Chapter 47: Reaching Consensus
"Well, alright. I don't have any missions lately anyway,"
Kakashi thought for a moment and finally agreed.
The Third Hokage had granted him a rather long leave of absence,
and he didn't really have anything to do during that time.
If this training could genuinely help him improve his strength,
then it was worth a try—especially since his progress over the years
had been slower than a turtle's pace.
The others also agreed.
If things worked out, they'd become stronger.
If not, there wasn't much to lose.
"Great! In that case, let's start with chakra extraction.
Kakashi-san, I'm counting on you to explain this part."
Sakura nodded and promptly passed the responsibility of chakra training to Kakashi.
"…Alright."
Kakashi sighed.
He really wanted to sneak away under a tree with Icha Icha Paradise and be a lazy slacker,
but with so many expectant eyes on him,
he just didn't have the face to abandon his duties right now.
Kakashi taught with surprising seriousness.
Everyone, including Sakura, listened just as seriously.
Kakashi's own strength was well known, and his explanation was clear and easy to follow.
Even Sakura—who previously had zero understanding of chakra—
could quickly grasp what he meant.
By the time noon rolled around, Kakashi's throat was dry from talking,
and the kids were starving.
Only after having lunch together did they finally regain some energy.
"Next, try extracting your chakra,"
Kakashi instructed, slumping on the side with his right eye looking like a dead fish.
The man was exhausted. Teaching was hard work.
"Kakashi-san, come over here too!"
Sakura waved him over, and soon, everyone was seated in a big circle on the ground,
hands linked, legs crossed, beginning their chakra extraction exercise.
Perhaps due to the power of the Infinity Stone,
which could manipulate all forms of energy,
Sakura soon sensed something unusual forming inside her.
Compared to the energy within the stone, this chakra felt faint and weak,
but it held a unique kind of resonance.
For example, she could now clearly sense several distinct chakra signatures around her—
some strong, some weak, all different in tone and feel.
Kakashi's chakra crackled with a lightning-like ferocity,
but also carried a deep undercurrent of sorrow—
no doubt tied to Obito and Rin.
Then there were the four Uchiha:
Itachi, Shisui, Izumi, and Sasuke.
Their chakra all gave off a cold, shadowy sensation—
clearly related to their Sharingan bloodline.
Shisui's was the most powerful, followed by Itachi, then Izumi.
Sasuke, just starting out, had the weakest presence—
but his chakra was startlingly pure.
It didn't take much for Sakura to figure it out.
That cold edge likely stemmed from the Sharingan,
while Sasuke's unusual purity might be because of Indra's chakra.
As the ancestor of the Uchiha and son of the Sage of Six Paths,
Indra's Yin-based chakra was far more refined than that of his descendants.
Beyond the shared chill of the Uchiha chakra,
each person's energy had subtle emotional undertones shaped by their hearts and minds.
Shisui's chakra radiated compassion and warmth.
Itachi's felt like a comforting flame.
Izumi's was gentle and soothing.
And Sasuke's gave off a kind and earnest aura.
In sharp contrast to the Uchiha's cold energy was Naruto,
seated to Sakura's right.
His chakra blazed like the sun—full of life, warmth, and boundless energy.
But beneath that vibrant aura was another, more volatile force—
the aggressive chakra of the Nine-Tails sealed within him.
Thinking back to what the Sage of Six Paths said in the original story—
that chakra was the power of bonds that connected hearts—
Sakura began to understand why everyone's chakra felt so distinct.
Chakra wasn't just energy. It reflected who you were inside.
Kakashi, whose natural affinity was Lightning Release,
had chakra laced with its wild nature.
And that aching sadness within it?
It had to be the lingering pain from Obito and Rin.
Without overthinking it, Sakura continued to extract her chakra while slowly channeling a trace of energy from the Mind Stone embedded within her. She carefully merged that energy into her chakra and allowed it to flow outward through her hands.
The Mind Stone naturally contained an immense reservoir of power.
Worried that unleashing too much might spiral out of control—or worse, harm the others—
Sakura only drew out the tiniest fraction before stopping.
Despite being far stronger than chakra in terms of raw intensity,
the Mind Stone's energy blended surprisingly well with it.
Bit by bit, Sakura infused the mixed energy into the bodies of everyone present through her chakra flow.
Their first session of chakra extraction didn't last long—just a few hours.
By the time they stopped, the sun was setting.
Golden light bathed the group, casting them in a warm, radiant glow,
as if they were participating in a solemn and sacred ritual.
"Kakashi-sensei… what's wrong?"
As they finished, Sakura opened her eyes—only to find Kakashi sitting there in a daze,
his expression blank, almost like he'd been stunned.
"My Sharingan… it's not draining as much chakra anymore."
Kakashi was stunned, deeply so.
His left eye—the Sharingan Obito had given him—had always been a massive chakra sink.
Its constant energy drain was the reason he struggled with prolonged battles,
forcing him into his trademark swift, decisive fighting style.
But just now…
He had clearly felt a reduction in its chakra consumption.
It was barely a sliver of difference, almost negligible—
but to someone as attuned to his chakra levels as Kakashi, it didn't go unnoticed.
"It looks like my idea might actually work…"
Sakura's eyes lit up with thought.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver gained their powers from the Mind Stone.
She'd only intended to experiment a little—but now, it seemed she was onto something promising.
"There's no need to rush. Let's keep observing for now."
She forced herself to suppress the excitement bubbling in her chest.
If this truly worked, then Naruto and the others might also awaken new abilities.
That kind of evolution could be key to facing the crises that lay ahead.
"Alright."
Kakashi nodded, a wave of relief washing over him.
He was truly glad he hadn't refused the Third Hokage's request out of laziness.
The Sharingan was Obito's parting gift to him—he would never willingly give it up.
But the toll it took on his body had long been a hidden burden,
an issue that loomed over him like a shadow.
Now, for the first time, there was hope of resolving that burden—without losing what Obito had entrusted to him.
Sakura's intervention might just be the breakthrough he'd been waiting for.
A way to have it all: the power of the Sharingan… without the price.