Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

Inside a grand mansion located within the Uchiha clan's territory.

A middle-aged ninja appearing to be in his early thirties and a younger ninja in his twenties sat on their knees in silence.

"It's unfathomable! White Fang actually chose to end his life this way!"

"Sigh... If only White Fang had become Hokage. With his nature, he might have changed our clan's current situation."

"Senior Yoda, do you think there's any possibility that White Fang's death could relate to us?"

"You're overthinking, Clan Head. Although our clan is feared, we haven't reached that level yet."

"I suppose I am being too sensitive," Fugaku Uchiha nodded before sighing again. "It's just that I'm still too young. My prestige isn't enough to earn everyone's support yet."

"This kind of thing cannot be rushed; we can only change people's perceptions gradually," Senior Yoda said gravely. "Compared to internal affairs, I believe you should pay more attention to external changes."

"Please keep an eye on the clan's internal trends, seniors like yourself," Fugaku Uchiha nodded, then hesitated slightly. "As for external matters, should we place our bet on the Fourth Hokage early?"

"Although Orochimaru has always maintained an ambiguous attitude toward us, showing goodwill beforehand should..." Senior Yoda sighed but noticed the man in front of him frowning deeply. "Fugaku, are you alright?"

Fugaku paused briefly before replying, "Forgive me, Senior. Compared to Lord Orochimaru, I place my hopes more on Minato Namikaze."

"Minato Namikaze?" Yoda asked confusedly, recalling after a moment, "You mean Jiraiya's disciple?"

Fugaku nodded firmly, "Although I don't agree with the Will of Fire itself, if I had to name someone who truly grasps its essence, it would definitely be him!"

Yoda was taken aback. "You hold him in such high esteem? But he's still too young—his strength and influence can't possibly rival Orochimaru's."

Fugaku smiled. "Speaking of strength and influence, shouldn't White Fang have surpassed even Orochimaru? And yet, what became of him? What the Hokage seeks is someone who can genuinely inherit not just his own vision, but the true Will of the First Hokage!"

After a brief silence, Yoda slowly nodded. "Perhaps you're right. Furthermore, offering help during hardship is always better than giving it when things are already prosperous. However… how exactly do you plan to approach him?"

Fugaku looked solemn. If his analysis wasn't mistaken, it meant the Third Hokage likely valued Minato Namikaze greatly.

Under such circumstances, rushing in recklessly would only provoke resistance.

Just then, noise came from the courtyard.

"Unbelievable! Absolutely amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah! Senpai is truly a monster!"

Hearing one of the familiar voices, Yoda couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "My apologies for the disturbance."

Fugaku lightly chuckled. "Kids will be kids—it's only natural they're full of energy."

At this point, the two excited individuals finally realized the situation and quickly bowed respectfully:

"Uncle Father, Clan Leader!"

Seeing other children present, Yoda didn't wish to show displeasure, so he asked, "Shuunen, what were you all discussing so enthusiastically?"

Upon hearing the question, Shuunen became excited again. "It was a battle at our academy—an A-ranked Jutsu match of super high level!"

Originally, it was just a schoolyard fight, so Yoda remained calm. But when he heard about an A-ranked jutsu being used, his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.

Even among jonin, A-ranked jutsu are considered ultimate trump cards. When had such high-level techniques started appearing at schools?

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but ask, "Did the school hire a new jonin as teacher?"

Shuunen and Obito shook their heads simultaneously. "Nope, the battle was between first and second-year students."

Yoda twitched his lips, ready to scold them, when Fugaku interrupted him, "One of them is Kakashi Hatake, right?"

"Hatake?" Yoda asked doubtfully.

"The son of the White Fang," Fugaku nodded. (a legendary ninja known as the White Fang)

"No wonder," Yoda's expression became complex. Their entire generation had practically grown up under the shadow of the White Fang.

"What about the other one?"

"It's Seiki."

"Seiki?" Yoda's eyes lit up. "The very kid who brought you back onto the right track."

Shuunen said without any embarrassment, "Yep, that's him. Hehe, I could still go head-to-head with Seiki last year, but now? I'd probably wouldn't last five seconds!"

Both Yoda and Fugaku were astonished. After all, Shuunen was a prodigy who had awakened his eye at the age of eight—how could someone like him underestimate his own abilities like this?

Next to them, Obito also nodded in agreement. "After all, our upperclassman is a genius who developed an A-ranked jutsu when he was only six!"

Huh?

Fugaku and Yoda both spat out their drinks in disbelief.

Mastering an A-ranked jutsu at such a young age was outrageous enough. Developing one? That's not something a normal person should be able to do!

