Early that morning, Naruto ran straight to Sasuke's house. Honestly, he was already pretty familiar with it by now.
In the past year alone, he'd been to Sasuke's place more times than he could count.
Finding out that "Uncle Fugaku" was Sasuke's dad had shocked Naruto. He never imagined that the uncle who took him out for the first time a year ago held that kind of position.
And that Uchiha Yuhara guy? Not only Sasuke's teacher—but the clan head?! That was wild.
Of course, Naruto didn't really grasp what being a "clan head" actually meant.
But he knew the title had to be a big deal. More importantly, the guy was Sasuke's teacher!
Though, Sasuke had quietly grumbled about Yuhara not actually teaching him anything…
Still, that was the extent of his complaints. Naruto could tell Sasuke seriously admired Yuhara.
"Who wouldn't like a kind, gentle big bro like him?" Naruto thought to himself.
What Naruto didn't know, though, was just how deep that admiration ran.
All he knew was that, in the Uchiha clan, he felt something he rarely experienced outside—acceptance.
No one looked at him with disgust. No one acted like he was a burden. Everyone was busy—Sasuke said it was because Yuhara had them all preparing for evaluations—but even then, when they saw Naruto, they treated him… normally.
Just a regular kid. That feeling was something Naruto had always craved but could never find out there.
And on top of that, in Sasuke's home, there was a warmth he couldn't explain—something that felt like a real family.
Uncle Fugaku always had that serious look, but even through his stoic expression, Naruto could sense a quiet kindness.
And Aunt Mikoto—always asking how he was doing, how he was eating, how he was sleeping—Naruto had nearly cried more than once.
That's what a home was supposed to feel like. And Naruto couldn't get enough of it.
Every time he came over, they invited him for dinner. He always wanted to say no—he didn't want to trouble them—but the words never made it out.
He loved that feeling too much.
When Sasuke half-heartedly invited him over after school yesterday, Naruto had been over the moon.
He woke up early, ran to Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate, then bolted over to Sasuke's.
"Ah! Yuhara-nii!" he yelled as soon as he saw him.
To his surprise, not only was Sasuke there—but also a red-haired girl he didn't recognize… and Yuhara, who he hadn't seen in ages!
"Naruto? What brings you here?" Yuhara said with a fake look of surprise, while Sasuke sighed helplessly.
His dad had mentioned yesterday that it'd been a while since they saw Naruto and suggested inviting him over. Sasuke hadn't argued—sure, he thought Naruto was kind of an idiot and didn't know why he found him so irritating—but they got along, more or less.
So Sasuke invited him.
What he didn't expect was for Yuhara to tell him last night that he'd be teaching him today.
Sasuke had been overjoyed—finally, after all that self-study and listening in on lessons, some real personal training!
He got so excited he completely forgot about inviting Naruto.
Now, seeing Naruto here, he suddenly remembered—and regretted not saying anything.
"Sensei, I invited him. You told me last night, and I forgot to let him know," Sasuke said honestly, not even mentioning that it was his father's idea.
Yuhara smiled and nodded in approval. This was all part of the plan with Fugaku, after all—but the kids didn't need to know that.
Seeing Sasuke take responsibility like that, though, made him pleased.
"Well, since you're here, you might as well stay," Yuhara said with a casual grin. "I've heard you come by here a lot anyway."
Then he gestured toward the red-haired girl. "Let me introduce you. This is Karin. She'll be staying with us from now on, so get to know each other."
He looked at the three of them. "Today's all about assessing your skills. Ninja need knowledge, sure—but more than anything, they need strength. You need to protect yourselves, and protect what matters to you.
Without power, you can't protect your home. Your family.
You three can be treated as a squad—so I want to see what you've got."
Squad?
Sasuke, Karin, and Naruto all looked at each other, dumbfounded.
Sasuke sighed internally. Wasn't this supposed to be his lesson? Why'd it turn into a group thing?
He didn't even know this Karin girl. He'd heard from his dad that Shisui—Vice Clan Head—brought her back during a mission.
His father had arranged for her to stay here, but this was their first meeting.
Naruto he knew well enough—but the kid was a total loudmouth dead-last!
He glanced at Naruto, who was practically vibrating with excitement, and sighed deeply.
Still, it wasn't like he could say no to Yuhara.
Karin was just plain confused. Being brought to Konoha had already been strange enough.
Living in a clan full of pretty boys? Bonus.
