"Black," Karin furrowed her brow. "When I was searching for the fragments, I occasionally sensed some black Chakra Waves. They were very faint and vanished in an instant. I thought I was imagining them."
"Black chakra," Kakashi repeated.
He remembered Black Zetsu, mentioned in Sasuke's report.
"What did that chakra feel like?" he asked.
"Cold, evil, and..." Karin paused. "Hungry."
"Hungry?"
"Yes." Karin nodded. "Like someone who'd been starving for a long time suddenly seeing food. But that hunger wasn't for food. It was for..."
She thought for a moment, then said a word.
"Chakra."
Kakashi's heart sank.
The information Jiraiya had provided hadn't mentioned that Black Zetsu fed on chakra.
But if Karin's perception was accurate, this was important.
"Did you find anything else?" he asked.
"No." Karin shook her head. "I only sensed those waves a few times. After that, I never sensed them again."
"I understand." Kakashi stood up. "Get some rest. Contact me if anything comes up."
"Wait." Karin called after him. "Teacher Kakashi, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"How is Kageyama?"
Kakashi fell silent.
"He's still alive," he said. "But he's lost all his memories. He's being held in the interrogation unit now."
"I see." Karin lowered her head. "I actually feel sorry for him."
"Sorry for him?"
"Yes," Karin said. "He was created, given a mission, and then abandoned. From beginning to end, he never got to live for himself."
Kakashi didn't respond.
There was no clear answer to whether Kageyama deserved pity.
Perhaps losing his memories was a release for him.
He left the hospital room and headed for the next location.
The interrogation unit.
Ino was in the observation room, watching Kageyama through the one-way glass.
"Any findings?" Kakashi asked as he entered.
"His mental world is rebuilding," Ino said. "It's