Sasuke's Trauma over Dumpling

"Is that the one?" Dumpling asked Uchiha Feng with his somewhat innocent-looking face.

That had been his first battle back then, and it had given him the same feeling as training with Tao Pai Pai.

"Yes. Don't forget to send him my regards. Don't kill him yet. Let his brother and father see what their mistakes have led to."

Uchiha Feng was not surprised. He had never concealed his hostility toward the two Uchiha brothers.

"Go. Remember to gather some information. I don't believe they'll give up so easily."

Information about the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzo surfaced in his mind. Shimura Danzo in particular would never easily give up before achieving his goal.

With Kakashi heading back, he had already prepared himself to fight Konoha's pursuit force.

If they wanted to bury him, then they could come and try!

After giving the order, Uchiha Feng began training. Holding a wooden sword, he practiced Yajirobe's sword-drawing technique.

Though he could inherit the abilities of those card characters, he still needed to adapt to them before one plus one could become greater than two.

Dumpling used the Flight Technique directly and vanished into the horizon.

Yajirobe, meanwhile, slowly walked out of the inn. His gluttonous instincts were acting up.

The stray cats monitoring Uchiha Feng were in for a disaster.

In Konoha's Hokage Office, Hatake Kakashi had changed back into his Anbu uniform and was reporting on the mission to the Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, according to Fujiwara Ichiro of the Informant Bounty Office, this child once transformed his eyes into the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan before him. Unfortunately, he was killed by Yajirobe, the fat man mentioned later in the intelligence. After that, Guy and I briefly clashed with the two of them, but we were at a disadvantage. That Uchiha Clan child seemed to know Uchiha Sasuke, and he even asked me to send him his regards."

Hatake Kakashi reported on the mission.

The Hokage was also flipping through the mission records.

At the end were portraits of Dumpling and Yajirobe.

Dumpling's beady eyes had unmistakably turned into the Uchiha Clan's two-tomoe Sharingan.

For some reason, Hatake Kakashi concealed the information Uchiha Feng had revealed to him at the end.

"Kakashi, do you think Shisui Uchiha's eyes can truly control someone at the Kage level?"

The Third Hokage put down the mission report and rose to his feet, asking probing question for some reason.

"Lord Hokage, I don't know. But based on Elder Danzo's previous experiment, perhaps two eyes together really can control a weaker Kage. But a Kage like you should be impossible to control."

Hatake Kakashi answered seriously. It was also the answer he firmly believed in, as if he were convincing himself.

His father and the Third Hokage possessed nearly equal strength. With power like that, surely they could not be controlled?

Kakashi's words seemed to move the Third Hokage. By now, through textbooks and the words of Ninja Academy teachers, he had already been portrayed as the strongest Hokage.

"I was overthinking it. But the Land of Water seems intent on starting a conflict. How could such a ridiculous excuse be real? The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, still has a tailed beast sealed within him! With tailed beast chakra interfering, even the power of the strongest genjutsu should be limited!"

The Third Hokage picked up his pipe and began packing it with tobacco. Seeing Hatake Kakashi, his movements paused, and he spoke reassuringly.

"You've worked hard on this matter. But because the Land of Water's delegation will soon arrive in Konoha, I hope you can stay by Uchiha Sasuke's side and protect him. While you're at it, investigate the secret techniques related to the Sharingan. Kakashi, you are the ninja I think most highly of. Don't disappoint me."

The Third Hokage lit his pipe, took a puff, and revealed a satisfied smile.

Hatake Kakashi's expression became slightly unnatural.

Knock, knock, knock~

At that moment, the door to the Hokage Office was knocked on.

The Third Hokage did not notice Kakashi's abnormality beneath his mask.

"Enter!"

Tap, tap~

Might Guy walked in with Uchiha Sasuke.

"Lord Hokage, Uchiha Sasuke has been brought here!"

Might Guy came to Hatake Kakashi's side and keenly noticed that Kakashi seemed preoccupied.

He recalled getting along with Hatake Kakashi. Though Kakashi had been aloof around everyone when they were young, he had been so warm toward his comrades.

But now, whenever he carried out missions, Kakashi seemed like a completely different person. His former cheerfulness had utterly vanished, and an air of darkness surrounded him.

Anbu really was no place for people.

He had to save Kakashi and get him out of Anbu.

The Third Hokage's gaze fell on Uchiha Sasuke. There was a trace of pity in it, but it soon disappeared.

He had become indifferent to tragedies like this from a very young age. Perhaps because he had manipulated this tragedy himself, he felt a faint sense of emotion.

"Sasuke, hurry up and greet the Third Hokage."

Might Guy returned to Uchiha Sasuke's side, nudged his back, and signaled for him to greet the Third Hokage.