But she hadn't forgotten—she was brought here because of her special body.
She thought for sure she was going to be dissected or turned into a lab rat.
But now? Everything felt weirdly… normal?
She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she didn't argue. Didn't really matter to her where she ended up anyway.
As for Yuhara—while he spoke to the three of them, his senses were locked onto a figure hiding deep in the shadows.
He sighed silently.
Looks like it wasn't Kakashi who showed up today.
After completing his mission, Kakashi had quietly left his teammates behind and slipped out of the Hokage building.
The hot sunlight stung his eyes—but it didn't warm him. Inside, he was cold. Frozen.
Last night, he'd uncovered those Root mission reports—sealed documents the Third Hokage had hidden away. He'd read them all night.
Each one more horrifying than the last. Each one made him feel more naive.
He thought he understood the darkness—he'd been in the ANBU for years.
But compared to these reports? He felt like a child.
So many atrocities. So many people silenced. All for "the good of the village."
That same excuse had cost his father his life. That same excuse left his teacher's son to grow up hated and alone.
Was it really all "for the village"?
Or was it for their control over it?
A storm of rage and doubt raged in his chest. Fire and ice colliding, threatening to tear him apart.
But that very clash kept him focused. It forced him to stay calm. To think.
He took a deep breath and returned home.
There, he immediately created a shadow clone to take his place.
Then, using the Transformation Jutsu, he slipped into the crowd—heading straight for the Uchiha district.
He hadn't taken all the documents. If the Third Hokage checked, he might notice something was missing.
So Kakashi only took what he thought was critical, replaced the rest with his own blank scrolls to keep the numbers right.
What mattered now was getting those documents to Uchiha Yuhara.
Kakashi really didn't want to deal with him—but right now, Yuhara was the only one openly opposing the Hokage.
Kakashi didn't have many choices left.
But as he reached the Uchiha district… he froze.
He had no idea how to get in without being seen.
He'd come secretly. He didn't want to be noticed by anyone—except Yuhara.
But the Uchiha had tightened their security. Patrols, surveillance everywhere. Without proper clearance, any outsider would raise alarms.
If he forced his way in, he might trigger Fugaku or Shisui—and neither of them were pushovers.
"What now?"
Kakashi murmured to himself, then suddenly remembered the forest behind the Uchiha compound—a medium-sized training ground nestled in the woods.
Shisui once mentioned back when they were in ANBU that Yuhara liked to train there constantly—day in and day out, year after year. The guy barely missed a single day.
Maybe that's why he was already so terrifyingly strong at such a young age.
But right after that thought surfaced, Kakashi shook his head. Truthfully, Yuhara wasn't the only one like that—Konoha had plenty of freakishly hardworking ninja.
Shisui, for example—he was Yuhara's age, and just as powerful.
Thinking it over, Kakashi could only sigh—those Uchiha really were monsters. Especially Yuhara and Shisui. Monsters among monsters.
Turning away, Kakashi left the clan's main gate and sprinted full speed toward the forested back area.
Even at his pace, it still took nearly five minutes to circle around, thanks to how huge the compound was.
But as soon as he arrived, his expression changed—he'd sensed someone hiding in the shadows.
"An ANBU agent? Watching Uchiha Yuhara?"
Kakashi thought grimly. Sure, Yuhara's relationship with the Third Hokage was notoriously awful—but would Hiruzen really risk such a blatant provocation?
Kakashi didn't have time to worry about it. His eyes locked onto the hidden ANBU, and in the blink of an eye, he was behind them.
"Who's there?!"
The agent whipped around, reacting instantly—but before he could do anything, pain slammed into his neck, and everything went black as he collapsed.
ANBU were elite—but elite had levels. And Kakashi was on a different one entirely.
Staring down at the unconscious body, Kakashi sighed.
But in the next instant, he felt it—that icy, suffocating pressure. A wave of killing intent so thick it was crushing.
Then, just as quickly as it came, it vanished. As if it had never been there at all.
Kakashi let out a quiet breath. Whoever it was… had recognized him.
"Your arm's too soft, Naruto. Can't knock out an enemy like that."
"Sasuke, your kicks are too slow. That's a huge opening."
"Karin, what the hell is that punch? Trying to scratch the enemy to death?"
Yuhara teased while casually dodging all three of their attacks, his tone light and sarcastic.
The three of them weren't as hopeless as he made them sound—among kids their age, they were doing fine.
