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Chapter 27: The Pride of the Uchiha
Although Naruto chattered non-stop along the way, Kenichi remained silent, only nodding occasionally.
It wasn't that he was being aloof—most of the short-tempered Uchiha had already left Konoha with Itachi.
Kenichi was a moderate, dove-like Uchiha.
He didn't speak much because ANBU was watching them closely, and he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble to the Uchiha.
After all, Naruto was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Once Naruto had been safely dropped off, Uchiha Kenichi turned and left under the watchful eyes of the ANBU.
"Goodbye, Uncle Kenichi!" Naruto waved happily, even though Kenichi hadn't spoken much on the way.
But the absence of discrimination meant a lot to the lonely, sensitive boy.
That alone made Naruto very happy.
Kenichi didn't look back, and Naruto waited until he was far away before entering the house.
At the entrance, Naruto turned on the light.
Dirty clothes were scattered everywhere, dishes piled up in the sink, and trash littered the floor.
Naruto looked around, then glanced at the new clothes and shoes he had just received, still in their packages.
The environment he had grown used to suddenly seemed unbearably filthy.
He carefully hung the items, still in their packaging, on a hook.
Then, rolling up his sleeves, he fetched some water and began cleaning the house.
The lights stayed on late into the night, and Naruto was full of energy.
Outside, the ANBU looked at each other in confusion.
"What's gotten into the kid?"
But as long as Naruto wasn't running off somewhere, they weren't too concerned.
They'd just report whatever they saw.
Children's moods change quickly. Sasuke, who had been in high spirits earlier, was no exception.
Once he followed Kaien to the old Uchiha district, his smile faded.
The new clan territory was located several miles past the ruins.
Sasuke had so many questions in his little head that he wanted to ask his father.
He unconsciously quickened his pace.
Meanwhile, Kaien was lost in thought, thinking about Kakashi.
There was no doubt about Kakashi's talent, but he had been completely brainwashed by the so-called Will of Fire.
As a descendant of a famous family, he had been depressed ever since the Battle of Kanabi Bridge, wasting his potential.
Though the Sharingan greatly boosted his combat ability, it also limited how far he could go.
If you can't deactivate it, your chakra drains constantly.
And since he could copy nearly everything, it bred laziness.
He essentially just played support throughout every major battle, ultimately only contributing when he used Obito's double Kamui.
The rest of the time, he was hardly impactful.
And Kakashi's personality wasn't much better. He lacked decisiveness.
Obito had killed countless people—including their teacher and his wife—nearly destroyed the ninja world, and ruined countless families.
But the first time Kakashi faced him in Kamui space, he just let it go and punched himself twice.
Because it was Obito, he couldn't bring himself to go all out.
If he had been more ruthless back then, things might've ended differently.
Kaien's kindness toward Naruto wasn't entirely selfless—it was also an investment.
But he did feel that Naruto's early years were unbearably tragic.
So much suffering that should never have happened.
The political power struggle between the Third Hokage and Danzo had deeply affected a child who had done nothing wrong.
Praising suffering as some noble experience was even crueler than the suffering itself.
If Naruto had been surrounded by love, the Nine-Tails would never have gone out of control.
Didn't they see what happened to Gaara, who just played in the sand and lost his mind?
Naruto's childhood was no easier than Gaara's.
Sure, he didn't face assassination attempts,
but the discrimination he faced from every villager was a knife to the soul.
If he hadn't been the reincarnation of Ashura, he might've gone rogue and destroyed Konoha himself.
"Father, I'm back."
Kaien brought Sasuke back to the new clan land.
Most of the buildings were still under construction, but Kaien never exploited workers.
He always made sure they went home on time.
After all, paying for overtime wasn't worth it.
Right now, the priority was simply giving the Uchiha a place to live.
Fugaku had already been informed of Sasuke's return and sat inside, drinking tea.
When Sasuke walked in, he smiled—a rare sight.
"You're back. How are things going with Kaien as your teacher?"
Kaien followed Sasuke into the house.
"Teacher?" Sasuke looked confused.
Kaien hadn't mentioned anything about making Sasuke his apprentice.
Fugaku frowned. "Kaien, you didn't tell Sasuke?"
Kaien laughed. "It's getting late. I figured I'd bring him back first. We can talk about the apprenticeship tomorrow."
With that, he left Fugaku and Sasuke alone and walked off casually.
Now that he was close to Fugaku, there was no need for strict formalities anymore.
He understood that Fugaku's sternness was more about duty than personality.
In reality, Fugaku was quite pragmatic.
"Father, why did my brother and Shisui leave the village? Some people said they betrayed Konoha."
"Why was our clan district destroyed? Why did you leave the police captain position?"
Sasuke fired off questions like a machine gun the moment he sat down.
He'd only been gone for half a month, but everything about the Uchiha had changed.
Fugaku usually kept a cold, strict expression in front of his son.
But remembering what Kaien had said earlier, he decided it was pointless.
That attitude only distanced him from Itachi and Sasuke.
So, he softened his expression slightly:
"Your brother and Shisui left for the good of the Uchiha. Don't believe everything you hear."
"If they truly betrayed the village, why hasn't Konoha come to arrest us?"
"As for the district being destroyed, we can rebuild it.
As long as the Uchiha live on, we can build as many homes as we want."
Sasuke nodded, trying to understand.
Fugaku smiled.
"You used to complain I never trained with you because of my work as captain, right?"
"Well, now that your brother won't be back for a while, I'll be the one to practice ninjutsu with you."
Sasuke was stunned. His father had always been distant and dignified.
He had worked so hard just to gain a sliver of his approval.
And now he was saying he would train with him?
Sasuke pinched himself to make sure it wasn't a genjutsu.
"Ow." He winced.
Fugaku laughed heartily for the first time in a long while.
It was Sasuke's first time seeing his father so relaxed and easygoing.
A smile crept onto his face.
"So, when will Brother and Shisui come back?"
"When you graduate from the Ninja Academy."
"Huh? That long?" Sasuke frowned.
The academy lasted six years. That meant he wouldn't see his brother for that long?
Fugaku noticed his frustration and said sternly,
"You're a Uchiha. Don't get discouraged by something so trivial.
It's not like you'll never see them again."
"You're right!" Sasuke quickly cheered up.
"By the way, what did you mean earlier by apprenticeship, Father?"
"I want you to become Kaien's apprentice."
"Kaien-senpai's disciple?" Sasuke tilted his head. He didn't dislike the idea.
"Is he strong?"
"Strong?" Fugaku repeated the word thoughtfully.
"Very strong," he said with certainty.
"Stronger than my brother? Or Shisui?"
To Sasuke, his brother Itachi and Shisui were the strongest Uchiha.
"Kaien is the number one master of the Uchiha now."
Fugaku firmly believed that Kaien was unmatched in both intelligence and strength.
Now that he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he was on the fast track to even greater heights.
Even Shisui, with his Mangekyō, wouldn't be able to surpass him—he was too young and inexperienced.
"The number one Uchiha?" Sasuke imagined Kaien-senpai, kind and approachable, now shining with a glowing aura in his mind.
"I still think Kaien-senpai is the second strongest Uchiha."
"Oh?" Fugaku raised a brow. "Then who's the first?"
Sasuke replied proudly:
"Of course it's you, Father. Otherwise, why are you the clan leader and Kaien-senpai only the deputy?"
Fugaku blinked in surprise, then burst into hearty laughter.
His laughter echoed across the stillness of the Uchiha district.
…..
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Translated By – Ancient Lores
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