Your Vital Energy Is Deficient

"Wonderful."

Might Guy sat beside Kakashi, looking at the scenery before them. Rarely, he seemed to display a gentle sensitivity.

"Not long ago, when I stood atop Hokage Rock and saw this sight, I thought... perhaps this was what Konoha had sought to achieve after winning the war."

"..."

Kakashi remained silent. After a while, he nodded.

Even so, ninja accustomed to war felt somewhat uncomfortable with such peaceful scenes.

But people truly did not like wars that seemed never-ending.

That brutal war had taken too much from them.

Yes, far too much.

Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei...

"Kakashi."

Kakashi turned his head and saw Might Guy clench his fist as he spoke to him firmly. "I will protect all of this!"

Kakashi lowered his head.

"Even if it costs me my life!"

Minato-sensei had died to protect the village.

"Because everyone in the village is our comrade!"

Those who did not cherish their comrades were worse than trash!

Obito had said that.

"And Kakashi! You are my comrade too! I will protect you with my life!"

There was not a trace of falsehood in those sincere words.

Kakashi raised his head and looked at Guy, who stared at him without blinking, his gaze as resolute as ever.

"...Do as you please."

Hearing that, Guy grinned again, showing his teeth as he raised a thumb.

"Then it's settled! Kakashi, I'll protect you! You are my eternal rival! And my eternal comrade!"

"..."

So what exactly had he been worried about?

Early in the morning, after Guy, who had stayed at his house for the night, walked out the door, Kakashi had secretly followed behind him.

Then he saw Guy meet up with Lord Third by the Konoha River.

So just as Guy had said, he had received Taijutsu guidance from Lord Third.

Of course that was the case. Guy was not someone who liked lying.

His worries had been entirely unnecessary.

Kakashi turned around, preparing to leave.

"Since you're here, don't leave."

Sweat broke out on Kakashi's forehead as he froze.

Right. How could Lord Third possibly fail to notice his arrival?

And so, Kakashi appeared before Sandaime alongside Guy.

Sandaime carefully examined the young man before him—a genius renowned throughout the village, someone who could be said to have shattered the promotion records.

Yondaime's disciple, White Fang's son.

He had graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, become a Chunin at six, and attained the rank of jonin at twelve.

His record could be called dazzling, yet in reality, the eyes of this fourteen-year-old genius ninja were listless and unfocused. His state of mind was scattered, and he gave off an air of decadence obvious to anyone.

He was practically the very model of low spirits.

Sure enough, there was something wrong with his mentality. That was not surprising. As a genius who had drawn much attention within the village, Sandaime remembered quite a few things about Kakashi.

At a young age, he had faced the fact that his father had been condemned by the entire village and taken his own life.

During the Kannabi Bridge Battle, his close friend Obito had died, leaving him a Sharingan.

Not long after the Kannabi Bridge Battle, his other comrade, Rin, had the Three-Tails sealed inside her. To keep Konoha from being harmed by the Three-Tails within her, she had willingly allowed Kakashi's Chidori to pierce her chest.

Then, during the recent Nine-Tails' Rampage, the deaths of Minato and his wife had cost Kakashi two beloved teachers.

Under such successive blows, Kakashi Hatake had become increasingly despondent.

With his will so low, no matter how gifted he was, his future achievements would likely be limited.

Turning his head, Sandaime saw Guy looking at Kakashi with concern, then at himself with expectation.

Sandaime took a puff of his pipe and exhaled.

"Both of you, come with me."

After all, he was another fine piece of jade in the village. Even if that jade had flaws for the time being, it could still be polished properly.

As the elder founder of Konoha's "school," he indeed had a duty to properly instruct these outstanding younger disciples.

Guy was overjoyed.

He grabbed Kakashi's hand beside him.

Then, without giving him a chance to refuse, he pulled Kakashi along after Sandaime.

Kakashi was dragged along passively.

Of course, since Lord Third had told him to come as well, he would not truly stay behind.

Guy was completely making an unnecessary fuss.

Though he grumbled inwardly, Kakashi did not say it aloud.

And so, Kakashi arrived at Lord Third's new home.

"Tenshin, examine Guy. Help him heal the hidden injuries in his body."

"Yes." Nonō answered with a smile.

She looked toward Konoha's famed rare beast, Might Guy. Those thick brows, wide eyes, gleaming watermelon-shaped haircut, and bright, fiery gaze made him impossible to overlook.

Naturally, she knew just how "hellish" Might Guy's daily training was. Training that way, it was only natural that he would have hidden injuries inside his body.

Rather, under such terrifying training, the fact that he had only accumulated some hidden injuries better demonstrated just how monstrous Konoha's rare beast's physique truly was!

As a Medical Ninja, she had to admit that she was rather curious about such a monstrous constitution.

"Please come with me." Walking up to Guy, she spoke with a smile.

"I'll be in your care!"

Guy politely bent at the waist in a bow.

Then he followed the healer appointed by Lord Third into a side room.

Leaving Kakashi alone to face the Third Hokage.

Kakashi felt somewhat nervous.

After all, this was Lord Third, and he had not been formally summoned. He had interrupted Lord Third's guidance of Guy.

Would Lord Third be displeased?

"Your vital energy is somewhat deficient," Sandaime said.

"..." Sweat formed on Kakashi's forehead.

"Your mental state is very unstable. Your vital energy is weak and your spirit scattered, and lately you've often been unable to concentrate. If this keeps up, you might even become impotent."

Kakashi could not keep it together anymore.

He was a grown man, after all. How could he possibly endure hearing that?

With Sandaime's old traditional physician tone, compounded by Sandaime's status, Kakashi truly panicked.

Unable to stop himself, he asked, "Lord Third! What should I do?!"

Sandaime took a puff of his pipe, his expression grave.

"The reason your vital energy is deficient is probably because your body cannot bear the Sharingan, leaving you drained."

Kakashi's eyes widened.

Naturally, he understood the burden the Sharingan placed upon him; he had experienced it firsthand. Did that mean he had to give up the Sharingan? But Obito had left it to him! Even if bearing the price of Obito's Sharingan meant impotence, he did not want to give up the Sharingan Obito had left him.

So after a brief struggle flashed through his eyes, Kakashi made up his mind.

"Lord Third." He bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, but I will not give up Obito's Sharingan!"

What a good child.

Sandaime sighed inwardly.

Even if he had become despondent, he still carried determination in his heart. That meant there was still hope.

If Kakashi had given up the Sharingan just now under the threat of impotence... while it would not have been impossible to understand, Sandaime would have been somewhat disappointed.