But that was the problem—they were just average for their age. Compared to the era Yuhara and Shisui grew up in? They wouldn't stand out at all.
Back then, the village was still geared for war. Every policy, every training regimen, was about survival on the battlefield.
Even a lazy girl like Kotoha Nara had been top of her class.
Growing up in that kind of world, Yuhara naturally used the same brutal standards. Maybe it was unfair to Naruto and Sasuke—but Yuhara didn't care.
And frankly, neither did they.
Even under Yuhara's constant verbal smackdowns, they kept pushing themselves, adapting and improving.
Even Karin, who had started off totally confused, was taking things seriously now.
She didn't understand why Yuhara was training her—but she'd always been good at adapting. Her sensory abilities were insane, and she could feel Yuhara's chakra clearly.
It was cold. Uncomfortable. But not malicious.
She'd scanned the others in the Uchiha clan too—and weirdly, most of their chakra felt the same.
Cold, unsettling… but never evil. In some, she could even sense warmth under the frost.
Take Shisui, for example—his chakra felt like a complete contradiction.
"Such a weird clan. Full of weird people…"
Karin could only sigh internally. But strangely enough, she no longer felt any resistance to them.
Back in Grass Village, the malice from others was obvious—they treated her like a tool, never a person. It was disgusting and terrifying.
Here? She didn't know what the future held. But so far… it wasn't bad.
So she gave it her all.
The three of them were getting absolutely thrashed by Yuhara, but with his constant feedback, they were starting to improve.
And they were starting to realize—solo attacks were useless. They had to work together.
Slowly but surely, a trace of teamwork began to form in their movements.
"Well damn… this is getting interesting."
Yuhara sensed everything and couldn't help but find it funny. For him, their little team coordination was basically useless.
He could easily pull a Kakashi and fight them while reading a book—he even had a copy of Icha Icha Paradise on him.
But after thinking about it, he figured it was best not to scar the kids like that. Might as well show them a little respect.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Yuhara sensed someone approaching, which made him pause in confusion.
But a second later, his expression shifted sharply as his aura erupted in an instant, locking straight onto the one approaching.
Because he realized—someone had just taken down the ANBU watching Naruto!
That sudden burst of pressure would've crushed even elite shinobi, let alone the three kids in front of him.
The trio was instantly overwhelmed by a terrifying chill; for a moment, even breathing became difficult.
But Yuhara quickly retracted the killing intent. His face turned oddly surprised, because he had just recognized who was coming.
"Kakashi? Why the hell is he here? And using transformation jutsu too... plus he knocked out an ANBU?"
Yuhara hadn't expected things to go this way—he'd been planning to lure Kakashi in. Who would've thought the guy would just show up himself?
It was baffling. Still, Yuhara decided he should go meet him and figure out why he'd rushed over like this.
"Take a break."
Yuhara turned to the pale-faced trio and gave them a warm smile.
"Something... mildly unpleasant popped up. I need to take care of it.
Sasuke, take the others back inside. Tell your mom to prepare some tea and snacks.
Karin—don't let me catch you trying to sneak a peek with your sensory powers.
And hey, you three did pretty well today. Later, I'll have someone teach you something fun.
That's all—dismissed."
"Yes!"
The three of them had more or less recovered, and they immediately answered in unison before running back into the Uchiha compound.
Once they were gone, Yuhara slowly made his way toward Kakashi's position.
It didn't take long before he saw the unconscious ANBU and Kakashi, now back in his original form.
"What happened?" Yuhara asked, puzzled. "What's with the surprise visit? What's going on?"
"I..." Kakashi looked at him, still shaken. After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh. "I want to ask you something. Something important."
"Go ahead," Yuhara said, though the question already made something stir deep in his gut.
He hadn't forgotten how he'd subtly nudged Kakashi to go do some "interesting things."
He hadn't seen Kakashi since then and had no idea how things had played out.
But after that, Yuhara had received a top-secret intel drop. And judging by how things developed, it had to be legit.
He'd always wondered who sent it. He'd suspected Kakashi, but couldn't figure out why Kakashi would send it anonymously.
Now, seeing his expression, hearing his tone—it clicked. It was Kakashi who'd delivered it.
Sure enough, as soon as Kakashi spoke, Yuhara's suspicions were confirmed. And what Kakashi said next made Yuhara's pulse spike.
Because everything he had been planning... might be ready.
