Hinata, Stop Pretending

If not for the severe losses every village had suffered during the Second Ninja World War, with all of them still recuperating even now, otherwise...

The Land of Fire and Konoha, which occupied the most prosperous region of the ninja world, would surely have been plunged into war once more.

By the time he had completely finished the official duties in his hands, it was already early the next morning. The sky was beginning to brighten. He rubbed the corners of his eyes, intending to make do with some rest in his office.

Not long after lying down, he seemed to remember something and opened his eyes again, seemingly having made up his mind.

He spoke toward an empty corner of the office. "Kakashi, come out!"

Then Kakashi appeared, dressed in Konoha Anbu's standard uniform, wearing a mask and sporting that flamboyant silver hair. He dropped to one knee and said, "Lord Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi relit the pipe on his desk. Only after taking a deep drag did he speak. "Kakashi, ever since you entered the Anbu, your contributions have been plain for all to see."

Kakashi remained silent and gave no response. Hiruzen Sarutobi took another deep drag from his pipe before continuing, "But I now intend to transfer you out of the Anbu."

"You will return to being a ninja visible to the public in Konoha, with the status of an elite jonin. Konoha needs people of sufficient standing to uphold its reputation."

"You bear the title of the Copy Ninja in the ninja world. Only you can temporarily hold up Konoha's image. Do you understand?"

Kakashi lowered his head, then raised it again. "I will follow Lord Hokage's orders."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "Good. I'll handle the procedures for your withdrawal from the Anbu shortly. After resting for a while, take on more missions posted in the mission hall. We cannot let others see Konoha's weakness."

Kakashi nodded. "Yes." Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand, signaling that Kakashi could leave. Kakashi did not linger and vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.

Not long after Kakashi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out another file. It contained the roster of students enrolled at the Ninja Academy.

He began flipping through it page by page. Whenever he saw someone with particularly outstanding aptitude, he would nod in approval. When he turned to a new page, one name entered his sight: Sasuke Uchiha.

He sighed again. The fate of that clan was truly tortuous and difficult. No amount of evaluation or perspective could fully describe them. They inspired both love and hatred.

He thought of an old companion, Kagami Uchiha; of Uchiha Shisui, who had worked everywhere to ease the relationship between the Uchiha clan and Konoha; and of Itachi Uchiha, who, knowing he could no longer reverse the Uchiha's fate, had willingly slaughtered his entire clan for the village.

When Itachi had come before him, he had only hoped the village would look after his sole younger brother. In return, he had been willing to serve as a spy and gather any intelligence unfavorable to Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Sasuke... I wonder whether you will walk the same road of no return as the other Uchiha, or whether you will be like those few and forge a different path."

After saying that, he continued flipping through the pages. A few pages later, the name Uzumaki Naruto appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, and his eyes seemed to grow misty with tears.

"It's been so long. Minato's child has already grown this big. These past years have truly been hard on this child, but I can only hope he does not bear resentment toward the village."

"Since Minato chose you and believed in you, there is no need for me to deny it. Perhaps it has indeed been too hard, but from the moment you were born, you were destined to be different from others."

"As the Jinchuriki of the strongest tailed beast, you carry your father's deepest expectations. So do not give up in the face of these hardships, child."

Chapter Sixteen: A New Day

"The village may grant you safety and warmth for a time, but never for a lifetime. You must strive for those things yourself."

After saying that, he fell silent again, then resumed turning through the pages of information.

It was still before dawn. At the entrance of a cave on a barren mountain thick with trees, flickering firelight shone from within.

A young man with short black hair and black eyes sat there. Though he did not appear very old, his face already had sharply defined features and distinct tear troughs.

He wore clothes bearing the fan emblem unique to the Uchiha clan. Half-crouched on the ground, he occasionally tossed the firewood beside him into the burning campfire.

Itachi Uchiha was now a ninja with a resounding name throughout the ninja world, though it was naturally not a particularly good reputation.