Senju Chen listened to Kakashi intermittently as he finished explaining the general process, and found that except for the different tasks and different locations, the rest was basically the same as the original plot.
Seeing the collapsed Kakashi in front of him, Senju Chen suppressed the idea of continuing to ask questions and instead comforted him.
"You did the best you could under the circumstances."
Senju Chen finally spoke. He reached out his hand and gently pressed it on Kakashi's trembling shoulders. His voice was very soft, but it carried an undoubted power.
"This is not your fault, Kakashi. In this era, everyone may die at any time. You, me, and our companions who are currently fighting on the battlefield, everyone may die."
"It's not you who's at fault, Kakashi, it's this damn era and this damn war that's at fault."
"Obito didn't give you his eyes to make you live in guilt. He wanted you to live together with him."
"Use his eyes to help him... see clearly what the future of this world will look like."
Senju Chen's words were like a clear spring flowing through Kakashi's almost collapsed heart. He didn't say "don't be sad" or "forget the past", he just told him to "live on".
Kakashi's body no longer trembled. He slowly raised his head, and Senju Chen's calm face was reflected in his dead fish eyes.
"Stay alive..." he repeated murmuringly.
"Yes, live on." Senju Chen stared at him, "Then become strong enough to protect the people you want to protect, strong enough... to never let a tragedy like today happen again."
After saying that, Senju Chen let go of his hand and stuffed the Anko glutinous rice ball that still had his body temperature into Kakashi's hand.
"Eat it and replenish your strength. There is still a long way to go."
He didn't stay any longer and turned around to leave, leaving Kakashi alone, bathing in the sinking dusk.
On the way back, Senju Chen's expression returned to its usual calmness.
His mind was running wildly.
Regardless of whether this matter is bound by the world line or whether Madara Uchiha or Black Zetsu is causing trouble behind the scenes.
But things have already happened, Obito is "dead", and Sharingan is in Kakashi. This means that Madara Uchiha's plan has begun to advance. Next, Lin's death will be the fuse that completely detonates the Obito bomb.
So what can I do next...
A few days later, the sky at Konoha was as gloomy as an overturned inkstone. Gray clouds pressed heavily over the village, and even the wind was bitingly cold and damp.
In front of Memorial Stone, a dark crowd gathered here, like a silent forest soaked in sorrow. There were no loud cries, only suppressed, intermittent sobs, mixed with the rustling of raindrops on clothes, weaving into an airtight web of mourning.
Kushina Uzumaki Standing in the crowd, her red hair, which has always danced like flames, was tied behind her head with a simple black hair rope today, hanging down on the same black mourning dress. The red color made this solemn scene Among the black, white and gray, the only color that seemed particularly dazzling. Her bright purple eyes had lost their former glory at this moment. She just stared blankly at the cold stone tablet with names engraved on it, her lips pursed tightly.
Senju Chen was standing beside her, also wearing a fitted black plain suit.
On the other side of Kushina is Minato Namikaze. This man who is usually full of sunshine is no longer as cheerful as usual at this moment. He just stands there silently, with a bleak back.
Senju Chen saw Third Hokage standing in the front. The wrinkles on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face seemed to be much deeper. In those turbid old eyes, there was lingering fatigue and sorrow. He also saw a lot of things. Familiar or unfamiliar faces, Anbu's, Jonin's, Chunin's... They all have similar expressions on their faces, which is the most direct imprint left by the war on the living.
His eyes finally landed on the corner a little further away.
Kakashi Hatake stood there alone, separated from the surrounding crowd by an invisible wall. He was like a dry well that had been drained of water, exuding a dead silence that kept strangers away from him.
The ceremony ended with Third Hokage's heartbreaking eulogy, and the crowd began to disperse slowly, turning into black streams and flowing into the streets of the village.
"Let's... go home, Little Chen." Kushina's voice was a little hoarse, and she looked tired from the emotional exhaustion.
"Sister, please go back first," Senju Chen withdrew his gaze and put a gentle smile on his face again, "I saw a friend, so I went over to say hello."
Senju Chen's eyes didn't stay on him for too long before he was attracted by another figure.
It was a young man who was also wearing black mourning clothes, but the "blackness" on him seemed unable to conceal his inner vitality, which was almost gushing out. He stood upright, like a javelin, and under his thick eyebrows, although there were tears in his big eyes, there was still an unyielding, almost stubborn light.
Might Guy.
Kushina looked along his line of sight and saw the boy with a watermelon head and thick eyebrows. She thought about it and nodded, "Okay, then you should come back early."
She turned around and left, her long red hair looking like a fading sunset under the gloomy sky.
Senju Chen straightened his collar and walked in the direction of Might Guy.
"Might Guy."
He spoke, his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of Might Guy who was talking to his teammates.
Might Guy turned around suddenly. When he saw clearly that the person coming was Senju Chen, his big eyes that were originally filled with sadness suddenly burst out with astonishing light, like two searchlights that were instantly lit.
"Oh oh oh--! It's Chen-kun!"
He rushed to Senju Chen in one stride, and pressed his shoulders heavily with both hands. The sad expression on his face was instantly replaced by a kind of enthusiasm mixed with excitement and passion. The tears in the corners of his eyes had not yet dried, but the corners of his mouth had already reached his ears.
"Being able to meet your fateful opponent again in such challenging days is what youth is! Chen-kun, your existence is like the sun that illuminates my path forward, accept my challenge!"
Aoba Yamashiro and Genma Shiranui behind him looked at each other with helpless expressions of "Here we go again."
Senju Chen's shoulders hurt from his pinching, but he still maintained a graceful smile on his face, "Kai, long time no see. I heard that you are also back from the front line. Welcome home."
"Go home... that's right!" Might Guy nodded vigorously, and the smile on his face faded a little. He glanced in the direction of Memorial Stone, and his voice deepened, "We... brought some companions home."
"The dead are gone, but the living are like this." Senju Chen's tone was calm, but with the power to soothe people's hearts, "They used their lives to protect Konoha and us. What we can do is to live better together with them and let our youth burn more vigorously."
"Well said!"
This sentence seemed to hit a certain switch in Might Guy with precision. The fire in his eyes ignited again and he patted Senju Chen hard on the back.
"You are worthy of my recognized opponent! Chen-kun! Your understanding of youth has reached a very advanced level!"
Senju Chen was almost stunned by his slap, but he was laughing secretly in his heart. To deal with a single-celled creature like Kai, there was no need for complicated strategies. You only needed to use a language he could understand to easily win his favor.
"Kai, let me invite you to eat ramen." Senju Chen took advantage of the situation and sent out the invitation. "Just in time, I have something to ask you."
"Then let me go and call Kakashi. Our last ramen showdown has not yet decided the winner."
Senju Chen glanced at Kakashi, who was standing alone next to the tombstone in the distance, and shook his head.
"Leave him alone, don't disturb him now"
"Okay, after eating the ramen, we must have a hearty duel! Use sweat and fists to test whether each other's youth has faded at all during this period! I want to see if your growth is worthy of my never-ending efforts!"
"Okay, by the way, you know, I've been promoted to Jonin."
"What...?"