"If I beg you to help me take down the current Third Hokage, would you agree?"
Kakashi's words left no doubt. He was the one who'd sent that intel.
Yuhara had only told his clan and the six elders—no one else. Outwardly, he'd even acted like he supported Hiruzen.
If Kakashi could say this, then it could only have come from him.
"Why are you asking me this?" Yuhara said with a half-smile, eyes glinting. "And why the disguise?"
"I didn't trust you."
Kakashi answered directly, voice low and firm.
"This wouldn't affect you. But for me... it means everything.
I didn't want to be your pawn. But I have to admit, I was influenced by your genjutsu."
His words were heavy and honest, but they didn't faze Yuhara. In fact, he just smiled wider.
"I did cast a genjutsu on you—but it didn't control you. It was just a simple illusion."
Yuhara patted him on the shoulder gently.
"You wanted to investigate because you already had doubts. That desire came from you, not my jutsu. Remember that.
Still, thanks for the intel—even if you didn't trust me.
But now I'm curious. If you didn't trust me, why come back?"
"Because... I found what you wanted me to find."
Kakashi's voice trembled again, just like the night before when he read those reports.
His emotions were surging so strongly even Yuhara frowned. This wasn't the Kakashi he remembered.
"I found Root's action reports. Many didn't have the Third Hokage's signature...
But I know—they couldn't have happened without his permission.
And I also found the truth behind my father's death.
Just like you said—it was all part of a damn conspiracy."
All of it was nothing more than a power grab cloaked under the banner of "for the sake of Konoha"!
It all looked righteous on the surface, but deep down it was dark and twisted—chilling to the bone.
The Third Hokage... was no longer worthy of being Hokage!
I want revenge. But I know I can't act recklessly—he's still the Hokage.
If I act on impulse, not only might I fail, but I'd lose any future chance altogether.
And if I succeed, the damage it would do to Konoha—to the village that my teacher, Obito, Rin, and my father all gave their lives to protect—would be devastating!"
Kakashi paused, lifting his head to look seriously at Yuhara, a flicker of pleading in his eyes.
"So I had no choice but to come to you. You're the only one in the village still standing against the Third Hokage. And the only one with the power to actually do it.
Not just your Sharingan—but your control of the situation, your ability to clean up after the storm.
I read the Root operation reports. I saw how they tried to destroy you all... but once you secretly took power, you dismantled every single move.
You even turned the tables during that ambush with Danzo and the Root scum—killed Danzo himself.
And now, you're still the only one the Third is trying to take down... so I came to you. Because I had to."
Kakashi finished, silently staring at Yuhara. Yuhara, for a moment, didn't know what to say.
Kakashi's evaluation was kind of over-the-top... but then again, he was pretty good at handling aftermaths.
Either way, what Kakashi just revealed had Yuhara beaming inside.
This meant Kakashi was on board now. Even better, he'd really found Root's internal ops logs!
Yuhara had worried that Hiruzen might've destroyed those documents—but it turns out, he didn't. He sealed and archived them.
Why? Yuhara wasn't sure. Maybe to preserve Danzo's legacy, maybe because Koharu and Homura told him to?
Whatever the reason, those files now gave Yuhara real, solid evidence.
Looking at Kakashi, he asked curiously, "Did you find anything about your teacher? Or about Naruto?"
"My teacher and Naruto?"
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the question—but he nodded.
"I didn't find much on my teacher. But I did find Naruto's file. It didn't have signatures, but the operation outline matches what you predicted.
I suspect that during that time, Hiruzen and Danzo had a falling out. I once stopped Danzo from trying to assassinate the Hokage.
But even so, I think Hiruzen tacitly approved—someone like Danzo wouldn't have dared without some kind of green light."
"Looks like our dear Hokage has been busy," Yuhara smirked, not surprised.
He'd heard about that attempted assassination—and it even spawned the iconic scene: "Danzo, you've overstepped. I am the Hokage."
Yuhara didn't care much for that drama. Both men were the same—spouting ideals on the surface, scheming behind the scenes.
Though swapping "ideals" with "Konoha" might be more accurate.
After some thought, Yuhara said quietly, "It's a shame you didn't find more about your teacher... but there's something I should tell you."
"What is it?"
Kakashi frowned, unsure of Yuhara's intent—but at this point, he had no better options.
"I heard something interesting about your teacher's death. Want to hear it?"
