Chapter 101

"Chieftain, sir."

"Fugaku-san, why are you here so early in the morning? And why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

The next morning, Kaito woke up to realize it was already nearing ten.

Thankfully, his current pressures were relatively light, affording him the luxury to slack off a bit.

What he hadn't expected, however, was to see Uchiha Fugaku and a dutiful Sasuke standing at his door after he had finished his morning routine.

This left Kaito somewhat dumbfounded, but he nevertheless greeted them with a smile.

Fugaku had performed quite well the night before, which had essentially earned him Kaito's trust.

Though Kaito hadn't asked him to confront Uchiha Itachi, there was a saying that went something like this:

The intent to knife someone is impossible to hide in one's eyes.

He couldn't ignore the icy, alien look in Itachi's eyes.

Furthermore, Fugaku had gone out that night to help Kaito find Naruto, even confronting Sarutobi Hiruzen with him. In essence, he had decidedly aligned himself with Kaito.

It was only natural for Kaito to treat him kindly now, although he had seemed a little absent-minded in the original story, it wasn't out of the question that this was due to his circumstances.

Kaito had given him hope, shown him the person who had betrayed the Uchiha clan eight years prior, and set a direction for him to follow, which naturally induced some changes in him.

"The chieftain was resting, and I could not presume to disturb him."

Fugaku replied, shaking his head modestly before speaking.

"Moreover, the Chieftain has been overworking these past few days and deserves a proper rest. Waiting for a while was the least I could do."

"You've worked hard."

Kaito originally wanted to say, 'Don't be so polite when you speak,' but thought better of it.

"So, you must have some business with me this early, right?"

With that, Kaito's gaze shifted to Sasuke, suspecting that Fugaku's visit might be about the youngster.

Sasuke wasn't home that night, presumably detained because of issues with his studies, so he hadn't witnessed the events of that evening.

Kaito was curious as to why Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't thought to hold Sasuke hostage and negotiate with him.

However, after some thought, he found no satisfying answer, but as long as the boy was unharmed, that was all that mattered.

What Kaito didn't quite understand was why Fugaku had brought Sasuke here. Could it be to confirm how foolish Uchiha Itachi was?

However, once Sasuke spoke up, Kaito realized his assumption was incorrect.

"Chieftain... sir."

Sasuke still seemed a bit uneasy. After all, he used to be the son of the chieftain, and now, for some inexplicable reason, he had lost this status.

Even though he didn't have many thoughts on the matter, he always felt something was off. However, these were minor issues. Right now, he had more important things to say and do.

He had learned about everything that happened that night through his father. He truly couldn't believe that his most beloved older brother could do such a thing!

Only after his father confirmed it, and informed him that his brother was acting with the person who had attacked the Konoha and unleashed the Nine-Tails eight years ago, did he feel a deep sting in his heart. Even if he truly couldn't understand, he knew one thing:

A person who intends to exterminate their entire clan and who associates with unforgivably wicked people...

Especially one who wants to kill his father. From that moment, his so-called older brother was completely dead to him!

Although at this time, Uchiha Itachi didn't have the opportunity to exterminate the entire clan.

But for the Uchiha clan, who values love deeply and critically, this kind of betrayal is unimaginable.

At least, Sasuke himself couldn't imagine what he would become if he lost his family, lost his parents.

This emotional and familial betrayal filled Sasuke's heart with disgust.

Even now, he could still recall how the clan members looked at him with unsettling eyes these days.

In this moment, he seemed to understand what it was like for his classmate, that Naruto fellow, who always faced such an environment and such stares.

Sasuke didn't know how Naruto managed to endure those stares, but he knew he could absolutely not accept or withstand them.

Especially when such stares came from his own clan members, he found them even harder to bear.

He knew that what his so-called brother did was not just a betrayal, he had also disgraced the honor of the Uchiha clan!

Hence, he made a decision, one approved by his father.

With that in mind, Sasuke took a deep breath, lowered his head, and gradually sank down, eventually falling to one knee.

"I hope that the chieftain will accept me as a disciple. I wish to learn from the chieftain and gain sufficient strength to...

Kill Itachi. To kill this outcast, this one who brought shame to the clan's honor!"

"Huh?"

Kaito, somewhat dumbfounded, stared at Sasuke kneeling on the ground, then automatically lifted his gaze to meet Fugaku's.

Uchiha Fugaku, too, was bowing slightly with his head lowered. His demeanor made his stance quite clear.

This left Kaito feeling a bit overwhelmed. Not because he was unwilling, but because he had no experience teaching students.

Of course, even if he did have experience, he would still feel conflicted. After all, the world of Naruto is a deeply problematic one.

Or rather, it was a world filled with 'fine traditions' that gave Kaito a headache.

That is, a student might very well take out their own teacher!

Just think about those well-known characters. Orochimaru killed his teacher, the Third Hokage.

Uchiha Obito took out his teacher, Minato Namikaze. Pain even killed his own teacher, Jiraiya.

And Sasuke had even taken a swing at both Kakashi and Orochimaru. This lad really was outstanding when it came to this 'fine tradition'.

However, Kaito also understood that it was Sasuke's environment and mindset that shaped his future actions.

Besides, the boy was only seven or eight years old. Now was an excellent time to cultivate his worldview.

As long as he was guided well, this lad would indeed be a tremendous asset in the future, and Kaito indeed planned to change the educational environment within the clan.

After some consideration, Kaito said, "I can accept you as a disciple, but I'm not sure if that guy is still alive.

Furthermore, being my disciple won't be easy, because I'll be assessing you in various ways.

I'll teach you the contents of these assessments. Although they aren't combat skills, they're very important for you and everyone else.

You need to think all this through because, to me, being a good person is more important than being a good ninja."

"Chieftain, I'm willing!"

Sasuke lifted his head at this moment and spoke with unwavering conviction.

"After learning about what that man did, I've resolved that as long as he's alive, I will take him out myself!

To recover the lost honor of our clan, to wash away the humiliation of my father, my mother, and me. Even if he is dead, I'm still willing to follow the chieftain.

No matter how difficult, no matter how tough the days may be, I will strive, I will persist. Please guide me, Chieftain!"

Seeing Sasuke's determination, Kaito couldn't help but nod. He had thought before that if Uchiha Itachi were still alive, he would let Sasuke handle him.

Now that Sasuke had volunteered, Kaito really didn't have much reason to refuse. Plus, he knew this was Uchiha Fugaku's way of showing sincerity.

There was no need to undercut Fugaku. Most importantly, Kaito planned to implement a new educational system within the clan.

He thought the effects of adults coming into contact with this new system might be average, but a child like Sasuke could provide very meaningful feedback...

//

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