After a hearty banquet, evening arrived.
Everyone else dispersed, while Kakashi, having drunk a bit too much, strolled along the Naka River with Uchiha Touhuan to digest.
"Kakashi, you were a huge help in our operation this time. What are your thoughts on your future position?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
"Any position is fine as long as I can help you," Kakashi replied.
"Then I'll be frank. I hope you can become the Hokage's assistant, and also take over my duties as captain of the security force," Uchiha Touhuan said. "Afterwards, I plan to refine the security force's authority, separating the handling of trivial matters within the village and the legislative power into two new departments. The security department will simply serve as an intelligence and law enforcement agency targeting the Land of Fire."
"Okay, I understand," Kakashi nodded.
"From now on, you'll still be helping me a lot," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile.
"Of course," Kakashi smiled back.
The two walked up the Naka River until the sun had completely set, reaching the edge of the village.
Suddenly, Kakashi asked, "Touhuan, who is that masked man?" Touhuan
stopped, looking at the moon reflected in the clear waters of the Naka River, and said, "Don't you already have the answer in your heart?"
"It really is him," Kakashi sighed.
"Yes, I wonder what he's been through. The hero of Konoha has become like this," Touhuan said.
"This is his eye." Uchiha Touhuan pulled a test tube from a scroll on his person. Inside, in a nutrient solution, was the eye of Uchiha Shisui. "Take this. Judging from the ocular power fluctuations I sensed that night, your eye should have evolved to the Mangekyō Sharingan level as well."
"That's right." Kakashi pulled up the headband covering his left eye, revealing his Sharingan. The three tomoe within the Sharingan slowly rotated, soon transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan pattern of the Fuma Shuriken.
"Try to use Mangekyō eye techniques sparingly. Unlike me, you don't have Sage Mode, which naturally nourishes your ocular power. Using them too much will blind you. You take this." After giving Kakashi some instructions, Uchiha Touhuan handed him the other Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kakashi silently accepted the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"As for Shisui, let him die as a hero. It's better for everyone that way," Uchiha Touhuan said.
"Thank you," Kakashi said. He knew that the reason Uchiha Touhuan didn't make a big deal out of the masked man's identity later was probably more out of consideration for him.
"Why are you saying this?" Uchiha Touhuan smiled and extended his hand to Kakashi.
Kakashi took his hand, and Uchiha Touhuan flipped his wrist, gripping Kakashi's hand tightly: "We'll be comrades for life, won't we?"
"Of course," Kakashi nodded with a smile.
…
As evening fell, after saying goodbye to Kakashi, Uchiha Touhuan returned home.
As soon as he entered the house, the butler, Uchiha Keiko, said to Uchiha Touhuan: "Clan Head, young master Sasuke is waiting for you in the study."
"Is that so? How long has he been here?" Uchiha Touhuan nodded and then asked.
"Young master Sasuke has been waiting for you for two hours," Uchiha Keiko replied.
"I understand," Uchiha Touhuan nodded. "For the next two hours, don't let anyone disturb the study."
"Understood." Uchiha Keiko acknowledged the order and left.
Uchiha Touhuan pushed open the door and entered the study. As soon as he entered, he saw Sasuke constantly flipping through the textbook that Uchiha Touhuan had helped him compile.
Sasuke was startled by the sound of the door opening. He looked up and saw Uchiha Touhuan who had returned before putting down the book.
"Teacher, you're back."
"Have you been waiting long?" Uchiha Touhuan smiled gently.
"No, Teacher, your business is more important. It's alright if I wait a little while." Sasuke said.
Uchiha Touhuan looked Sasuke up and down. He had to admit that what he had taught him had some effect. Sasuke had changed a lot compared to the aloof and arrogant brat he used to be. Now, Sasuke could be called a gentleman.
"Speak, what brings you here?" Uchiha Touhuan sat down in the study and asked.
"Teacher, you said that when I feel that what you taught me can no longer explain the world I observe, I will come back to you," Sasuke said.
"Is it because of your brother?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
Sasuke nodded.
"Do you think your brother did anything wrong in this incident?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
Sasuke thought for a moment before speaking, "My brother shouldn't be standing against the clan."
"What if we set aside the clan's position?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
Sasuke fell silent.
"Don't worry, speak freely," Uchiha Touhuan said with a smile.
