Chapter 5: Damn it
"Damn it! Because of the Sharingan, my chakra is so depleted!"
Since acquiring the Sharingan, Kakashi hadn't had time to stop and adequately assess his memories and abilities. Now, he realized that having the Sharingan constantly drained his chakra.
"Even with the Hatake clan's natural ability to recover chakra several times faster than ordinary ninjas, it can barely keep up with the Sharingan's consumption. Damn, the Sharingan isn't as great as it seems!"
"What should I do? Should I give up the Sharingan?"
As Kakashi quietly watched Rin, he found himself struggling with the decision. If he gave up the Sharingan, his chakra levels would return to that of a normal Jonin. Combined with the Hatake clan's unique constitution and his father's sword techniques, Kakashi was confident that he could be as strong as the Sannin, even if he couldn't surpass his father, the White Fang of Konoha.
However, if he chose to keep the Sharingan, his chakra would constantly be drained. He could mitigate this by covering the Sharingan to reduce chakra consumption and allow it to recover. But this would mean he couldn't fully inherit his father's mighty sword techniques, which consumed a lot of chakra and relied on the Hatake clan's unique constitution.
Choosing the Sharingan would mean giving up the Hatake clan's unique constitution. He would then have to rely solely on the Sharingan to achieve greatness. Yet, this also had its advantages—his self-created Chidori could become even stronger with the Sharingan, which was highly tempting for Kakashi.
The Chidori had a fundamental flaw: it required exceptional vision from the user. This flaw could be corrected with the Sharingan, which would perfect the Chidori and enable Kakashi to develop even stronger techniques like Raikiri in the future.
Anyone would want their self-created jutsu to be renowned throughout the ninja world, and Kakashi was no exception. He was particularly fond of the Raikiri technique, a fusion of souls.
This difficult decision left Kakashi in a state of hesitation. He knew the original Kakashi would have chosen the Sharingan to honor Obito's sacrifice. But with his consciousness now different, he no longer felt the same obligation to Uchiha Obito.
"Kakashi..."
At that moment, Minato Namikaze's voice interrupted Kakashi's thoughts. Kakashi turned to see Minato speaking with his back to him, still gazing toward Konoha.
"Sensei, what do you need?"
Kakashi wondered if Minato had noticed that he wasn't the original Kakashi.
"Kakashi! You must have realized by now the drain the Sharingan places on you."
"The Sharingan is an Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai. You're not a Uchiha, so you can't control it freely. It's always active, constantly consuming your chakra. Even for a Uchiha, the drain would be significant. The Sharingan is a burden for you."
"I know you're contemplating whether to abandon the Sharingan. Whatever you decide, I won't oppose it. I just want you to know that while power is important, living with your comrade's will is equally important."
Minato's tone was gentle as he spoke to Kakashi. He believed the old Kakashi would have chosen to abandon the Sharingan, viewing it as a burden. But after Obito's death, Minato thought Kakashi had learned the true meaning of being a ninja. From Rin's account, he knew Kakashi had changed.
Hearing Minato's words, Kakashi's eyes trembled slightly. If he chose to abandon the Sharingan, it would arouse Minato's suspicion.
"Sensei, I'll live on with Obito's eye. Obito sacrificed himself because of me, so I'll carry his will and live on in his place."
Without hesitation, Kakashi responded to Minato.
After making his decision, Kakashi felt a sense of relief. Deep down, he didn't want to give up the Sharingan—not because of Obito, but because the Sharingan was excellent, and so was the Raikiri. He also believed that if he could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would become even more powerful.
Of course, he didn't want to abandon his father's sword techniques. Just because he couldn't do it now didn't mean he couldn't find a way in the future. The main issue was his inability to deactivate the Sharingan. If he could solve that problem, the Sharingan would no longer be a burden but a powerful asset.
Kakashi silently vowed that even if he chose the Sharingan, he would ensure that the Hatake clan's sword techniques continued to shine in the ninja world.
"Alright! Regarding your Sharingan, don't let anyone know about it when we return to the village. I'll inform the Hokage first."
Minato turned around with a warm smile as he spoke to Kakashi. He wanted his students to understand that protecting others was more important than gaining power. Kakashi had learned to protect the eye Obito entrusted to him.
"Yes, Sensei! I understand."
Kakashi nodded, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. From his memories of Konoha, he knew that genuinely keeping the Sharingan wouldn't be simple.
The original Kakashi might have been fine, but now he faced the robust and influential Uchiha clan. They would never let an outsider possess their kekkei genkai without a fight.