Qianyu had no biological brother to help him awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Nor did he plan to transplant Hashirama Senju's cells as a shortcut to avoid blindness.
The reason Hashirama Senju's cells could negate the side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't the Wood Release itself. It was that freakish constitution of his.
Hashirama's body brimmed with life force, healing wounds without the need for hand seals. Madara Uchiha himself had once declared, "On the battlefield, no one could kill Hashirama."
And that constitution was the 'Sage Body'.
Even if Qianyu awakened the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, it wouldn't evolve into a Sage Body. That seemed to be Hashirama Senju's exclusive domain.
So, for now, Qianyu had no quick-fix solution to eliminate the Mangekyō's side effects.
But that wasn't a problem for today.
He had just awakened the Mangekyō. His vision was perfectly fine. No need to worry yet.
The most pressing matter was still resolving the situation with Kushina Uzumaki.
Once that was handled, he'd have plenty of time to tackle these smaller issues.
And with enough Witness Points, all these problems would solve themselves.
Qianyu let his eyes revert to their normal state and left Orochimaru's base.
After unlocking the Mangekyō, his mood was considerably lighter.
He picked up a steaming bowl of Kushina's favorite salty ramen, plus some salt-grilled saury and miso-glazed eggplant for Kakashi, before heading home.
The next day.
Qianyu went to the Hokage Building and found Hiruzen Sarutobi. He stated his intent: today, he and Kakashi were heading to reinforce the Land of Grass.
Hiruzen agreed immediately. He'd been hoping Qianyu would hurry up and get there anyway.
And he was genuinely pleased Kakashi was stepping up. Kakashi's growth meant strength for Konoha.
After packing their gear, Qianyu and Kakashi stood at the village gates.
Kushina Uzumaki fussed over Kakashi. "If there's danger, leave it to your teacher. Don't be reckless. Eat well, so you can grow tall and strong, okay?"
Behind his mask, Kakashi bit his lip.
Fresh from the pain of losing his father, Kushina's motherly concern hit him hard. It stirred something genuine in his chest.
"I will, Master's Wife," Kakashi said, his voice tight. "Master Qianyu and I are going to the Land of Grass. Please take care of yourself too."
Kushina smiled and ruffled his silver hair.
Then she walked up to Qianyu. She only said five words. "I'll be waiting for you."
Qianyu smiled back. "Wait for me."
Together, master and student set out once more for the Land of Grass.
Several days later, they arrived at Konoha's forward base in the Land of Grass.
Facing his father's former subordinates, Kakashi radiated a chilling, leave-me-alone aura.
Qianyu found Jiraiya.
This time, Jiraiya had come to the Land of Grass alone. Minato Namikaze wasn't with him.
"Lord Jiraiya. We're here to reinforce the front."
Jiraiya broke into a grin when he saw Qianyu. They hadn't interacted much, but he'd seen Qianyu's performance in the Land of Hot Water firsthand. The kid had a sharp mind.
With Qianyu here, a significant amount of pressure would lift from his shoulders.
Jiraiya's eyes shifted to Kakashi, his expression softening with pity. "I heard about Sakumo. I'm sorry."
Kakashi's face was blank. "My father broke Konoha's rules. There's nothing to be sorry about. Thank you for your concern, Lord Jiraiya."
Jiraiya's brow furrowed.
He'd met Kakashi before. The boy he remembered wasn't this… icy.
The way Kakashi spoke, it was as if Sakumo's death was deserved. Like he didn't care at all.
Orochimaru was cold. His student, Qianyu, was cold. And now Kakashi, who hadn't been cold, had turned cold.
What was it with this master-disciple chain?
It's definitely Orochimaru's influence, Jiraiya decided. A crooked branch spoils the whole tree.
Before Jiraiya could assign them a task, Qianyu spoke up. He requested a long-term mission for himself and Kakashi.
Jiraiya scratched his head. "A long-term mission? I just got here myself. I'm not fully briefed on the Grass situation yet. Shinsuke! Got any long-term ops suitable for Qianyu and Kakashi?"
He passed the buck to Nara Shinsuke.
Shinsuke thought for a moment. "There is one. But it's dangerous. A slight misstep could mean getting surrounded by Iwa-nin. Though, with Qianyu's mobility… it might suit him."
"Right now, Iwa is getting restless. We're in a full defensive posture, so our intel on their deployments is patchy. We need someone to infiltrate, to map out their positions."
"War is a battle of intelligence. Knowing Iwa's current layout would be a massive advantage."
Qianyu nodded. "Fine. We'll take it."
Shinsuke frowned. "Qianyu, this mission suits you. Not Kakashi. Bringing him along… I'm concerned—"
Qianyu cut him off. "Relax. I'm training Kakashi now. His mobility surpasses most shinobi. He won't hold me back."
Kakashi spoke up immediately, his tone flat. "If you're worried I'll be like my father, that Master Qianyu will abandon the mission to save me… don't be. If I'm in danger, I'll end myself first. I won't put Master Qianyu in that position."
Both Shinsuke and Jiraiya stiffened.
They hadn't expected that from Kakashi.
Sakumo's death had clearly carved deep.
Qianyu spoke again. "You heard him. Give us the mission."
Having said that much, Shinsuke conceded. "I believe the mission can be assigned to Qianyu and Kakashi. Lord Jiraiya, your thoughts?"
Jiraiya was the commander now. The final call was his.
Jiraiya cleared his throat, adopting an official tone. "Very well. Qianyu, Kakashi. Your mission is to infiltrate Iwa lines and gather intelligence. Report your findings directly to me or Shinsuke, immediately upon acquisition."
"Yes, sir."
Qianyu and Kakashi had no desire to linger. They intended to leave at once, combining the mission with their search for Kushina's clansmen.
But as Qianyu turned to leave with Kakashi, Jiraiya stopped him.
"Qianyu. Hold up a second. Let's talk. Just the two of us."
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