"Please, go ahead, Clan Head Yuhara."
Since Kakashi wanted to hear it, Yuhara didn't hold back.
Even though he knew the story was made-up, he needed time to think—time to calculate how far he could take this.
Before, he wasn't sure what Kakashi would find, so his plan had backup routes. If Kakashi failed to get the files, he would've had him expose the First Hokage cell experiments instead.
That was the fail-safe he'd prepared with the six clan leaders—solid and safe.
But now, with more cards on the table, it would be a waste not to play them.
"With all these pieces... Hiruzen might not even get the chance to retaliate."
As he repeated everything Fugaku had once told him, Yuhara's mind was already racing.
"But the evidence is still in Hiruzen's hands. That makes Kakashi key.
Whether it's to secure the documents or as a direct witness—his value is immeasurable.
I have to win him over completely. Get him to hand it all over. That's our best chance."
While Yuhara worked through these thoughts, he finished telling Kakashi the story.
And now Kakashi looked exactly like the six clan heads did when they'd heard it—stunned, overwhelmed.
His whole body was trembling. It took him a moment before he could speak, voice low and shaky.
"Is what you said... true?"
"I don't know."
Yuhara shook his head without hesitation, meeting his eyes calmly.
"I only heard it myself. And now I'm just passing it on to you—because you were his student. I wasn't."
Kakashi fell silent. He had no idea how to respond to that.
But Yuhara could tell—Kakashi was genuinely moved by everything he'd just said. After all, power can twist people beyond recognition.
"As for the help you're asking from me—"
Just as Kakashi remained silent, Yuhara spoke again, instantly making Kakashi tense.
"Sorry. I can't help you alone. I've already gotten what I wanted, and I don't plan to get further involved."
Those words froze Kakashi's blood. He hadn't expected that answer at all.
"Why?! He's targeting you too! He's going after the Uchiha!"
Kakashi couldn't accept it—his voice rising in anger, loud enough to startle birds from the trees.
"You're losing your composure, Kakashi."
Yuhara chuckled and shook his head at Kakashi's outburst.
"You were the Fourth's student. You should know better. As a shinobi, you must stay calm.
What I said was I won't help you alone. I never said I wouldn't help if others joined in.
Kakashi, you still don't understand Konoha. You have no idea just how much anger this current Hokage has stirred up."
He paused and looked out toward the Hokage Rock.
"As things stand, quite a few clans are ready to act against the Third Hokage.
And I've already agreed to move with them. Taking on the Hokage isn't simple—we have to consider everything.
Like how to make the Hokage step down without shaking Konoha's foundation.
What if he lashes out in desperation? How do we contain the damage?
And when we succeed, who should become the next Hokage to stabilize everything as quickly as possible?"
Yuhara paused again, then patted Kakashi on the shoulder and continued.
"So, you see, you're still thinking too simply. You came to me alone, asking for help, but did you really think the two of us could do anything?
We'd accomplish nothing—except trigger total chaos inside Konoha.
But, that said... without you, or rather, without the evidence you hold, we wouldn't get far either.
From the beginning, we've needed you—to verify what we know, and to help us bring someone out into the light."
Kakashi listened in silence, a bit ashamed. He hadn't thought it through. His anger and grief had clouded everything.
If not for his love of Konoha, he might've already tried to assassinate Hiruzen.
But now, he felt relieved. Thank god he'd come to Yuhara—or he really would've screwed everything up.
After a moment of thought, he asked, "The person you want me to expose... is it Alpha?"
"I don't know who that is. My intel came from Orochimaru."
Yuhara calmly replied.
"He told me someone in Konoha is using Wood Release—a survivor of his experiments.
I don't care who he is. I only know that you know."
"Then yeah, it's him. He's the only one who can use Wood Release now."
Kakashi slowly nodded. He didn't ask how Yuhara got in touch with Orochimaru—it didn't matter.
What mattered was he now knew what to do. He could finally see a path forward.
He took a deep breath and looked at Yuhara seriously, hesitating slightly before asking in a low voice:
"May I ask... just how many people are involved in this?"
"You should be asking—how many clans are involved."
Yuhara gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder again.
"All seven of the most influential clans in Konoha—you can probably guess who—are in on this.
And know this: if you lie to us, we won't hesitate to wipe out you and everyone connected to you.
Don't think I'm threatening you. Don't get angry. Because the moment you came to me and brought this up...
You joined a war."