At noon, under the bright sunshine, the Uchiha Clan lived on the edge of a border region adjacent to the Yamanaka Clan.
Several months have passed since the Night of the Nine-Tails. Kakashi, who was ordered to take over, looked around in a daze.
Kakashi once visited the Hyuga Clan's mansion on a mission, and its size was no more than this.
"That guy, so unlike his usual low-key self, it's not like him at all..."
With many doubts in his mind, Kakashi stepped inside. Just as he was about to knock on the door, a voice echoing in his mind made him turn around and head straight for the calligraphy room in the southeast corner.
"Excuse me, I'll take over the shift. You can go back and rest."
Yugao nodded slightly, glanced back subconsciously, and then quickly left.
"What a rare guest! I didn't expect you to be the one taking over Yugao's job. Let's have lunch together here later. This mission is quite easy, unlike other missions in the Anbu."
The wind whistles, and sheets of Xuan paper flutter in the breeze. The wolf-hair brushes, wielded with the wind, fall heavily like generals on a battlefield.
Whether it is justice or evil, only by adhering to one's own will can one reach the end; wavering one's will is tantamount to courting death.
Is it to step onto the empty cliff, or to briefly keep company with ferocious beasts in one's sleep?
Only by having the awareness that one must be prepared to die for a chance to survive can one be free from confusion and embrace the future.
"Okay, that's it."
Kakashi, who had just entered the calligraphy room, looked around and saw rows of magnificent calligraphy characters, like a cascading silver river.
The black characters resembled the fangs of some ferocious beast, or a general alone on the battlefield, deeply entrenched in enemy lines, with unwavering resolve.
"Are those who charge into battle doomed to die?"
"It can also be used to describe a ninja who, even after losing his comrades, family, or friends, is still willing to risk everything to complete his mission. But the world of ninjas isn't that exciting."
To answer Kakashi's question, Huayue smiled, hung the calligraphy aside, and let it air dry naturally without framing it.
"It's already this late, let's have a meal together. No need to be so polite, Kakashi- senpai."
"No, the Anbu has its own rules; we can't get too close to our mission targets..."
Seeing Kakashi politely decline, Huayue waved his hand, already fully aware of the Third Hokage's purpose.
"There's no need to be so formal. In name, it's surveillance, but in reality, it's isolation. The Third Hokage doesn't want the thoughts of other Uchiha members to influence my decisions."
"This is what is commonly known as 'one who is near vermilion gets stained red, and one who is near ink gets stained black.'"
On the first floor of the mansion, Kakashi saw that an extra set of bowls and chopsticks had already been prepared at the dining table. He was about to decline, but after staring into those clear black and white eyes for a moment, the boy, who had spent many years wandering in the dark, was horrified and finally stopped arguing.
After a long silence, Huayue spoke, adding a touch of noise to the otherwise quiet lunch.
"Actually, neither you nor I are very lucky people, Kakashi- senpai. Whenever life gets better, fate takes a sharp turn for the worse and plays a big joke on us."
Kakashi seemed to be moved by what he said, but he remained silent and avoided meeting those dangerous eyes.
The father, whom I regarded as a hero in my youth, committed suicide at home, dying right in front of me.
Determined to wash away the shame left by his father, he immersed himself in darkness, obeyed the rules, and became a perfect ninja model, a cold and ruthless machine.
But the appearance of dawn allowed Kakashi, who had closed himself off, to feel the warmth of his comrades.
On the same day, the companion who had led him to the light died tragically before his eyes, entrusting his eyes to another companion.
However, the comrade who volunteered to die died by his own ninjutsu, and the promise he made became a deep knot in his heart.
In a daze, Kakashi's right hand trembled slightly, and this unusual movement did not escape the keen eyes of those who were very observant.
"If you didn't conceal your true feelings, would you still be able to use the Lightning Blade? Kakashi..."
Looking up suddenly, even though he had hidden everything behind the mask, Kakashi still felt as if he were naked, with no secrets from those eyes.
As night fell, the sky darkened, and the moonlight shone like water.
In a hidden corner of Konoha, where no one can explore, stands a door that requires biological verification to open.
"Why make it so complicated? Why not just use force to sweep everything aside? In my opinion, we should just storm into the Konoha High Command and use force to overwhelm them. Anyone who dares to defy us will be killed!"
In its Inner world, Black Nine-Tails Fox roared to the sky, venting its discontent.
"Enough with the nonsense. If it weren't for the spiritual particles inside the Book of Vermilion Moon isolating your existence, the Nine-Tails of this world would have resonated with your essence the moment you appeared."
Ignoring Black Nine-Tails's complaints, Huayue walked into the laboratory on her own, where countless pale blue sparks flickered amidst the intricate and exquisite machines that resembled works of art.
Only when the blue light disappeared and the azure solution in the Culture Vessel continued to cool down did the figure immersed in the solution reveal its true form.
" The Natural Energy on this planet, after being absorbed by the God Tree, is transformed into chakra, the origin of ninjas."
"In the past, before the God Tree existed, only special Summoning Beast could sense Natural Energy, and the best among them called themselves Sages."
Leaning against the stone main seat, Huayue rested her chin on her hand with her eyes slightly closed. She did not Hand Seals or enter Sage Mode. Only her soul emerged from her body and stepped into the Culture Vessel.
"How were the Yomi and the Pure Land born? Are there any other unsolved mysteries surrounding the self-proclaimed immortals on this planet?"
"No matter what changes are made, the role of the soul in them cannot be ignored."
Within its Inner world, moving along with its soul, Black Nine-Tails, having completely lost its ability to perceive chakra and Natural Energy, stared wide-eyed.
" Uchiha brat, what have you done?"
"I just wanted to conduct a more thorough experiment to verify the feasibility of this path, that's all."
At the same time, at the border of the three great nations of fire, wind, and earth, in the perpetually weeping land of Land of Rain, in the Amegakure.
Danzo upright and handed over the evidence—nine parts true and one part false—to the person before him, Hanzō the Salamander, who was hailed as a demigod of Amegakure.
"They actually used the guise of peace to commit such heinous acts, and even tried to overthrow the village and start a war. Akatsuki... I thought they were the ones who shared my aspirations."
Danzo his eyes down, seemingly lost in thought, until Hanzō the Salamander at his most agitated, at which point he finally spoke.
"The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. These destabilizing elements that threaten the peace of all countries need to be dealt with personally by Your Excellency Hanzo."
"I am ultimately an outsider and have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Land of Rain. I will take my leave now."
No sooner had Amegakure than Danzo changed his appearance and headed to Amegakure.