"Rin…"
Kakashi's voice trembled.
He stared at that familiar figure, and the kunai in his hand nearly slipped from his grip.
It was indeed Rin Nohara.
At least from the outside, she looked exactly the same as the Rin in their memories.
That gentle smile.
That familiar medical-nin outfit.
Even the small hair clip in her hair had not changed.
But her eyes were empty.
They held none of the warmth from back then.
None of the concern she had for her comrades.
None of the focus she showed when treating the wounded.
There was only dead, hollow nothingness.
Like two holes that had been carved empty.
"How is it? A perfect replica, isn't it?"
Kai looked at everyone's reactions with satisfaction.
"I extracted every piece of information about this girl from Obito's memories."
"Appearance. Voice. Habits. Even the tone she used when speaking."
"All perfectly identical."
"You bastard!"
Naruto gritted his teeth.
"That isn't Rin! That's just a puppet!"
"A puppet?"
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Then tell me, what counts as the 'real' Rin?"
"Memories?"
"A soul?"
"Or those vague 'feelings' you people like to talk about?"
He gently stroked Rin's cheek.
Rin obediently allowed him to manipulate her, her face still wearing that gentle yet hollow smile.
"From a data perspective, she possesses every piece of information belonging to Rin Nohara."
"From a functional perspective, she can perfectly perform the role of Rin Nohara."
"Then where is the difference between her and the 'real' Rin?"
"The difference is…"
Sasuke tightened his grip on the Kusanagi Sword.
"She has no will of her own!"
"Will? That word again."
Kai smiled.
"Then please tell me."
"What is will?"
"Electrical signals in the brain?"
"Fluctuations of chakra?"
"Or those illusory bonds you speak of?"
He snapped his fingers.
The Rin behind him began to move.
She walked toward Kakashi.
Every step was exactly like the Rin in his memories.
Gentle.
Elegant.
Steady, with the calmness unique to a medical-nin.
"Kakashi."
She spoke.
Her voice was sweet and clear.
Exactly the same as back then.
"You're hurt."
Kakashi's body froze.
That voice.
That tone.
That concerned expression...
If he did not look at those empty eyes, he might have almost believed Rin had truly returned.
"Let me treat you."
Rin stretched out her hand.
Green medical chakra flickered in her palm.
"No!"
Naruto shouted.
"Kakashi-sensei, that isn't the real Rin!"
But Kakashi did not dodge.
He simply looked quietly at the girl before him and allowed that familiar medical chakra to pass over his wounds.
"Why…"
His voice was very soft.
"Why would you do this?"
Those words were directed at Kai.
And also at himself.
"Because this is the most efficient method," Kai replied. "Rather than wasting effort analyzing your complicated emotions, it is better to use them directly as experimental material."
"I want to see what choice you will make when memory and reality come into conflict."
Rin finished the treatment.
She withdrew her hand and gave Kakashi a perfect smile.
"There. The wound is healed. Be more careful next time, okay, Kakashi?"
Those words were exactly the same as what she had once said.
Kakashi closed his eyes.
"Do you know something?"
He suddenly spoke.
"The real Rin would never say that."
"What?"
Kai frowned slightly.
"She never told us to be careful."
Kakashi opened his eye.
Pain flickered in his Sharingan, but beneath it was firm resolve.
"Because she knew a shinobi's mission meant facing danger."
"She would only say, 'I'll be waiting here for you to come back.'"
"And…"
"The real Rin would frown when treating someone."
"Because she was always worried her skills weren't good enough. She was afraid of causing her comrades pain."
"She would never look perfect like this, like a carved statue."
Kakashi walked toward that "Rin" step by step.
"Most importantly…"
He reached out and gently touched Rin's cheek.
"The real Rin had light in her eyes."
"The joy of seeing her comrades safe."
"The courage to face enemies."
"The focus she showed when healing the wounded."
"But you…"
His hand stopped in front of her eyes.
"There is nothing in your eyes."
Rin tilted her head.
Her face still held that perfect smile.
"I don't understand what you're saying, Kakashi."
"I am Rin."
"No."
Kakashi shook his head.
"You're only a lie wearing Rin's face."
He drew his kunai.
"And I won't let anyone defile her memory."
The kunai stabbed toward Rin's heart.
But the moment it was about to touch her body, Kakashi's hand stopped.
Not because of hesitation.
But because tears suddenly flowed from Rin's eyes.
"Why…"
"Why do you want to kill me?"
Rin cried.
Those tears looked so real.
So painful.
"I finally came back…"
"Why don't any of you want me?"
"Obito gave his life to see me."
"And you want to kill me with your own hands."
"Why?"
"Why are all of you so cruel?"
Those tears.
That sobbing voice.
That expression of despair...
Kakashi's hand began to tremble.
Even though he knew it was fake.
Even though he knew this was only Kai's trick.
Facing Rin's tears, his heart was still torn apart.
"Interesting."
Kai observed from the side.
"Even when your reason tells you this is false, your emotions are still affected."
"This is the weakness of you humans."
"And also the most fascinating part."
"Shut up!"
Naruto roared and charged forward.
"Stop torturing Kakashi-sensei!"
A Rasengan formed in his hand as he rushed straight toward Kai.
But Kai did not even look at him.
He simply waved a hand.
Naruto's body instantly froze.
The Rasengan stopped one meter away from Kai.
"Why so impatient?"
"The experiment is not over yet."
Kai said calmly.
"I still want to see what choice a person makes when faced with their deepest pain."
He looked at Kakashi.
"Come, Kakashi Hatake."
"Prove to me how firm your will truly is."
"Will you choose reason and kill this fake Rin?"
"Or will you choose emotion and accept this real Rin?"
Kakashi looked at the crying Rin before him.
The kunai trembled continuously in his hand.
Reason told him she was fake.
But emotion told him—
This was Rin.
The most important comrade they had lost.
The one they could never see again.
"I…"
Kakashi's voice was hoarse.
Just then, another voice sounded.
"Kakashi-senpai."
It was Sasuke.
He walked to Kakashi's side, his Rinnegan quietly observing that "Rin."
"Do you know what I can see?"
Sasuke said.
"I can see that what flows inside her body is not chakra, but pure data."
"Every expression."
"Every sentence."
"Every tear."
"They are all reactions arranged by a program."
"But…"
Kakashi tried to speak.
"But that isn't important."
Sasuke interrupted him.
"What matters is this."
"Would the real Rin want you to suffer because of her?"
Kakashi froze.
"I don't know Rin Nohara."
"But I know Itachi Uchiha."
Sasuke's voice was calm.
"If someone used Itachi's appearance to torment me, what would Itachi want?"
"Would he want me to be happy because of his 'revival'?"
"Or would he want me to see through the lie and keep moving forward?"
"The answer is obvious, isn't it?"
Sasuke held Kakashi's hand.
"Someone who truly loved you would never want to become your chain."
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