Kakashi Comes Knocking

Uchiha Ao walked through the streets of Konoha, with Uchiha Shuanghuo flanking him on either side to shield him.

Damn it, these two idiots!

Uchiha Ao's eye twitched as he watched the pair surround a small puppy that had attempted to approach him.

"Lord Clan Leader, this dog approached you suddenly; there must be something suspicious about it!" Uchiha Tekka grabbed the puppy by the scruff of its neck and hoisted it into mid-air. The puppy's four legs paddled frantically in the air, its tail tucked tightly between its legs.

Uchiha Inabi had already fished out an explosive tag, his expression as serious as if he were carrying out an S-rank mission: "Speak! Were you sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Enough!" Veins bulged on Uchiha Ao's forehead as he snatched the puppy and cradled it in his arms.

The little creature immediately buried its head into his lapel, whimpering in grievance.

He glared at his two guards: "You two aren't doing your jobs, yet you run around acting as my bodyguards—do you think I'm that weak?"

Tekka and Inabi exchanged a glance and stood at attention simultaneously. The playful grins on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by expressions so serious they were almost robotic.

Tekka swallowed hard and spoke first: "Lord Clan Leader, we would never mean that! It's just that you now shoulder the heavy responsibility of reviving the Uchiha clan; we cannot afford to overlook even the slightest danger!"

Inabi nodded hurriedly, stuffing the explosive tag back into his pocket and scratching his head: "Yeah, yeah! Look at how chaotic the world is; who knows what kind of dirty tricks that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi is brewing in the shadows! We're just worried about your safety..."

Uchiha Ao chuckled upon hearing this.

If things actually reached that point, these two idiots would probably run behind him and hide.

Uchiha Ao sighed and reached out to rub the head of the puppy in his arms, causing the little thing to squint its eyes in comfort: "I feel that you two have been slacking off in your training lately, and as your Clan Leader, I am deeply pained."

"Therefore, I have decided to drill you myself!"

Under their horrified gazes, Uchiha Ao held the puppy in one hand and pointed the other toward the forest outside the village: "From now on, run ten laps around the Forest of Death. If you are slower than my Shadow Clone, you'll be penalized with ten more laps!"

Before he had even finished speaking, he formed a seal and produced a solid Shadow Clone.

The Shadow Clone greeted the two with a cheerful grin.

The faces of the Uchiha duo turned green.

Running ten laps wasn't difficult for them.

The problem was, if the Clan Leader didn't go easy on them, they would likely be running forever.

"Clan Leader! Look, it's getting late..." Inabi twitched his mouth, trying to use a pitiful expression to make Uchiha Ao change his mind.

Tekka simply slumped to the ground, staring at the gloomy Forest of Death in the distance, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Uchiha Ao remained completely unmoved. The puppy in his arms let out two "woofs," as if urging the two to hurry up and get moving.

The Shadow Clone crossed its arms, looked at the two, and said righteously: "Don't worry, I'm not like the original!"

The two were even more worried upon hearing this.

The original might still be open to reason.

But the Shadow Clone was truly capable of doing whatever it pleased.

Whether they could finish the run depended entirely on the Shadow Clone's mood.

"As long as you give it your all, I guarantee I won't add any penalties!" The Shadow Clone patted its chest, though a wicked smirk identical to Uchiha Ao's curled at the corner of its mouth.

Tekka and Inabi looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and charged into the Forest of Death after the Shadow Clone.

They had to go for it; the worst that could happen was death.

Uchiha Ao watched their retreating backs with a chuckle.

Then, he looked down at the puppy in his arms.

Actually, those two idiots were right about one thing.

This puppy did have an objective in approaching him.

However, it wasn't sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi, but by Kakashi.

The puppy seemed to realize it had been found out; it flickered its ears and spoke in human language.

"Clan Leader Ao, Lord Kakashi invites you to his home for a visit."

Uchiha Ao raised an eyebrow and reached out to pinch the puppy's furry face. The puppy whined as it was pinched, but it dared not resist.

He knew just how solid the background of this ruthless man was.

He had a Mangekyo-wielding big shot backing him.

What was a little face-pinching?

Pinch away, feel free to pinch!

"Take me there," Uchiha Ao said, putting the puppy down.

The puppy shook the fur on its body, turned around, and bolted, looking back as it ran to ensure Uchiha Ao was following.

After winding through several quiet alleys, they finally stopped in front of a house.

The puppy stood on its hind legs and knocked on the door rhythmically with its front paws. The door opened in response.

Kakashi leaned against the doorframe, still flipping through Icha Icha Paradise, though the usual laziness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a touch of gravity: "Clan Leader Ao, come in."

Uchiha Ao stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over the mottled ninja tools on the walls and the piles of scrolls; the air was thick with the faint scent of gunpowder.

Kakashi closed his book and tossed it onto the desk cluttered with documents, the metallic clatter sharp and jarring: "Care for some tea?"

He gestured toward the steaming teapot.

Uchiha Ao nodded, then found a spot to sit down.

Seeing that he had taken a seat, Kakashi sat opposite him and poured two cups of tea.

Uchiha Ao drank a cup and frowned.

Tsk, not as good as the tea Sister Izumi brews.

Kakashi noticed Uchiha Ao's disdain, shrugged, and rested his chin on one hand: "Don't be so picky; this is premium tea I had someone bring back for me."

"Get me some later."

"Fine."

The two chatted idly, exchanging a few sentences here and there.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Kakashi asked directly: "Actually, the reason I asked to see you this time is that I want to talk about my father."

Uchiha Ao raised his eyes to look at Kakashi: "What do you want to know?"

"The whole story," Kakashi said in a low voice.

Ever since a member of the Uchiha clan had suddenly run to his house a few days ago and told him that their clan leader knew the true cause of his father's death, he had been debating whether or not to meet the Uchiha clan leader he had only met once before.

Reason told him not to meet.

The reason for his father's death was simple: during a mission, he had abandoned the objective to save his comrades, ultimately facing the condemnation and scorn of everyone in Konoha Village.

Those ninjas who had once received his help turned against him under the pressure of public opinion, and the former "White Fang of Konoha" became the "Disgrace of Konoha" overnight.

Tormented from within, Sakumo Hatake had finally chosen to end his own life amidst endless pressure and self-doubt.

This was the official explanation given by Konoha, and the version Kakashi had heard since he was a child.

But his intuition told him otherwise.

How could a man as resolute as his father be so easily crushed by a few accusations?

Uchiha Ao stared at the wisps of steam rising from his cup, and after a long silence, he spoke slowly: "Your father's death had to do with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and others."

A single sentence caused Kakashi's pupils to constrict sharply.

As for why he had sent someone to find Kakashi, the reason was simple.

He was a kind-hearted person who couldn't bear to see Kakashi kept in the dark (laugh).