A Hero Deserved Better Than This

Uchiha Toko leisurely brewed tea.

Ever since he first went to war and killed someone at the age of nine, Uchiha Toko had spent six years walking the line between life and death. Coupled with the repeated partings of life and death from his teammates and companions, he had awakened his clan's ultimate power: the Mangekyō Sharingan. Yet Uchiha Toko could also clearly feel that, through wave after wave of torment, his mental state had grown somewhat deranged.

Then again, he had the Mangekyō Sharingan. It would practically be a disgrace to those eyes if he did not go a little mad.

To keep his mind stable, Uchiha Toko had set aside time after the war to learn a bit of tea ceremony.

For no other reason than to maintain his mental stability.

Inside Uchiha Toko's modest residence, silence reigned completely, broken only by the occasional clink of tea utensils.

Kakashi clearly lacked such patience. Seeing that Uchiha Toko had yet to respond, he bluntly asked, "What did that record you showed me today mean?"

Boiling water unfurled the tea leaves, and a fragrant mist spread through the room. Uchiha Toko glanced at Kakashi, placed a cup of hot tea before him, and only then asked,

"Did you visit Grandma Miori?"

Kakashi fixed Uchiha Toko with a deep look from his exposed eye before nodding. "Yes."

"Remember to visit often from now on. The old lady has not had it easy. The clan's compensation is substantial, but she is still lonely by herself."

"Can you tell me what exactly was written in that record first?"

"As for those clan members who have been criticizing you, I'll remind them. As the Clan Head, I still have that much influence."

"Uchiha Toko!" Kakashi grew irritated by Uchiha Toko's evasive answer.

"Look at you, getting impatient again." Uchiha Toko suddenly laughed and looked toward the cup of tea in front of Kakashi.

After saying that, Uchiha Toko turned and picked up the kettle, placing it back on the stove. Taking advantage of the moment, Kakashi swiftly pulled down his mask, downed the tea in one gulp, then put his mask back on.

"You..." When Uchiha Toko turned back and saw Kakashi's face twitching from the scalding tea, he was left speechless and could only shake his head.

"The contents of that report are exactly what you saw. We have not yet begun investigating the specifics." Uchiha Toko picked up his own cup, drained it in one swallow, and only then spoke seriously.

"Although I had not been born when that incident occurred, I have heard some things within the clan over the years," Uchiha Toko said. "If what the clan elders said is true, then Senior White Fang truly was a great ninja. He should not have met such an end."

"Is that so?" Kakashi found it hard to believe. Over the years, although his father's name had nearly faded from Konoha's history, older people occasionally still mentioned him—and none of them had much good to say about White Fang.

"I do not know what others think, but the Uchiha Clan truly holds Senior White Fang in great respect," Uchiha Toko said. "You know, no one values their companions more than the Uchiha."

"Thank you." Kakashi had calmed down by then. Hearing someone praise his father so highly, he could not help feeling grateful. At the same time, Uchiha Toko's words made him think of that former Dead Last teammate.

"However, based on what I obtained today, Senior White Fang's death does not seem so simple." Uchiha Toko set down his teacup and sighed. "At the very least, Danzo did some unsavory things in it."

"Whether we should continue investigating this matter is still highly debated within the clan. After all, you know how widely the matter reached back then. According to the clan elders, Senior White Fang had been a leading candidate to become the Fourth."

Kakashi frowned deeply, apparently unable to understand what Uchiha Toko meant.

Uchiha Toko was helpless about that. For ninjas who had been taught from childhood only how to kill efficiently, anything involving politics was indeed far beyond their education.

But Uchiha Toko had no choice. The political resources Kakashi carried were precisely what the Uchiha Clan lacked most.

Why had Sarutobi Hiruzen kept Kakashi in the Anbu for the past six years? Kakashi himself probably did not know how valuable his status as the Fourth Hokage's sole surviving disciple truly was. Although Minato Namikaze had died young before he could truly build up his own faction, many people in the village still remembered the Yellow Flash. Moreover, while his personal Shadow Guard had gradually been marginalized after his death, they remained a force in Konoha that could not be underestimated.

That was precisely why Uchiha Toko had painstakingly arranged this situation to get close to Kakashi.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Toko could only shake his head. "Forget it. I'll keep investigating this matter."

"Thank you." Though he did not fully understand why, Kakashi could tell that Uchiha Toko had made this decision only after great resolve.

"You need not thank me. I'm doing this simply because I believe a hero deserved better than this," Uchiha Toko said. "If you truly want to thank me, then spend more time with Grandma Miori."

"I understand," Kakashi said solemnly.

With that, Kakashi walked toward the window, intending to leave early while it was still dark.

"Oh, right." Uchiha Toko suddenly called out, stopping Kakashi.

Kakashi turned back, confusion in his single eye.

"In a couple of days, come to the Military Police Force and take away that guy who uses Wood Style. The Military Police Force has questioned him enough. After all, he is the village's only Wood Style ninja besides the First, and keeping him at the Military Police Force is troublesome," Uchiha Toko said.

Kakashi nodded, leaped out the window, and after a few quick flashes, disappeared into the night.

After Kakashi left, Uchiha Toko also came to the window, his gaze flickering.

Once White Fang's name was cleared, Kakashi would inevitably become the focus of the entire village, bolstered by the dual advantages of being a hero's son and the Hokage's disciple. By then, no matter what others thought, the Uchiha Clan—the clan that had helped clear his father's name—would be his staunchest ally. And that would be the moment when the Uchiha Clan formally stepped into the spotlight.