There were many people who didn't even qualify to attend the Ninja Academy.
Every year, only about thirty students were admitted.
That alone showed how competitive it was.
And yet—
Naruto got in.
Not only that—
With grades like his, he still wasn't expelled.
Orion couldn't help but think—
If it were him, forget going dark…
He'd be living his best life.
But Sasuke was different.
He had personally watched Itachi Uchiha kill their parents.
He had been forced to relive—
How one by one, members of the Uchiha clan were slaughtered.
Their fear.
Their despair.
Their confusion.
All of it—
Burned into the mind of a six-year-old child.
Over and over again.
Naruto never saw his parents die.
But Sasuke—
Saw everything.
That blood-soaked night…
If it were Orion—
He was certain he would've gone completely extreme.
Kindness?
After experiencing something like that—
If gaining power meant killing Itachi…
Even sacrificing countless lives would feel justified.
No one could stay rational after something like that.
At least—
Orion knew he couldn't.
But Sasuke did.
He loved his family.
He loved his clan.
That's why he desperately chased power—
Even at the cost of risking his body to Orochimaru.
And yet—
Even under Orochimaru,
Sasuke never slaughtered innocent people.
Even enemies unrelated to him—
He didn't kill without reason.
That alone proved—
How kind his core truly was.
The real problem?
He lacked proper guidance.
Kakashi was mature—
But not strong enough to truly guide Sasuke.
Before coming to this world,
Orion admired Naruto.
But after living here—
The one he respected most…
Was Sasuke.
Of course—
Orion had no intention of interfering.
Respect didn't mean control.
A person's path—
Only has meaning if they walk it themselves.
Lessons only truly matter—
When learned through experience.
Kakashi noticed Orion's silence and patted his shoulder.
"Now you understand why Sasuke is like this, right?"
"…But I still hope you can change him."
Orion blinked.
"Me?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Yes."
"When I lost my way… it was my comrades who pulled me back."
"I hope you can do the same."
"You're strong enough—and Sasuke is proud."
"The same words will have very different effects coming from you… compared to Naruto."
Orion shook his head.
"I'm willing to try… but interfering directly isn't a good idea."
"Especially at this age."
"The more you interfere, the more they resist."
"At best… you can guide him."
"Push too hard—and he'll go the opposite direction."
Kakashi sighed.
"I know…"
"But I don't want him to go down the wrong path."
"For power… he might break the village's rules."
Orion didn't respond.
Because he knew—
Sasuke would eventually leave Konoha.
Still…
Kakashi's understanding of Sasuke surprised him.
Compared to Naruto—
Kakashi paid much more attention to Sasuke.
And it made sense.
Their fighting styles were similar.
And because of Obito Uchiha—
Kakashi naturally cared more.
As for Naruto—
Kakashi honestly had very little he could teach him.
Soon, during the Chunin Exams—
Jiraiya would return.
And Orion knew—
That wasn't coincidence.
There was no way Jiraiya would take Naruto as a student just because of a few words.
Try asking Jiraiya randomly to teach you—
He'd tell you to get lost.
He came back—
Because Naruto had graduated.
Because Naruto was his student's son.
Looking at Kakashi's worried expression, Orion smiled.
"You're overthinking it, Kakashi-sensei."
"With Sasuke's personality… even if he breaks rules one day…"
"He won't become truly evil."
"He's actually… quite normal."
Kakashi sighed.
"I hope so."
Then his expression turned serious.
"Speaking of Sasuke…"
"I need to teach you how to deal with the Sharingan."
"The Sharingan isn't just about copying techniques."
"It can also cast genjutsu."
"And that's the real danger."
"Even if your ninjutsu is powerful—"
"If you don't know how to deal with genjutsu…"
"You can still lose instantly."
Orion nodded.
"That's true."
"Genjutsu is hard to defend against—especially Sharingan genjutsu."
He remembered clearly—
How Kurenai Yuhi, a genjutsu specialist—
Was instantly overwhelmed by Itachi.
She wasn't weak.
Among jōnin—
She was one of the best in genjutsu.
And yet—
She lost in a single exchange.
That battle showed two things:
Itachi's terrifying masteryAnd the overwhelming power of the Sharingan
The Sharingan had always been feared across the ninja world.
Entire villages had developed countermeasures just for it.
Orion's strength was overwhelming in direct combat.
He already possessed three S-rank-level techniques.
Against most jōnin—
Head-on, he wasn't afraid.
But the Sharingan?
One glance—
Could render all that power meaningless.
Because power means nothing—
If you can't use it.
Kakashi continued,
"There are ways to counter the Sharingan."
"Over the years, many methods have been developed."
"…But most of them aren't very practical."
Then he looked at Orion.
"But you…"
"Have a natural advantage."
"Your sensory ability."
Orion paused.
"You mean…"
"Close my eyes—and fight using perception?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Exactly."
"For most people, that's extremely difficult."
"But you're different."
"I've seen your sensory ability."
"It's strong enough to replace vision entirely."
He added seriously:
"It's on the level of the Sharingan's dynamic vision."
"Like when you used Chidori—"
"You moved at extreme speed…"
"And still hit your target precisely."
"That level of perception…"
"Only you can do it."
"Even I can't."
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