Popsicle

If the real Uchiha Madara were standing before him, Sasuke's foundational training would naturally require no intervention from others.

Uchiha Madara would undoubtedly provide meticulous, personal guidance.

Unfortunately, the one standing there was Obito...

On one hand, Obito was not particularly skilled at teaching; on the other, he had no interest in mentoring anyone.

Thus, Obito dumped the tedious task of training Sasuke directly onto the most suitable candidate present: Orochimaru.

However, to make the disguise more convincing, Obito still spoke with the earnest tone of Uchiha Madara...

"Orochimaru can help you solidify your foundation. When your abilities reach my requirements, I will personally teach you how to fully unleash the true power of the Sharingan."

He spoke with immense authority, as if he were truly the Asura of the Shinobi World, Uchiha Madara.

Hearing the promise made by Madara himself, the cold and distant expression on Sasuke's face finally showed a hint of change.

He nodded slightly, his gaze slowly falling upon the smiling Orochimaru beside him.

At this moment, Orochimaru was observing the young man before him with great interest.

He had seen many young shinobi, but Uchiha Sasuke appeared remarkably different.

The stubbornness and indifference etched onto the boy's face, and those deep, obsidian-like eyes.

This phenomenon undoubtedly piqued Orochimaru's intense interest and ignited even more questions within his heart.

"How truly interesting..."

From Orochimaru's preliminary observations, it was not yet clear whether Uchiha Sasuke had been tainted...

If he truly had not been infected by the abilities of Uchiha Yuan, then there must be some undiscovered loophole in his dojutsu.

Consequently, the smile on Orochimaru's face grew even more benign as he spoke in a soft, gentle tone...

"Sasuke-kun, rest assured. I will certainly help you well and make you stronger than anyone else."

Orochimaru's tone was extremely sincere, carrying a touch of benevolence, as if he truly cared about the growth of this young man.

Sasuke looked up at him, his eyes devoid of any fear or resistance, still carrying his customary arrogance and indifference.

He did not say much, merely nodding slightly and responding in a low voice: "Then let us begin quickly."

With that, Sasuke took a step forward and walked toward the depths of the base, his stride straight and resolute.

Under the moonlight...

Obito had also quietly exited the Land of Fields base.

The night was as dark as ink.

Obito stood silently beneath an ancient tree, looking up at the special Sharingan resting quietly in his hand...

The Sharingan that belonged to Uchiha Yuan.

That scarlet pupil exuded a deeply eerie atmosphere.

Ever since Kakashi had accessed the memories of the Withered Wood Release, Obito had been synchronizing everything happening in Konoha through his connection to the Sharingan.

At this moment, Konoha had already fallen into unprecedented chaos and despair due to that bizarre Withered Wood Release power.

Recalling the scenes of destruction brought about by those withered wood flames, a trace of excitement and greed rose faintly in Obito's heart.

He knew well that such power did not belong solely to the Uchiha, nor solely to the Senju, but was a fusion of power that transcended traditional understanding.

"Withered Wood Release..."

Obito whispered to himself, his voice low and filled with an eerie excitement.

His gaze gradually became deep and focused, as if he were probing some unknown realm.

In the next instant, the Wood Release Cells within his body, which originally belonged to the First Hokage, began to undergo a strange mutation...

This change was rapid and violent, far exceeding Obito's expectations.

The originally lush and vibrant Wood Release was now, under the influence of Obito's powerful Sharingan, completely reduced to a terrifying existence of a different nature.

Obito slowly extended his palm, and from the center of it, a twisted branch slowly grew outward.

This branch appeared ordinary, but it was actually laden with an aura of death and decay, its surface covered in crisscrossing cracks as if it had endured the erosion of countless years.

Once the branch grew to a certain extent, it suddenly began to burn spontaneously... a truly hair-raising sight.

Feeling the rapid transformation in the nature of his chakra, a surge of intense fanaticism and ambition rose within Obito.

Thinking of this, he once again cast his gaze upon the Uchiha Yuan Sharingan held in his hand...

"Uchiha Yuan, just how many possibilities are hidden within your Sharingan..."

The next moment, Obito did not hesitate; the power of Kamui was suddenly released, and two White Zetsu he had prepared appeared before him.

Obito reached out his hand and, with a cold yet impatient motion, grabbed one of the White Zetsu.

In an instant, the Wood Release Cells within his body mutated violently once more, and countless withered, sinister wooden branches surged from his body, wrapping tightly around the White Zetsu like the tentacles of a starving demon.

The White Zetsu struggled in terror, but it was completely unable to resist the devouring of this evil power, and it was soon thoroughly enveloped and consumed by the withered wood.

In just a few moments, the White Zetsu's once-resilient body completely disintegrated, turning into a pool of pure and massive chakra energy that was greedily absorbed into Obito's body by those eerie, withered branches.

Feeling the chakra flowing endlessly into his body, a look of near-maniacal satisfaction appeared on Obito's face.

He burst into laughter...

In the temporary relief zone outside Konoha, the air was thick with noise and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

Naruto Uzumaki sat quietly in a corner, his small figure curled into a ball, looking exceptionally lonely.

When the fire broke out, most of the villagers, including Naruto, had been evacuated here in time...

But at this moment, the children around him were all snuggled up to their parents, relying on each other for warmth and peace of mind.

Only Naruto seemed completely out of place, as if isolated by the entire world, sitting there helplessly.

What made Naruto feel even sadder was that many villagers would deliberately walk around him the moment they saw him, not even bothering to hide their expressions of disgust and hostility.

"Demon Fox, get lost! You aren't welcome here!"

"Don't come near us! Who knows who you'll get killed next!"

Those whispered curses and shoves constantly reached Naruto's ears, piercing deeply into his heart.

Little Naruto curled up even tighter, his eyes gradually dimming, tears swirling in his sockets, yet he stubbornly held them back, refusing to let them fall.

He truly could not understand why he had to endure such malice and rejection when he had done nothing wrong.

Just as he felt he was sinking into total despair, a gentle and familiar voice suddenly rang out, cutting through all the noise and reaching straight into his ears...

"Do you have nowhere to stay right now?"

Naruto was slightly startled. He looked up and saw a face he had only seen yesterday...

A silver-haired young man wearing a black forehead protector; although his eyes looked a bit tired, there was no malice in his expression.

Kakashi stood quietly in front of Naruto, looking down at him with a soft and concerned gaze.

Naruto's heart trembled slightly. He hesitated, his voice laced with unconcealable fear and unease, and asked softly, "Aren't... aren't you afraid of me?"

Kakashi was slightly surprised, but then he smiled gently and slowly crouched down to meet Naruto at eye level.

He reached out and gently ruffled Naruto's messy golden hair, his tone soft and firm: "Why would I be afraid of you? You're just an ordinary child."

Upon hearing this, Naruto felt a surge of warmth flow through his heart.

Looking into Kakashi's gentle and candid eyes, the unease and panic in his heart were gradually dispelled, and a warmth and sense of security he had never experienced before slowly took root within him.

"If you don't have a place to stay, come rest in my tent..."

Kakashi said softly, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

Naruto stared blankly at the silver-haired young man before him, his eyes gradually welling up with tears—tears of joy and warmth.

He nodded vigorously, his voice filled with deep trust and happiness: "Yeah!"

Kakashi smiled slightly, took Naruto's small hand, and began to walk slowly toward his own tent in the distance.

"Oh right, have a popsicle..."

Kakashi snapped a popsicle in two...

And handed the other half to Naruto...

In this moment, Naruto felt for the first time what it was like to be accepted and cared for...

And in his once lonely and helpless heart, a glimmer of warm hope was finally ignited...