Darkness fell. Before he even opened his eyes, a pungent smell of disinfectant assaulted his nose.
Sasuke opened his eyes. It wasn't that unfamiliar street. He was lying in a bed, in a room that wasn't particularly spacious.
The room was entirely white. It looked like a hospital.
He sat up, looking around in a daze.
What is this place?
Just as confusion arose in his mind, the door to the room was gently pushed open. A young woman in a pink nurse's uniform walked in, seemingly to change his IV drip.
When she saw the figure sitting up in bed, she froze for a moment. Then, the tray in her hands fell to the ground with a clatter, shattering bottles and jars all over the floor.
"You're finally awake!" she exclaimed in disbelief, then instructed a junior nurse beside her, "Quick, go inform Lord Hokage! Uchiha Sasuke is awake!"
Sasuke paid no mind to the commotion outside the door, remaining seated quietly on the bed.
Soon, several medical-nin arrived upon hearing the news and began to perform various examinations on him.
He didn't resist or speak, allowing them to use all sorts of green, glowing chakra on him.
"Is this a dream?" Sasuke thought. "Or is this some kind of Kidō someone cast?"
As soon as this thought arose, his gaze inadvertently swept over a mirror in the corner of the room.
In the mirror was the reflection of a small figure. It was a child of about seven, wearing a loose, blue-and-white striped hospital gown. He had black hair, black eyes, and a childish face.
Everything was exactly the same as he remembered himself before the night of the massacre.
Except for the eyes.
And, inform Lord Hokage?
Sasuke's heart sank. Had he returned to Konoha? Returned to this unforgettable place?
Then what were those days of training at the Shino Academy, in the Soul Society? Was the power he had gained all fake?!
Uchiha Sasuke lowered his head in despair. Subconsciously, he focused his mind inward, exploring his own soul.
The next second, his whole body trembled.
Deep within his consciousness, in that familiar spiritual space, a Zanpakutō was floating quietly.
The cloth wrapping on the hilt, the scratches on the scabbard—everything emanated the aura most familiar to him.
It wasn't an illusion. A Zanpakutō, the materialization of a Soul Reaper's soul, could absolutely not be imitated or forged. It was here.
This meant that his three years of experience in the Soul Society were real.
"It's not a dream... I've returned to Konoha, and my soul, my power... they've all come back with me."
In the hallway of the Konoha Hospital, a set of hurried yet steady footsteps echoed.
Along the way, the Third Hokage's heart was far from as calm as his expression suggested.
After the night of the Uchiha clan massacre, Uchiha Sasuke had fallen into a coma that lasted for several days.
No matter how Konoha's top medical-nin diagnosed him, they couldn't find any physical trauma.
If he had died just like that, it would have been difficult to explain to Itachi.
Fortunately, he was awake.
Pushing open the door to the hospital room, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately saw Sasuke sitting on the bed.
He was looking down, his small frame appearing especially frail under the large hospital gown, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
However, when he heard the door open and looked up, his eyes made the Third Hokage's heart sink.
Those were not the eyes a child should have.
There was no relief of a survivor, not even sadness.
In those jet-black pupils, there was only a bottomless indifference.
"Sasuke, you're awake. That's wonderful." Sarutobi Hiruzen suppressed the shock in his heart and forced a gentle, kind smile onto his face.
He slowly walked to the bedside and sat down, asking softly, "How does your body feel? Do you remember what happened a few nights ago?"
This question instantly pierced the inner world Sasuke had just constructed, pulling him back to reality.
"A few nights ago..." he repeated in a low voice, his cold eyes instantly turning bloodshot.
He looked up, staring intently at the old man before him, hailed as the "God of Shinobi," and recounted the hellish scene of that night.
He didn't cry out, nor did he tremble, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him.
After listening to Sasuke's account, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
He picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and then slowly exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke.
"Sigh..." He let out a heavy sigh, as if heartbroken by the tragedy.
"Just as you described, based on our investigation, we can basically conclude that this was all done by your brother, Uchiha Itachi."
He looked at Sasuke with feigned grief and continued, "Rest assured, the village has already listed Uchiha Itachi as an S-rank missing-nin and issued a top-level wanted order."
"We will do everything in our power to hunt him down and make him pay for his crimes."
"That won't be necessary," Sasuke interrupted him.
"This is a matter for the Uchiha clan."
He lifted his chin, his bloodshot eyes filled with determination. "That man is my target. I will end him with my own hands."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the child before him and sighed again, his tone tinged with a bit of helplessness. "Since you've decided, then work hard to become stronger, Sasuke."
After a brief silence, Sasuke made another request. "I want to see my father's and mother's bodies, one last time."
This sudden question made Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flicker for a moment.
He moved the pipe from his lips, avoiding Sasuke's direct gaze, and said slowly, "They have already been buried. It's better not to disturb the peace of the dead."
But in truth, when the Anbu had surveyed the scene, they found that the Sharingan of most of the dead were missing.
He slowly stood up and patted Sasuke's shoulder.
"Rest well, Sasuke. The village is your home too. If you need anything, you can come to me at any time."
After speaking, the Third Hokage turned and left the room with two Anbu members.
The moment the door closed, the gentleness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a grave expression.
He gave a low-voiced order to the Anbu beside him: "From now on, keep Uchiha Sasuke under 24-hour surveillance."
Inside the hospital room, silence returned once more.
Sasuke, all alone, slowly clenched his small fists.
"Buried?" he muttered to himself, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold, mocking sneer.
He might not fully understand the political machinations of Konoha's leadership, but in the Soul Society, he had heard too many lies and betrayals.
The Third Hokage's fleeting glance away had not escaped his eyes at all.
Sasuke closed his eyes, having a rough guess about his situation.
"Konoha and the Soul Society must be two completely different worlds, and I... have returned..."
He felt the familiar and powerful Spiritual Pressure within his body, and the eager stirring of his Zanpakutō. "Although I haven't mastered Bankai yet, this is enough."
The next moment, he abruptly threw off the blanket and struggled to his feet.
A young nurse happened to push the door open and, seeing his movement, hurried forward to stop him. "Sasuke-kun, you just woke up! Your body is still very weak, you need to rest properly!"
She reached out, trying to support Sasuke.
However, before her hand could even touch the corner of Sasuke's clothes, it was easily flung aside by a deft force.
Sasuke didn't even glance at her, simply saying in a cold voice, "Move."
He stumbled towards the door. He was going to that place, the place that held all his happiness and despair—the Uchiha clan compound.
He needed to see with his own eyes what was left there.