This money was basically his living expenses....part came from the village, part from the Uchiha clan.
Enough for an ordinary life, but barely enough for a ninja.
"I have an appointment with Fugaku. I'll see you next time," Mikoto said as she waved.
Raizen politely saw her off, only closing the door after she disappeared.
"Same as before… I still need to earn money quickly."
He counted the small stack of notes, then put them away carefully.
He could borrow from Kurenai if he pushed, but that wasn't a long-term path.
Buying a regular katana was already stretching things.
He and Kakashi had sparred once, and his blade had dulled so much it needed maintenance.
There would be no time to repair it during missions—especially on the battlefield.
"I need a chakra blade made from special metal,"
Raizen thought.
Such a blade could channel chakra smoothly, strengthening techniques and increasing efficiency.
He then picked up Lightning Release: Lightning Finger—a technique he hadn't practiced since joining the Academy—to deepen his understanding of lightning-style ninjutsu.
"Mikoto, you're here."
Fugaku, drenched in sweat, removed his green flak vest.
He had just finished training—something no ninja could afford to neglect.
"Did you deliver Raizen's subsidy?"
"Yes,"
Mikoto nodded.
Then she suddenly noticed a hole in Fugaku's chainmail-like mesh garment.
"There's a hole in your armor,"
Mikoto pointed out.
Fugaku followed her gaze and saw a two-centimeter tear, exposing skin beneath.
"You burned yourself practicing Fire Release again, didn't you?"
With a confident motion, Fugaku took off his shirt, revealing his muscular torso.
"What is it, Mikoto?"
He noticed her gaze and assumed she was embarrassed.
"Nothing," Mikoto said quickly, shaking her head.
But she had noticed it clearly.....
Fugaku's physique wasn't as symmetrical or visually impressive as Raizen's.
"I really don't know how that kid trains,"
Mikoto thought.
Although Fugaku was taller, his proportions weren't ideal.
"Is that so?"
Fugaku chuckled, pulling out a fresh mesh armor shirt and putting it on.
He was proud of his build.....years of battle had shaped it.
"The assembly is starting soon. Let's go," Fugaku said.
"Okay," Mikoto replied.
The periodic assembly was essential for all Uchiha who had become full ninjas.
The upper floor of Naka Shrine was used for daytime gatherings and was open even to non-ninja clan members.
The underground chamber, however, was restricted—reserved only for internal clan meetings and secrets ordinary Uchiha weren't allowed to know.
The Hatake household.
The evening sun hung low in the sky. Kakashi, after a day of training, hurried home as usual.
But the moment he opened the door, a heavy pressure and a sharp metallic odor filled the air.
He frowned, removed his shoes, and called softly,
"Father, I'm home."
No reply.
Kakashi's heart sank as he walked toward his father's room.
Ever since the comrade he had saved turned around and criticized him…
Sakumo hadn't left the house.
Passing through the living room, Kakashi noticed several sheets of yellowed paper scattered across the table.
Fresh ink filled the pages, the brush strokes shaky and dense.
He glanced over them.
Words like "regret," "shame," "failure," "wrongdoing" leaped out at him—suffocating with despair.
"Father…?"
Unease gripped him. He rushed toward the inner room and pushed open the door.
And froze.
Hatake Sakumo lay motionless on the tatami, a dagger buried in his chest.
Blood had soaked through his clothes and seeped deep into the tatami fibers.
The crimson stains had darkened, filling the air with a pungent smell of iron.
Kakashi's eyes widened, his mind blank, unable to process the scene.
"Why…"
His voice cracked as he stumbled forward and fell to his knees.
With trembling fingers, he touched his father's hand.....cold and stiff.
Grief, helplessness, anger at the village's rules, and crushing self-blame all flooded over him like a collapsing wave.
Kakashi couldn't comprehend why his father, who had done the most essential thing a ninja could do.....cherish his comrades—was met with scorn and accusations.
After a long while, Kakashi went to inform the others.
Not long after, Jiraiya was the first to arrive.
"Sakumo actually…"
Inside the house, Jiraiya frowned deeply.
He and Hatake Sakumo were roughly the same age, both born around Konoha 13.
Yet Sakumo's reputation far outshone t
heirs.
The so-called legendary Sannin....
an honor to outsiders.....was, to them, also a mark of survival by chance. The three of them had escaped Hanzo's grasp almost by luck.
Years had passed, and each had grown stronger, but the Sannin title had spread far and wide.
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