Xia Le said calmly.
Sasuke paused, then silently clenched his fists without objecting.
Hikaku watched quietly from the side, his expression complicated.
As he looked at Sasuke's face, he felt a pang of sympathy.
If not for that incident years ago, this child of around ten would now have been the young heir of the Uchiha Clan.
And now, the Uchiha had long since become renowned in the Land of Rain, a truly powerful and prestigious clan.
Together with the Kaguya, they formed the Land of Rain's two great kekkei-bearing pillar clans.
The head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku Uchiha, was also the supreme ruler of the Land of Rain—the Rain Shadow respected by countless people throughout the Ninja World.
The title of Rain Shadow held an entirely different meaning from that of the Kage of the other Five Great Nations.
The Land of Rain's Kage ruled the entire nation, wielding authority over its military, economy, administration, and more.
The Five Kage, however, represented only their five hidden villages and still had to answer to the Daimyo.
As the son of such an important figure, the resources Sasuke could have received and the affairs he would have encountered were beyond imagination.
How could a little place like Konoha possibly compare?
Yet Sasuke knew nothing of any of this. He still believed he was merely an orphan of the destroyed Uchiha Clan.
Hikaku's return gave Xia Le an attendant.
Compared with Naruto, who had no sense of propriety, Hikaku handled things with far greater discretion, earning Xia Le's appreciation.
He also met Hikaku's wife, an ordinary-looking civilian woman with a very gentle disposition.
According to Hikaku, he had been gravely injured during a mission. After returning to the village, he happened to meet her, and she saved his life.
That was