The air in the special care unit of Konoha Hospital was filled with the sterile, cold scent of disinfectant.
Sunlight streamed brightly outside the window, birds chirped clearly, but none of it could dispel the chill and lifeless silence within the room.
"Ah-!"
A piercing, terrified scream shattered the quiet.
Sasuke jolted upright in the hospital bed, his forehead covered in cold sweat, chest heaving as he gasped for breath.
His eyes, once dark and bright, now held lingering fear and a tinge of crimson.
A single, lonely black tomoe rotated slowly within them… proof of his awakened Sharingan, but also the brand of an endless nightmare.
'It came again… that nightmare.'
Countless nights, he relived that blood-soaked evening.
His father's steady back, his mother's gentle smile, all shattered and vanished under his brother Itachi's cold, merciless sword.
The clansmen's piercing screams, the thick, nauseating smell of blood, and Itachi's indifferent, almost dismissive Mangekyo Sharingan gaze...
It always ended frozen on Itachi's icy words: "I was merely... measuring my capacity."
"Capacity... measuring capacity..." Sasuke's grip on the bedsheet was white-knuckled, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Immense pain, betrayal, and hatred gnawed at his seven-year-old heart like venomous snakes.
'Why? Why did Nii-san do it?!'
'Why did the powerful Uchiha Clan fall overnight...?'
Not far outside the window, amidst the dense foliage of a large tree, a figure crouched silently, blending into the shadows.
Silver-white hair, a white cat mask… it was Kakashi, assigned to secretly guard the Uchiha's sole remaining heir.
Through the mask's eyehole, he watched the child curled up on the bed, looking incredibly fragile and pained. A complex emotion flickered in his visible right eye.
He remembered his own father, remembered Obito, remembered Rin...
The pain of losing someone important was something he knew all too well.
But what Sasuke had experienced was far more brutal than most could imagine.
Overnight, he went from the cherished second young master of the Uchiha Clan to an orphan bearing a sea of blood and hatred.
And the ultimate irony… the one who carried out the slaughter was the brother he had once most admired and relied upon.
'The last Uchiha in Konoha...' Kakashi sighed inwardly. He had fought that night and naturally knew far more than Sasuke… that Shisui and a large number of Uchiha were alive, just in the Land of Stars.
But for Sasuke, left behind in Konoha, he truly was alone now.
Just then, Kakashi's pupil contracted sharply.
The hospital door opened silently, admitting an uninvited figure.
The man leaned on a cane, his right eye and right arm thickly bandaged, exuding a gloomy aura.
Shimura Danzo.
'What is he doing here?' Kakashi's heart tightened, instantly alert. After all, Danzo should have been under semi-house arrest.
Without hesitation, Kakashi's figure vanished from the branch, heading straight for the Hokage Building at top speed.
'I had to report this to Hokage-sama immediately!'
Inside the room, Sasuke, still immersed in the aftermath of the nightmare and the torment of hatred, didn't immediately notice the newcomer.
"Uchiha Sasuke." Danzo's low, raspy voice sounded, like the cry of a night owl.
Sasuke looked up sharply. Seeing the visitor, he instinctively grew wary, his single-tomoe Sharingan fixed warily on the man. "Who are you?"
"I am Shimura Danzo, a Hokage Advisor of Konoha." Danzo slowly approached the bed, his single eye assessing Sasuke's single tomoe, his tone carrying a hint of feigned 'pity'. "It seems you already know some things... about the tragedy of that night."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, not answering, but the hatred in his eyes said it all.
Danzo seemed pleased with his reaction and began weaving his web of half-truths and lies. "That night... was complicated. The root cause was Uchiha Shisui. He secretly colluded with a woman from the Land of Stars named Uchiha Hikari, intending harm towards Konoha."
"Shisui-nii?" Sasuke was taken aback, confusion flashing in his eyes, 'Shisui-nii was always so gentle, always working to improve relations between the clan and the village. Uchiha Hikari? That name sounded familiar, where had I heard it before?'