Seeing how intense their reactions were, Obito quickly explained, "Well, actually, Senior said he only provided inspiration and conceptual ideas for the technique—the rest of the details were completed by Minato-niisan."

"That sounds slightly more acceptable..." They sighed together, then suddenly widened their eyes again. "Wait a second! What did you say Minato's name was?"

Obito flinched slightly before replying, "Minato Namikaze!"

Fugaku and Yoda exchanged glances, smiled kindly at the two boys, and said, "By the way, how old is this Seiki student? Does he have any close female classmates? In the future, bring him over to our clan more often. The Uchiha has many adorable girls too!"

Obito and Shuunen looked at each other. Uh-oh—they think the clan heads might've lost it completely...

Inside Konoha Hospital,

Kakashi lay on the bed like a deflated blob, silently staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, noises came from outside the door.

"Kakashi, may I come in?"

Hearing this voice, Kakashi's lifeless gaze flickered slightly.

After a moment of silence, he replied, "Come in."

Seiki entered the ward, closed the door, and sat on the chair next to Kakashi.

"Senior, do...you need anything?"

"To be honest, I've been wondering for a while whether I should talk to you," Seiki's face turned serious. "Because...of what you said right before collapsing yesterday."

Kakashi's eyes remained indifferent. "You want to talk about that good-for-nothing guy?"

"You must feel really bad saying things that go against your true feelings, right?"

"I don't."

"If that's really what you believe, you wouldn't have challenged me carrying White Fang's blade!" Seiki stared into Kakashi's eyes.

"I just wanted to prove...that I'm different from him, from that weakling!" Turning his head awkwardly, Kakashi seemed unable to face Seiki directly.

At that moment, a barrier expanded around them.

Surprised, Kakashi turned his head only to see Seiki smiling as he said, "What I'm about to say is purely my personal speculation. It would be troublesome if someone overheard and misunderstood. So, let me set up a Chakra Barrier for now."

Kakashi wasn't at all surprised that Seiki could use such a simple barrier, but his curiosity was definitely stirred—along with a faint, unexplainable hope he couldn't quite name.

Seiki's expression turned serious. "First of all, do you think White Fang was strong?"

Kakashi fell silent for a moment. "Everyone I've met has always praised his strength!"

"That's right. He was a powerful Ninja whom even my teacher respected." Sighing softly, Seiki continued, "So then, do you really think such a strong ninja lacked resilience?"

A flicker of emotion passed through Kakashi's eyes, yet he still muttered, "Wasn't he the perfect example of weakness?"

Shaking his head gently, Seiki replied, "Let me rephrase then. I heard that White Fang hasn't been in good condition these past few months?"

Kakashi spoke with obvious resentment, "It's all because he went out of his way to save those irrelevant people!"

"What if things had turned out differently? Maybe people would have called White Fang too cold-hearted instead."

Startled, Kakashi stuttered, "H-How could that be possible? A mission completed makes the hero!"

"Who knows? It's only a guess after all." Smiling, Seiki changed the topic slightly. "Still, maybe White Fang made this decision precisely because he didn't want you to grow up with a cold-blooded father."

Kakashi's gaze became confused.

Seiki continued, "There's also something quite strange. Why would White Fang go on so many missions when his health isn't great? It's not wartime anymore, and missions aren't that urgent."

Kakashi clenched the bedsheet tightly in his hand. "Are you implying...someone is targeting him?"

Shaking his head, Seiki answered, "I don't know either. These are just my guesses. After all, it must hurt terribly to be misunderstood by your own son."

Kakashi shook his head violently, unwilling to accept this idea. "That's impossible! He's so strong—how could anyone target him?"

Sighing again, Seiki murmured softly, "What if...it was for your sake?"

Kakashi froze. "You mean...he feared someone might target me, so he..."

"All of this is just my speculation. Maybe White Fang really is a coward after all," Seiki said with a smile, standing up. "But shouldn't you be the one to uncover the truth yourself?"

Kakashi breathed heavily. "You're right. I must pull myself together. Whether he was a hero or a coward—I should at least investigate everything with my own hands!"

Seiki turned and walked outside, his right hand—wrapped in bandages—bleeding from the forceful creation of hand seals.

Kakashi's eyes welled with tears as he said emotionally, "Senpai, thank you!"

Without turning back, Seiki gave a gentle wave and sighed softly, "Those who are gentle and just often find it hard to survive… because this world is neither gentle nor just."

"Neither gentle nor just, huh…" Kakashi muttered, his eyes ablaze with determination as he watched Seiki's disappearing form. "If it's you, Senpai, I'm sure you can build a just world."

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