Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

He dared not voice the delusions in his heart.

If the person standing in front of him were his friend, he would naturally be open and honest with him. But since the person standing in front of him was just his friend's grandfather, an old man who didn't like him very much.

"I see!" Uchiha Genji nodded in understanding. "The rain did come quickly today. Alright, kid, stop sitting here daydreaming. You look like you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on! Come with me to get something to eat. I've been busy all day and haven't eaten anything..."

"Huh? But..."

"What are you standing there for? Kid, come here right now. Oh, and put this on." Uchiha Genji took out a straw hat from behind him and put it on Naruto's head. The large straw hat was enough to shield his small body from the wind and rain.

Naruto gripped the edge of his straw hat and followed Genji Uchiha out of the park.

To be honest,

Akimichi and the others are being a bit paranoid. The Bagua seal inside Naruto's body is so strong that it's not so easy to break. If the seal that the Fourth Hokage set at the cost of his life could be broken so easily, then it would be a gross underestimation of this renowned Yellow Flash.

Unfortunately, none of these people were skilled in sealing techniques. Even with the Byakugan's keen insight, they couldn't discern the merits of this unfamiliar field of sealing techniques. As a result, Naruto's brief moment of mental distress led to a major mobilization of the village's leadership.

······

"I really don't understand why young people these days like this kind of rubbish. Aren't straw hats and raincoats more useful? They all like these flashy, useless things." Akimichi Torifu struggled to take off the raincoat that was a size too small, complaining unhappily about how useless young people these days are.

Nara Shikaku smiled wryly.

Hiashi Hyuga, Shiki Aburame, and the others remained silent.

Fortunately, the Fifth Acting Hokage did not waste any extra energy on such trivial matters. He tossed the raincoat aside, sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, and nodded slightly to Nara Shikaku, indicating that it was time to begin. Nara Shikaku then pressed the remote control in his hand.

The 14-inch monitor set up in the corner of the room lit up. On the low-resolution monitor, Uchiha Genji and Uzumaki Naruto were sitting in the private room downstairs waiting for the food to be served. Uchiha Genji's voice also rang out along with the movement of his lips, echoing in everyone's ears.

This is a restaurant called "Moon Lake".

While not as elegant and interesting as Songzhuting, it was still a decent restaurant in Konoha. Naruto, who was used to eating all kinds of ramen and instant noodles, was visiting a restaurant like this for the first time. He felt very awkward and uneasy when he entered the door, until he entered the private room, where he finally felt a little more at ease.

to be frank,

Uchiha Genji didn't really like this kind of shop.

He prefers to go to izakayas (Japanese pubs).

Of course, he couldn't go with a brat, and he wasn't the one who chose this restaurant. He saw Nara Shikaku standing at the door and realized he had no choice. Sure enough, when he entered the private room, he noticed the camera and recording equipment.

"...No classes at the Ninja Academy today?" Uchiha Genji asked, taking a sip of tea and trying to make conversation.

"Today is a day off."

Naruto answered cautiously.

"A day off?"

Uchiha Genji paused for a moment, then remembered, nodded heavily, and sighed, "With Fujika not here, I forgot today is the Ninja Academy's day off. It seems I'm really getting senile." The old man sighed sincerely. His son and daughter-in-law were both busy with their own things, and Sogen and Fujika were far away on the eastern border of the Land of Fire. He had indeed been quite lonely at home lately.

As Naruto picked up the wisteria blossoms, a small light shone in his azure eyes. He mustered his courage and asked:

"Um, grandpa, when will Teng Hua go back to school?"

"I'm not sure either, it will probably take a while." Uchiha Genji shook his head. Although the war would probably end soon, Sogen and Fujika might not be able to return when the war ended. The situation on the front line was more complicated than he had imagined. Based on his experience, he estimated that it would take a considerable amount of time to sort out the complicated situation.

The light in Naruto's eyes dimmed instantly.

He longed to confide his troubles and anxieties to a friend, but unfortunately, his only friend was not in the village at the time. As a result, all his troubles could only pile up in his heart, which he repeatedly chewed over and savored the bitter taste.

"What? Kid, what do you want with Teng Hua?"

Uchiha Genji asked.

A sharp light shone from his aged yet clear eyes.

"No, it's nothing, it's just... I've been feeling really bored at the Ninja Academy lately, and Fujika is my only friend!!!" Naruto forced a smile, afraid of upsetting Uchiha Genji and making Fujika stop playing with him in the future.

My only friend

These heartbreaking words left Uchiha Genji speechless for a moment.

Despite being the son of the Fourth Hokage and the hero who saved Konoha, Naruto not only failed to enjoy the glory and honor he deserved, but instead received countless cold stares and malice. This is truly unacceptable!

It wasn't just Uchiha Genji who was resentful.

Even Akimichi Torifu and the others upstairs fell silent. Regardless of their reasons, they had indeed watched as the orphan of the Fourth Hokage tasted the bitterness of life, and this little kid had already learned to read people's faces at such a young age.

None of the people who stayed here were fools.

Even on a low-resolution monitor, they could clearly see that Naruto was constantly observing Genji Uchiha's expression. As Genji's demeanor changed, Naruto adjusted his own attitude and emotions, his obedient behavior heartbreaking…

"Hmph! A bunch of old bastards."

Aburame Shiki cursed under her breath.

Although no names were mentioned, everyone present knew who the Oil Maiden Chieftain was cursing.