Uchiha Sasuke remained silent, but he could not hide the sorrow and rage on his face.

"Forget it, Guy. Sasuke has just suffered a terrible change. If something had not happened, I would not have disturbed him. There are simply some matters today that require his confirmation."

The Third Hokage put on his signature smile, and his tone even became somewhat kindly.

He put down his pipe, turned back to the Hokage's desk, and searched through the mission report.

"Why? Why didn't the village stop Itachi's actions? Why... mmph, mmph..." Uchiha Sasuke suddenly roared as he questioned the Third Hokage.

Might Guy reacted quickly and covered Uchiha Sasuke's mouth.

This was the Kage of a village. No matter how reasonable he had seemed when speaking to you just now, you were still a child. How could you question him so rudely?

Just as the Third Hokage found Dumpling's photograph in the intelligence report, he heard those words. He froze for an instant, then quickly picked up the photograph and turned around.

He spoke gently.

"The village indeed did not handle this matter well. Some elders who neglected their duties have already been punished. It was because of him that we failed to save the Uchiha Clan at the best possible time. For that, I must apologize to you. But Sasuke, this was ultimately a matter of your Uchiha Clan. Long ago, the Uchiha Clan's security was taken over by the Uchiha Police Force. No one wanted this accident to happen. Now that it has happened, you must live well for the sake of the future."

The Third Hokage had rarely spoken so much at once. He distanced himself from responsibility, smeared his old companion, and displayed the bearing of a Kage to the fullest.

To jonin like Might Guy, the Uchiha Clan's security had always been handled by the Uchiha Police Force.

Furthermore, the Uchiha Clan had been extremely exclusionary. The Third Hokage's excuse was flawless.

For the Third Hokage to say such things now, he truly was a Kage willing to take responsibility.

"Sasuke, you must grow stronger. Look at the ninja beside you. He became a jonin at just twelve years old. He will stay by your side and protect you for a while. With his guidance, you will become a powerful ninja."

The Third Hokage abruptly shifted the topic to Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi's expression stiffened. Fortunately, half his face was hidden beneath his mask, so no one saw anything amiss.

He had graduated at five, become a genin at six, and a jonin at twelve. He knew perfectly well that those titles had been inflated.

The Third Shinobi World War had been underway at the time. His teacher was the Fourth Hokage, his father was the White Fang of Konoha, and Konoha needed to set an example for its younger generation.

Those records had been made for others to see.

Even he was not confident he could stand against the current Uchiha Itachi.

His heart was full of questions. Could Uchiha Itachi really have wiped out the Uchiha Clan alone? But that Uchiha Clan survivor escaped only after the Uchiha Clan's barrier and the village's barrier were broken. Didn't that already prove something? Only Anbu sealing squads and Root sealing squads could create such barriers. What role had the Third Hokage played behind all this?

"Waaah, waaah~~"

At that moment, crying erupted from the Hokage Office and echoed throughout the entire Hokage Building.

The pain Uchiha Sasuke had been suppressing in his heart could no longer be buried.

He opened his mouth wide, and snot and tears streamed down together in a thoroughly unhygienic mess.

The people present looked at one another.

The Third Hokage handed Dumpling's photograph to Hatake Kakashi, then turned and sat back in the Hokage's exclusive chair.

Dealing with children really was troublesome!

"Sasuke, there is another survivor of the Uchiha Clan. Take a close look at this person. Do you know anything about him?"

Hatake Kakashi walked up to Uchiha Sasuke. He made his tone as gentle as possible and held Dumpling's photograph before Sasuke.

"Ahh!! Get away~"

The moment Sasuke saw the photograph, he let out an even more shrill scream. His hands flailed unconsciously and knocked the photograph away.

He abruptly scrambled backward, landed on his backside, and fell to the floor.

His body trembled without stop.

Hatake Kakashi looked at Uchiha Sasuke in surprise. "Is he afraid?"

Uchiha Sasuke raised his head. His once-black pupils had turned scarlet, and a tomoe spun within each eye.

"The Sharingan?" The Third Hokage stared in astonishment and let out a soft cry.

Awakening the Sharingan at such a young age—such talent meant he could not be handed over to Danzo.

"Too bad it's only one tomoe. Obito awakened two tomoe the first time." Hatake Kakashi pressed one hand over Uchiha Obito's Sharingan in his own eye and fell into reminiscence.

Back then, Obito had awakened his eyes through anger. So what had caused Uchiha Sasuke to awaken his now?

"Fear." Kakashi looked at Uchiha Sasuke, who was still immersed in terror and trembling all over, and wanted to know what Dumpling had done to him.

"No! His left eye has two tomoe! His right eye has one, it's just a little dim." Might Guy's head was nearly pressed against Uchiha Sasuke's, making Sasuke feel as though he had been pulled free from his terror.