Chapter 67: Byakuya: Seriously Treating Me Like a Therapist Now?

Chapter 67: Byakuya: Seriously Treating Me Like a Therapist Now?

“Mmm…”

No idea how much time had passed.

Kakashi finally woke up.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a hospital bed again.

“I…

Back in the hospital again?”

Kakashi dazedly scanned his surroundings.

Then he noticed a little nurse not far away suddenly jumping up in delight. She shouted something while running outside.

Not long after—

A chaotic rush of footsteps thundered down the hallway.

A group of very familiar people burst into the room.

Leading them was the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.

Behind her came Guy, Team 7, and a bunch of doctors and nurses.

“Kakashi!

What happened?!

Why did you suddenly start rubbing your hands like a madman?!”

Tsunade stared at him with a deadly serious expression.

“If I hadn’t been there, your hands would have been ruined.

Do you understand that?”

“…Sorry.”

Kakashi apologized very sincerely.

Then he just… stared blankly ahead.

Letting the crowd around him scold him nonstop.

Tsunade finished, Guy took over.

Guy finished, Sakura continued.

Sakura finished, Naruto jumped in.

Sasuke was even more ruthless.

Hands in his pockets, he listened quietly, then casually inserted sharp little comments at just the right moments—making every scolding sting twice as bad.

But Kakashi completely ignored them all.

Right now he just wanted to zone out in peace.

“Kakashi, what’s wrong with you?”

Tsunade noticed something was seriously off. She quickly raised a hand to stop the others.

“If something’s bothering you, just say it. We can help.”

“…”

Kakashi kept staring into space.

“Kakashi?”

Tsunade waved her hand right in front of his face.

He slowly turned his head the other way… and continued staring blankly.

“This is…”

Guy suddenly froze.

A memory flashed through his mind—back when Rin had just died, Kakashi had fallen into this exact same lifeless state for a long time.

And the way Kakashi looked right now…

It was identical to how he’d been back then!

“Guy, you thought of something?” Tsunade asked immediately.

“Tsunade-sama.

Let’s talk outside.”

The group quickly moved to the corridor.

Guy slowly recounted the story of Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.

How after both Obito and Rin died, Kakashi had sunk into deep depression.

“This time is exactly the same as back then.

And right before he passed out this time… he kept staring at Rin’s gravestone.

So…

I think the two incidents must be connected somehow.”

“I see…”

Tsunade fell silent, unsure what to say.

She was an outstanding medical ninja, yes—

but she wasn’t a psychologist.

When it came to this kind of wound, she was powerless.

“Kakashi’s external injuries are already fine.

As for the psychological part…

I’ll have to leave that to all of you.

I need to go.”

With that, Tsunade hurried out of the hospital.

The Fifth Hokage’s inauguration ceremony was coming up soon.

She really was swamped lately.

Guy and the others watched her leave, then began discussing how to help Kakashi.

“Didn’t expect Kakashi-sensei’s past to be this tragic…”

Naruto muttered sadly. “One comrade died to save him.

Gave him the Sharingan as a parting gift.

Entrusted the other comrade to him too.

That other one had a tailed beast sealed inside… and ended up killing herself by Kakashi-sensei’s hand…

Not only did he fail to protect her, he even… indirectly killed her…”

Naruto glanced at Sakura, then at Sasuke.

“Sigh…

If it were me…

I’d probably have broken down completely by now.”

“Hmph.”

Sasuke let out a cold snort.

That night involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

And that man.

“Who doesn’t carry some pain?

If it were me, I’d stand up immediately—

and slaughter every single enemy responsible!”

“Sasuke, that’s because it’s you!”

Sakura instantly shot him an annoyed glare.

She really had no words left for this revenge-obsessed boy.

“Hmph~

Even though Sasuke’s pretty good-looking,

he still can’t compare to Byakuya at all!

Wait—

Byakuya!”

Suddenly, Sakura’s eyes lit up as she remembered something.

“We can go find Byakuya!

Not long ago I heard that Byakuya is actually very skilled in psychology too.

He even cured a girl who was deeply traumatized!”

“Really?!”

Guy’s face instantly brightened.

“Then what are we waiting for?!

Hurry and bring him here!

Youth waits for no one!!”

With that, Guy bolted out like a rocket.

“Guy-sensei!

Wait for me!!”

Sakura hurriedly chased after him.

In the blink of an eye, only Naruto and Sasuke were left standing there.

The moment Sakura mentioned Byakuya, both of them immediately looked awkward.

Obviously…

Both of them had just remembered the super embarrassing incident from not long ago.

And unfortunately, Byakuya had been the witness to the whole thing.

“Uh…

Y’know what, I suddenly remembered—Jiraiya-sensei said he needed me for something!

Gotta go!”

Naruto made a flimsy excuse and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke’s mouth twitched slightly.

He felt utterly speechless.

After thinking for a moment, he figured that without Naruto around, the conversation probably wouldn’t veer into that awkward topic.

So he stayed.

He slowly walked into Kakashi’s hospital room.

And waited quietly.

Honestly…

He was pretty curious too.

Just what method would Byakuya use to treat Kakashi?

…

Time passed slowly.

Not long after—

Byakuya was brought over by Guy.

Looking at Kakashi lying there like a dead fish,

Byakuya couldn’t help but sigh emotionally.

“Didn’t expect… after learning the truth, Kakashi would end up like this…”

Not long ago,

when Kakashi discovered that Obito was still alive,

Byakuya had received a huge wave of plot points.

After suddenly getting so many points from Kakashi,

Byakuya got curious and used the Telescope Technique to take a peek.

That’s when he saw Kakashi harming himself.

Seeing the surroundings and remembering that Obito had just visited his bookstore earlier,

Byakuya immediately guessed the reason—

Kakashi realized Obito wasn’t dead, so the guilt and regret came crashing down.

When he saw Kakashi about to destroy his own hands completely,

Byakuya had no choice but to cast a subtle genjutsu, making a random passerby “happen” to come to the cemetery, see Kakashi, and rush to call for medical help.

“Byakuya, we’re counting on you this time!”

Guy suddenly bowed deeply toward him.

“Please, you have to heal Kakashi!”

Byakuya was instantly rendered speechless.

“They’re seriously treating me like a therapist now…?

But well…”

He glanced at the completely limp Kakashi and suddenly had an idea.

“I actually do have a way to snap him out of this~”

Thinking this,

he turned to look at Guy.

“Leave it to me.”

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