"Stay positive inside, huh?" Shisui murmured to himself. After a long pause, he steeled his gaze and bowed. "Thank you for the advice. I think I finally understand."
As Shisui turned to leave, Anko quickly blocked his path. "You bastard! Didn't you say you wanted to challenge me?"
"There's no need for that anymore!"
"What?"
Shisui smiled apologetically. "I originally wanted to become class president just to get close to Senior Seiki. Now that I've already consulted him, there's naturally no point in challenging anymore."
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Anko first looked enlightened, then immediately exploded in anger. "What do you mean? You think you'll definitely beat me?"
"I definitely wouldn't say it's a sure win..."
"That's better!" Just as Anko felt slightly comforted, she heard that infuriating brat add, "At most about a 98% chance of victory!"
Silence!
Anko's small chest heaved up and down. After the silence, she completely lost her temper. "Damn brat! I'm gonna kill you!"
Seeing Anko stomping forward to block him, Shisui helplessly said, "Senpai, stop fooling around."
Anko put her hands on her waist. "Right now, this instant, fight me!"
"Do we really have to do this?" Shisui sighed.
"Hmph! It's too late to get cold feet now!" Anko lifted her chin and spoke through her nose at Shisui.
"Fine then. Let's make it quick. I'm in a hurry." Shisui became serious.
"Cursed brat! Saying things that piss people off again!" Anko complained.
Seeing both ready to fight, Asuma mumbled, "In a hurry... why does this feel like déjà vu of Kakashi challenging Seiki back in the day?"
"Ready? Here I go! [Hidden Snake Hand]..."
"[Genjutsu: Ephemeral Bloom]!"
Immediately, Anko's face lit up with delight as she got lost in illusions. "Red bean cakes, mochi... so tasty..." (with eyes half-closed and dreamy smile)
Seeing this, Asuma couldn't bear to watch and covered his eyes. "Just like Kakashi's fate—getting instantly taken out by genjutsu."
Kurenai shook her head helplessly. "No wonder he claimed a 98% win rate. Seems like he already figured out Anko's weakness."
"But he really is amazing!" Shizune exclaimed. "His genjutsu is already this strong without even activating his Sharingan!"
"Without a doubt, the strongest genjutsu ninja of the future!" Seiki silently marveled. "Such talent… a waste not to put it to use!"
...
The next day, at Kushina's house.
"Oh come on, give me a six! I need a six!"
"Six points—I made it to the finish line!"
"Three points—I also reached the finish line!"
"No way, Sister Kushina, you're still at the starting point!"
Everyone gathered around the flying chessboard, watching Kushina struggling hard to roll a six while trying not to laugh.
Kushina pouted in embarrassment. "This rule's so unfair! Why can't you start unless you roll a six? Ugh, this has got to be Kurama's fault — he's totally jinxing my rolls!"
The previously empty sealing space now had various pieces of furniture inside. A reddish-orange fox sprawled lazily on the couch, pawing at its belly with a look of total disbelief. "Your bad luck is clearly the problem. Don't make excuses—it's my turn now."
"Pfft! Like I'm supposed to believe *you*, a simple fox, could actually fly..."
At that moment, two figures suddenly appeared in the room.
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Everyone instantly tensed up, relaxing only once they recognized the newcomers.
"Kakashi, Minato-sensei—you're back!"
Seeing the two covered in travel dust, Kushina scolded them, "Did you really have to rush over here like that? Using the Flying Thunder God technique for traveling?"
"Actually, we mainly wanted to stay discreet," Minato helplessly shook his head. "If anyone spotted us along the way, it might tip off that hidden enemy."
Kushina frowned, "So does this mean you still didn't find that bastard this time?"
Minato sighed, "His scent has completely dissipated."
Rin frowned anxiously, "So what do we do now?"
Kakashi smiled faintly, trying to ease her worry. "Don't worry too much. If he really meant to hurt me, he'd have done it already."
Asuma said, "Maybe we got it wrong? Perhaps someone else cast the puppet curse on Kakashi?"
Seiki shook his head slightly. "I went to ask Hokage-sama about this two days ago, and based on what I learned, I'm now even more certain that Shimon Hiruko was behind the puppet curse."
Minato asked, "What kind of information?"
"The reason for Shimon's defection was deliberately concealed due to its extremely severe nature," Seiki explained solemnly. "He slaughtered both fellow Leaf ninja and enemy shinobi from other villages to carry out his human experiments—the very subject of which was the transplantation of Kekkei Genkai!"
"Transplantation of Kekkei Genkai?" Minato exhaled heavily. "Looks like he's definitely targeting Kakashi's Sharingan!"
Seiki nodded slightly. "Considering this, rather than attacking Kakashi directly, he chose the method of the puppet curse. Most likely, he sees Kakashi merely as a vessel to nurture the Sharingan, planning to retrieve it at the appropriate moment through the puppet curse."
Hearing Seiki's analysis, Kushina looked conflicted. "Then what are we supposed to do? Abandon this Sharingan?"
"This is something Obito entrusted to me, and I don't want to give it up," Kakashi apologized. "Sorry for troubling all of you. Let me face this alone."
"Are you asking for a punch?" Kushina tightened her fist, emanating a terrifying aura.
Instinctively shivering, Kakashi said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Kushina gave a satisfied nod. "That's better!"
"Pfft, it's only a puppet curse! I've got an idea!" As everyone continued thinking hard, Guy excitedly turned toward Kakashi. "All Kakashi needs to do is live with me from now on—eat together, sleep together, everything together. If he ever starts having an episode, I can just knock him out directly!"
Asuma twitched his mouth slightly, "And what about when he goes to the bathroom or takes a shower?"
"Of course we'll be together too!" Guy grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
Kakashi grimaced, "I'd rather be caught than go along with this!"
Guy snapped, "After all I've sacrificed, Kakashi, you're still acting so selfish!"
Shizune's eyes lit up suddenly, "I've got an idea too! Just like Seiki's fight with Yugito at the Chunin Exams! We can unseal, then add several more seals right on top of their seals."
"We can add chained technique forms to Kakashi's Puppet Curse. Once the curse activates, these chain technique forms will sever Kakashi's entire nervous system, leaving him unable to move freely."
Cutting off all his nerves... Kakashi couldn't help but shudder. Are you trying to save me or take me out? Seriously?
"Isn't that kind of cruel though?"
Kakashi instinctively wanted to nod in agreement, when he heard Kurenai hesitantly suggest, "What if we changed the technique form to a genjutsu instead? Letting Kakashi relive Obito's death over and over again? Perhaps in his anger, he might manage to break free from the Puppet Curse himself?"
Kakashi: (╬￣皿￣) [Totally speechless]
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