Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 104 Sasuke's Second Lesson
After a hearty banquet, it was already evening.

The others also dispersed, and Kakashi, who had drunk a little too much, took a walk along the Minamiga River with Uchiha Tokou to digest his food.

"Kakashi, you have been of great help in our operation this time. What do you think about your future position?" Uchiha Douguang asked.

"Any position is fine as long as it can help you," Kakashi said.

"Then I'll be frank. I hope you can become the Hokage's assistant and take over my duties as captain of the Guard Corps," Uchiha Douguang said. "After that, I plan to refine the Guard Corps' responsibilities, separating the powers of handling trivial matters within the village and legislation into two new departments. The Guard Corps will simply serve as an intelligence and violence agency for the Fire Country."

"Okay, I understand." Kakashi nodded.

"Next, you have to help me well." Uchiha Douguang said with a smile.

"Of course." Kakashi also smiled.

The two walked up along the Nanhe River, and when the sun set completely, they arrived at the edge of the village.

At this moment, Kakashi suddenly asked: "Dou Guang, who is the identity of that masked man?"

Uchiha Douguang stopped and looked at the bright moon reflected in the clear water of Nanga River. He said, "Don't you already have the answer in your heart?"

"It seems it really is him." Kakashi sighed.

"Yeah, I don't know what he has been through. The former hero of Konoha has become like this." Uchiha Douguang said.

"This is his eye." Uchiha Douguang took out a test tube from the scroll on his body. Inside the nutrient solution was Uchiha Obito's eye. "Take it. Judging from the fluctuations of pupil power I sensed that night, your eye should have evolved to the level of a Mangekyō."

"That's right." Kakashi pulled up the forehead protector covering his left eye, revealing the Sharingan. The three magatama in the Sharingan slowly rotated, and soon turned into a Mangekyo Sharingan with the pattern of Fuma Shuriken.

"Try to use the Mangekyō Sharingan as little as possible. Unlike me, you don't have the natural energy of the Sage Mode to nourish your eye power. If you use it too much, your eyes will go blind. Take this." After Uchiha Douguang gave Kakashi some instructions, he handed the other Mangekyō Sharingan to Kakashi.

Kakashi took the Mangekyō Sharingan in silence.

"As for Obito, let him die as a hero. This will be better for everyone." Uchiha Tokou said.

"Thank you." Kakashi said. He knew that the reason why Uchiha Tokou did not make a big fuss about the identity of the masked man later was probably more because of him.

"Why are you talking about this?" Uchiha Douguang smiled and extended his hand to Kakashi.

After Kakashi reached out and shook his hand, Uchiha Douguang turned his wrist and held Kakashi's hand tightly: "You and I will be comrades for life."

"Of course." Kakashi nodded with a smile.

……

As the sky grew darker, after saying goodbye to Kakashi, Uchiha Douguang also returned home.

As soon as he entered the house, the housekeeper Uchiha Keiko said to Uchiha Douguang: "Master, Master Sasuke is waiting for you in the study."

"Really? How long has he been here?" Uchiha Douguang nodded and asked.

"Master Sasuke has been waiting for you for two hours." Uchiha Keiko replied.

"I understand," Uchiha Douguang nodded, "For the next two hours, no one is allowed to disturb me in the study."

"Understood." Uchiha Keiko took the order and left.

Uchiha Tokugawa pushed the door open and walked into the study. As soon as he entered, he saw Sasuke flipping through the textbook that Uchiha Tokugawa had written for him.

Sasuke was startled by the sound of the door opening. He looked up and saw that it was Uchiha Tokou who came back, so he put down the book.

"Teacher, you are back."

"You've been waiting for a long time." Uchiha Douguang smiled gently.

"No, teacher, your matter is more important. It's okay for me to wait for a while." Sasuke said.

Uchiha Douguang looked Sasuke up and down, and he had to say that the things he taught him before were still of some use. The current Sasuke has changed a lot compared to the original cold and arrogant kid. The current Sasuke can be called a humble gentleman.

"Tell me, what do you want to see me about?" Uchiha Douguang came to the study and sat down, then asked.

"Teacher, you said that when I feel that what you taught me can't explain the world I observe, I will come to you again." Sasuke said.

"Is it because of your brother?" Uchiha Douguang asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"Do you think your brother did something wrong in this incident?" Uchiha Douguang asked. Sasuke thought for a moment before speaking: "My brother shouldn't have stood against the family."

"What if we put aside the family's position?" Uchiha Douguang asked.

