Second Assistant: "Daga Kotowaru!"

In Sasuke's room, Koko sat leisurely on the windowsill, his back against the high-hanging full moon.

Sasuke stared at Kokoro's roguish face, which appeared exceptionally holy in the moonlight, and was momentarily lost in thought.

For some reason, this face felt strangely familiar to him...

After a long pause, as if he had finally remembered something, he blurted out:

"You are... Uchiha Kuro?!"

"Oh? You still remember me? That shouldn't be the case?"

Koko raised an eyebrow slightly, looking curiously at Sasuke staring in shock:

"You were only two years old when I defected, weren't you? Your memory is that good!"

He then recalled some amusing past events, and a mischievous smile curled at the corner of his lips:

"Since you have such a good memory, you should still remember when I played your little QQ game back then, right?"

Tsk tsk, you were crying really loudly back then. Luckily, I was clever enough to sprinkle some water on your pants, making Brother Fugaku and the others think you were crying because you wet your pants.

If they find out I'm the one who made you cry, you're probably going to get a scolding.

As Kou became more and more animated in his speech, Sasuke's delicate face darkened instantly at a visible speed.

"Don't get me wrong! I don't remember you at all!"

Sasuke shouted, his face flushed, clenching his small fists tightly and glaring coldly at Kou:

"I only heard about you from my brother... that man, and Kakashi."

He deliberately omitted the fact that Naruto's father, the Fourth Hokage, had once told him about this Uchiha Kuro in a casual conversation, and continued in an extremely disdainful tone:

"The reason I recognized you is because the cover of that vulgar magazine that Kakashi shamelessly begged me to buy for him had the author's headshot on the wanted poster!"

The scum who drew that vulgar thing is actually a member of the Uchiha Clan, just like me... This is a disgrace to our clan!!

"Thump!!"

When Kou heard "the headshot on the wanted poster," his previously composed and even somewhat mischievous handsome face instantly twisted in pain.

He then slid straight down from the windowsill and crashed heavily onto the wooden floor of the bedroom with a thud.

Sasuke was startled by this sudden turn of events. He instinctively took half a step forward and tentatively asked the still slightly twitching body on the ground:

"Hey! Are you alright?"

"... Something's wrong."

"My dashing entrance, my lifelong reputation, all ruined!!"

A dull thud came from the floor, accompanied by a resentful muttering:

"Putting a headshot from a wanted poster on the cover of a notebook—is that something a human being would do?!"

"Doujin Rai, did I kill your whole family? Why are you so angry?!"

Koko sprang to his feet, completely oblivious to Sasuke's subtle expression as if he were looking at a lunatic. He stared intently out the window towards Kumogakure, his eyes practically spitting out Amaterasu.

"Doujin Rai, you just wait, I'm not done with you yet!!"

Sasuke looked at Kokoro with sympathy, and his usually tense face softened slightly.

If I were in this guy's shoes, I'd probably be too ashamed to live in this Ninja World anymore...

Sasuke silently cursed in his heart, then looked at Kotobukuri again with his calm and wary black eyes:

"So, what exactly is your purpose in missing-nin such a huge risk to secretly infiltrate Konoha?"

Don't tell me you came specifically to see one of the few remaining members of your clan. I'm not that easily fooled.

"Tsk tsk, you're mistaken about that."

He dusted off the dust that had just stuck to his clothes and gave the self-important second assistant a cryptic smile:

What if I told you that I came here specifically to see you?

"... What is your reason?"

Sasuke remained vigilant, his voice low and serious:

I probably don't have anything that you value.

The Uchiha Clan has been wiped out. Of the remaining members, only you, me, and that man remain.

At this point, his eyes instantly became bloodshot.

Sasuke suppressed the murderous intent that was almost overwhelming his reason and roared through gritted teeth:

"Are you here to get rid of me for him, that man— Uchiha Itachi!"

In his eyes, I don't even deserve to be faced by him again, do I?!

"Don't compare me to that lunatic Uchiha Chu!!"

"Watch out, or I'll report you for personal insult!!"

The roar of the knock came without warning, making the whole room buzz.

Sasuke's face, which had just been slightly distorted by killing intent, froze instantly.

Looking at the undisguised and genuine disgust on Kou's face, his guard couldn't help but waver slightly.

