Leaving the bustling streets behind, the surroundings gradually quieted down.
Sasuke walked expressionlessly on the road to the Uchiha clan compound, his mind racing, processing all the information he had gathered since his return.
The Third Hokage's vagueness, and the power of a Soul Reaper deep within his soul...
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he instinctively ignored the deliberately lightened footsteps behind him.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the person behind him seemed to step on a stone, and their footsteps suddenly became messy.
Sasuke's steps came to an abrupt halt.
He slowly turned around, his eyes sweeping towards a low wall.
A tail? Sent by the Third Hokage?
The thought flashed through his mind. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't make a sound.
Behind the wall, Uzumaki Naruto's heart was about to leap out of his throat.
He had been so focused on watching Sasuke's back that he had completely forgotten to watch his step.
When he saw Sasuke stop, he was so scared that he immediately ducked his entire body back, his back pressed tightly against the cold wall.
"He didn't see me, did he?" Naruto muttered to himself.
He stayed there for a while, and after sensing no movement outside, he cautiously peeked half his head out.
The street was empty. Sasuke's figure was gone.
"Huh? Did he leave?"
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and walked out from behind the wall, somewhat disappointed, scratching his head. "What a weird guy..."
"Are you looking for me?"
A cold voice sounded behind him without any warning.
The hair on Naruto's neck stood on end. He stiffly turned his head and came face to face with a pair of jet-black eyes.
Uchiha Sasuke had appeared behind him at some point. To make matters worse, the longsword that had just sliced the broom in half was now pressed firmly against his neck.
"You..." Naruto was startled, but strangely, he felt no fear in his heart.
"Why are you following me?" Sasuke's tone was a bit cold.
Most people in this situation would probably be stunned, but Uzumaki Naruto's brain was clearly wired differently from others.
He completely ignored the threat at his neck, his blue eyes shining as he exclaimed excitedly:
"Hey! What was that you did just now? How did that sword appear with a 'swoosh'? It's so cool! Can you teach me?!"
"..." Sasuke's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly.
Naruto, as if completely oblivious to his increasingly cold expression, continued to ask: "And also, why aren't you afraid of those adults? That shop owner is super mean, and you dared to point your sword at him! That was so awesome!"
"Where did your sword come from?"
So noisy...
That was the only thought in Sasuke's mind.
Why was this blond kid so overly familiar? What was even weirder was that he didn't seem to feel any aversion towards him.
With a flick of his wrist, his Zanpakutō was instantly sheathed.
"Get lost."
He squeezed the word out through his teeth, then turned and, without hesitation, used Shunpo.
"Hey, don't go!"
Naruto's vision blurred, and Sasuke's figure was already more than ten meters away, still moving away quickly.
"Damn it, don't think you can run away!"
Naruto was suddenly fired up. He started running with all his might, chasing after him.
What followed was a strange scene on the street.
A boy in black was walking unhurriedly ahead, his figure occasionally flashing and reappearing at the other end of the road.
And behind him, a blond kid was panting heavily, but like a piece of gum he couldn't shake off, he stuck stubbornly behind, shouting non-stop:
"Hey, wait for me! Why are you running so fast? Teach me!"
Sasuke's face darkened slightly. He didn't like this feeling.
It was like a dazzling beam of sunlight insisting on shining into the darkness he had long grown accustomed to.
Truly... an eyesore.
Finally, after another Shunpo, the noisy voice behind him completely disappeared.
Sasuke stopped, glanced back at the empty street to confirm that the blond kid was no longer following, and then withdrew his gaze.
With a few more flashes, he completely vanished at the end of the street block.
On the other side, Uzumaki Naruto was leaning on his knees, panting heavily. He looked in the direction Sasuke had disappeared, a clear trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"Tch, he runs so fast..." he muttered, plopping down on the steps by the roadside.
Sasuke was so cool, so amazing, and he seemed different from everyone else.
He didn't look at him with disgust like the other adults. Although he told him to get lost, Naruto could feel that it was just impatience.
But in the end, he had still shaken him off without hesitation.
"Does he hate me too, just like everyone else?" As soon as this thought popped up, Naruto's chest felt tight.
He had finally met someone who was nice to him, and it still ended up like this.
He sat on the steps, his head bowed, silent for a long time.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he jumped up from the step.
"Hmph! What's so great about you? One day, I'll be even stronger than you!"
He punched the air, then broke into a smile. "Just you wait! I'm gonna do something big and make everyone in the village acknowledge me!"
He glanced in the direction Sasuke had disappeared, then turned and ran towards another destination.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had returned to that familiar land.
The Uchiha clan compound.
The doors and windows of the houses on both sides of the street were tightly shut. A dead silence hung in the air.
A faint, lingering smell of blood still permeated the air, mixed with the stench of dust, making one nauseous.
He walked to the front of his own residence, looking at the police tape that had been put up and the dark red, dried bloodstains on the door. Those jet-black pupils were once again filled with hatred.
"Father, Mother." His hand rested on the cold hilt of his sword.
"Itachi..."
He whispered the name. "I will kill you."
On a high tower not far away, two Anbu members wearing animal masks were taking in the whole scene.
"He's back at the clan compound. He seems emotionally stable, but something's not right," one of the Anbu, codenamed "Nightingale," said in a low voice.
"Yeah, he's too calm," the other nodded. "This state is more dangerous than hysterical crying. Report the situation to Lord Hokage as it is."
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to the Anbu's report, silent for a long time.
Through the crystal sphere, he had seen Sasuke shake off Naruto, and he knew that Sasuke had eventually returned to the Uchiha ruins alone.
A child who should have grown up in the sun was now burdened with such heavy darkness at a young age.
And on the other hand, Naruto, who should have been a hero's son, was suffering from baseless ostracism in the village.
Why did it have to be this way...
The Third Hokage placed his pipe on the desk, a trace of bewilderment flashing in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by determination.
This was all for Konoha.
And Danzo was right. He couldn't just let Sasuke sink into hatred alone; it was too dangerous.
Sasuke needed someone who could both guide him and suppress him, someone who also carried their own pain.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look towards a silver-haired Anbu member in the shadows.