Decision

Inside the Hokage Office.

The setting sun filtered through the massive glass windows, bathing the office in a warm orange glow, yet it failed to dispel the clouds of worry on Naruto Uzumaki's face. He was practically slumped over the Hokage's desk like a potato that had lost its dreams, even his golden hair appearing somewhat dull.

"Ahhh—Kakashi-sensei!" he wailed, his voice muffled against the desktop. "What on earth is going on! This is super-duper troublesome!"

Opposite him, the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, was leisurely flipping through a collected edition of Icha Icha Paradise without even lifting an eyelid. "Hmm? What is it now, Naruto? Too much paperwork, or did you forget Hinata's birthday again?"

"It's not that! This is ten thousand times worse!" Naruto jerked his head up, his face a mask of conflict and grievance. "It's the academy! The report Kakei Sumire just submitted! That kid, Hatake Sakuya, broke two of his classmate's ribs on the very first day! Just because the other kid said a few nasty things about Lian! This is really, really hard to handle!"

He waved his arms, gesturing wildly. "I know the kid might have some talent, but this is way too heavy-handed! It's... it's even more excessive than Sasuke was when he was a kid! How am I supposed to explain this to the injured child's parents? Not only is he a 'Hatake,' but he's your nephew, Kakashi-sensei. Doesn't this just sound like abusing power? Your image as Hokage is going to suffer! Damn it!"

The more Naruto spoke, the more agitated he became, his face scrunching up. "And besides, Kakashi-sensei, when did you suddenly end up with two such formidable nephews? I've never heard you mention them! Their skills, they don't look like ordinary kids at all... I can hardly believe it! Their strength might even surpass that of a genin, right?"

Kakashi finally closed his book slowly and set it gently to the side. The one visible eye curved into a crescent, as if he found Naruto's current state quite amusing.

The office fell silent for a moment, save for Naruto's heavy, ragged breathing.

"Naruto," Kakashi's voice was as languid as ever, yet it carried a trace of imperceptible gravity. "Do you find Sakuya's skills, and the way he looks at people, familiar?"

"Eh?" Naruto was stunned again, his train of thought derailed. "Who taught him... such ruthless and precise taijutsu, that kind of... one-hit-kill style..." He frowned, struggling to think. The image of a man with long, half-hidden hair and long tear tracks appeared in his imagination... No, that wasn't it. A different style... darker, more paranoid, doing whatever it took to achieve his goals, using all his techniques and wisdom for the sake of "battle" and "protection" itself... Suddenly, a man with hair reaching his waist, clad in red full-body armor, flashed into his mind...

Naruto's pupils contracted sharply. He stared at Kakashi, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"C-could it be... but... that's impossible! He already... how could this be!?"

Kakashi sighed softly, the languid air vanishing, his gaze turning deep and complex. He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as he uttered that unbelievable name:

"Uchiha Obito."

"Oh... Uncle Obito..." Naruto suddenly froze. "Wh-what?! Uncle Obito?! Kakashi-sensei, this joke is..." Seeing the seriousness in Kakashi's eyes, Naruto was completely dumbfounded. He launched himself off his chair. "But didn't he... after the Fourth Great Ninja War, he already..."

"I thought he had completely vanished, too." Kakashi's tone carried an indescribable sense of melancholy. "But his will—or rather, his lingering chakra and consciousness—seems to have continued in some corner of the world. These two children, Sakuya and Lian, are the very few surviving descendants of a branch of the Uchiha clan. They were cast out while still in their cradles due to the clan's upheaval. By some twist of fate, they encountered Obito's lingering consciousness and were adopted and taught by him."

Kakashi watched Naruto, who was completely petrified with his mouth hanging wide open, and continued slowly:

"Obito imparted all the combat techniques, survival rules, and even his understanding and application of the Sharingan and ninjutsu that he had learned throughout his life—in his own extreme way. That is why Sakuya's combat style is so... merciless. Because the teacher who raised him was a man who would turn into a demon for the sake of 'protection'."

