"You're right."
Dressed in her combat gear, Hanare looked at Kakashi, her lips pressed lightly together.
"But I've already erased all the information about Konoha. If you're still worried, you can kill me.
After all, now that I've abandoned my intelligence for personal feelings, I can no longer return to Lockfront Village."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
Was she being honest?
Was it a trap?
Or had she truly... given up?
Hanare stood there, waiting for Kakashi's final judgment.
"You can go."
Kakashi's voice returned to its usual flat tone, with even a faint, almost imperceptible weariness.
"I won't kill someone who's lost their dignity as a shinobi."
Having failed her mission, betrayed her village, and abandoned all resistance, Hanare had indeed been stripped of her "dignity," in a sense, by the standards of the world she came from.
Hanare's body trembled almost imperceptibly, as though she hadn't expected that answer.
She watched Kakashi pull down his forehead protector. The instant it concealed his Sharingan, it seemed to shut away the last trace of murderous intent as well.
A faint glimmer of disbelief flashed in her eyes.
But just as Hanare's lips moved slightly, as though she wanted to say something-
"Go?!"
At some point, Naruto had appeared behind Kakashi. His right hand rested on his sword hilt, his golden hair stirred in the wind, and his face wore a serious expression that said, "I see right through you."
"This spy from another village gave up her intelligence on Konoha because of you, Kakashi, and now you want to let her leave?!"
As Naruto spoke, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
He suddenly raised his hand and drew his sword with a clang. The cold blade reflected a dazzling gleam beneath the dim daylight as he pointed it straight at