake replied calmly, "Relationships between people should be based on equality."
Equality? Does it mean that she trusts him, so Kakashi gives her the same trust in return?
Haruko smiled faintly. Had she melted a block of ice?
However, there are exceptions.
Kakashi Hatake stood up and gave her a subtle glance before leaving.
In that glance, there flowed tranquil, shadowy starlight, a silent, surging current.
Before Haruko could investigate further, Kakashi Hatake closed his eyes and turned to leave.
Haruko was left feeling the lingering thrill of holding her breath. She couldn't come to her senses for a long time. She... seemed to have seen that look in her eyes somewhere else.
Exceptions to interpersonal relationships?
What kind of relationship does not require equality?
Haruko pondered this with a troubled expression.
...
After resting, they separated from Minato Namikaze again to complete their mission.
With the experience from the previous battle, their actual teamwork was more seamless, but this obviously did not include Haruko, who had regained her memories.
Kakashi Hatake narrowly defeated the enemy, then turned around and paused for a moment when he saw Haruko swiftly decapitating the swarming enemies with a single white line.
Every move she made was powerful and effective; attacking, dodging, and ambushing—not a single action was superfluous. Her elaborate kimono seemed to dance like a butterfly, light yet ruthless, giving her enemies no chance to react.
He didn't seem like a newcomer to the battlefield at all; rather, he resembled a seasoned and valiant warrior.
Almost all the surrounding enemies were swept away by her tenacity. When the enemies who arrived later saw her calmly and ruthlessly reaping lives, they wavered, but they had no time to think further. That trace of white had already stuck to their throats, and scarlet blood spurted out.
This made Kakashi Hatake wonder if the enemy they were facing was deliberately being held back by her.
On the other side, Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito, who had just managed to defeat their enemies, were stunned by Haruko's seemingly transformed fighting style.
"Is that... Haruko?" Nohara Rin asked uncertainly.
"I think so..." Obito Uchiha answered uncertainly.
After clearing out all the enemies, Haruko's clothes were only stained with a few drops of blood. She waved to Kakashi Hatake, seemingly unconcerned, and said, "Let's start blowing up the bridge."
Kakashi Hatake instinctively followed her instructions, taking out explosive tags and distributing them to the other two. It wasn't until the Kannabi Bridge, symbolizing the mission objective, exploded and collapsed in a deafening roar, engulfing everything in flames, that he belatedly realized—
Isn't he the captain this time?
The destruction of the Kannabi Bridge successfully cut off Iwagakure's supplies, helping Konoha gain an advantage on the battlefield.
However, both sides suffered heavy losses, and Konoha did not have enough resources and manpower to continue the war. The high-level leaders discussed and decided to sign a peace treaty with Iwagakure to give Konoha a chance to recover. At the same time, in order to suppress the dissent in the village, the Third Hokage resigned.
Unsung heroes sacrificed their blood and lives for peace, and many heroes became famous because of this war.
During the Kannabi Bridge mission, Minato Namikaze darted across the battlefield, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, killing without a trace, and single-handedly changed the course of the battle against Iwagakure, earning him the title of "Yellow Flash" once again.
Furthermore, his disciple, Obito Uchiha, who awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan, and Kakashi Hatake, who inherited the will of Konoha's White Fang, fought side by side on the battlefield, completing crucial missions and accumulating considerable prestige for Minato Namikaze.
A light drizzle fell, the overcast sky creating a serene atmosphere around the memorial.
The crowd stood solemnly before them, silently mourning the heroes who had sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.
Haruko, as a member of Minato Namikaze's team, stood with the three children. Only after the mourning ended did she return to the Uchiha clan with Obito Uchiha.
"...Itachi? What are you doing here?"
Haruko looked surprised, never expecting to see Itachi Uchiha here.
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