A Soft Knife (Please Vote!)

Inside the Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage took a deep draw from his pipe, his expression somewhat weary as he asked, "How is Kakashi?"

Tsunade's face darkened. "He suffered extensive burns across the surface of his body, and his muscles and bones have also sustained varying degrees of damage. Overall, his injuries are severe, but his life is not in immediate danger."

"That's good!"

The Third Hokage let out a slight sigh of relief.

Jiraiya, standing nearby, asked with concern, "How long will it take for him to recover?"

Tsunade shook her head. "It's too early to say, but he'll need at least two or three months of careful treatment."

"Two or three months?!" Jiraiya froze for a moment, then frowned. "Why so long?"

"Don't underestimate those burns," Tsunade explained. "I've conducted a thorough examination. The black flames Fugaku released with his Mangekyō Sharingan are extremely strange. Not only are they hotter than ordinary flames, but they also burn far more intensely. Kakashi was only scorched for a few dozen seconds, yet the injured areas look as though they were exposed to extreme heat for over ten minutes. Massive numbers of cells have died, and his injuries are far worse than they appear. If he hadn't received treatment in time, he might not even have survived."

Utatane Koharu was thoroughly angered after hearing this. "Damn it, we were all played by that Fugaku!"

The Third Hokage nodded. "I never expected him to have hidden himself so deeply. I misjudged him."

Logically speaking, given the Uchiha Clan's arrogant and overbearing nature, awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan was an honor they had no need to deliberately conceal. Moreover, as the Uchiha Clan's head, hiding this would also affect Fugaku's own prestige to some extent. The reason he had remained largely unknown in the