Dinner

Jiraiya nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the thoughtful Kakashi.

This white-haired kid always made people want to pat his head...

Feeling the weight on his head, Kakashi looked up and met Jiraiya's eyes.

"As for you, Kakashi, you'll need to take the next assessment!"

"I understand... Jiraiya-sama."

Kakashi did not feel particularly disappointed. He was still thinking about what Kagami Uchiha had said.

People's prejudice...

He had witnessed the pressure his father had endured these past days.

And the Uchiha... had always suffered from that kind of prejudice.

Even he himself had thought that, aside from that idiot Obito, the other Uchiha were all difficult to get along with.

Was that not a form of bullying?

He had thought it was Kagami Uchiha's accusation.

But Kagami Uchiha's true thoughts were...

Since you all think the Uchiha will bring disaster upon Konoha... then I'll make your wish come true!

Just then, Minato Namikaze on the hospital bed let out a faint groan, as though he was about to wake up.

Jiraiya hurried out the door and called for Kushina, who had been waiting outside.

Tsunade was gone. She had likely felt that she had overreacted, and staying here would only make her uncomfortable.

Seeing the two embracing on the hospital bed, Jiraiya and the other two tactfully left the room.

Walking down the hospital corridor, Kakashi could not help quietly asking Kagami Uchiha.

"What exactly was that monster?"

Kagami Uchiha shook his head. "I don't know. You should ask Jiraiya-sensei about that."

Hearing their conversation, Jiraiya led them to a secluded spot before beginning his explanation.

"Throughout the history of the ninja world, ravaged by endless war, there has been a terrifying existence etched deeply into people's minds alongside calamity. Those monstrous beasts, like natural disasters, are called Tailed Beasts."

"The First Hokage recognized the tremendous power of the Tailed Beasts and their potential to deter war. After capturing them, he distributed them among the various villages."

This was not something that could be told to ordinary children, but neither Kagami Uchiha nor Kakashi was an ordinary child.

Jiraiya knew Kakashi. Though the boy was not quite like Minato or Kagami, he was exceptionally talented. After testing him a little more, Jiraiya would take him as a disciple.

"The one our village possesses is the strongest of all Tailed Beasts—the Nine-Tails. The one we saw..."

"Those who have Tailed Beasts sealed inside them are called Jinchuriki."

As he spoke, Jiraiya's expression turned stern.

"Remember, you must never tell anyone about the Nine-Tails. The Jinchuriki's identity is one of the village's highest secrets!"

If the two were not going to become his disciples, Anbu would already have come to deal with their memories.

The sun was setting.

"All right, it's getting late. You two should head home and rest."

"Gather at Training Ground 4 at six tomorrow morning!"

"Dismissed!"

Now that Minato was all right, Jiraiya was eager to go gather material.

After the two had walked some distance away from the hospital.

Kagami Uchiha turned to look at Kakashi, who was following him. "Why are you following me? Your house is the other way."

"Ah..." Kakashi came back to himself and realized this was not the way home.

But...

There was no one at home anymore...

Kagami Uchiha had once had no family either, so he could somewhat understand Kakashi's current state.

After all, he was only seven or eight years old. Although Hatake Sakumo had not killed himself, Kakashi had still become a child left behind at home.

"Come eat at my place. Remember, just this once."

"Kagami, thank you."

"Thank you... for keeping my father alive."

After a moment of silence, Kagami Uchiha said indifferently, "It has nothing to do with me. You don't need to think you owe me anything."

"Let me make this clear first."

"If my actions benefit you, you don't need to be grateful to me. If my actions cause you pain, you can hate me as much as you like."

"Kakashi, I don't care about your feelings at all."

Then why are you taking me home for dinner...

Kakashi was beginning to understand how to get along with normal Uchiha.

Do not listen to what an Uchiha said. Watch what he did.

Faced with such a terrifying Tailed Beast, Kagami had still stepped forward without hesitation to protect his companions from the same village.

Kagami Uchiha's home stood at the edge of the clan compound and occupied quite a large area.

It had every facility one could want, including a courtyard. His family could be considered well-off among the Uchiha Clan.

His grandfather's pension had been substantial, and the clan also provided subsidies. At the very least, Kagami Uchiha's household had never worried about money.

Once Kagami Uchiha became a ninja, part of what he earned from missions would also be handed over to the clan for distribution to families unable to support themselves.

The Uchiha were not like the Hyuga, who divided their clansmen into slaves and slave owners.

Even the clan head did not have the power of life and death over ordinary clansmen.

Kagami Uchiha had also wondered why Itachi could do something like that.

In the end, he arrived at a reasonable conclusion.

Because Itachi had never truly interacted with the Uchiha's ordinary clansmen.

Itachi had been a genius since childhood. He experienced the battlefield at four and began contemplating the village and the clan at seven.

Fugaku's method of education had been wrong.

For a genius, such an upbringing would make him think too much and fall into a self-destructive predicament.

Because... even a genius could not change the world or change people's hearts.

Too much wisdom brings harm.

Those who believed themselves supremely clever often ended up scarred all over, meeting no good end.

Would normal parenting have helped Uchiha Itachi?

It might have changed him, but Kagami Uchiha had neither the time nor energy to reform him.

Uchiha Itachi did not love the Uchiha. He only loved Uchiha Sasuke.

Instead of reforming him, destroying him would take less effort.

"Has Shisui already started refining chakra?"

Seeing little Shisui sitting cross-legged in the courtyard with a proper posture, Kakashi asked.

"He's not a one-year-old anymore. It's time for him to start learning."

As he spoke, Kagami Uchiha noticed his grandmother washing vegetables and quickly took off his shoes before running over.

"Grandma, I told you I'd come back to cook, didn't I? You need to rest properly!"

His grandmother had also been a ninja in her youth. She had retired only because she had suffered severe injuries.

Though she was not that old yet, the lingering injuries had caused many problems with her health.

It was not just her body. Her husband's death had also dealt her a heavy blow. These wounds could not be healed by time; they would only worsen.

His grandmother watched the busy Kagami Uchiha with a kind smile, then spotted Kakashi.

"I remember you... You're Sakumo-san's child, aren't you? This is the first time Kagami has brought a friend home!"

Kakashi nodded somewhat awkwardly. After politely greeting her, he felt embarrassed and wanted to find something to do.

Noticing the river fish in the basket, he took them out and began skillfully cleaning them.

"When Father wasn't around, I cooked for myself."

"I didn't ask."

Kagami Uchiha continued preparing the ingredients. He and Kakashi each used a separate stove and began cooking.

Kakashi was usually accustomed to silence, but faced with the even quieter Kagami Uchiha, he could not help speaking.

"Does Obito live nearby?"

"Obviously. He's an Uchiha too." Kagami Uchiha stir-fried the greens. "Go three hundred meters left when you leave, and that's his house."

"You seem to hate Obito."

"Not seem to."

"Is it because a dead last like him has tarnished the Uchiha Clan's reputation?"

Kagami Uchiha fell silent for a moment. Only the sizzling of fish frying in Kakashi's pan could be heard.

"Something like that."

"You overcooked your fish."

"It's not overcooked. This is Kakashi-style dry-fried river fish."

"The greens you boiled are way too soft."

"Grandma's teeth aren't good. She likes greens."

"Kagami, you're a very warm person."

The confusion in Kakashi's eyes gradually faded, and Kagami could sense the smile beneath his mask.

Kagami Uchiha shot him a cold look and warned, "My orientation is perfectly normal. Don't try that with me. Disgusting."