Konoha's Redemption

Sasuke stayed in the hospital for two to three days, receiving condolences and interrogations from various Konoha higher-ups.

Finally, he was discharged.

Walking through the familiar yet unfamiliar streets, the usual greetings among his clan members were gone.

Instead, there were pitying but grating remarks.

"He's the last of the Uchiha, isn't he?"

"Not the last; his brother is still alive."

"He's still the Uchiha's young master, poor thing, all alone overnight."

"Yeah, truly pitiful."

Listening to the sympathetic words and feeling the gazes of pity he'd never experienced before, Sasuke couldn't help but clench his fists.

The Uchiha Gunbai clan attire, once a symbol of pride, felt so uncomfortable now.

"When did we Uchiha ever need anyone's pity?" Sasuke lowered his head and quickened his pace.

He arrived at the mansion.

The once wealthy family's estate was almost empty. Inside the house, the furniture remained, the bloodstains had been cleaned, and basic daily necessities were usable.

On the floor lay a stack of money.

This was the living expenses the Third had given him.

Most of the Uchiha clan's wealth had been confiscated, but Fugaku and Mikoto's personal assets were left to Sasuke.

Along with that, Sasuke was also left with copies of the Uchiha clan's Ninjutsu.

Sasuke sat in the empty house, lost in thought.

After a long time, his stomach rumbled.

Sasuke stood up in a daze and went to the kitchen, clumsily preparing a pot of food that was difficult to swallow.

He took one bite and threw it in the trash.

A deep sense of loneliness enveloped Sasuke.

At Naruto's house.

Naruto closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the Sealing Space.

"Hoo~~"

A cold wind blew, making one shiver uncontrollably.

Peeking over the edge below, he saw a bottomless cliff.

A wave of dizziness washed over Naruto, and he quickly averted his gaze.

"Mr. Aizen, I'm here!" he shouted, his voice echoing from above.

However, there was no response.

Naruto walked curiously towards the very top of the cliff, only to be shocked to find it empty.

"Mr. Aizen isn't here yet?"

Naruto was no stranger to this situation.

According to Aizen, he could only enter this space after falling asleep.

He must be busy right now.

Naruto chuckled and walked to the summit, sitting on a rock where Aizen often sat.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The whistling of the cold wind was in his ears, and his mood calmed with it.

It felt as if he could understand Mr. Aizen's loneliness, the solitude of a master.

Naruto had also imagined it.

If his future self possessed invincible power, capable of easily crushing Konoha and transcending the ninja world, what would his state of mind be?

Perhaps like Aizen, lonely.

That's why Aizen pushed for the growth of masters; in his eyes, Naruto was also a promising prospect.

"This level is still too far for me," Naruto's eyes held a hint of envy.

The next day.

Naruto went to class as usual.

After greeting his classmates, he sat down at his desk.

Not long after, Sasuke arrived late. Having gone hungry all night yesterday, he had a big meal this morning to barely satisfy his hunger.

But before coming to school, he had to do a lot of mental preparation.

He didn't want to see those pitying glances.

The proud Uchiha didn't need pity.

So, he decided to put on an extremely cold facade to hide his pain.

When Sasuke walked into the classroom, the students who had been chatting all stopped.

A moment later, various concerned inquiries erupted.

"Sasuke, you're here."

"Are you okay?"

Ino tearfully hugged Sasuke, her expression exaggerated. "Sasuke, I was so worried about you. Naruto kept saying you were fine, but I couldn't help but worry."

Sasuke pushed Ino away with disdain. His usually cold expression faltered slightly.

A warm current flowed through him.

"Over here, Sasuke," Naruto waved at him.

Sasuke looked over. Warm, golden sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Naruto in a gentle, comforting aura.

Bathed in sunlight, Naruto's smile was dazzling and perfect. Beneath his golden bangs, his blue eyes were filled with joy.

In that moment, he felt as if he were seeing his caring older brother, Itachi.

"Morning, Naruto," Sasuke's cold expression softened into a slight smile as he walked towards Naruto.

"Welcome back from the hospital."

"Thanks."

The noisy students also quieted down. The girls watched Naruto and Sasuke interact, each of them lost in a daze.

"Seriously, so cool."

"How can Naruto be so radiant?"

"Waaah, Sakura, did you see that? Cold-hearted Sasuke was warmed up by Naruto." Ino said dramatically, hugging Sakura.

"Of course. Naruto has a charm that warms everything," Sakura mused, resting her chin on her hand with a captivating smile.

"Hmm? That look on your face… is there something going on?" Ino smirked playfully. "Tell me, what happened between you and Naruto?"

"What could have happened? Just like that," Sakura retorted, blushing.

"Wow, that's impressive, Sakura. Looks like you two really are a thing," Ino exclaimed dramatically.

"Really? Congratulations, Sakura." The other students chimed in with their well wishes.

Unable to explain, Sakura could only smile foolishly.

If the misunderstanding could come true, she wished it would continue to be misunderstood.

Unbeknownst to them, Hinata, in a corner, was quietly watching, a rare flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

"Hinata, want to share lunch together at noon?" At that moment, a female student approached Hinata and asked softly.

Hinata was very popular among the girls, who saw her as a close friend and confidante.

"Sure," Hinata readily agreed with a smile.

"Heehee, our Hinata is getting cuter and cuter."

"Right? Hinata is just adorable, I want to hug her every day~~"

"Cute?" Hinata chewed on the word, then revealed a small dimple. "It's all thanks to one person that I've changed."

It was precisely because of that person that Hinata's heart had become incredibly strong.

Since the clan massacre, Sasuke could feel everyone's special attention towards him.

But at the same time, they avoided giving him pitying glances, all of them afraid of hurting his pride.

This touched Sasuke deeply.

"This is Konoha, this is everyone," Sasuke heard Naruto's gentle voice. "Everyone cares about you."

"This is also why I want to become Hokage. I want to protect everyone, protect Konoha."

"Mhm," Sasuke nodded firmly, suddenly feeling filled with strength.

Feeling his classmates' concern, Sasuke's heart gradually softened.

He was grateful to have met Naruto.

If he hadn't met Naruto, perhaps he would have been consumed by thoughts of revenge, becoming a heartless person.

Now, he wanted the ability to think for himself, to break free from schemes and tricks, and to see the truth with his own eyes.

Instead of being trapped in fabricated illusions.

"Itachi, even though I don't know what unspeakable pain you endured, I won't easily forgive you for making such a decision," he clenched his fist quietly, thinking to himself.

Though he didn't know the truth, he still wanted to save his brother, Itachi.

Naruto had saved him.

Now, it was his turn to become the light.

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