Kakashi dug at his ear and replied, "He should have been judged long ago. I already sent him to repent before the comrades who died that year!"
Mizuki's method of breaking the seal had been simple and required no special interrogation. Kakashi had long known of the man's greed; he simply had not expected him to exploit Naruto over it. Now that Mizuki was dead, the matter should end here. Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing more and waved Kakashi away, signaling that he could leave. "That's fine. In that case, this matter ends here!"
Just as he turned to leave, Kakashi turned back again and spoke. "Since I'm here this time, I'd like to apply to be the instructor for the students graduating this year!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a brow and smiled at Kakashi. He had been worrying over this very matter, yet Kakashi had delivered himself right to his door. "Oh! You actually have such an idea!"
Thinking of the pleading look in Naruto's eyes earlier that day, Kakashi felt a stab of pain in his heart—not for any other reason, but for his teacher. "I can't really trust anyone else!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen made no further demands. On the name of Team 7 written on his desk, he added Uzumaki Naruto, then wrote Hatake Kakashi in the position for the assigned instructor. "We'll do as you say!"
"Is this Asura's chakra?"
On the moon, beside the glass sphere that had once imprisoned the Byakugan, a faint figure appeared within a newly constructed sealing barrier before Izuna and Mingye. Looking at that familiar appearance, Izuna asked curiously.
Mingye nodded. The form shaped from chakra within the barrier closely resembled Asura as he remembered him—at least eight or nine parts out of ten. He had not captured the wrong person. "That's right!