Father's Old Path

"It's alright, Mom. I'll definitely be careful from now on, and I'll keep getting stronger. That's the only way I can protect both of you."

Uchiha Matsuzaki said this to his mother and sister with a smile on his face.

And so, the three of them sat together and chatted for a long time; having not spoken for so long, there really was so much they wanted to say!

In the evening, just as Uchiha Matsuzaki opened his bedroom door to head out, he heard his mother speaking outside.

"Our son has ended up following your old path after all!"

"I just hope he doesn't run into any danger."

"You must watch over him from up in heaven!"

Uchiha Matsuzaki's mother was in the living room, speaking to his father's portrait, her expression somewhat dejected.

Father? The old path?

Uchiha Matsuzaki hurriedly and quietly closed the door, thinking to himself.

Could Father's situation have something to do with the Anbu?

No, that's not right. I remember Father was killed while out on a mission.

Could it be that Father also worked in the Anbu back then? It certainly seems that way now.

This makes things much easier. I'll definitely be able to find some information within the Anbu. That way, I can find the killer.

Uchiha Matsuzaki thought, his mind made up.

After his mother stopped speaking, Uchiha Matsuzaki slowly opened the door and stepped out.

"Mom, I'm heading out. I made plans to grab dinner with the others today. I'll be back a bit late, so don't wait up for me."

Uchiha Matsuzaki said to his mother after walking into the living room.

"Oh... alright. Be careful on the road. You just got out of the hospital, so take it slow, and remember not to eat anything spicy."

Before he left, Uchiha Matsuzaki's mother gave him a few reminders.

After stepping outside, he saw Chestnut Snow and the others waiting for him at the intersection.

"You're here. Since everyone is gathered, let's head out."

Uchiha Matsuzaki said as he looked at them.

They then slowly walked toward the center of the village, eventually settling on a barbecue restaurant for their meal.

After a few days of rest, Uchiha Matsuzaki had recovered almost completely.

They had all decided to report to the Anbu the day after tomorrow.

Now that they had graduated from the academy, they had nothing else to do but stay at home.

These few days of rest really made them feel like they had nothing to occupy their time, and they were constantly looking forward to joining the Anbu and going out on missions.

Inside the barbecue restaurant, Uchiha Matsuzaki and the others ate and chatted very happily.

Only after everyone was full did they slowly leave the restaurant and head back to their respective homes.

Ding, please report to the top of the Fourth Hokage Rock at the back mountain to sign in.

While on his way home, Uchiha Matsuzaki suddenly received a sign-in mission, so he turned around and headed toward the back mountain.

"I didn't expect to be carrying out a mission right after getting out of the hospital. They really don't treat patients like patients at all!"

Uchiha Matsuzaki grumbled as he walked along the road.

"Well, this is fine too. I ate a bit too much, so a walk will help me digest."

There were still many things Uchiha Matsuzaki couldn't figure out, and most of the answers could only be found once he entered the Anbu.

The Fourth Hokage's arrangements, the Anbu recruitment, his father's death—none of these things had answers, and they could only be resolved one by one once he entered the Anbu.

For now, the Anbu was his only lead.