Talking Nonsense

Team 7 had officially been formed, but the atmosphere seemed awful.

Sakura had listened to some advice from her parents and Ino last night, so she stayed as quiet as a mouse, silently fading into the background;

Sasuke also said nothing, though his microexpressions were particularly expressive, as if he were cursing people with his face;

Hokage scratched his head, wanting to improve the mood but having no idea how.

Kakashi took the three of them to the training grounds and pulled out two bells. Just as he was about to speak, Sasuke muttered impatiently, "This boring trick again!"

Hokage and Sakura both turned to look at Sasuke.

"No way, no way, you seriously didn't know?" Sasuke said in an exaggerated tone. "Three people fighting over two bells is a test many graduates have gone through. On the surface, it looks like a bell-grabbing contest, but it actually tests teamwork and how much you value your comrades."

"Sasuke, where did you hear that?" Sakura could not help asking.

"The bell-grabbing exercise has existed for years. You only need to ask some upperclassmen to find out. Since there's already a standard answer, you can pass perfectly with some polished acting." Sasuke spoke confidently. "Pretending to have deep bonds with your classmates isn't difficult."

"Basically, it's like farting after taking off your pants!" Sasuke thoughtfully added.

Sakura was speechless. Kakashi glanced at him. "Sasuke Uchiha, do you care so little about your comrades?"

"What does it matter whether I care or not? The ninja code clearly states that not everyone can bear the consequences of breaking the rules." Sasuke sneered. With Hatake Sakumo as a precedent, the bell test was nothing more than a hollow formality.

Kakashi had just wanted to refute him when Sasuke cut him off. "I heard Mr. Kakashi once killed his own teammate with his own hands. I imagine you understand exactly what I mean, don't you?"

Killing intent!

Hokage shuddered all over and followed the aura to Kakashi's darkened eyes. Sasuke seemed completely unaware, still smiling brightly.

"Sasuke..." Sakura tugged at his clothes. "Maybe you should stop talking for now."

Wouldn't it be nice to just be a quiet handsome boy?

"Oh, sorry." Sasuke sounded perfunctory. "I've been in a bad mood lately, but I found that after transferring my negative emotions to someone else, my mood immediately became much more stable."

Kakashi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart as he repeatedly reminded himself, He's Obito's last clansman, don't stoop to the level of a brat...

What the hell am I supposed to do if I can't stop myself from wanting to hit him?

Kakashi decided to teach this brat who did not know his place a lesson!

Sasuke welcomed the challenge. Without real skill, how would he dare provoke people everywhere?

"I heard from Ayame that Mr. Kakashi has a very handsome face. I wonder whether you deserve her praise."

Kakashi used the Body Flicker to appear behind Sasuke and smacked the back of his head hard. To his surprise, Sasuke's head spun one hundred and eighty degrees, his neck making strange cracking noises. His lifeless eyes suddenly fixed on Kakashi, and an eerie smile stretched across his lips.

Kakashi jumped in fright. Yet the next moment, Sasuke collapsed to the ground as if dead.

"Ah!!!" Sakura screamed in terror, pointing a trembling finger at Kakashi. "You killed Sasuke!"

Hokage's mouth hung open as fear flashed through his eyes. He and Sakura had been standing behind them and had not seen what happened. All they saw was Kakashi suddenly attacking, followed by Sasuke's neck being snapped.

"You bastard..." Hokage growled, taking an attacking stance, only for Sakura to yank him so hard that he staggered before she dragged him into a frantic sprint.

Sakura pulled Hokage toward the Hokage's office, crying as she ran. Kakashi watched their retreating backs helplessly, then turned to look at Sasuke's corpse. "All right, how long are you planning to play dead?"

"Hehe." Sasuke got up with his neck still twisted, looking even more horrifying, like something straight out of a horror movie.

"Little Sasuke, may I ask why you... harbor such hostility toward me?" Kakashi asked seriously.

Sasuke pondered for a moment. "There are many reasons, but the main one is probably Uchiha Obito."

"Obito?" Kakashi froze in shock. He had never expected to hear Obito's name from Sasuke.

"He spent every day talking bad about you in my ear. It's hard for me to have a good impression of you." Sasuke helplessly waved a hand.

"What did you say? Obito is still alive!" Kakashi looked as if he had been struck by lightning. For a brief moment, he lost all control over his expression and became a walking reaction image. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and shook him wildly. "Tell me quickly, Obito, he..." Was he dead or alive?

He had clearly seen Obito get crushed by a massive boulder back then. How could he possibly have survived?

Wait!

No one seemed to have recovered Obito's body back then. What if he really had survived?

Kakashi's brain crashed.

Sasuke realized that he had somewhat underestimated Obito's impact on Kakashi. They had been teammates and childhood friends, and Obito had even died for him. The white moonlight buffs were practically stacked to the limit!

Kakashi came back to his senses and stared deeply at Sasuke, as if he would resort to torture if Sasuke did not reveal Obito's whereabouts.

Sasuke rubbed his chin and began recounting the painstakingly fabricated story someone had made up--

"This matter began with the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, whose later years were ominous..."

"Chotto matte!" Kakashi hurriedly stopped Sasuke. "The Second Hokage died a long time ago, and he sacrificed himself to cover his disciples' retreat. What later years could he possibly have had?"

"Heh." Sasuke sneered. "Mr. Kakashi, don't you find it strange? Konoha's current upper ranks were the Second Hokage's guard squad. As guards, it was their responsibility to protect the Hokage."

"But what happened? Not only did they fail to protect the Second Hokage, they even became a burden, forcing him to sacrifice himself so they could escape. Your father, Hatake Sakumo, was driven to suicide over a single failed mission. Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi neglected his duty and caused the Second Hokage's death, but he received no punishment at all. Instead, he transformed into the new Hokage. Does that make sense?"

"What exactly are you trying to say!" Kakashi's voice gradually turned cold. His resolve was not so easily shaken, and he only felt that Sasuke had sinister intentions.

"I'm saying that the Third Hokage's claim to the position is questionable. When they returned from Kumogakure back then, the Second Hokage was already dead. Who knows whether the Second Hokage's 'last testament' was forged?"

Chidori's lightning flickered in Kakashi's hand. Sasuke promptly pressed it down. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't be. The truth of this matter is actually very complicated. The Second Hokage's death was pushed forward by all of Konoha's clans together..."