"They have the blood of the Uchiha flowing through them, and the Ninja Way of Uchiha Obito carved into their bones. That is the truth." Kakashi's gaze turned stern. "'Hatake' is merely a necessary disguise. Naruto, they are not my nephews; they are... the disciples of Uchiha Obito, and one of the last embers of the Uchiha clan."

Naruto slowly sat back down in his chair, the complaints and grievances on his face replaced by immense shock and complex emotions. He digested this incredible information, eventually only able to scratch his golden hair and let out a long, helpless, and pressured sigh:

"...Sigh. Uncle Obito's disciples, huh... In that case, I have to give it my all to resolve this... I absolutely, absolutely must protect them! Because that is my Ninja Way!... But... this is really, really super troublesome!!"

Kakashi smiled slightly. "Naruto, that is the daily work of the Hokage."

Naruto collapsed heavily onto the desk. "Ah!! Damn it, dattebayo!"

Kakashi watched Naruto, who was shouting about trouble while his eyes had already become incredibly determined, and a flash of relief crossed his own eyes. He picked up Icha Icha Paradise again, flipped a page as if it were nothing, and asked in a casual, conversational tone:

"Oh... right. Speaking of which, is there any news from Sasuke? And how is that kid Boruto doing lately?"

At the mention of his teacher and his son, the conflict on Naruto's face eased slightly, though it still carried a hint of helplessness.

"Sasuke, well, same as always." Naruto scratched his cheek. "He periodically sends back investigation reports on the Otsutsuki ruins via ninja hawks. He writes so little, he's so stingy with his words it's infuriating! Seriously, would it kill him to say a few more sentences! But, having him patrolling out there is definitely a relief."

He paused, a genuine smile—the smile of a father—appearing on his face.

"As for that brat Boruto... Hmph, he's still got a long way to go!" He habitually grumbled about Uzumaki Boruto, but there was little reproach in his tone, and instead, a hint of pride. "He's been training out there with his master and growing quite fast. He sent word last time saying he's mastered the shape transformation of the Rasengan quite well; it's just his chakra control that's still a bit rough, just like me when I was a kid, haha!"

After a short laugh, he sighed again: "It's just that this kid is always worrying. He used to be difficult about using scientific ninja tools, and while he's more sensible now, his ability to cause trouble hasn't diminished at all. He's even more of a headache than I was back then!"

Kakashi's eyes curved, as if he could see the master and apprentice training out there through Naruto's words.

"Is that so? Following Sasuke is the best training he could have." Kakashi said slowly. "After all, the only one who can keep a 'Number One Unpredictable Ninja' like your Uzumaki family in check is probably an Uchiha."

He added this seemingly casual but deeply meaningful remark, lifting his gaze from the page to glance at Naruto:

"Come to think of it, does Sasuke know about these two new children in the 'Hatake' family? Especially... the fact that they might share the same bloodline as him, and have even inherited the 'Ninja Way' of his old friend."

This sentence jolted Naruto awake. He slapped his forehead hard!

"That's right! Sasuke doesn't know yet! We're doomed! This is super important, I have to tell him immediately!" Naruto jumped up and paced back and forth in the office. "With his obsession with the Uchiha, if he comes back later and finds two Uchiha descendants suddenly popping up under his nose—and they're Uncle Obito's disciples—and I didn't tell him... he'll definitely stab me with a Chidori! Definitely!"

Imagining Sasuke's cold face and the low-pressure aura radiating from him, Naruto shuddered.

"I have to send him a message via encrypted channel right now! Right! I'll get on it!" Naruto was about to rush out in a flurry to make arrangements, but he stopped abruptly at the door, looking back at Kakashi with a hint of belated worry.

"Um... Kakashi-sensei, what do you think Sasuke's reaction will be when he finds out...? He won't just kill his way back and take the two kids away, will he? Or... train them even harder?" Naruto knew all too well his best friend's complex attitude toward the "Uchiha" and "power."

Kakashi buried his gaze back into his book, his tone returning to its usual languid and inscrutable state:

"Who knows? That guy's thoughts have always been hard to guess." "However, this might... just become a turning point, perhaps."

A turning point that would allow the "Uchiha" to truly take root in Konoha once again, in a brand new way.