Still gripping the White Fang Blade tightly, Anya couldn't believe his teacher was truly gone. Without activating the Spirit Transformation Technique, the darkness within him surged violently, nearly engulfing the entire room.
His blood-red Sharingan locked onto Kakashi as he slapped him hard across the face. The frail Kakashi crashed to the floor like a cut loose kite, blood dripping from his mouth through his mask and staining the ground.
Anya's voice pierced cold as ice: "What exactly did I tell you before I left? And how did you promise you'd act? Do you simply not care about him at all? You're unworthy of being your teacher's son."
These words stabbed into Kakashi like daggers—wounding far deeper than the physical blow. He just lay there silently, motionless.
After the wave of grief passed, a violent impulse rose inside Anya—an urge so strong he could've torn the world apart. His dark spiritual energy surged even further, spreading outward.
Stimulated by intense emotion, the White Fang Blade began vibrating with a buzzing sound, while familiar chakra attached to the blade flared up.
Is this... my teacher's chakra?
Sensing the familiar presence, Anya finally regained some clarity. Looking down at Kakashi lying in agony, he lit up green healing chakra and moved forward to treat his injuries.
It was fortunate Kakashi already had wounds on his body; otherwise, Anya's enraged strike might have actually killed him. After a short while of treatment, Kakashi's swollen face receded and the bleeding from his mouth stopped.
Anya spoke calmly again: "Tell me everything—from the moment I left until now. I want every detail."
As Kakashi finished his account, Anya stored all the details away before quietly asking, "Where is my teacher's grave?"
Once he got the answer, Anya vanished from the room with the White Fang Blade in hand.
Upon reappearing, he stood before the tombstone. The unbearable pain in his heart could no longer be contained. Like a man possessed, he stepped forward, whispering softly: "Teacher, why would you take such a step? Why didn't you wait for me? Just a few days… only a few short days, and I would've returned. I succeeded in my mission… just barely too late."
Struck like a fresh wound, these words drained Anya emotionally, dragging him into a spiral of self-doubt. Why am I so foolish? How come I didn't foresee something like this happening? I should've known better. He was someone powerful enough to never appear in the original story—I should've seen it coming. Why am I so stupid?
[The intelligence report] he had painstakingly gathered suddenly felt meaningless, as if everything he'd done had turned into a joke. With a sudden clench of his palm, crimson flames flared up, swallowing the document whole and turning it into a pile of ash.
As the last embers faded, he planted the White Fang Blade upright before the tombstone and sat motionless like a wooden post, completely still. Once again, a dark aura spread out from him, slowly engulfing the surroundings in a crushing weight of solitude, silence, and despair.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage abruptly stood up in the middle of office work. This force—it felt so familiar. Wasn't this the same one he sensed years ago? It has returned. Who is behind it?
The Third's instincts kicked in immediately. He wasted no time changing into his battle gear and dashed from his office straight toward the source of darkness.
When he arrived, he was surprised to find Minato and Tsunade already there.
Seeing the Third approach, both hurried over to greet him.
The Third gave them a solemn nod, his eyes fixed heavily on the darkened area.
Minato, curious, asked, "Lord Hokage, what exactly is this dark force? Is it some special kind of chakra?"
"No," the Hokage sighed. "This should be pure soul energy, not chakra. I never imagined someone in this world could possess such a dark soul."
Looking at the location of the site, the Third already had an idea about who lay hidden within the darkness.
Soon after, several Anbu agents arrived, carefully positioning themselves in front of the Third, their eyes locked warily on the dark area before them.
The Third turned to one of them. "Has Anya returned?"
The Anbu nodded. "Yes, just tonight."
"Tsk. So it really is him." The Hokage said without a hint of surprise.
At the mention of Anya's name, both Minato and Tsunade were visibly shocked. Tsunade, especially, said disbelievingly, "Old man, are you sure you're not mistaken? How could that brat have such terrifying power?"
"I wish I was wrong too. But now, it can only be him." The Hokage pointed forward at the darkness. "This is the burial site of Sakumo Hatake."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade immediately grew anxious and took a step forward, ready to rush inside.
The Third quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Don't go in—it's dangerous."
Tsunade brushed off his worry. "Let me go. I want to go in myself and confirm. If it's really him, I'll make him withdraw this chakra."
Still holding tightly onto her, the Hokage spoke more sternly. "You know what kind of power lies inside. Unpredictable things might happen. So it's me who must go in."
With that, he gave orders to the Anbu agents. "[Four-Corner Sealing Barrier] and lock down this entire area. From now on, this is strictly forbidden territory—no one comes in or out."
After making sure everything was done, the Hokage released Tsunade and slowly walked forward with a heavy heart.
"Wait!" Tsunade called out, clearly agitated. "Old man, bring him back safely. Don't let the darkness consume his soul."
The Hokage shot her a surprised look. It was the first time he'd seen her express such deep attachment to someone. Could it be...?
Never mind—it's probably nothing, he thought to himself, finding the idea somewhat absurd. Could two people so utterly different truly fall for each other? Still, he had no confidence in fulfilling Tsunade's request. He understood the nature of the Uchiha Clan all too well.
The Second had once warned him about the Uchiha, saying their love ran too deep. When such profound love is lost, it could push them to extremes—even cause complete moral collapse. That was why Anbu had been monitoring them all along, trying to prevent such disasters. Yet despite these precautions, it still happened.
The Third had already braced himself for the worst—if Anya ever showed signs of losing control, then he would have no choice but to…
Step into the darkness. Inside, The Third sensed an all-pervasive sorrow spreading around him. Worse yet, it was creeping into his thoughts and clouding his mind. This darkness resembled a black hole without a trace of impurity; every step felt like walking along the edge of an abyss, sinking deeper and deeper.
The Third pressed forward cautiously, guided by the memories etched in his mind. He believed Anya must be near the Grave. A chilling sensation slowly crept over him as well.
That was… the chill of steel.
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