The perspective switched to Kakashi. He walked towards Kana, and through the cold autumn wind, he saw that her face was full of fatigue, sorrow, and several tear streaks.
He seemed to sense danger, and his breathing involuntarily quickened. His fingertips, which as a Ninja should have been steady and strong, now trembled violently, and even a short question came out with pauses.
Then, from Kana's mouth, he heard news that was enough to crush him.
"Kakashi, Naraku is dead."
Kakashi froze in place, his pupils constricted, and his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
The scene began to tilt, distort, and twist, with a strong sense of fragmentation running through every corner of the screen, swallowing him into the deepest sea of fear.
Kakashi almost collapsed to the ground, but he held on with a strong will, refusing to fall, hoping that the other party could overturn everything he had just heard.
But the words he heard remained unchanged, tearing his heart in two.
"Naraku is dead."
"He is dead."
[Kakashi probably had a premonition the first time he saw Kana]
[Kakashi, you no longer have a chance to regret]
[People always realize the importance of what they've lost at the very last moment]
[But why did Naraku have to be the price for this lesson, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo]
[The Old Thief is really cruel. With Naraku's death, everything Kakashi did becomes meaningless]
Next was an empty shot: a cold white sun hung high in the sky, and a cold wind swept through the desolate and gloomy Konoha Village, making the withered branches and fallen leaves rustle and wail, sounding like cries from an unknown place.
Kana's thoughts gradually drifted, returning to that arduous journey. Memories surged in her mind like a tide, battering her wavering sanity.
The screen also applied a soft focus to the flashback, and the tear-jerking BGM repeatedly struck the audience's hearts.
Through Kana's eyes, they glimpsed that past on the screen, observing Naraku's profile from behind him.
The young man was smiling at everyone, speaking of his feelings and loyalty to Konoha, saying how kind and benevolent the people there were.
[You will definitely like Konoha.]
Naraku said so, disheveled but with a happy smile on his face.
[What? You've only been talking about that guy named 'Kakashi' the whole time.]
Kana complained jokingly, only to see the young man's ears suddenly turn red as he vaguely explained.
[The other people are very nice too, I just haven't had time to talk about them yet...]
"Actually, Naraku didn't care about anything."
The scene returned to the present, tears had long blurred her vision. Kana stepped forward, wanting to see what Kakashi truly looked like.
"He only cared about you, Kakashi."
She wanted to see the expression of the person Naraku cherished most.
"Why, Kakashi?"
--Why did you two become like this?
"Why... did Naraku die?"
--Why weren't you by his side then?
[Kakashi was the pillar that supported Naraku until the very end]
[The young man's blush was more eloquent than any confession]
[Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah the kakashi shippers are going crazy!]
[Why! Why do you tell me all this only after Naraku is gone!!!]
[Ah woo woo woo woo woo (crying while eating glass shards mixed with sugar)]
[For the next ten years, Kakashi probably won't be able to sleep. Every time he closes his eyes, he'll remember these words...]
[Kakashi is about to break]
On the screen, Kakashi looked at the tearful Kana, his pupils gradually unfocused, and the background behind him turned completely black. A desolate, eerie sound effect crawled through the minds of every audience member, coupled with the screen tilting and falling once again, highlighting his fear and confusion.
The camera shifted, and he had already stumbled back home, his once bright black eyes now vaguely covered by a veil, as if he couldn't see anything, not even a reflection.
A damp, sticky sensation came from his right hand. He looked down and saw that he was holding a worn-out forehead protector, its edge deeply cut into his palm, blood flowing all over his hand.
--Is this... Naraku's...?
The sunlight slanted onto the pristine white long sword. The brand-new, intact weapon stood there silently, not yet delivered to its owner.
[Is Kakashi going to break down?]
[It's a pity there are no cicadas in late autumn]
[The sword that Master forged for Naraku, ah ah woo woo woo woo woo]
[Things have changed, and everything is over]
[Naraku never even saw this sword until his death]
[Perhaps he didn't dare to take it, for Naraku, seeing it would be too painful as it reminds him of someone]
He remembered Naraku encountering danger, frantically grabbing the sword and about to leave, then realizing that he was still the same as before, choosing the "wrong" path without hesitation.
But at that time, he had severed his bond with Naraku, forcing the other party onto the "correct" path...--At that time, why did I never consider his feelings?
The screen once again flashed back to that eye contact through the mirror, zooming in on the passerby's eyes for a close-up, accompanied by a horrifying sound effect.
Immediately, large patches of darkness flashed before Kakashi's eyes. The scene of the two confronting each other on that rainy night once again unfolded on the screen, with a gray mist separating them, making everything appear dim and unclear.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of something shattering repeatedly, the screen gradually broke into several cracks, through which brilliant golden light shone.
[What the forum said is true, it's true!]
[Someone played a dirty trick on Kakashi!]
[I knew it, Kakashi wasn't like that at all!]
[But Naraku will never know... boo hoo hoo hoo hoo (┳Д┳)]
Kakashi heard distant and faint shouts echoing in his mind, getting closer and louder.
[...Kakashi!]
For the last time, he clearly heard the shouts and saw many luminous figures breaking into his vision, which was almost completely engulfed by darkness, speaking to him in incredibly familiar voices.
Those "Naraku" of different ages surrounded him, emitting a warm, shimmering glow, like sparks of a soul, dispelling all the gloom from then until now.
The amulet was held up and swayed in front of him by "Naraku," and Kakashi also subconsciously touched his chest, realizing there was nothing there.
--How could I have thrown it away then?
He looked up and saw the only "Naraku" hiding in the courtyard, afraid to come in. His thin clothes were soaked through and clung tightly to him from the rain, and he couldn't lift his head under the heavy downpour, his heavy gasps mixed with sobs.
[Kakashi... I'm sorry... it's all... my fault...]
"Naraku... it's not..."
Kakashi murmured, and the cracks on that almost shattered image layered upon each other, finally completely breaking apart, turning into dust in the brilliant light.
A part of his sealed emotions broke free, completing his soul.
He ran forward and embraced "Naraku," wanting to pull him out of that heavy rain and back to his side.
In the close-up, his eyes finally regained clarity, as if waking from a long, uncontrollable nightmare. Tears of regret welled up one after another, falling to the ground.
"...It's not your fault."
[Was the sealed part Kakashi's feelings for Naraku?]
[It's also possible that it directly twisted his logical thinking and alienated his emotions]
[So Kakashi's true soul was always there, watching himself push Naraku away with his own hands o(╥﹏╥)o]
[Naraku, look, the real Kakashi never blamed you, ah ah ah ah ah TAT]
[What's even more heartbreaking is that Naraku will never know the truth. If he didn't die, Kakashi wouldn't have been able to break the seal through an emotional outburst]
[Ah ah ah ah ah ah!!! Who made our kakashi suffer so much!!!]
[Who! Who!!!]
[I'm going to slice him into three thousand six hundred pieces!!!]
---