The excitement brought by the system quickly faded, and once again, loneliness and helplessness enveloped Kakashi.
He curled up under the quilt, hiding his face in the darkness.
He missed home.
No matter how busy he was, he would always call his parents every day. If nothing had gone wrong and his leave request had gone through, he would probably be sitting on the high-speed train, heading home right now.
So... in the original world, am I already dead?
He didn't dare to think further. As the only child, he had no idea how his aging parents would cope with the devastating news of his sudden death.
---
"Kakashi~"
A soft, childish voice called out to him, and someone gently nudged him under the quilt.
Quickly wiping away his tears, Kakashi pulled down the covers.
In front of him stood a young girl with short brown hair and large, dark eyes full of concern. A small face, marked with faint purple patterns, looked at him worriedly.
"Rin?"
The girl's appearance matched the memories now etched in his mind.
"Hokage-sama asked for leave on your behalf today. When I heard, I sneaked out to visit you. Are you okay?"
"Mm."
Kakashi nodded slightly. Warmth stirred in his chest.
Rin, noticing his pale face and dull eyes, didn't ask more questions. She sat quietly beside the bed, peeling a freshly washed apple into thin slices.
She raised a piece to his mouth.
"Ah~"
Her voice mimicked the tone of an adult caring for a child, and Kakashi couldn't help but smile as he took a bite.
A sweet and slightly sour taste filled his mouth.
"Mm, it's good. You should have some too."
Sitting up slowly, Kakashi leaned against the bed and offered her a piece.
Rin shook her head with a soft smile and continued feeding him the sliced fruit.
Kakashi didn't insist. He could feel her kindness, and in this unfamiliar world, it was the first moment of genuine care he had felt.
---
Just then, the door burst open. Two more kids came crashing into the room.
One of them had goggles perched on his head and wore a tracksuit with the Uchiha clan's fan symbol. The other wore a bright green jumpsuit, his hair in a bowl cut and thick eyebrows arching over teary eyes.
Obito and Guy—right on cue.
Before Kakashi could greet them, Guy rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
"Kakashi!!"
Tears poured down Guy's face.
Kakashi struggled for a second but then gave in, letting himself be held.
He patted Guy's back with his left hand. "Okay, okay. I'm fine. No need to cry."
Hearing this, Guy finally loosened his grip and stood beside Obito, who looked like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"Well… Kakashi, even though Uncle is gone… you still have us. Look at me—no parents, but I'm still doing okay! If there's anything you need…"
"Hey~"
Kakashi smiled and cut him off gently.
Was this really the awkward, hot-headed Obito from the original timeline?
It was hard to believe that this kind-hearted, emotional boy would one day fall into darkness over Rin's death.
"Thanks, Obito. I mean it. I'll be okay. I'm not that fragile."
Guy suddenly brightened. "That's the spirit, Kakashi! You really are my destined rival!"
He gave him a shiny thumbs-up.
Rin quietly turned her head and wiped away tears that had welled in her eyes.
---
Eventually, the noise attracted a nurse. She gently but firmly kicked Guy and Obito out of the room, scolding them for disturbing a patient under emotional stress.
Only Rin stayed behind.
She promised to remain completely silent and just help take care of Kakashi.
The nurse, touched by her sincerity and sweetness, relented. Given Kakashi's fragile state, having company might help.
Rin quickly asked Obito to inform her parents that she'd be home late so they wouldn't worry.
It wasn't until around 8 p.m. that her parents finally came looking for her, worried sick. Only then did Rin reluctantly leave Kakashi's side.
---
As the door closed behind her, a strange calmness settled over Kakashi.
Maybe Rin's presence really did help.
He realized that he wasn't truly alone in this world. There were still people—friends—who cared for him deeply.
This thought gave him a bit more peace.
---
Although his physical injuries were negligible, Kakashi had no intention of going home yet. He lay in the hospital bed and began planning.
In his previous life, he was trapped in the monotony of corporate work.
All he wanted now was to lie low, become an average ninja, earn some money, maybe start a family, and live a peaceful life.
But this world was cruel. He had seen too much of the Naruto timeline to delude himself.
The Third Great Ninja War, the Nine-Tails attack, Pain's assault, the Fourth Ninja War...
Here, ordinary ninjas were nothing more than cannon fodder.
---
Sure, the original Kakashi had survived until the end.
But now that the butterfly effect had taken hold, nothing could be taken for granted.
If he slacked off now, he might not even make it through the war.
In this world, only elite ninjas had decent survival rates.
Those who died were either too weak, too reckless, mentally unstable—or had completely misguided beliefs.
In his past life, Kakashi had always prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Now that his life was literally on the line, how could he not take it seriously?
---
The only way forward was to grow stronger.
So, where should he start?
In the original timeline, Kakashi's chakra levels weren't inherently low.
It was the transplanted Sharingan that drained him constantly, leaving him in a near-permanent state of exhaustion.
Now, with the system in play, the need for the Sharingan had drastically diminished.
---
Kamui, the single Mangekyō ability he eventually obtained, was powerful.
But since it wasn't his original eye, it came with drawbacks: slower casting, high energy drain, and blindness with overuse.
Unless he got Hashirama cells to offset the cost, it wasn't worth it.
Why was he so weak when he met Zabuza?
Because he'd already lost his father, his best friend, and his teacher.
He'd lost the will to fight.
Those were supposed to be his formative years—when ninja strength typically skyrocketed.
He missed them.
But Kakashi was no average ninja.
He'd graduated from the Academy at 5, become a Chūnin at 6, and a Jōnin by 12.
Even if he only focused on Hatake swordsmanship, he could've reached Kage-level like his father, the White Fang.
---
With that in mind, he drafted his growth strategy:
Hatake Swordsmanship: He already had the foundation.
Self-created Raikiri: Would come naturally as he advanced.
Flying Thunder God: Could be learned when he joined Minato's team.
Eight Inner Gates: Risky, but invaluable.
Senjutsu: Required a visit to one of the three great summoning lands.
---
Of these, only Hatake Swordsmanship and Eight Inner Gates were currently within reach.
Flying Thunder God would have to wait until he trained under Minato.
Senjutsu couldn't be touched until he reached a higher level and found a summoning contract.
Raikiri wasn't achievable until he hit Jōnin-level chakra control.
And Eight Inner Gates… well, Guy probably hadn't learned it yet.
Even so, the physical requirements alone were beyond Kakashi's current body.
Which brought him to a critical conclusion:
To do anything, he first needed to break through his physical limits.
He needed to build the foundation.
---
Kakashi thought quietly into the night, the moonlight spilling across the hospital floor.
There was a long road ahead, but he had a plan.
He wasn't just going to survive in this world.
He was going to thrive.