"Yes, Uchiha Shisui. His plot was discovered by the village. During his pursuit, he mysteriously disappeared. We originally thought he was dead." Danzo continued without batting an eye, throwing mud at the already 'defected' Shisui. "And your brother, Uchiha Itachi, he was even more deranged! Not only did he conspire with an extremely dangerous mysterious organization, he personally slaughtered numerous Uchiha clansmen who resisted him, even including... your parents."
He deliberately omitted the fact that Hikari and Shisui had taken many survivors, making Sasuke believe he was truly the last Uchiha sprout.
"As for Uchiha Hikari and Uchiha Shisui, they took advantage of the chaos Itachi created to attack Konoha, causing even greater casualties... Now, the great Uchiha Clan, the bloodline remaining in Konoha, consists of you alone." Danzo's voice was full of enticement, guiding Sasuke completely towards the abyss of hatred and despair.
Sasuke felt as if struck by lightning, his entire body freezing.
The single tomoe in his eye spun wildly as he uncontrollably recalled that night.
Running towards the clan's compound, meeting his brother... his brother's blood-tear-streaked eyes... then the endless torture of the Genjutsu, and waking to the reality that had become a living nightmare...
"Why... even Shisui-nii..." Sasuke's voice trembled, filled with incomprehension and pain.
He couldn't understand why the brothers he knew and loved had overnight become villains who betrayed their clan and village.
Watching Sasuke descend into confusion and pain, a cold glint flashed imperceptibly in Danzo's single eye.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping lower, like a venomous snake hissing. "With your current meager strength... this mere single tomoe Sharingan... no wonder Itachi 'mercifully' spared you."
These words were like the sharpest needles, piercing the most vulnerable part of Sasuke's heart!
Yes, his brother possessed such powerful Three-Tomoe Sharingan, perhaps even greater power, which was how he could slaughter the clan so easily!
And himself?
Weak, helpless, not even qualified for revenge!
Extreme humiliation and unwillingness instantly submerged his sorrow. The flames of vengeance burned fiercely in his eyes!
He grabbed Danzo's sleeve urgently. "Tell me! How can I gain power? I want revenge! I want to kill that man!"
Seeing the fish take the bait, Danzo sneered inwardly, but on the surface maintained the appearance of a concerned elder. "Besides its public forces, Konoha has an elite unit that has always protected the village from the shadows, executing the most dangerous missions… [Root]. If you are willing to join [Root], accept the most rigorous and effective training, then you might perhaps..."
"Danzo!"
The hospital door was shoved open. Hiruzen stood in the doorway, his face grim, voice containing suppressed anger.
He had rushed over after Kakashi's emergency report, happening to hear Danzo's final words. "Who gave you permission to approach Sasuke privately? Leave this place at once!"
Danzo's movements halted. His single eye coldly glanced at Hiruzen, then gave Sasuke a deep look, as if saying, 'See, even the chance to become stronger is being taken from you.'
Without another word, he merely snorted lightly, leaned on his cane, and slowly left the room.
Hiruzen walked to Sasuke's bedside. Seeing the hatred and urgency still lingering in the child's eyes, he sighed heavily inwardly.
He tried to keep his tone gentle. "Sasuke, what you need now is to rest well and recover your health. Don't listen to the words of those with ulterior motives. Once you're better, return to the Ninja Academy..."
"I don't want to go back to the Academy!" Sasuke interrupted him sharply, his voice shrill with excitement. "I just want to get stronger! I want revenge! I want to kill that man!"
Hiruzen looked at the child completely consumed by hatred, his heart aching yet helpless.
He attempted to persuade him. "The Ninja Academy is for building foundations. Like constructing a house, only with a solid foundation can you build a towering structure..."
"Why could that beast graduate early at seven?!" Sasuke retorted agitatedly, his eyes filled with defiance and questioning.
Hiruzen was momentarily speechless.
Should he tell him it was because Itachi was a genius, his strength far surpassing that of an ordinary Genin at seven?
That would only further provoke Sasuke's sensitive and proud nerves.
He was silent for a moment, looking at Sasuke's stubborn and desperate eyes, and thinking that Danzo had already made contact.