"My teacher once taught me that when entrusted with a task, one should be loyal to it. From the village's perspective, my brother, as the captain of the village's ANBU, is trusted by the Hokage and given such an important responsibility; naturally, he must fulfill his duty," Sasuke said. After speaking, Sasuke looked up at Uchiha Touhuan's expression, somewhat nervous.
"Don't be nervous," Uchiha Touhuan patted Sasuke's head. "Since you think your brother didn't do anything wrong in this matter, do you think the clan did something wrong?"
"No." Sasuke shook his head. "Whether it was imposing martial law in the village or arresting Jiraiya-sama who broke the law, the security department did its duty faithfully. So, the clan didn't do anything wrong in this matter either."
"Then, who did wrong in this incident?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
"I don't know…" Sasuke lowered his head helplessly. "But my brother died that night."
"Sasuke, in this world, some things aren't about right or wrong," Uchiha Touhuan said.
"This… I don't understand." Sasuke looked confused.
"Actually, Sasuke, the clan was actually staging a coup that night. From the village's perspective, your brother was the one on the right side," Uchiha Touhuan smiled.
Sasuke's pupils contracted after hearing Uchiha Touhuan's words.
"However, from the clan's perspective, the clan also had reasons to stage a coup," Uchiha Touhuan said. "Some people in this village couldn't tolerate the Uchiha clan, so the clan was already standing on the edge of a cliff, and the slightest mistake would have led to utter destruction."
"This… how could that be?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.
"You may not know what happened before, but now I will tell you everything from the beginning."
After saying that, Uchiha Touhuan recounted the Uchiha clan's previous predicament.
"So, Sasuke, do you think the clan's coup this time was right or wrong?" After explaining the reasons, Uchiha Touhuan looked at Sasuke and asked.
Sasuke wanted to say that a coup was wrong, but then he thought about it. Given the situation the clan had faced, if the Uchiha clan hadn't taken any action, it probably wouldn't have been long before the clan declined under constant suppression. This was something Sasuke, who had always taken pride in the Uchiha clan, couldn't accept.
"Sasuke, this is the second lesson I'm going to teach you," Uchiha Touhuan said. "Some things aren't about right or wrong, but about perspective."
"In terms of pure right and wrong, your brother didn't do anything wrong, but he made a mistake by choosing the wrong side," Uchiha Touhuan said. "The clan chose a coup to ensure its survival in the village, but your brother chose to stand with the village. He made the wrong choice, so he became the clan's enemy. It's that simple."
"Why...why is that?" Uchiha Touhuan's words had a huge impact on Sasuke's worldview, which had been shaped by a hodgepodge of Confucian classics. Unconsciously, Sasuke's Sharingan suddenly opened, the two tomoe spinning within.
"Sasuke, do you know why I taught you those things from before?" Uchiha Touhuan didn't answer Sasuke's question but instead asked him.
"Master, do you want me to become the gentleman depicted in those stories?" Sasuke asked.
"No, no, no." Uchiha Touhuan shook his head. "You only understand the first layer of meaning. Becoming a gentleman is certainly valuable, but what I'm teaching you is more important. I hope you can learn how to make others become gentlemen as defined by these things. In other words, these standards are not set for yourself, but for others."
"I… I don't understand." Sasuke said, full of confusion.
"It's okay if you don't understand for now. Let's go back to today's lesson. Regarding stance and right and wrong, why do you think I taught you these things?" Uchiha Touhuan asked again.
"Teacher, do you want me to always stand on the side of the clan?" Sasuke asked tentatively.
"If you were an ordinary member of the Uchiha clan, then that would be my purpose." Uchiha Touhuan smiled. "But you are my disciple, so it can't be that simple."
"Then, what should I do?" Sasuke asked.
"Sasuke, do you know how to play chess?" Uchiha Touhuan asked with a smile.
"Shogi?" Sasuke was taken aback, but quickly recovered and nodded. "Shikamaru taught me a little about shogi."
"So, what do you think is the stance of the pieces on the board?" Uchiha Touhuan asked.
"The stance of the pieces?" Sasuke pondered. "To capture the opponent's pieces? To win the game?"
"That's right. In any game of shogi, the moment each piece is placed on the board, its stance and purpose are only one. In shogi terms, it's to trap the opponent's king."
"Then, what about the players outside the board?" Uchiha Touhuan asked with a smile.
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