No one stood up to say that Shiki Aburame shouldn't speak so recklessly about the dead. The Fourth Hokage... he was an extremely charismatic person. His demeanor not only captivated the women of all ages in the village, but even the men couldn't feel any jealousy in his presence.

On the contrary, quite a few people were captivated by Minato Namikaze's personal charm.

Shimi Aburame, Choza Akimichi, Gaki Inuzuka, Yomaki Mimura... these people still haven't forgotten that yellow flash that briefly illuminated Konoha!

at this time,

The sound from the monitor's speakers started playing again.

"Hey kid, are you afraid of dead people?" Uchiha Genji suddenly asked.

"dead?"

Naruto was somewhat confused. He scratched his head blankly. "I don't know. I guess I've never seen a dead person before?" he answered uncertainly. For some reason, fragmented images suddenly flashed through the deep sea of ​​his distant memories.

In that fleeting image—

He saw bright red hair, as vibrant as fresh blood, and tender eyes filled with endless love.

My heart started to feel like it was being pricked with needles.

Tears streamed down her face silently.

He didn't realize what had happened until the sand hit his trouser leg. He frantically rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "Um, just now, there was sand, no, it was a mosquito, a mosquito flew into my eye." Naruto told a clumsy lie, and his hoarse voice made Uchiha Genji's face grow even darker.

upstairs,

The room was extremely quiet.

If you don't prick up your ears and pay close attention, you probably won't even hear a breath.

The Fifth Acting Hokage remained silent, simply staring at the monitor.

"Kid, hurry up and wipe that horse piss off yourself! It's just a mosquito! Aren't you ashamed of getting all messed up like this? What kind of man cries all the time?!" Uchiha Genji scolded him irritably. After Naruto wiped away his tears, he continued, "Since you're not afraid of dead people, go find some wisteria! It's about time you saw the outside world. Staying cooped up in the village all the time will never make you grow up."

As he said his last words, he glanced back at the camera hidden in the landscape painting behind him.

These words,

It was said to Akimichi Tokifu upstairs.

[Chapter 106 The Criminal Kakashi]

This is the prison of the Dark Division.

Konoha Prison and the police department are two separate institutions. Konoha Prison, under the control of the police department, is filled with all kinds of criminals, including ninjas and ordinary people. However, the Anbu's cells are different. Without exception, the prisoners who can be imprisoned here are either extremely vicious or serious criminals with special identities.

Kakashi Hatake leaned against the railing, reading a book in the dim light of the corridor.

His life here is not bad.

Even though he committed the serious crime of attempting to assassinate the abdicated former Hokage, and was prepared to be tortured and even publicly executed the moment he surrendered, he did not receive any interrogation. Only the head of the Yamanaka clan came once to read his memories. After that, he was thrown into this dark prison. Half a month has passed since then.

He wasn't quite sure.

This was the date he deduced from the number of times the guards changed shifts.

Aside from the first few days being a bit boring, someone brought him a bunch of books over the next two weeks. He found a note from that idiot Akai in one of them. He didn't doubt that Akai had the ability to break in, but to send something into the Dark Division's cell was something Akai couldn't possibly do.

The meaning conveyed by this stack of books is so clear and straightforward.

Kakashi understood that he probably wouldn't be executed, but he didn't know how long it would take to leave this place.

"Splash—"

He turned the page.

However, his gaze was no longer on the book; his ears keenly caught the approaching footsteps in the distant corridor. It wasn't the guards' patrol time yet, which meant this was an unexpected situation? His heart raced slightly. When he decided to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, he had already prepared himself to die.

but,

If he could live, he wouldn't seek death.

"Kakashi Hatake?"

Two masked ANBU members arrived outside the cell and looked Kakashi up and down as he held a book, seemingly to confirm his identity.

"it's me."

Kakashi nodded.

"Come out! The Hokage wants to see you." As he spoke, another ANBU member stepped forward with a key and opened the cell door.

"The Hokage wants to see me?"

Kakashi was a little confused when he heard this.

He didn't know what he, a serious criminal who had failed in his assassination attempt on the previous Hokage, had that was worthy of being summoned by the current Hokage. Nevertheless, he put down the book in his hand, walked out of the cell, and followed the two ANBU members through a maze of twists and turns until they arrived at... the ANBU's canteen.

Kakashi's expression was a bit strange.

It wasn't mealtime yet, and the cafeteria was empty. Even if it were mealtime, there wouldn't be many people eating there. Kakashi himself used to be a member of the Anbu, and he knew very well that the members of the Anbu took secrecy to the extreme. Unless they were members of the same team, they would never reveal their appearance or identity.

Without stopping, they walked through the cafeteria hall and arrived at a private room.

"Dong dong."

The leader of the secret service went up and knocked on the door.

After waiting for about three or four seconds, a voice from inside the room said, "Come in." The ANBU then turned the doorknob, carefully and slowly pushed open the door, and respectfully said to the occupant of the room, "Hokage-sama, the sinner Hatake Kakashi has been brought here."

"Is he already here? Let him in. You all stand guard at the door and don't let anyone disturb him."

The voice coming from the crack in the door was indeed that of the Fifth Acting Hokage.

Kakashi went inside, and the door behind him was silently closed, instantly isolating the inside from the outside. Kakashi looked over and saw the Fifth Acting Hokage, Akimichi Torifu, sitting at the dining table, wiping his mouth with a tissue. The empty bowls and plates on the table only had a few traces of grease and soup left on them.