'If left unchecked, this child might truly be lured by Danzo onto that dark path of becoming a tool in Root.'
That was something he absolutely did not want to see.
After a long while, Hiruzen seemed to reach a decision, speaking slowly. "Since you crave power so much... perhaps there is a path that can allow you to grow faster."
Sasuke immediately looked up, staring intently at him.
"I can make an exception, allowing you to join the Anbu as an intern." Hiruzen's voice became serious. "But you must think carefully. The Anbu carries out the most dangerous missions, facing the most vicious enemies. Every mission could be a life-or-death situation. The slightest mistake, and you will truly die. It is far more cruel and dangerous than the Academy."
"Anbu?" Sasuke was momentarily stunned. He remembered the Root Danzo mentioned and subconsciously asked, "Compared to the Root that person mentioned, which is stronger?"
Hiruzen, upon hearing this, showed a faint, confident smile belonging to the Hokage. "Of course, the Anbu. Root... ultimately, is just a special sub-unit under the Anbu. The Anbu, directly under the Hokage, is Konoha's truly most elite force."
He cleverly elevated the Anbu and belittled Danzo's Root, both a fact and a way to draw Sasuke to his side.
Sure enough, a light ignited in Sasuke's eyes.
'I could become stronger than the force that one-eyed old man mentioned?'
'Gain the power for revenge faster?'
Almost without hesitation, he nodded forcefully. "I accept! I want to join the Anbu!"
"...Very well." Hiruzen sighed, as if making a difficult decision. "I will arrange for someone to guide you. But remember, this path is one you chose yourself."
After reassuring Sasuke a few more times, Hiruzen left the room, his brow furrowed even tighter.
He knew this was only a stopgap measure.
Throwing a child so filled with hatred into the darkness so early… the outcome was unpredictable.
In the distance, under the shadow of a large tree, Kakashi, now changed into his Anbu Captain uniform, silently watched it all, a complex look in his exposed right eye.
That evening, the Hokage's office was brightly lit.
Hiruzen had changed back into his Hokage Robes, but deep fatigue was hard to conceal on his face.
In just a few days, he seemed to have aged another ten years.
The death of his eldest son, Shinsuke, was not only the pain of losing a child but also meant the Anbu had lost its experienced commander, adding insult to the heavy losses suffered during the turmoil.
Kakashi stood before the desk, having just finished reporting on the Anbu's current reorganization status and personnel shortages.
"...That's the general situation. All teams are being reorganized. Compensation for the deceased has been arranged." Kakashi's voice was calm and detached, as if stating something unrelated to himself.
"You've worked hard, Kakashi." Hiruzen rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse. "Suddenly having you take over the Anbu Commander's position must be stressful. I'm sorry. After Shinsuke, I truly couldn't think of anyone else qualified for this position. For a long time to come, I'm afraid your rest time will be very limited."
"It is a Ninja's duty." Kakashi replied indifferently, as if long accustomed to heavy responsibilities and sacrifice.
Hiruzen nodded, pondered for a moment, and brought up another matter. "Regarding Uchiha Sasuke... I have decided to make an exception and allow him to join the Anbu as an intern."
Kakashi's visible eye twitched slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for the Hokage to continue.
"I will assign him to your direct team." Hiruzen looked at Kakashi, his tone solemn. "You, along with Tenzo, will be personally responsible for teaching him mission execution and training. At the same time..."
He paused, meaningfully adding, "...You must also make him understand what the true Will of Fire is. I hope... hatred won't completely consume that child."
Kakashi was silent for a moment, finally giving a slight bow. "...Understood, Hokage-sama."
He knew this was another heavy and complex task.
Guiding a hate-filled Uchiha orphan towards the 'correct' path… the difficulty might be greater than facing an S-Rank Missing-Nin.
Outside the window, Konoha's nightscape remained bustling, but beneath this bustle surged undercurrents of hatred, conspiracy, and reconstruction.
The wheel of Sasuke's fate, after losing everything, was being forcibly pushed forward in an unexpected way, heading towards an unknown, dark depth.
And Kakashi, a man also bearing countless wounds and secrets, would become one of his guides on this dark journey.