I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

The camp began to be dismantled the following morning.

Tents were packed up one by one, and supplies were loaded onto trucks box by box.

Some people laughed, some cried, and some stood on the beach in a daze.

Kai was carrying a backpack that was bigger than himself, filled with some unknown things, which jingled as he walked.

Hong followed behind him, carrying a small bag.

"Shuoge! Let's go!" Kai shouted at the camp gate.

Shuoge emerged from the tent, a knife behind his back, nothing in his hands. He walked up to Kai, glanced at him, then at Hong.

"Walk."

The three people walked out of the camp.

Behind them, the campfire was still burning, and no one bothered to put it out. Those fires would die out on their own, just like this war.

It took three days to get back to Konoha.

They encountered no enemies on the road, not even bandits.

Kai said it was because the war was over and the bad guys had all gone home to sleep. Hong said it was because Shuoge's knife was hanging on his back, and the bad guys didn't dare to come out.

On the evening of the third day, they saw the gateposts of Konoha Village.

The setting sun shone on Fire Shadow Rock, turning all four statues into gold.

There was a line of people at the village entrance, not waiting for assignments, but for their families.

Some people spotted a familiar face in the crowd, rushed up to hug them, and cried. Others couldn't find the person they were looking for, stood there, and watched others cry.

Kai's eyes reddened.

He saw his father, Matt Dae, standing at the village entrance, wearing a green bodysuit, with a watermelon-shaped haircut, and leaning on a cane.

His leg wasn't fully healed yet, but he stood very straight.

Kai rushed over, hugged Dai, and burst into tears.

Dai patted Kai on the back and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's okay."

Kurenai stood behind them, watching. Her father, Yuhi Makoto, wasn't there—he was still at the front, waiting for his unit's rotation. She lowered her head and pulled her backpack strap up a little.

Shuoge stood there, knife behind his back, hands hanging at his sides.

He glanced at Kai and Dai, then at the people embracing at the village entrance, before turning his gaze away and walking towards the Uchiha camp.

No one came to pick him up.

No need.

As he walked past the village entrance, a Chunin called out to him. "Uchiha Sakugo? Your transfer orders. Two weeks of rest, then report to the Hokage Building."

Shuoge took the scroll, glanced at it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

He continued walking towards the Uchiha compound.

Someone on the street recognized him and whispered, "That's Blade."

He ignored them and kept walking.

The Uchiha camp is located on the east side of the village, after walking through three streets and turning two corners.

He pushed open the courtyard gate. The courtyard was quiet. There was no one, no sound, only the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

Uchiha Sakugo walked into the room, leaned his sword against the wall, and sat down.

There was a letter on the table, written in Zhi Shui's crooked handwriting. "Brother Shuoge, when are you coming back? I've mastered the Sword Shadow Clone Technique. I'll show it to you when you get back."

Shuoge folded the letter and put it in his pocket. He stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the moon had risen, round and bright.

He watched for a while, then turned around, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes. Chakra flowed slowly through his meridians.

He doesn't waste time.

Becoming stronger is not for the sake of war, but for the sake of ending war altogether.

-

Outside, in the distance, there was the sound of fireworks rising into the sky, muffled, like thunder.

Some people are shouting, some are laughing, and some are crying.

News of the ceasefire on the eastern front spread throughout the village, and people flooded the streets to celebrate. The sound, which came from the center of the village, traveled through several streets, and by the time it reached the Uchiha camp, it had become very muffled, as if separated by a layer of water.

He opened his eyes and looked at the knife on the wall.

The eastern front is over, but the Cloud Village still has a final stand on the northern front. The war is not truly over yet.

He stood up, took the knife, sat back on the tatami mat, and began to wipe it. One stroke, another, and another. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling on the blade and giving it a cold, gleaming shine.

The commotion outside was irrelevant to him. He still had to go to the northern route.

……

……

……

On the third day after returning to Konoha, Sakugo received an invitation from Uchiha Fugaku.

The clan leader's son celebrated his full moon birthday, and the banquet was held in the main hall of the Uchiha compound. The invitations were red and read "Uchiha Itachi." Sakugo glanced at them and set them aside.

That evening, he changed into clean clothes and went.

Many lights were lit in the hall, illuminating the entire room.

The clansmen gathered in twos and threes; some were laughing, some were drinking, and some were looking at the baby. Fugaku stood in the middle of the crowd, holding a weasel in his arms, a smile on his face.

Mikoto stood beside him, dressed in a formal kimono, her face still somewhat pale.

