Yamanaka Flower Shop.
Watching Yun leave, Yamanaka Inoichi turned to his wife, who still held the payment the boy had given her. The coins clinked softly in her hand.
"I thought you'd do it for free." he said with a faint smile.
She glared at him immediately. "Although he's a poor child, we're poor too! Food, drink, daily necessities—those don't buy themselves, Inoichi!"
Her voice had that familiar scolding tone that made the former Anbu intelligence officer instinctively straighten his back. To divert her nagging, he cleared his throat and changed the topic swiftly.
"That child... he isn't some Academy student, you know."
She paused mid-rant. "What? Then what is he? Another genius like Kakashi?"
Inoichi nodded gravely. "I'm afraid not just Kakashi's level. I heard his special chūnin examination was a one-on-one match against Kakashi himself… and Kakashi lost."
The scissors in her hand almost slipped. "He defeated Kakashi? That boy just now?"
Inoichi's expression softened. "The Uchiha clan is truly blessed in this generation. They've not only produced Uchiha Shisui, but also Uchiha Yun."
He continued with a thoughtful tone. "And Uchiha Itachi from Minazuki's squad awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan last year. The new generation of Uchiha is becoming something no one can ignore."
She huffed softly. "Well, it's none of our clan's concern. The Ino–Shika–Chō alliance has stood firm since the Warring States era. No matter how the village politics shift, no one will target us."
Inoichi chuckled and nodded. "That's true. And now that Root has been disbanded, Fu can stay home again. Third Hokage-sama and Fourth Hokage-sama… both have their bottom lines, thankfully."
(T.L Note: Fuu as in Yamanaka Fu. The orange-haired Yamanaka clan member under Danzo)
Ino, perched comfortably in her father's arms, looked up at them with wide, curious eyes. "Dad, what was that onii-chan's name just now?"
…
Konoha Memorial Stone.
A soft breeze swept through the clearing, carrying the faint scent of earth and flowers. Uchiha Yun knelt silently before the dark granite monument. In his hands, he held the bouquet of white chrysanthemums from the Yamanaka shop.
He placed them gently before two small stone tablets.
The names carved there were unfamiliar to most.
Neko.
En.
Anbu code names. Their true identities had returned to the earth, and the only things buried beneath these stones were remnants of their uniforms and the scent of smoke. Their bodies had been obliterated—devoured by the giant serpent Orochimaru had summoned before his defection.
"Haa…"
Yun exhaled softly. His gaze lingered on the engraved words, his face unreadable.
*Clap*
A faint sound came from nearby. He turned and saw Kakashi, standing quietly in front of two adjacent tablets, placing chrysanthemums of his own.
The silver-haired jōnin stood between two names—silent, composed, his single visible eye filled with a subdued sorrow.
'Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.' Yun thought. 'So even now, he still visits them…'
He had long guessed that the Fourth Hokage hadn't told Kakashi the truth about the masked man's identity three years ago.
Kakashi looked up slightly, sensing Yun's gaze. Their eyes met for a moment before Yun walked over.
"Your former teammates?" he asked.
Kakashi nodded. "Yeah. This Sharingan—" he touched his covered left eye "—was given to me by him before he died. Uchiha Obito."
He let out a shallow breath. "He told me to use this eye to protect Rin. But in the end… I still couldn't keep that promise."
Yun's lips quirked faintly, neither mocking nor sympathetic. 'A two-tomoe Sharingan and an incomplete Chidori against Uchiha Madara's manipulation—no one could have kept that promise.'
Kakashi turned toward him again. "You came to mourn your teammates too, didn't you? Neko and En. I heard from Hokage-sama about that mission. I may not agree with everything that happened, but… you did well."
Yun tilted his head slightly. "Why does everyone seem to know about Anbu missions lately? Inoichi-senpai, now you too."
Kakashi gave a soft laugh, subdued but genuine. "Inoichi-san only knows two members died on duty and were honored here. I know because my sensei told me."
