Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"I can teach you this sword technique."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, a hint of expectation in his eyes, "With your talent, perhaps you can..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sasuke interrupted him.

"you?"

Sasuke's gaze swept over Kakashi, his suspicion undisguised.

"Your swordsmanship doesn't seem to be very good."

Sasuke's tone was cold. "I've never seen you use a sword. What makes you think you can instruct me when you've even abandoned your own family's traditions?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Kakashi's relaxed expression vanished instantly, and he stood there stunned.

yes......

How long has it been since I last held that knife?

Since his father's death, and after the white tooth that symbolized both glory and shame broke, he buried it, along with his past.

He's even almost forgotten how to wield the sword technique his father left him.

Sasuke looked at the man who had suddenly fallen silent, his eyes showing no sympathy whatsoever.

A person who cannot even face himself is not qualified to be his teacher and instruct him in swordsmanship.

"Feel sorry."

After a long while, Kakashi finally managed to squeeze out those two words, his voice terribly hoarse.

Sasuke is right, I really am not qualified.

He slowly raised his head, and his eyes, which were always half-drooping, were now filled with unbearable guilt and pain.

Chapter 39 Tragedy (Please vote!)

A house in a corner of the village, like the Uchiha clan's territory, was deserted and quiet.

Even the air was filled with a faint smell of dust, which showed that no one had lived there for a long time and no one had taken good care of it.

Kakashi led Sasuke straight through the empty corridor and arrived at a room with a plaque that read "Dojo".

Push open the dusty wooden door.

The dojo was completely empty except for a family crest of the Hatake clan hanging on the wall in the very center.

Kakashi walked to the wall, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out an ancient scroll from under a loose floor tile.

He gently blew the dust off the scroll.

"These are things left by my father."

Kakashi stared at the scroll with a complicated expression, then handed it to Sasuke.

"The swordsmanship of the Hatake family is all here."

Sasuke did not go to answer it immediately.

Kakashi looked at him, a hint of relief in his eyes.

"You're right, Sasuke, I'm no longer qualified to wield this sword technique."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "But there's nothing wrong with swordsmanship itself; it shouldn't be buried like this."

Kakashi's gaze fell on Sasuke, his eyes carrying a solemn entrustment.

"if you can......"

He paused, then said earnestly, "I hope you can carry it forward and make it flourish."

Sasuke looked at him silently, and finally reached out and took the heavy scroll.

He didn't respond, but simply walked to the center of the temple, sat down cross-legged, and slowly unfurled the scroll.

Lines of text came into his view.

There are no fancy move names or overly complicated theories.

Yes, it's just a breakdown of the most basic swinging motion and almost meticulous details.

Sasuke's gaze was quickly drawn to a description of "power transmission".

[Concentrate chakra at your feet, let the power rise from the ground, transmit it through the twist of your waist and abdomen to your shoulders, and finally converge at your wrist. Only when you become one with the sword can you unleash the strongest strike...]

This is similar to the hand-to-hand combat techniques taught by Kisuke Urahara.

Then you'll see the next paragraph.

[Lightning-type chakra, with a violent nature, can be added to the blade to increase its sharpness, or injected into the body to stimulate the nerves and increase the speed of sword swings...]

Can one channel lightning chakra into the blade, or use it to strengthen themselves?

A glint of light flashed in Sasuke's eyes.

This sword technique, though seemingly simple, unexpectedly aligns with his own fighting style and power system.

It does not pursue intricate variations, but only seeks to unleash pure power in the most direct way.

This is exactly what he needs.

Kakashi stood quietly to the side, watching the boy's focused profile, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Perhaps, passing this sword technique on to him is the best outcome.

Sasuke, after memorizing all the contents of the scroll, slowly rolled it up.

He stood up, walked over to Kakashi, and handed the scroll back to him.

“You said before that even the Sannin had to show him respect for his swordsmanship.”

Sasuke's gaze fell on Kakashi, trying to probe deeper. "Such a strong ninja, yet I've never heard of him in the village."

He paused for a moment, then asked the most direct question.

"Who killed him?"

This question instantly shattered Kakashi's newly regained composure.

His body stiffened slightly, and a hint of indescribable pain flashed in his eyes.

Yes...who killed him?

Kakashi asked himself this question.

The villagers have almost forgotten that name.

Once upon a time, "Konoha's White Fang" was the pride of the village, a guarantee of mission success, and a hero worshipped by all the children.

But after that mission failed, the hero became a sinner.

Those companions he had once protected, those villagers who had once praised him, all used the most cutting words to stab that figure who should have been respected.

In the end, that man did not die at the hands of any enemy.

Kakashi slowly raised his head, avoiding Sasuke's probing gaze, his voice hoarse.

"He did not die at anyone's hands."

Kakashi's tone was soft, yet it carried a heavy sadness.

"He abandoned the mission to save his companions' lives, but this caused great losses to the village."

"As a result, his rescued companions turned around and blamed him, and the villagers began to condemn him as well."

"He... was killed by himself."

Suicide?

This way of dying is utterly boring.

He abandoned his mission for his comrades, only to be driven to his death by them and the village he was protecting.

“How foolish,” he muttered.

Kakashi's shoulders trembled slightly, but he did not refute.

Because, back then, he also thought so.

However, after a moment's thought, Sasuke interrupted Kakashi's recollection.

Something's not right.

Kakashi was taken aback: "What?"

"What you're saying doesn't make sense."

Sasuke analyzed the flaws in Kakashi's words, "A top-tier powerhouse who commands the respect of the Sannin is the village's most important strategic resource."

"What kind of mission could cause greater losses to the village than losing such a top-tier expert?"

This question exploded in Kakashi's mind.

He had never considered his father's past from this perspective.

yes......

My father is Konoha's top fighting force; his very existence is the greatest deterrent to other ninja villages.

Is the failure of a mission really so important that it needs to end by forcing a Kage-level powerhouse to his death?

Why did the village's higher-ups, including the Third Hokage, allow public opinion to fester back then, and why didn't they come forward to explain?

"and."

Sasuke's voice continued, as if he were talking to himself, or questioning Kakashi.

“Saving comrades—isn’t that always touted as the most praiseworthy ‘Will of Fire’ in Konoha?”

A sneer curled at the corner of his lips. "Why is it that when it comes to your father, it becomes an unforgivable sin?"

Sasuke's questions made Kakashi's face grow paler and paler.

His mind was in chaos, and countless long-forgotten memories began to surface.