Chapter 9: Rin Nohara
Memories of a past life.
Knowledge of this life.
Together, they made Kakashi fully aware that developing new jutsu required utmost caution and precision. Any fatal mistake could mean dying by his own hand — a death that would be nothing short of a cruel joke.
"Whew... that's probably enough for today."
Lifting his head to glance at the dimming sky, Kakashi let out a quiet breath. After gathering his belongings, he flickered away, heading home. While he trained the basics of kenjutsu at home, anything involving lightning-style chakra activation or jutsu development had to be done in a more open area — the last thing he wanted was to accidentally blow his house apart.
A week had passed.
His new jutsu was still in its infancy.
He hadn't yet stabilized the chakra shape transformation, let alone integrated elemental properties. In contrast, the practice of using lightning chakra to stimulate his cells and increase physical activity had progressed rapidly. From the moment he began, Kakashi could feel the dramatic speed increase whenever the stimulation took effect.
He could sense it — his power was approaching a qualitative leap.
Still, for now, he could only use lightning chakra to carefully stimulate his cells in a static state. The control required was absolute — even a moment's lapse in focus could result in cellular destruction rather than enhancement.
In short:
He wasn't ready for combat application yet.
His body needed to completely adapt to the volatility of lightning chakra before he could unleash it freely. But judging by his current progress, that wouldn't take long. In the original timeline, Sasuke, under his guidance, mastered it in about a month. Kakashi figured he couldn't take any longer than that himself. The Third Great Ninja War was just around the corner — and he was desperate to get stronger in time.
Otherwise, at his current level — a mere chunin —He could easily die on some forgotten battlefield.
He wasn't the same Kakashi anymore.
He wouldn't make the same choices as the original.
He would carve out a path of his own.
And different choices...
Always led to different consequences.
Justice wasn't something found in people's hearts.
It was something you had to claim for yourself.
As Kakashi made his way back through the village, he passed countless villagers and patrolling shinobi. Each person he met reacted differently upon seeing him — some with hesitation, some with guilt, others with unease.
No matter what they thought of Sakumo Hatake…
Kakashi was still just an eight-year-old child.
Now, with a new war looming, Sakumo's death had become an especially complicated topic. No matter what kind of mission he had failed, no matter what loss Konoha or the Fire Nation had suffered — it all paled in comparison to the impending war.
One was a mission gone wrong.
The other would be paid for in the blood of countless shinobi.
And suddenly, people began to realize how crucial Sakumo truly had been — a recognized Kage-level powerhouse. A shinobi so powerful that it took dozens, if not hundreds, of average ninja to challenge him.
But now... it was too late.
So when they saw Kakashi, with that unmistakable silver hair —
All sorts of complicated emotions flickered through their eyes.
Kakashi, though, felt none of it.
He'd lived two lives.
He'd merged those lives completely.
And in doing so, his perception — his mental clarity — had reached frightening levels.
Perhaps that was the "gift" from whatever force had brought him to this world.
His senses were so sharp now that he didn't even need to focus.
Every subtle shift in their gazes, every breath of discomfort —
He could feel it all.
And the more he felt,
The colder he became.
Humans… no matter the world, no matter the era, never learn from their history.
Their true nature is to repeat their mistakes, over and over.
They are nothing more than pitiful, ignorant creatures.
A faint sneer tugged at Kakashi's lips beneath his mask.
It was at that moment, as he neared the front of his house,
That he noticed a small figure standing near the gate.
She was shorter than him, with short brown hair, soft brown eyes, and a distinct pair of purple markings on her cheeks.
The sight made Kakashi stop in his tracks.
He recognized her immediately.
Rin Nohara.
A former classmate from when he'd first entered the Academy.
And, in the original timeline, one of the pivotal figures whose death would plunge Obito Uchiha into madness.
Of course, right now, she was still just a student —Just a girl.
Kakashi had been the only one in their class to graduate early, and he'd done so not long after enrolling. A terrifying prodigy who'd finished at the age of five.
"Fate, huh..."
A flicker of emotion crossed Kakashi's eyes, but he didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and approached her.
When he got close enough—
"Rin Nohara. Is there something you need from me?"
His voice was calm, almost indifferent.
Rin, who had been hesitating about whether or not to knock, jumped like a startled rabbit at the sound of his voice. She took two quick steps back in surprise before realizing who it was.
Her cheeks flushed pink, and she awkwardly twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"K-Kakashi?"
"Yeah," he nodded slightly. "You came looking for me?"
"I—well, not really. I was just... passing by, and thought maybe I'd say hi… to Kakashi-kun..." she stammered. Her words came out jumbled, clearly made up on the spot. Even she didn't believe what she was saying.
"Hmm, I see. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going inside."
With a quiet nod, Kakashi turned and made his way to the entrance.
Of course he could tell she was lying.
But he didn't see any reason to call her out on it.
Whether it was Rin, Obito, or anyone else in the village —
He wasn't going to act based on what he knew from the "original story."
No fear.
No guilt.
No
manipulation.
Everything he did would be based on his own will.
Everything would be in pursuit of one thing:
Freedom.