Kakashi had spent the long hours of Uchiha Souji's coma quietly gathering information about him. He learned everything—every rumor, every eyewitness report, every detail about how Souji had lived ever since he separated himself from the rest of his clan. What surprised Kakashi the most was not the boy's power, but the unbelievable effort behind it.
Souji had trained alone for years. Every night, while others slept peacefully, Souji would rise at three in the morning to run, climb, strike, and push himself beyond exhaustion. The giant stone faces of the Hokage Rock had become silent witnesses to his struggles. The soil of Konoha itself was marked with drops of his blood. His muscles, bones, and spirit were built through endless hardship. His strength was not by chance—it was shaped by talent, yes, but also by relentless hard work and a dream that refused to die.
And Kakashi understood something important.
This boy didn't need pity.
He didn't need lectures.
What he needed most was recognition.
To Kakashi, Uchiha Souji looked like a new sprout in a barren field—a rare good seed that only needed a little sunlight to bloom. When Kakashi looked at him, he even saw a faint shadow of his own teacher, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. For the first time, Kakashi wondered if Souji could achieve what Minato once hoped to achieve: true unity between the village and the Uchiha clan.
After all, the Uchiha were still part of Konoha. Yet the village's history was filled with suspicion, internal conflict, and old wounds that had never healed. Kakashi was tired of watching comrades fight comrades. Maybe this boy—this stubborn, hardworking, battered boy—could become the bridge everyone else failed to build.
Thinking this, Kakashi gently placed a hand on Souji's shoulder.
"Souji," he began softly, "I know the village has always held a prejudice against the Uchiha becoming Hokage. But I don't share that prejudice."
He paused, remembering the past.
"I once had a companion from your clan. He carried the Will of Fire brighter than anyone. If he had not… taken the path he did, he might have become Hokage himself."
For a brief moment, Kakashi's voice trembled.
"But he left us. And I failed to fulfill his dream."
He looked directly into Souji's eyes.
"So today, I want to entrust his dream to you. I want you to inherit his will. Become the first Hokage of the Uchiha clan. I approve of you, Souji."
Souji stared at him in disbelief.
Approve of me? he thought.
Inherit that person's will?
Which part of that will?!
Destroy Konoha?
Kill Minato?
Backstab Kakashi again like Obito once did?
Souji almost burst out laughing. He wanted to shout,
"You are repaying kindness with revenge!!"
This man had just dragged him through emotional chaos, and now he wanted Souji to take up the legacy of someone who nearly ruined Kakashi's entire life?
If I knew this was coming, Souji thought bitterly, I should've let Orochimaru finish you when he stabbed you back then!
He trembled—not out of emotion, but because his injuries were still severe and blood loss made him cold. His whole body felt like it had fallen into an icy river.
But Kakashi misunderstood the shaking completely.
He smiled gently, thinking Souji was touched.
"Don't get too emotional," Kakashi said warmly. "If you truly want to be Hokage, you must keep going. I'll push you as far as I can. But after that, the path is yours alone."
Kakashi spoke like an experienced father figure—soft, steady, and calm. It was almost comical how serious he looked.
But before he could say another word—
BANG!
The door exploded open as someone kicked it with all their strength.
"KAKASHI!!!"
A blur of green, tears, and snot shot across the room at the speed of a wild animal. Before Souji could even blink, the figure crashed straight into Kakashi.
It was Might Guy.
"Wait—!!!"
Too late.
Guy tackled Kakashi with such passionate force that both men went flying straight out the window. The third-floor window shattered with a loud crack, and the two full-grown adults disappeared from sight.
A moment later came—
"A GUY!!!"
—and then two heavy thuds.
Bang! Bang!
Souji stared blankly for two seconds, then burst into laughter so hard his stitches screamed in pain.
Finally! Karma!
Kakashi, your payback has arrived!
He clutched his stomach as his laughter turned into groans.
"Ow—my waist! My wound!"
He cursed the incompetent Konoha doctors. If Lady Tsunade were here, she would have healed him in minutes. Instead he was lying in this bed like a fragile old man. The unfairness hurt more than the wound.
"Be careful," a serious voice said suddenly. "Your injury hasn't fully healed. Medical ninjutsu accelerates recovery but also exhausts your cells. You're still young—you don't need to overuse it."
Souji looked up.
Standing at the doorway was Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader, carrying a basket of fruit. Behind him stood a small boy with a serious expression and spiky hair.
It was Uchiha Itachi.
But the way Itachi looked at Souji made Souji's scalp tingle. It wasn't hostility.
It was pure admiration.
The eyes of a fan looking at his idol.
Oh no… Souji thought.
Did I break this kid too?
After Kakashi's emotional speech and Guy's dramatic entrance, Souji was convinced: everyone around him was losing their minds.
Still, etiquette was etiquette. This was the patriarch. Souji struggled to rise.
"Master Fugaku," he said respectfully.
Fugaku's stern face softened instantly. For years he had dealt with arrogant Uchiha who awakened their Sharingan and immediately acted like gods. Souji's politeness hit him straight in the heart.
Finally—a normal Uchiha!
Fugaku hurried forward and pushed Souji back onto the bed.
"You don't have to stand. Just rest."
He sat down beside the bed. With a small hand gesture, several masked intelligence operatives quietly left the room.
Within seconds, the entire room fell silent.
Even the cicadas outside seemed muted.
Souji felt a chill.
Why is he clearing the room?
What does he want to tell me?
Is something serious going to happen?!
A breeze blew through the shattered window.
Fugaku finally opened his mouth to speak…
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