Sasuke and Naruto

Obito still could not summon the courage to choose to go see Naruto with Kakashi.

He knew clearly in his heart that the boy was the legacy of his teacher; seeing Naruto would only make the guilt and unease remaining in the depths of his soul surge and become unbearable.

He could stand against the entire Shinobi World, yet he could not face the child of Namikaze Minato. That wound was too deep, too difficult to face or touch.

And so, after a long silence, Obito ultimately decided to head to Konoha Hospital alone.

He had other matters to attend to, and besides, the youth named Uchiha Sasuke was an extremely important link in his plan.

Night shrouded Konoha Hospital, silent and still.

Inside the ward, Uchiha Sasuke had already regained consciousness.

He sat quietly on the hospital bed, his eyes staring blankly at the empty ceiling, his hands involuntarily gripping the sheets.

The tragic scenes of that night continued to replay in his mind: the entire street stained red with the blood of his clansmen, and the cold, emotionless face of Uchiha Itachi, impossible to shake off like a nightmare.

He could not understand how the brother he had respected and worshipped could have committed such a heinous act.

The confusion and questions in his heart gradually transformed into uncontrollable rage and hatred.

Why... why would he do such a thing?

Just as Sasuke was sinking deep into pain and hatred, unable to pull himself out, a black shadow suddenly appeared in the shadows of the ward without warning.

"Uchiha Sasuke..."

A low, cold voice abruptly broke the silence of the room.

Sasuke's heart jolted; he snapped back to reality and looked warily toward the black shadow in the corner of the room.

"Who are you?"

Obito slowly stepped out from the shadows, revealing that striking, swirl-patterned mask.

He looked down at the young boy on the bed, the visible Mangekyo Sharingan flashing with a scarlet, profound light.

"My name is Uchiha Madara."

Obito's tone was calm yet carried an irresistible pressure...

"I am the only person in this world who can help you take your revenge."

"Help me... take revenge?"

Obito looked straight at him, his gaze cold yet possessing a certain power to bewitch the heart: "Isn't your wish to kill Uchiha Itachi and avenge your clan?"

Hearing Itachi's name, Sasuke's eyes suddenly sharpened; he almost wanted to blurt out an admission of this fact immediately.

But strangely, the moment he was about to speak...

An invisible and bizarre force seemed to rise from the depths of his heart, preventing him from continuing.

What... was that power?

Sasuke froze. After a long silence, he finally raised his head again and said in an extremely serious tone: "Can you really make me stronger?"

The eyes behind Obito's mask grew even darker and more profound.

He was slightly surprised that Sasuke had not responded to his own question, though Obito did not care about that...

"Of course."

Obito slowly landed on the floor and walked toward Sasuke step by step...

"If you remain in Konoha, no one will teach you how to properly use the Sharingan, and certainly no one will tell you how to counter Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan."

"In this world, only I can truly help you achieve your wish."

Sasuke looked at the mysterious man before him...

He did not know what this mysterious person calling himself Uchiha Madara intended, but the raging fire of revenge burning deep within his heart had long since made him forget to consider any other possibilities.

His heart was filled with a desperate craving for strength, for only by becoming stronger could he personally exact justice from Uchiha Itachi.

"I will go with you."

He reached out a hand, signaling for Sasuke to get off the bed: "Then come with me and leave this place. From today on, you will be completely free from the shackles of this village."

Sasuke did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately rose from the hospital bed. Though his heart remained somewhat lost, the thirst for revenge had overwhelmed all doubts.

He took a step forward, walking firmly toward the hand extended from the darkness.

The night in Konoha was deep and tranquil; the occasional sound of a dog barking seemed exceptionally clear.

Kakashi arrived in front of the small house where Naruto lived, standing silently in the shadows not far away, quietly watching the humble and lonely little dwelling.

He observed the daily life of the child, Naruto, with patience.

From the moment Naruto pushed the door open and ran excitedly toward the familiar Ichiraku Ramen on the street, to his return journey...

Passing through the streets and encountering the malicious insults and mockery of the villagers—the full hour of observation made the heaviness in Kakashi's heart increasingly indescribable.

It was not that Kakashi was unaware of the ostracization Naruto faced in the village as a Jinchuriki, but in the past, he had always subconsciously chosen to avoid these facts, choosing to turn a blind eye.

Only at this moment, as he witnessed with his own eyes everything the teacher's child suffered in the village, did he finally understand the hardship and pain in Naruto's heart.

That figure, walking alone through the streets of the village, wearing a smile feigned to be carefree, could not hide the trace of sorrow and loneliness flickering in the depths of his eyes.

Teacher... so this is the difficult situation your child has been living in...

When Naruto finally returned home, Kakashi hesitated for a moment before quietly approaching the slightly ajar door.

He saw Naruto carelessly taking a bottle of clearly expired milk from the refrigerator, nonchalantly twisting off the cap, and preparing to drink it.

"If the milk is expired, don't drink it."

"Ah!"

Naruto was startled by the sudden figure and turned around in a panic...

"Who are you? How did you get in?"

Kakashi looked quietly at Naruto's dazed expression, not answering his question immediately.

With a soft sigh, he took the fresh milk he had just bought at the supermarket from his coat and walked toward Naruto's refrigerator.

Opening the fridge, Kakashi frowned; most of the food inside consisted of cheap, near-expired discount items, some of which had long since passed their expiration dates.

He placed the fresh milk inside and took out the expired food.

"Don't eat expired food anymore; it's easy to get sick."

Kakashi said calmly as he tossed the expired items into the trash can.

"Hey! Who exactly are you?"

"How can you just walk into someone else's house like that!"

Kakashi did not answer him, only turning back to look at Naruto in silence.

At this moment, his Sharingan began to spin rapidly...

Compared to Naruto, the Nine-Tails inside him seemed to have a rather unfriendly demeanor...

Coming back to his senses, Kakashi continued to clear out the expired food.

After finishing, Kakashi brushed his hands off, walked up, and patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"Be more careful in the future, and stop eating these things."

Without waiting for Naruto to press him further, Kakashi stepped out of the room.

His silhouette gradually faded into the night, leaving Naruto standing in place, staring out the door with a face full of confusion and bewilderment.

As soon as Kakashi stepped out of Naruto's house, he sensed two familiar auras approaching rapidly, and two Anbu ninjas appeared silently before him.

"Senior..."

One of the Anbu spoke with a rather troubled tone...

"Contacting the Jinchuriki like this, I'm afraid..."

Kakashi didn't wait for them to finish, waving his hand slightly to signal that they didn't need to be nervous.

"I understand your concerns; I will explain this matter to the Hokage personally."

The two Anbu exchanged glances, clearly relieved, and replied in unison: "Yes!"

In truth, they both understood that for any other ninja, such unauthorized contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would undoubtedly be a grave incident.

But for Kakashi, the situation was clearly different.

After all, he was the student of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and held a special status and position as one of the ninjas most trusted and valued by the Hokage's faction.

When the Hokage learned of this, he would likely just turn a blind eye and tacitly approve of his actions.

Moreover, Kakashi's actions were clearly born of concern and care for Naruto, not malice.

After the Anbu left, Kakashi looked up at Naruto's window once more.

He could clearly see Naruto peeking out from the window, his face full of confusion and surprise, clearly still bewildered by the encounter.

"Hey, big brother, who are you anyway?"

"Just don't drink expired milk. I'll buy you some new food tomorrow."

"What the..."

However...

For a Jinchuriki, Naruto is a bit too cheerful, isn't he...