Kakashi's Warning

"So, where did you learn Fire Release: Flame Armor?"

Seeing this, Kakashi said nothing more.

"I learned it from Orochimaru!"

Sasuke craned his neck and provoked him.

The Anbu outside the door erupted in agitation.

Kakashi swiftly raised a hand behind him to stop them and shouted angrily:

"Sasuke!! Now is not the time for you to throw a tantrum!"

"As long as you tell the truth, I can definitely keep you safe! Trust me!"

"Trust you? What good is trust? It's because I trusted you that I'm sitting here now!"

Sasuke shot back furiously.

Kakashi found those words strangely familiar. Thinking carefully, the Third Hokage had said something similar earlier.

Caught in the middle, a wave of exhaustion rose from the depths of his heart.

Kakashi sighed and said bitterly, "In the darkness of night, a kitten stepped into a trap meant for wild beasts. What good is it to reason with the hunter then?

"Some hunters are willing to wait for dawn, but others would rather kill the wrong one than let anything slip away.

"But for the kitten, the most important thing is to see the situation clearly and find a way to climb out!

"You think I'm your teacher, an Elite Jonin. But before the collective interests of Konoha's people, no one receives special treatment!"

Sasuke's face remained cold, filled with disdain.

"Since you've already understood the crux of the matter, I won't hide anything anymore," Kakashi continued.

"To Konoha, Orochimaru is an extremely dangerous man. He may even be planning to start a war.

"When that happens, Naruto, Sakura, Iruka-sensei, even that old lady selling bonito rice balls on the street—they could all die in this potential conflict.

"To avoid such a tragedy, we must make accurate judgments, investigate every possible hidden danger, and protect this hard-won peace.

"And that is the heavy duty borne by the Hokage."

Sasuke's expression eased somewhat, but he was still deeply conflicted, unsure of what to do.

Kakashi took in this reaction and softened his voice as much as possible, continuing his assault.

"That ninjutsu might fool Sakura and the others, but the Hokage could tell at a glance that it wasn't something someone at your level could develop alone.

"I don't know what exactly happened in the Forest of Death, but I ask you to think of Naruto and the others.

"If all of this truly has something to do with Orochimaru, I'll personally plead with the Hokage for you. I'll ask to bear the responsibility alongside you. As long as you speak up, it's not too late.

"If it really has nothing to do with that man, then tell me truthfully what happened. No matter who the teacher behind it is, I will believe you."

Sasuke was deeply moved.

Yet beneath his Will of Steel, his mind remained clear.

"Kakashi. As for Orochimaru, just as I told you before, I can explain the whole process again. There won't be a single lie.

"As for Flame Armor, I really can't say anything for now. Please give me one more day to think about it.

"But please believe me: no matter what, I will never betray my comrades or harm civilians."

Here, Sasuke had said "comrades," not the village, much less the Third Hokage.

Seeing that things had come to this, Kakashi could say nothing more.

He rose. "Since you've already made up your mind, then you'll have to endure staying here for another day."

When he reached the door, Kakashi suddenly stopped. With his back to Sasuke, he turned his head and said:

"If you still want to kill Itachi—

"Then don't die pointlessly in a place like this!"

Sasuke was horrified.

Partly because Kakashi had mentioned that name, but even more because of the possibility of a "pointless death" that Kakashi had implied.

"'Why? Aren't we allies?'"

"As last words go, that was terribly dull."

Orochimaru sneered as he wiped the blood from his hands. Beside him lay the corpse of the Fourth Kazekage.

Not far away, Orochimaru's capable subordinate Kimimaro was fighting several Sand Shinobi attendants at once. The battle was already nearing its end.

Not long ago, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa had set out from Wind Country with several trusted retainers at Konoha's invitation, intending to attend the final round of the Chunin Exams.

As they passed through a great canyon, Orochimaru—his ally in the plot to conquer Konoha—suddenly appeared, claiming that an unexpected situation had arisen and that there was something important to discuss.

Yet just as they drew close, the other party suddenly attacked. The unprepared Fourth Kazekage died miserably in Orochimaru's ambush.

Suddenly, someone appeared and respectfully bowed before Orochimaru.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Konoha's movements?" Orochimaru asked.

The newcomer was Yakushi Kabuto. He opened his mouth and said:

"Lord Orochimaru, something has happened in Konoha. I thought it was necessary for you to know."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyes shifted as he asked, "Is it about that child?"

"That's right." Kabuto could not help secretly admiring Orochimaru's keen insight.

"Word has come from the hospital. Sasuke was taken away by the Anbu."

"Is that so? Interesting."

After pondering for a moment, Orochimaru smiled. "Was he invited away, or taken away by force?"

Kabuto's thoughts stirred, and he quickly understood what Orochimaru was asking. He replied:

"There was no conflict, but whether he was taken into protective custody or whether some other change occurred, I cannot speculate rashly for now."

After considering it for a moment, Orochimaru issued Kabuto new instructions.

"What is it? You seem to have something to say?"

Seeing Kabuto's puzzled expression, Orochimaru asked on his own initiative.

"Yes," Kabuto replied. "I was thinking that after the Konoha Crush Plan, none of this will matter anymore. Why go to such lengths?"

Orochimaru did not answer. Instead, he spoke of something else.

"In the final preliminary match, I saw Sasuke's immense potential. At the same time, there was also an enormous and uncertain change.

"He actually extended a hand to that brat from the Hyuga Clan."

Orochimaru spoke regretfully, as if it were something extraordinarily filthy.

"As a vessel, Sasuke's appeal is undoubtedly growing greater and greater.

"But as a true avenger, Uchiha Sasuke is becoming more and more unqualified. More and more impurities have mixed into his eyes.

"Perhaps it is the influence of that Nine-Tailed Brat, perhaps something else. In any case, he must be exposed to the influence of dark power as soon as possible. Otherwise, there will be endless variables later."

Kabuto suddenly understood. "So you intend to use this opportunity."

Orochimaru nodded.

Konoha, Anbu Detention Room.

Compared to the comfortable hospital room, this place was cold and damp. The thin bedboard dug painfully into his body.

Uchiha Sasuke's chest rose and fell, his unrecovered injuries still aching faintly.

Thinking back on everything that had happened, Sasuke found it absurd.

That morning, he had been a heroic contestant "representing his country and displaying its strength to the world." By evening, he had become a prisoner "suspected of colluding with foreign powers and endangering Konoha's peace."

Not long after Kakashi left, Sasuke quickly contacted the "Collective Wisdom" system, hoping to find a real way out of this predicament:

"Emergency!! I am Uchiha Sasuke. The Hokage suspects that I am colluding with Orochimaru. I am currently being interrogated and detained by the Anbu. What should I do?"