In the early hours of the morning, inside a special care ward at Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi sat by the bedside, counting the drops of water falling from the IV bag.
The ward lights were bright, and each falling drop of medicine shimmered with a warm halo, gently merging into the drip chamber below, causing a slight tremor.
It was like his own restless heart at that moment.
Kakashi's mind was a mess; Naraku, his father, Uchiha, and the Village were all entangled, forming a large net that choked him.
Too many complicated things had happened tonight, and before he could even prepare, the bloody truth was revealed before him, catching him off guard.
The Will of Fire, constantly promoted by Konoha, could only illuminate the surface, constructing a beautiful yet fragile bubble that reflected intoxicating, illusory colors in the sunlight.
But in the unseen corners, there was nothing but deceit and lies, with everyone vying for power, fighting to the death, and resorting to any means like wild beasts for their own gain.
In reality, Konoha was no different from the chaotic Ninja World as a whole.
The truth was cruel and overbearing, forcing Kakashi to detach himself from his familiar worldview and observe everything he had experienced from a different perspective.
The more he recalled and judged, the more a strange sense of helplessness grew in his heart, instinctively and silently pleading with Naraku not to leave him in such a bitter, cold winter night.
An empty home was truly too cold.
Kakashi lowered his head and blinked; perhaps his eyes were sore from staring at the IV for too long, and a tear fell onto the pristine white bedsheet, soaking into a small wet stain.
The room was very quiet; he could even hear the soft 'pat' of that tear hitting the fabric, but even in such silence, he could barely hear Naraku's breathing.
In the burning ruins of Inu Base (Dog Base), the few seconds when Naraku briefly regained consciousness and comforted him not to be sad were too fleeting, too ethereal, almost like a dream he had imagined to deceive himself.
After that, Naraku remained unconscious, his body cold and his breathing faint, as if he would die at any moment.
Most Ninja did not believe in gods, but Kakashi couldn't help but think that on the day his father had his accident, Naraku must have prayed as fervently as he was now, begging for his father not to die.
-- How could he have said such things to Naraku?
Kakashi rested his head on the edge of the bed, his eyes tightly shut, feeling he didn't deserve to cry... Two hours earlier, in the Forest of Death.
Naraku's Shadow Clone was hidden in the shadows, waiting for Black Zetsu and White Zetsu to arrive, following the signal.
After the main personality, Naraku, awoke from his slumber and used a Shadow Clone to separate him, he had casually found a spot in the Forest of Death and left information using a specific Ninjutsu, so that White Zetsu and Black Zetsu would notice this clone first.
The root-like White Zetsu arrived first, still wondering what was wrong with him, why he wasn't even watching the 'fun' he had been looking forward to for so long, and instead was staying in such a place.
"Jhin, didn't you always want to see the Uchiha and Konoha fight? The show is about to begin now."
The Shadow Clone's lifeless eyes glanced at it, ignoring the question, and instead asked in a calm, gentle tone, "Where is Black Zetsu?"
"I don't know, he should be near Konoha, I guess." White Zetsu replied, then leaned closer, asking one question after another, "You're very strange, Jhin. Why aren't you smiling anymore? Is your body still not feeling well?"
"I am not Jhin."
Removing the mask, the Shadow Clone looked at White Zetsu with Naraku's dim eyes. Even if White Zetsu was slow, he now realized that the main personality, Naraku, had regained control of the body from the sub-personality, Jhin.
"So, I should call you 'Naraku' now?"
Black Zetsu emerged from the shadows, appearing as polite and calm as usual, but internally, he was screaming non-stop.
-- What's going on!
-- Didn't Jhin say he would kill the main personality?
-- Why is Naraku out again!
-- What kind of trouble is my hard-won Plan B going to cause?!
"Well then, Naraku," Black Zetsu tried hard to maintain his persona, "you went to great lengths to call us here; is there something you need? Lord Madara will be very displeased if you don't do your job properly."
"Lord Madara saved me, and I am grateful... But, I still want to return to Konoha to complete what I must do."
The Shadow Clone stated his long-prepared answer, stubborn as a rock, unwilling to waver even slightly.
But then, a hint of nostalgia appeared in his tone, as if thinking about the beautiful dream he had been in for so long.
"I know, my other self wants the 'real world' to descend."
"Actually, that world is very good, as good as Lord Madara said. So, I will not hinder Jhin. When he needs the body to complete the plan, I will always give way."
He lowered his head and calmly spoke words that were incredibly cruel to himself.
"Once the necessary things are done, if Lord Madara doesn't need me, I can also disappear forever and let Jhin have this body."
Black Zetsu wondered, "What exactly is this 'must-do' thing?"
Since Naraku didn't oppose the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan, and even indulged his second personality to advance it, why was he still fixated on these insignificant trifles?
When the Tsukuyomi world arrived, wouldn't everything he did lose its meaning?
Black Zetsu expressed that he truly couldn't understand; he thought Naraku might have mental problems, otherwise, why would his thought process be so difficult to grasp?
-- Wait, mental?
Inadvertently catching a flash of insight, Black Zetsu observed Naraku's almost numb face more carefully, trying to find an answer from his subtle expressions.
"You will see it later, but do not hinder me."
The Shadow Clone's previous lifelessness changed, his eyes revealing a trace of obsession, remaining in pain after experiencing extreme despair, mixed with a childlike innocence and madness.
"If you don't let me do it, then everything I just said will be null and void, and your plan will also appear on the Hokage's desk in Konoha."
Black Zetsu stared intently at the Shadow Clone, suddenly understood something, and silently grinned.
It turned out that not only Jhin was insane, but the main personality, Naraku, had also long since collapsed.
However, Jhin's madness was indiscriminately released outwards, caring about no one and nothing, even if the world was destroyed, he would laugh and watch the great fire;
But Naraku cared too much, was fixated on too much, so he only targeted himself, criticizing, squeezing, and forcing himself, dedicating everything valuable to others.
Only when his soul was hollowed out would he let himself go.