Sasuke fell silent after hearing this.

"Don't worry, just speak boldly." Uchiha Douguang said with a smile.

"Teacher, you once taught me that one should be loyal to the person who entrusted him with the task. If we stand on the village's point of view, brother is the captain of the village's Anbu, and the Hokage trusts you and has given you such an important responsibility, so you naturally have to be loyal to your duties." Sasuke said. After that, Sasuke looked up at Uchiha Tokou's expression and felt a little nervous.

"Don't be nervous," Uchiha Douguang touched Sasuke's head, "Since you think your brother did nothing wrong in this matter, do you think that the family did something wrong in this matter?"

"No." Sasuke shook his head. "The Security Department performed their duties faithfully, whether enforcing martial law in the village or apprehending Lord Jiraiya who had violated the law. Therefore, the family did nothing wrong in this matter."

"So, who was wrong in this incident?" Uchiha Douguang said.

"I don't know..." Sasuke lowered his head weakly, "But my brother died that night."

"Sasuke, in this world, there are some things that are not right or wrong." Uchiha Toguro said.

"This... I don't understand." Sasuke looked confused.

"Actually, Sasuke, the family was actually staging a coup that night. From the village's perspective, your brother is the one who is right." Uchiha Douguang said with a smile.

When Sasuke heard what Uchiha Tokou said, his pupils shrank.

"However, from the perspective of the family, the family also has reasons to have to carry out a coup." Uchiha Douguang said, "Some people in this village cannot tolerate the Uchiha clan. Therefore, the family has already stood on the edge of a cliff. If they are not careful, they will be doomed."

"How... could this happen?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"You may not know what happened before, but now, I will tell you everything exactly as it happened."

After saying this, Uchiha Douguang told the whole story of the Uchiha clan's previous predicament.

"So, Sasuke, do you think the family's coup is right or wrong?" After explaining the reason, Uchiha Douguang looked at Sasuke and asked.

Sasuke originally wanted to say that the coup was wrong, but then he changed his mind and thought that given the situation the family had faced, if the Uchiha clan did not take any action, it would not be long before the family would decline under constant suppression. This was unacceptable to Sasuke, who had always been proud of being an Uchiha.

"Sasuke, this is the second lesson I want to teach you." Uchiha Douguang said, "Some things have nothing to do with right or wrong, it all depends on your perspective."

"In terms of right and wrong, your brother didn't do anything wrong, but he made a mistake in choosing the wrong side," Uchiha Douguang said. "The family chose a coup to continue to exist in the village, but your brother chose to stand on the side of the village. However, he made the wrong choice, and so he became the family's enemy. It's that simple."

"Why...why is it so?" Uchiha Tokou's words had a huge impact on Sasuke's values, which were shaped by a hodgepodge of introductory Confucian texts. Unconsciously, Sasuke's Sharingan suddenly opened, and the two magatama kept spinning in it.

"Sasuke, do you know why I taught you those things before?" Uchiha Douguang did not answer Sasuke's question, but asked back.

"Teacher, do you want me to become the gentleman described in those stories?" Sasuke asked.

"No, no, no." Uchiha Douguang shook his head. "You only understand the first level of meaning. Being a gentleman is certainly valuable, but the more important thing about me teaching you these things is that I hope you can learn how to help others become gentlemen as defined by these things. In other words, these standards are not set for yourself, but for others."

"I...I don't understand." Sasuke said in confusion.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand it for now. Let's go back to today's lesson about stance and right and wrong. Why do you think I taught you this?" Uchiha Douguang asked again.

"Teacher, do you want me to always stand on the side of the family?" Sasuke asked tentatively.

"If you were an ordinary member of the Uchiha clan, then this would be my goal." Uchiha Douguang said with a smile, "But, since you are my disciple, it naturally cannot be that simple."

"So, what should I do?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke, do you know how to play chess?" Uchiha Douguang asked with a smile.

"Play chess?" Sasuke was stunned, but quickly recovered and nodded, "Shikamaru taught me a little shogi."

"So, what do you think is the position of the chess pieces on the board?" asked Uchiha Douguang.

"The chess piece's position?" Sasuke pondered. "To capture the opponent's chess piece? To win the game?"

"That's right. In any game of chess, the moment each piece is placed on the board, they have a single position and purpose. In shogi terms, that's to trap the opponent's king."

"Then, what about the players outside the chessboard?" Uchiha Douguang asked with a smile.

(End of this chapter)