He grew quiet for a moment, then said, almost in a whisper, "Obito once told me something: 'In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum… but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.'"
The memory hung heavily between them.
"Although I understand why you did what you did," Kakashi said finally, his voice low, "you must still be cautious. The power of the Mangekyō Sharingan isn't something the Uchiha can afford to lose right now. One misstep—and the clan could fall even faster."
Yun looked at him with quiet curiosity. "Why say that?"
Kakashi turned his gaze to the sky. "My sensei once told me—'Only through power can people sit at the negotiating table as equals'. The Uchiha already have enough strength; what they lack is timing. If you lose your power… then no one will even bother to listen."
He looked down again, the faint wind rustling their clothes. "Without threat, there's no respect. Without power, there's no decisiveness."
The two stood in silence. The murmurs of other mourners faded gradually as the crowd dispersed, leaving only the rustle of the forest.
…
Later, as they returned toward the village center, a commotion drew their attention—a pair of small voices echoing from the playground nearby.
Two boys stood facing each other, shouting across the dusty field.
One had jet-black hair and the Uchiha fan crest emblazoned proudly on his back—little Uchiha Sasuke.
The other had messy blond hair and a spiral crest stitched onto his shirt—little Uzumaki Naruto.
"My nii-san graduated early! He's a genius ninja!"
"My dad is the Hokage!"
"My nii-san's shuriken hits the mark every single time!"
"My dad is the Hokage!"
"My nii-san's Fire Style is super powerful—he can burn down the whole forest!"
"My dad is the Hokage!"
Sasuke puffed his cheeks in frustration. "Do you only know how to talk about your dad?"
Naruto grinned proudly. "Aren't you only talking about your brother? Hmph! And you don't even have a dad!"
The words hit like a kunai to the heart.
Sasuke's face crumpled, his eyes welling up immediately. "Waaah! You said I don't have a dad! I'm never playing with you again!"
He turned and bolted, tears streaming down his face.
Naruto froze. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He wanted to chase after him—to say sorry—but his pride held him back.
"Sa… Sasuke…" he whispered weakly, taking a hesitant step forward. When he finally reached out, Sasuke was already gone, his sobs fading into the distance.
Naruto stood there, staring blankly at the empty swing set swaying in the breeze.
'Why?' he wondered. 'We were just playing… did I say something wrong?'
But that's what everyone always said—Sasuke didn't have a dad.
*Whoosh!*
Kakashi appeared beside him, crouching down slightly. "Naruto…" he said softly, then turned to Yun with an apologetic expression. "I'll have sensei scold him later. Sorry about that, Yun."
Yun scratched his head, sighing. "It's fine. They're just kids. Probably make up by tomorrow."
Kakashi gave a wry smile, then looked back at Naruto—his tone suddenly serious. "Still… saying something like that. Maybe I should tell your mom."
"Huh?"
Naruto's face went pale. The thought of facing his angry mother made his knees buckle. But knowing he was in the wrong, he still reached for Kakashi's hand obediently.
As they walked off, Yun's eyes followed Sasuke's retreating figure.
He let out a quiet sigh.
'Ashura and Indra's chakra… are they already reacting to each other?'
'So soon, and they're already beginning to clash…'
But then his expression darkened slightly.
'What Naruto said—it wasn't entirely wrong, but… Fugaku's death was tied to that night, to me. To the Fourth Hokage's plea for help. If not for that, perhaps Fugaku wouldn't have died so early…'
He looked up at the pale sky, the sound of the swings creaking faintly behind him.
A wry smile touched his lips as he blurred forward, his body flickering out of sight.
In the next instant, Yun appeared beside Sasuke, who sat crying beneath a tree.
The older Uchiha silently placed a hand on the boy's head. The plot has collapsed, relying entirely on the author's imagination, 'How difficult...'
*****
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I am working on the following projects:
✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]
✓ The Academy's Saint Is Too Popular, But He's Not the Protagonist [R-18]