An Unexpected Joy

The next day, the scorching sun spilled over all of Konoha.

Haori rose early, and after a simple wash, he left his home.

Looking at this vibrant Konoha, he felt a complex mix of emotions stirring within him.

"That old man is truly detestable."

Walking along the streets of Konoha, Haori couldn't help but shake his head.

Recalling everything from yesterday, it had left a deep impression on him, while also giving him a better understanding of Uchiha Setsuna as a person.

This old man appeared gentle, but behind that gentleness lay a cold and sharp nature.

Haori truly loathed dealing with people like this; it wasn't that he wasn't capable of it, but rather that it was simply exhausting.

He had to carefully decipher the true meaning behind every word the other party spoke.

At the same time, he had to weigh his own words carefully, ensuring as much as possible that he wouldn't make a mistake.

That was why he preferred being with his friends and "surface-level brothers" in Konoha, where he could dish out some chicken soup for the soul or chat nonsense without a care.

There was no need to overthink things or worry about saying the wrong thing, and that was what made it so comfortable.

"Moreover, that old man has a strong desire for control, and just as I knew, his mind is entirely consumed by the clan."

Although he had interacted with Uchiha Setsuna several times, yesterday's encounter was the first truly in-depth one.

Such an interaction allowed Haori to see Uchiha Setsuna clearly, and it also made him realize some serious problems.

With a man whose mind was entirely consumed by the clan, could he really persuade him to support the overthrow of Uchiha Fugaku?

If he actually succeeded in persuading him, would he then become the next 'Uchiha Fugaku'?

"It might even be a question of whether I could ever become 'Uchiha Fugaku' at all."

Yesterday, Uchiha Setsuna had constantly been trying to imprint the ideology of 'the clan comes first' onto him.

This made Haori realize just how firm Uchiha Setsuna's will and convictions truly were.

A person so firm that they bordered on paranoid would likely only continue to walk the path according to their own ideas.

He didn't deny that the man loved the clan, but he likely believed that only his own thoughts and methods were correct!

This discovery made Haori feel even more urgent.

He could hardly count on this man, and as for the dove faction, he didn't even need to consider them, so he had to find a way himself.

Power was undoubtedly what he needed most, which made him focus his attention on that 'ultimate weapon of the Uchiha'.

"I didn't expect you to be so energetic, Haori."

Kakashi led Haori as they walked toward the home of Namikaze Minato.

They had only returned to Konoha yesterday, and Kakashi had intended to get some good rest, but he hadn't expected to be woken up by Haori early in the morning.

However, he felt no dissatisfaction; his good friend needed help, so he was naturally duty-bound.

"Can't help it, I'm just that interested in sealing jutsu."

Haori shrugged at Kakashi and joked.

"Jonin Minato told Rin to let me know that if I needed anything, I should visit Jonin Kushina. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with Jonin Kushina, so I hope I didn't disturb your rest."

"Give me a break, I'm a qualified ninja."

Kakashi's eyes instantly turned into dead fish eyes, though he soon became a bit curious.

"Speaking of which, why didn't you look for Rin? She would probably be very happy to help you with this."

Because you live closer to my house.

Haori couldn't help but complain internally upon hearing this, while simultaneously offering a silent prayer for Obito.

In the original story, although Rin was friendly toward Obito, the person she liked was Kakashi.

It was just that Kakashi was emotionally scarred and rejected Rin without hesitation.

But now, while Rin and Obito were still friendly, it was hard to say whether the person she liked was still Kakashi.

Furthermore, after being bombarded by his own chicken soup, Kakashi seemed to have undergone significant changes.

But none of this was a bad thing, and besides, he couldn't see it anyway.

Right now, he was likely dreaming, repeating the names of Kakashi and Rin over and over in his sleep.

"By the way, if you hear any rumors lately, especially regarding your Sharingan, you'd better pay attention."

Shaking his head to stop thinking about that guy Obito, Haori suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"If someone comes looking for trouble, avoid it if you can, and wait until Jonin Minato returns."

"The Sharingan, huh."

Kakashi touched his eye, and in an instant, he understood what was going on.

This Sharingan of his was, without a doubt, an extremely sensitive topic.

After all, having obtained the bloodline power of another as an outsider, the Uchiha clan would never let this matter rest!

Suddenly, Kakashi turned his head to look at Haori, as he realized a problem.

Haori had never mentioned the issue of his eyes on the battlefield, nor had he made any moves regarding them.

Yet, on the second day after returning to Konoha, he had sought him out to cautiously bring up this topic.

Could it be that Haori was under pressure within his clan?

Yes, that must be it. After all, he didn't do anything at the time.

At this moment, Kakashi felt as if he understood something.

Doing nothing, for a clan with a bloodline limit, was the biggest problem of all.

Presumably, Haori had even been punished for it, right?

Yet, even after being punished, he still reminded him to be careful.

Thinking of this, Kakashi seemed to understand why Haori hadn't asked Rin to accompany him to see Kushina, but had come to find him instead.

This touched his heart deeply; perhaps this was what it meant to be good friends!

"I understand, Haori."

Kakashi took a deep breath and said with utmost sincerity.

"I won't get into any conflicts with anyone that would put you in a difficult position.

Also, I will definitely help you learn sealing jutsu from Kushina. I swear it!"

"?"

Haori looked at Kakashi, feeling somewhat bewildered; he had no idea what was going on with this guy.

He had sought out Kakashi partly because Kakashi lived nearby, and partly because he hoped to use Kakashi to get closer to Kushina.

His ultimate goal was the ancestral home of the Uzumaki clan; he needed to go inside and properly explore the things he was looking for.

However, Kakashi's attitude was actually quite good, even if he didn't know how it had turned out this way.

But with Kakashi's help, he could probably make some 'reasonable requests' now, right?

"Then I'll leave it to you."

The two chatted idly along the way, and before long, they arrived at the doorstep of Namikaze Minato's home.

However, to their surprise, they ran into Kushina and two Anbu just as they were heading out.

"Minato's request? Sealing jutsu?"

Although Kushina was surprised to run into Kakashi, she was even more surprised that Haori actually wanted to learn sealing jutsu.

She didn't have much of an impression of Haori, but she could naturally tell that he was an Uchiha.

It was just that an Uchiha learning sealing jutsu felt a bit incongruous to her.

However, she trusted Kakashi implicitly, and since Kakashi had already stated that this was at Minato's request, she saw no need to overthink it. She had one hundred percent trust in Minato!

"Since it's something Minato asked for, then of course there's no problem, but I have other matters to attend to right now."

Kushina pondered for a moment before spreading her hands, though she soon revealed a mischievous smile.

"How about this: Kakashi, you take your friend to my house and wait for me; there are relatively more materials there anyway.

It just so happens that I haven't been there in a long time, so how about you two help me clean up while you're at it?

Just like what Minato used to have you do back in the day."

Hearing Kushina's words, Haori almost lost his composure.

He had been racking his brain trying to figure out how to get into that ancestral home of Kushina's, and he had even come up with a whole bunch of plans for it.

As it turned out, the problem was solved just like that, making him realize that he had seemingly misunderstood something.

Thanks to the big boss "Searching for the Dreams of this World" for the tip, thank you, thank you~

As a newbie, I'm begging for your continued readership. The current follow-up rate determines everything for a book; keeping it in your library without reading it will easily kill it.

Thank you all, big bosses. Onz