"Sakugo's here." Fugaku nodded when he saw him. "I've heard about the situation on the Eastern Front. Well done."

Sakugo walked over and glanced down at the baby in Fugaku's arms. Itachi's eyes were closed, and he was sleeping soundly. His wrinkled little face was tucked into the swaddling clothes, and he couldn't tell anything special about him.

Shuoge looked at it for a few seconds, then looked away.

"Congratulations."

Fugaku smiled and said nothing more.

Shuoge retreated to a corner, leaning against a pillar, watching the people in the hall. Someone was watching him, whispering words like "Blade." He ignored them.

He didn't like this environment. It was noisy and bustling, which made him feel relaxed.

The war is not over yet, and fighting is still going on on the northern front. If it weren't for Minato Namikaze holding off Iwagakure and Kumogakure single-handedly, Konoha would never be as peaceful as it is now.

This kind of comfort—it's not time yet.

Feng walked over, stood next to him, holding a glass of wine in his hand, but didn't drink it.

"That child might be a genius someday," Feng said softly.

Sakugo remained silent. He looked at the baby in Fugaku's arms, and what flashed through his mind was not genius, Sharingan, or the future strongest Uchiha—but a rainy night, a pair of tearful eyes, and a clansman lying in a pool of blood.

The night of annihilation.

That was more than ten years later. He still didn't know if he could change anything.

but……

genius?

A genius is one who grows up and develops.

"Perhaps," Shuoge replied dismissively, then turned and walked out of the hall.

The wind outside was cool, dispelling the smell of alcohol from his clothes. The moon was full, shining a cold light on the stone path. He walked towards his courtyard, knife behind his back, hand at his side.

Behind me, the laughter in the hall continued.

No one noticed he was gone.

……

……

……

Konoha General Hospital, third floor.

When Shuoge pushed open the door to the ward, Lin was leaning against the headboard reading a book. She was wearing a light blue hospital gown, her hair was loose over her shoulders, and her face was still a little pale, but she looked much better than when she was brought back from the battlefield.

A bouquet of flowers sat on the windowsill; Kai had brought it a couple of days ago, and it was already a little wilted.

Several books and boxes of gifts were neatly stacked on the bedside table.

Hearing the door open, Lin looked up, saw Shuoge, paused for a moment, and then smiled.

"You've arrived."

Shuoge went in and sat down on a chair by the bed. He brought no flowers, no gifts, he simply sat down.

Lin closed the book, placed it on the blanket, and looked at him.

After the armistice on the Eastern Front, she was sent back to Konoha to recuperate. Although she was not injured, the mental stress of the past few days and the recovery from her coma would take time. The medical team advised her to rest for at least a week.

"Does the wound still hurt?" Lin asked.

"It doesn't hurt."

"You're lying." Lin chuckled. "You never make a sound when you change your dressings, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

Shuoge did not speak.

Lin looked at his left shoulder. It had long since healed, leaving only a pink scar. But she remembered the first time she changed his dressing, the wound reopened, and the blood soaked through the bandage, but he didn't even flinch.

"When are you leaving?" Lin asked.

"tomorrow."

"The northern route?"

"Um."

Lin was silent for a while. She lowered her head and fiddled with the corner of the blanket with her fingers.

"Thank you for last time." Her voice was soft. "If it weren't for you, I don't know where I would be now."

Shuoge looked at her. "You're here."

Lin looked up and met his gaze. His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable. But she knew this man wasn't good at offering comforting words, nor at expressing his emotions.

It's enough that he came here.

"Be careful," Lin said.

Shuoge stood up and walked towards the door. When he reached the door, he stopped but did not turn around.

"have a good rest."

"Um."

Shuoge left.

Lin leaned against the headboard, listening to the footsteps fade into the distance until they were swallowed up by the noise of the corridor. She looked down at the closed book, turned to the page with the folded corner, and continued reading.

But after looking at it for a long time, I still couldn't turn the page.

-

After leaving the hospital, Shuoge took a detour past the training ground.

Kai is running.

One lap, two laps, three laps, the green bodysuit was soaked with sweat and clung to his body.

He wasn't fast, but he took each step firmly, leaving deep footprints in the sand when he landed.

Upon seeing Shuoge, he stopped, placed his hands on his knees, and gasped for breath.

"Shugo! You're just in time!" He straightened up and wiped the sweat from his face. "I ran two hundred laps and just finished a thousand push-ups. Let's go get ramen! It's on me!"

