(Sorry for the late update, we've been fixing so inconsistentcies.)
The next day.
"Danzō wants to see personally?"
Within the Uchiha clan compound, Zoro—who had been practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard, blade cutting clean arcs through the air—lowered his weapon and turned his gaze toward the masked shinobi who had entered without permission. His expression turned cold, the faint rhythm of his training coming to a halt as the atmosphere shifted.
"Bastard. How dare you address Lord Danzō by na!"
The Root jōnin's body instantly erupted with killing intent at Zoro's casual tone, as if even hearing their leader's na spoken so directly was an offense that demanded punishnt.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Standing beside Zoro, Uchiha Tekka stepped forward without hesitation. The three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun to life, locking onto the intruder as he placed himself firmly between Zoro and the Root ninja, his posture tense and ready.
"Hmph. I'll let it slide this ti. But if there's a next ti, I'll cut out your tongue and make you understand the price of speaking carelessly."
Yamanaka Fū, his face hidden behind a striped mask, spoke in a flat, chilling tone, as if issuing threats like this was nothing more than routine.
"This is Uchiha territory. And you dare act like this here?"
Even as a mber of the clan's moderate faction, Tekka's voice hardened. There was no room for compromise on this point. No one was allowed to threaten an Uchiha within their own territory.
There was a reason for that.
Years ago, Zoro's father had saved Tekka's life on the battlefield. That debt alone was enough to make Tekka stand against anyone—even a Root operative—without hesitation.
"Tch. Uchiha?"
The Root ninja let out a low, mocking laugh. Even through the mask, the disdain was obvious.
"Wait, Uncle Tekka. Don't be impulsive."
Zoro's voice cut in calmly.
"But this bastard dared to provoke the Uchiha clan. He needs to be taught a lesson."
"Don't rush. There'll be a chance."
Zoro raised a hand slightly, stopping Tekka before things escalated further. The faint chill in Zoro's tone made Tekka pause. When he turned to look at him, he realized sothing—
This was the first ti he had seen Zoro with such a cold, controlled expression.
Clearly, Zoro was already angry.
A sharp glint flashed through Zoro's eyes.
So Danzō had set his sights on him this quickly.
There was no need to guess.
Zoro already knew who had leaked their route to those Kumogakure shinobi.
"Does Lord Hokage know about this?"
Zoro asked, his gaze fixed on the Root ninja.
He didn't know exactly what Danzō intended by summoning him, but one thing was certain—Hiruzen Sarutobi had already begun considering pulling him into the ANBU.
"Why so many questions? Are you coming or not?"
The Root ninja's tone turned impatient. Whether out of ignorance or deliberate secrecy, he clearly had no intention of explaining anything.
Zoro's lips curved slightly, a faint, knowing smile appearing as if he had already seen through everything.
"Co? If Danzō wants to see , why doesn't he co himself?"
There was no longer any need to hide.
Now that Danzō had already shown killing intent, continuing to play along would only make him look weak.
The Root ninja frowned, montarily confused by Zoro's sudden shift in attitude. But in the next instant, his expression hardened, killing intent surging once more.
"You think you're worthy of making Lord Danzō co personally? Who do you think you are?"
"In that case, I'll have to refuse. Go back and tell Danzō that I already belong to Lord Hokage. If he wants , he can get permission first."
Zoro spoke lightly, even offering a casual gesture of dismissal, his tone almost mocking as he looked at the man like a fool.
Let those two fight each other.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi acting as a shield, Danzō wouldn't dare make a move openly—not yet.
After all, Zoro wasn't just anyone.
He was the future leader of the Uchiha moderates. If sothing happened to him, even that restrained faction might erupt completely.
"Clang!!"
Unable to tolerate the continued disrespect, Yamanaka Fū suddenly drew his blade and lunged forward.
But his strike was instantly intercepted.
Steel t steel as Uchiha Tekka blocked him, Sharingan blazing.
"You're asking for it!"
Tekka had already been holding back. Now that the Root ninja had made the first move, he no longer needed to restrain himself.
The two elite jōnin clashed imdiately.
Their figures blurred into afterimages, disappearing and reappearing as their blades collided repeatedly in midair. Sparks scattered with each impact, the sharp ringing of steel echoing through the courtyard.
Both were elite jōnin—far beyond the special jōnin Zoro had fought before.
In the current Konoha, there were barely a hundred true jōnin. Each one was a core combat force of the village.
After a brief but intense exchange, the two separated.
Tekka returned to Zoro's side, his breathing slightly uneven.
Yamanaka Fū stood opposite them, his condition no better.
But clearly—
Tekka, with his Sharingan active, held the advantage.
"You… you'd better be careful. From now on, don't walk around alone."
Fū suppressed the killing intent in his chest. Feeling the wound on his arm, he turned and left, his retreat carrying a trace of unwillingness.
"Uncle Tekka, don't spread what happened today."
Zoro spoke calmly as he watched the man leave.
He knew his grandfather's temperant well.
If he learned that Root had dared to attack Zoro at their doorstep, he would definitely raise hell within the clan.
But that would only escalate things unnecessarily.
Until he was strong enough, exposing hostility too early was nothing but foolishness.
Zoro's thoughts shifted inward.
The synchronization rate in his mind had already reached fifteen percent.
Not enough.
It still wasn't ti.
His gaze lowered slightly.
It was about ti.
Hatake Kakashi… should be ready to listen now.
The death of the White Fang had shattered him.
And once Kakashi learned the truth behind his father's death, he would beco a powerful ally against both Danzō and Hiruzen.
What Zoro needed to do was simple.
Plant a seed.
A seed of doubt… and eventually, of revenge.
That day, the sky over Konoha was unbearably heavy. Thick gray clouds pressed down like a suffocating weight, swallowing the light.
Rain began to fall.
Cold and relentless.
It struck the earth like ink spilling across paper, as if the sky itself was venting silent resentnt.
A white-haired boy stood alone in the rain.
He didn't move.
He let the water soak through his clothes, run down his face, and drip from his fingertips.
His gaze was fixed on the small mound of earth before him.
There was no tombstone.
No na.
Nothing to mark the man buried beneath.
His expression was empty.
His spirit hollow.
This was Hatake Kakashi—the son of the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake.
And the unmarked grave before him…
was his father's.
Sakumo Hatake had abandoned a mission to save his comrades.
For that, the village condemned him.
In the end, he took his own life.
Even now, he was denied even a na in death.
Konoha didn't care what you had been.
Not your achievents.
Not your sacrifices.
Even the White Fang—who had once stood just beneath the Hokage—was erased the mont he faltered.
That was the reality of the village.
Kakashi stood there, unmoving.
He had long lost track of how long he had been in the rain.
Maybe—
only like this—could he still feel sothing.
At that mont, he paused.
The cold rain stopped.
…No.
It hadn't stopped.
An umbrella had been raised above his head.
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