"Tsk, me working for that guy? You actually came up with that idea?!"

Kou wiped his face with his hand, as if brushing off something unclean, and then continued in an annoyed tone:

"Use your stupid brain and think it over. If I really wanted to kill you, I would have done it when you started acting crazy. Why would I have waited until now?"

"With your weak constitution, if I were to act impulsively, I could easily take your life!"

Hearing Koko's merciless mockery, Sasuke's face was full of frustration, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

He bit his lower lip and lowered his head deeply.

Although I was very unwilling, what the man said was indeed the truth.

Ultimately, I am still too weak.

Seeing that Sasuke had regained his composure, Koko also resumed his usual calm tone:

Since you know a little about me, you should understand...

There is absolutely no way I could become friends with that lunatic.

I'll settle this score with that lunatic who slaughtered an entire clan sooner or later!

Sasuke instantly sensed the same solemnity and killing intent in Kou's words as he did.

He raised his eyes and examined the knocker again.

He was able to confirm that the man was not lying.

Uchiha Kuro is perhaps the only clansman in the Ninja World who shares the same goal as him.

Perhaps I could try to trust him.

The wariness in Sasuke's eyes Sasuke looked at Koko had unconsciously dissipated somewhat.

But the wariness in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared. He looked at Kou and asked with a puzzled expression:

"Then what is your purpose in coming to see me?"

Seeing that Sasuke had finally gotten the hang of it, the smile on Kotoko's lips reappeared:

I want to make a deal with you.

Sasuke frowned slightly:

"Trade?"

"Good."

Kouchi nodded, leaned against the wall by the window, looked into Sasuke's eyes, and said with a firm tone:

"With your current strength, revenge is simply impossible."

If you were to upgrade on your own, even after another five or six years, it would be the same.

When you see Uchiha Itachi again, you won't even be good enough to be a speed bump, let alone hurt him.

Hearing these blunt and unforgiving truths, Sasuke's face showed obvious displeasure.

He frowned, but did not refute.

Although he was very unwilling, he knew better than anyone else that every word the man said was true.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch up with that man's back by herself.

He pondered Kou's words, a flash of understanding appearing in his bright black eyes.

He probably already guessed what Kou was going to say next.

"You want me... to cultivate under your guidance?"

"You can't say that; it was just a simple transaction."

Kou consciously avoided the master-disciple bond, which was practically a debuff, and confidently said with his hands shrugged:

"I'm not bragging, but I can say that I'm pretty close to all of the Uchiha Clan's inherited Ninjutsu and secret techniques, if not all of them."

Looking across the entire Ninja World, absolutely no one is more suitable to teach you than me.

Looking at Sasuke, who was deep in thought with his head down, he felt confident.

Based on his understanding of Sasuke, this child, who regarded revenge as the only goal in life, would never give up any opportunity to become stronger.

Even though he had Kakashi, who also possessed the Sharingan, to teach him, Kakashi was too busy with work and could only spare a pitifully small amount of time to guide him.

But I'm different.

As a fellow member of the Uchiha Clan, and with his expertise in various Uchiha Clan, he was inherently more suitable Kakashi to be his Teacher.

Moreover, not only did he share the same goal of revenge as him, but he and Treasure Pika were also members of the Akatsuki. He possessed information about that man and the ability to track his movements at any time...

For Sasuke, the allure of these things was immense.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't possibly refuse himself!

He mentally reviewed the entire deduction once more, then confidently looked at Sasuke before him, awaiting his response.

Come on, Indra's Chakra... no, Sasuke, don't hesitate any longer, come into your brother's bowl!!

Under Kotori's determined gaze, Sasuke lowered his head heavily, seemingly lost in deep thought.

Moonlight streamed in through the window behind him, making the struggle on his young, yet already showing, face even more pronounced.

After a moment, he slowly raised his head, and the hesitation and struggle in his dark eyes were gone.

Sasuke looked into Koko's eyes and spoke without hesitation:

"I refuse."

The confident and composed expression on his face froze instantly.

"... well?"

"Well?!!"

(I was too tired last night and fell asleep while writing. I'm catching up on yesterday's chapters. There are two more chapters today. I'll try to post them as soon as possible.)