Shuoge glanced at him, then looked at the edge of the training field.

Kakashi sat there. His silver hair was ruffled by the wind, and his headband was pulled low, obscuring his left eye. His right eye was fixed on the ground, seemingly looking at something.

He held the white fang dagger in his hand, the scabbard resting on his knee, the blade reflecting the clouds.

Kai followed Shuoge's gaze and lowered his voice.

"He's been like this lately...not saying much. He comes to the training ground every day and sits there from morning till night. He doesn't practice his swordplay, he doesn't run, he just sits. I don't know what he's thinking."

Sakugo walked over and stood in front of Kakashi. Kakashi looked up and glanced at him. His right eye was bloodless, but it was deep, so deep that the bottom was unfathomable.

"Are you going or not?" Shuoge's voice was flat.

Kakashi was taken aback for a moment.

"Ramen," Shuoge added.

Kai stood behind, nodding vigorously.

Kakashi looked at them and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he stood up and hung the dagger at his waist.

"go."

The three people walked towards the village entrance.

Kai walked in front, taking long strides, muttering, "Miso char siu," "Add an egg," "Another serving of char siu." Saku walked in the middle, his hands hanging at his sides. Kakashi walked at the very back, head down, silent.

"Kakashi." Sakugo didn't turn around.

"Um."

"Have your eyes adjusted yet?"

Kakashi was silent for a moment. "I'm not used to it."

"You'll get used to it gradually," Shuo Ge said calmly.

Kai slowed his pace and walked alongside Kakashi. He glanced at Kakashi's left eye, then at the back of Sakugo's head, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed his words.

"I heard—" Kai began, his voice much lower than usual, "that your father had a long talk with Fugaku Uchiha."

Kakashi did not respond.

He wasn't involved in that matter, but he knew about it.

The Sharingan belongs to the Uchiha clan. Even if Obito were to give it away willingly, the Uchiha clan might not agree to let a Sharingan remain unclaimed.

It was Sakumo Hatake who stepped forward and negotiated with Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku's attitude was initially unclear—the Sharingan is the Uchiha's bloodline limit, possessed by outsiders, and some within the clan opposed it.

The Third Hokage mediated, prioritizing the overall interests of Konoha, emphasizing that war requires fighting power. Minato Namikaze also contributed; as a leading candidate for the Fourth Hokage, his words carried considerable weight.

Why can't outsiders have Sharingan?

It's all just a matter of insufficient benefits.

Fugaku finally nodded.

"I'd rather not have this eye..." Kakashi's voice was low.

He would rather his companions live than see them.

Sakugo walked at the front without looking back. "His eyes belong to Obito. He wants you to watch over this world for him, and he also wants you to protect Rin."

Kakashi Hatake is absolutely a genius among geniuses.

The title of "Jonin" at the age of twelve is incredibly prestigious... How many people in the entire ninja world can claim that?

Shuoge did not want such an opponent to become dejected.

Kakashi remained silent for a long time.

"Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can feel him watching me." His voice was very soft. "Not anger, not blame. Just... watching."

"Then don't let him down." Shuoge's voice was calm.

Kai opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back; he was not good with words.

The three continued walking, their footsteps echoing on the stone path, one beat after another, like a heartbeat.

-

Ichiraku Ramen was located at the village entrance, and business was booming after the war, with the restaurant always packed with people. Kai squeezed in and took up three seats, shouting loudly, "Three bowls of miso chashu, with an egg, and with extra chashu!"

The owner smiled and responded, as steam rose from the pot and the noodles tumbled in the boiling water.

Kakashi sat against the wall, head down, chopsticks in his hand, motionless. He pushed his headband up a little, revealing his left eye. That eye was red, with three tomoe, just like Sakumo's.

The noodles were served. Kai buried his head in his food, slurping loudly.

Shuoge ate at a moderate pace, just like he always did.

Kakashi ate a few bites and then put down his chopsticks.

The noodle shop was noisy; some people were laughing, others were talking loudly. But the three people were as quiet as if separated by a pane of glass. No one spoke. The only sounds were the slurping of noodles into mouths and the occasional soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Kai glanced furtively at Kakashi, then at Sakugo, before lowering his head and continuing to eat.

"Boss, another bowl, please." Kai's voice wasn't loud, and it was quickly swallowed up by the noise of the noodle shop.

Kakashi stared at the half-cold bowl of ramen in front of him and remained silent for a long time.

Then he picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

We don't need to talk much. Just sitting together, eating noodles, and hearing each other's voices is enough.

-