The Lonely One Who Lost His Bonds

Memorial Stone.

Today, there was a newborn beneath that statue... supposedly, Konoha's new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The people of Konoha had gathered here once again.

On the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, Konoha suffered devastating casualties, nearly creating a generational gap among its middle-aged ninja...

The deaths of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were enough to shake Konoha's foundations... and the inevitable rift between the Uchiha and Konoha's upper ranks meant Konoha could no longer take a hard line against outsiders.

Kitahara stood on Uchiha Itachi's shoulder. It had voluntarily followed him here to see off that loving couple, who had remained devoted even amid the chaos...

Not many Uchiha had come to attend the memorial. Their clan itself had suffered almost no losses; only those who had married outside the clan had suffered grievous casualties.

For example, Uchiha Izumi's father—Uchiha Hazuki—had died in battle.

The little girl looked around helplessly... she wanted to find someone to lean on.

Whispers suddenly drifted into their ears. "Captain, some of the clansmen... want to return to the clan compound..."

"The compound needs rebuilding. Let those clansmen move back in! No matter which family it is, report any difficulties they have."

Fugaku Uchiha did not truly want those clansmen to return, but single-parent families in the ninja world struggled to make a living. Especially since many female clansmen had already given up being ninja; with the clan's support, they could still get by.

Although gathering the clansmen together again would continue to affect the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha's upper ranks, Fugaku Uchiha was powerless in the face of this situation... Well, once there were enough lice, one stopped itching...

Unless Konoha faced a life-or-death crisis—at the very least, the outbreak of a war—Konoha's upper ranks and the Uchiha clan would surely stand united against outsiders.

The problem was that after the Great Ninja War, no ninja village was willing to start another war. Most were desperately licking their wounds... and with Konoha's current strength, it was hard to say whether they could beat anyone.

After the memorial for the dead, the people before the Memorial Stone gradually dispersed.

Uchiha Shisui silently stepped up beside Itachi and patted the back of his head. "Itachi, let's go together."

"Caw!"

The crow glared fiercely at Shisui. Why was someone always trying to take away its chick...

"Your crow is getting fiercer and fiercer, Itachi..."

"Don't say that. Kitahara is very gentle..."

"...Caw..."

As they passed through the graves of the heroes, Kitahara noticed the white-haired young man standing alone among the tombs and could not help tightening its claws slightly on Itachi's shoulder.

"What is it?" Uchiha Itachi raised his head in confusion. Following the crow's gaze, he saw that solitary figure. "That's Kakashi..."

"That's Senior Kakashi." Uchiha Shisui's brow furrowed slightly as he said softly, "I remember he's the Fourth Hokage's student. I ran into him once while carrying out a mission..."

As they spoke, the white-haired young man glanced their way. Shisui raised a hand in greeting. "Senior Kakashi!"

Hatake Kakashi ignored them and left the graves without expression.

Uchiha Itachi murmured, "Cold-blooded... Kakashi?"

"No... I always felt he was someone with kindness in his heart..." Uchiha Shisui had once fought alongside Kakashi. He recalled those moments, yet could not connect the Kakashi from back then with the white-haired young man before him.

"...Caw..."

The crow's cry lingered over the graves, making the place seem even bleaker.

The deaths of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina meant their child had become an orphan. At the same time, it also meant... Hatake Kakashi had lost every bond he possessed as a ninja...

Konoha's White Fang, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Namikaze Minato... in the end, they had all left his life.

Grief might pass, but loneliness was like a ghost, forever following at his side.

"Let's get something to eat first..." Uchiha Shisui rested a hand on Itachi's shoulder. He understood Kakashi's sorrow and the despair hidden beneath his mask.

Uchiha Itachi nodded. "Then let's have Three-Color Dango..."

"Caw!"

Kitahara glared angrily at Itachi. What was wrong with this chick? Every time they got a chance to eat out, all he thought about was Three-Color Dango?

"Huh? If we always go to Ichiraku Ramen, won't Kitahara get sick of it?"

"Hmm... how about this..." Uchiha Shisui clapped his hands and proposed, "We'll have Ichiraku Ramen first, then buy some Three-Color Dango. We'll be at the training ground for a long time this afternoon!"

"Caw!"

"Don't be like that, Kitahara... I've clearly already compromised..."

Today, they seemed destined to keep running into Hatake Kakashi. They met him again at Ichiraku Ramen, where he was bent over the counter eating noodles.

Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi did not try to speak to him again.

"Mr. Teuchi, six bowls of miso ramen." Uchiha Shisui tapped the counter and pointed at the small wooden plaques hanging on the wall. "Three to eat here, and put three on the wall."

"Oh, yes, yes!" Uncle Teuchi was clearly somewhat absentminded. Last night's Nine-Tails rampage had probably left the people of Konoha in a state of panic.

Kitahara curiously looked around. The tiny ramen shop was completely intact... while the barbecue restaurant across the street was busily clearing away rubble...

Perhaps Uncle Teuchi was the one favored by fate...

The curtain to the kitchen shifted, revealing the timid face of a little girl named Ayame. She secretly peeked at Hatake Kakashi... but that sort of hiding technique was hardly effective before ninja...

"Cough, cough..."

Someone seemed to have choked on their noodle broth.

Fortunately, the little girl soon noticed the new customers in the shop. They were all very cute... perhaps she could not see them clearly, so she simply lifted the curtain and walked over.

Of course! What little girl wouldn't like Itachi? And there was even a bonus big brother Shisui beside him!

"Hey! Why did you and this crow come here?" Ayame planted her hands on her hips and glared fiercely at Itachi and Kitahara. "You aren't bringing those scary people over again, are you?!"

"...Caw?"

Kitahara raised its head. It felt that Ayame's expression was far fiercer than those people from the police force...

Perhaps because the police force had surrounded Ichiraku Ramen during its last runaway incident, she did not have the slightest favorable impression of the Uchiha clan.

What handsome big brothers and adorable little brothers... someday, they would all grow into people like those from the police force, fierce as anything!

The little boy looked resentfully at the crow. "..."

"My apologies, customers. The child at home doesn't know any better..." Mr. Teuchi hurriedly ushered his daughter away. "All right, all right, didn't you say you were going to make ramen? Hurry up and make it!"

Uchiha Shisui watched the little girl dash excitedly into the kitchen, his expression hesitant. "...Um, the ramen she makes, it isn't... for us, right?"

"...Absolutely not!" Teuchi, the owner, waved a hand with righteous indignation. The little girl's ramen was delicious. So far, only two people had been fortunate enough to taste it. One was naturally her father, and as for the other...

"Miss Ayame's noodles are delicious. Thank you for the meal..." Kakashi took out a coin and placed it on the counter. After leaving those words behind, he departed.

The righteously indignant owner Teuchi: "..."

The atmosphere immediately became a little awkward.

Kakashi seemed to have always been rather lonely... This sorrowful atmosphere was not very suitable for the Youth Club's entrance!