Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Kakashi stood there, stunned, for a long time.

Now that Sasuke has made this decision, and Naruto is now protected by Jiraiya, it seems he has nothing to worry about.

As for Kai... he can do it himself.

Thinking of this, he vanished in a flash.

He is going somewhere.

A place where his father's belongings are buried, and where his past is also buried.

It's time...

I went and retrieved it.

Chapter 73 On that day, I will pave the way for you.

Konoha Village, in front of the memorial monument.

The stone tablet reflected a cool light under the moonlight, and engraved on it were the names of those who had passed away for the village.

Kakashi Hatake stood alone in the silence.

He had just returned from the old house not long ago, and on his back was a long strip of object tightly wrapped with bandages.

Even though it's wrapped in layers, it still exudes a sharp, battle-hardened aura.

It was the broken blade called "White Fang".

He didn't dare look at his father's name on the stone tablet. He just looked up at the waning, cold moon, his eyes filled with a determination he had never shown before.

A figure appeared silently not far behind him, also gazing silently at the memorial stone.

It's Uchiha Sasuke.

Kakashi didn't turn around; he knew who it was.

In this vast village, besides myself, who is also bound by the past, the only one who would choose to wander in this land of the dead at night is the boy behind me.

"It seems you've figured it out." Sasuke's voice broke the silence.

Kakashi slowly turned around, his dead fish eyes revealing a sharp new life force.

"I just don't want to run away anymore," he said softly, his voice carrying a sense of relief after a heavy burden had been lifted.

He didn't offer any further explanation, because he knew that the twelve-year-old boy in front of him understood everything.

He took a few steps back and stood side by side with Sasuke, the two of them gazing at the cold stone tablet.

"Sasuke."

Kakashi's gaze was more serious than ever before. "Tell me your plan."

"Before we talk about the plan."

Uchiha Sasuke took the initiative, turning his dark eyes to him, "You should tell me first what trump cards Danzo, whom you've always been afraid of, has."

“...You’re right.” Kakashi nodded without any surprise.

As a former leader of the secret service, he did indeed possess some intelligence hidden deep beneath the surface.

His voice became low and solemn: "Danzo never acts alone."

“Every time he goes out, he is accompanied by guards. They are the top ninjas in Root, puppets stripped of all emotions, who only know how to obey orders, and moreover…”

Kakashi's eyes darkened. "Everyone has been marked with the 'Tongue-Severing Seal.' Once captured or attempting to leak information, the seal will activate, paralyzing their entire bodies and preventing them from revealing any information about Danzo or 'Root.'"

Sasuke listened quietly, his face expressionless.

Kakashi Hatake paused for a moment, then continued, "Among his personal guards, there are at least two elites. You need to be especially careful."

"One is 'Aburame Torune,' whose body is inhabited by nano-sized poisonous insects, any physical contact with which could be fatal."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

poisonous insect?

As long as Indra's ever-burning black flame barrier exists, there is no possibility of touching him.

"The other is 'Mountain Wind,' a master of the Mountain Clan. He is skilled in long-distance perception and mind control techniques. Any forced intrusion will be detected by him instantly, and his mind will be controlled."

Kakashi's voice became more serious as he said this, "The Mind Transfer Technique is very tricky. Once it hits you, your body will be completely taken over by it."

Sasuke's eyes remained calm.

With his current soul strength, coupled with the power of his Sharingan, he is far beyond the reach of ordinary ninjas.

Invading one's own mental world?

He will only see scenes he never wants to see again in his life.

If Danzo's trump card was only this, then he wouldn't have survived until the Chunin Exams.

Kakashi seemed to have thought of something and continued, "Besides the two of them, Danzo himself is by no means an ordinary person."

"Don't be fooled by his old and decrepit appearance. He is from the same era as the Third Hokage and is also the personal disciple of the Second Hokage. His combat experience and strength are absolutely not to be underestimated."

"Moreover, he has an almost pathological obsession with the power of the First Hokage."

Kakashi's thoughts seemed to drift back to the dark days of the Anbu many years ago.

“When I was still in the Anbu, I met a member of Root, codenamed ‘Kou,’ who possessed the ability of Wood Release.”

Upon hearing that it was the same Wood Release technique as the First Hokage, Sasuke's eyes finally showed a slight change.

Those crazy experiments he witnessed at Orochimaru's base actually had some successful cases?!

Kakashi's tone carried a hint of lingering fear: "Although 'A' later broke free from 'Root's' control, I can't guarantee that he wasn't the only successful product."

"I see." He nodded, acknowledging the value of the intelligence, and then revealed the core of the entire plan.

"Orochimaru will make his move in the final round of the Chunin Exams."

Sasuke's voice was calm, but it made Kakashi's eyes narrow instantly.

"He will cause a riot that could plunge the entire village into chaos."

Sasuke continued, "At that time, the Hokage and most of the village's fighting force will be tied up at the main venue."

A perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Kakashi instantly understood Sasuke's intention, but what followed was an instinctive worry.

His voice betrayed a struggle: "This will affect many people. To achieve our goal through an invasion?"

"Sasuke, that would drag countless innocent villagers into the war."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke slowly turned around, his eyes appearing exceptionally deep in the moonlight.

"This village has already affected far too many innocent people."

His gaze was like a knife, piercing straight into Kakashi's heart.

"Are the children of the Uchiha clan innocent? Is your father innocent?"

Kakashi's breath hitched.

Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward, his voice growing colder: "Kakashi, don't you understand? Danzo is a malignant tumor lurking beneath Konoha."

"If we don't take advantage of the village's 'illness' to remove it, are we going to wait until it becomes terminally ill, spreads throughout the body, and then have a civil war that could tear the entire village apart?"

"Sometimes, protection requires gentleness, but sometimes... protection requires a sharp enough knife to cut through the rotten flesh."

Sasuke Uchiha's gaze swept over the broken blade wrapped in bandages behind Kakashi, his expression suggestive.

"I am that knife."

Moreover,

He added calmly, "This is what Orochimaru wants to do. I'm just using him; I can't interfere."

Kakashi's body trembled slightly.

Perhaps my father was devoured by this rotting flesh because his knife wasn't sharp enough and his heart wasn't ruthless enough.

"......I see."

After a long while, Kakashi sighed deeply, nodded slowly, and the last hesitation in his eyes vanished.

He took a small scroll out of his pocket and tossed it to Sasuke.

"This is a simplified structural diagram of the 'Root' base that I drew from memory when I was the leader of the Dark Army."

Kakashi's voice returned to calm, "Perhaps it will come in handy."

Sasuke caught it steadily, and without any formalities, immediately opened the scroll. His crimson Sharingan swept over it, and he quickly memorized the contents of the drawing.

Having done all this, he looked at Kakashi, waiting for what was to come.

Kakashi Hatake turned around, slung the broken "White Fang" back over his shoulder, and faced away from Sasuke.

The moonlight stretched his shadow very, very long.

"On that day, I will pave the way for you."

There was no turning back; only this weighty promise remained.

Then, in a flash, he disappeared into the night before the memorial monument.

Chapter 74 Knocking on the Door

Five days passed quickly.

The number of people who passed the exam seems to have exceeded Konoha's expectations.

So, another temporary individual preliminary competition was held inside the tower.

This preliminary round is unrelated to the "team" system; genin are allowed to forfeit, and it will not affect the rest of the team from continuing the exam.

Sasuke crossed his arms and leaned against the second-floor railing.

"I abstain."

The first thing that piqued his interest was the silver-haired ninja named Kabuto Yakushi.