Traveling day and night under the stars, Uchiha Sogetsu finally arrived at Konoha's main gate just as the foggy sky was breaking.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the wide avenue.
The member of the Konoha Guard, in charge of guarding the gate, was yawning and rubbing his sleepy eyes. As he stepped out of the sentry post and was about to stretch, his expression suddenly froze. He stared straight ahead with wide eyes, his mouth slowly opening in shock.
As Uchiha Sogetsu approached, he couldn't help but frown at the guard's strange expression. "What's the matter, Yutai? I haven't seen you for a few days, and you don't recognize me?"
"No, it's not that," Uchiha Yutai's face turned red with excitement. "I didn't expect you to remember me. Welcome back to the village, Lord Sogetsu!"
Lord?
Uchiha Sogetsu raised an eyebrow, surprise flickering in his eyes.
It was intriguing to hear such honorifics from a member of the guard team. His reputation within the Uchiha clan had never been stellar. Many called him behind his back: a lackey of the Hokage, a disgrace to the Uchiha clan, and so on.
In the past, the guards would at most nod in greeting and would never show such enthusiasm.
"Well, I hope you don't hold the past against us," Yutai continued, scratching his head awkwardly. "We all know what you did in the Hidden Mist Village. You are the true hope of the Uchiha!"
Yutai's face and eyes shone with strong admiration and respect as he spoke the last sentence.
It seems this must be the Hokage's doing, Uchiha Sogetsu thought for a moment. But then he smiled deeply, gently patted Yutai's shoulder, and chuckled, "Don't worry, we are all from the same clan. Why would I hold a grudge? Besides, I am where I am today because of the Uchiha bloodline!"
Although surprised, he had to admit that Sarutobi Hiruzen's move had indeed benefited him.
With the Hokage working behind the scenes to stir up the excitement, there was no need for him to seek fame.
"Yes, yes! Lord Sogetsu!"
Yutai felt the strength on his shoulder and heard the voice, as warm and gentle as a spring breeze, and he clenched his fists in secret.
What is charm?!
This is it!
He has incredible strength, yet he remains completely humble.
With his graceful manners, kind personality, politeness to others, respect for the weak, and generosity!
Where else can you find such a perfect individual besides Uchiha Sogetsu?!
At this moment, Yutai felt deeply ashamed of his previous remarks. He steeled himself and fervently declared, "Lord Sogetsu, thank you for forgiving my earlier rudeness. From now on, I will be your loyal follower. I believe that only you can lead the Uchiha clan to glory once again!"
In truth, ever since the Uchiha clan learned of Uchiha Sogetsu's actions in the Hidden Mist Village, their perception of him changed almost overnight.
What were once derogatory terms like "Hokage's lackey" and "Uchiha traitor" gradually transformed into praise such as "gentle and humble," "powerful," and "Uchiha's hope."
Many young people began to revere Uchiha Sogetsu.
And Uchiha Yutai is one of those admirers.
After all, a sixteen-year-old Jonin who single-handedly infiltrated the Hidden Mist Village, defeated the elite Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and assassinated the Third Mizukage...
Such extraordinary feats would be remarkable even by the standards of decades past.
The key point is that he is only sixteen years old this year, and he is far from reaching his peak. It's easy to imagine how much he will grow if given another ten years!
Perhaps, the only one who can compare with him is Uchiha Madara! But compared to the Shura of the Ninja World, the gentle and kind Uchiha Sogetsu is obviously more preferable!
Thus, the younger generation of the Uchiha clan sees Sogetsu as their idol, believing that only he can lead the Uchiha clan back to its former glory.
Facing Yutai, who was like a fervent believer, Uchiha Sogetsu felt a bit uneasy. He could only use the excuse of needing to report the mission and quickly escape from him.
He was worried that if the conversation continued, Yutai might end up treating him like royalty.
On his way to the Hokage Building, Uchiha Sogetsu deeply felt both the advantages and drawbacks of fame.
The good part is that almost every ninja he passed greeted him with a smile and a nod, awe evident in their eyes, as if he had become a household name overnight.
The downside is that some people are just too enthusiastic. For instance, Obito and Kakashi, these two youngsters, seem to be turning into fanatics.
"Being watched like this feels a bit uncomfortable for an 'Spectator,'" Uchiha Sogetsu sighed internally, feeling helpless.
He wasn't like Adam, with an innate uniqueness, nor was he the King of Angels. If he wanted to change the course of the times, he could only do it himself.
What is a Spectator?
He is both an actor on stage and a director behind the scenes, manipulating and observing the direction of the entire drama from a third-party perspective.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the Hokage Building.
"Good job! Owl!"
Elephant seemed to have been waiting here for a long time. When he saw Uchiha Sogetsu arrive, he stepped forward, clapping him on the shoulder and jokingly said, "But, you might have overdone it a bit. The Hokage must be quite upset with you."
"Hey, Elephant, please stop praising me," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a pained expression, his face showing a hint of sympathy. He sighed, "You don't know how dangerous my trip was. I nearly died in the Hidden Mist Village. As for the Mizukage… well, I was completely overwhelmed."
His words carried a deep sense of helplessness, as if he had barely survived a deadly encounter.
Seeing him like this, Elephant couldn't help but imagine various dramatic scenes.
Uchiha Sogetsu had been pursued by the Mizukage, narrowly escaping death several times. He was gravely injured, forced to the edge of a cliff, but he fought back with all his strength and managed to survive.
Meanwhile, the devious and cunning Mizukage seemed to toy with Sogetsu like a cat playing with a mouse.
"Sorry, I didn't realize the gravity of the situation," Elephant said, his smile fading. He pulled Sogetsu into a big hug and spoke softly, "Don't worry, your suffering won't be in vain. Our Konoha and the Hokage will definitely seek justice for you!"
"It's all in the past. Let's not dwell on it," Sogetsu said with a troubled expression and a sigh. "It's just a bit of hardship. Fortunately, I came back alive and lived up to the Hokage's trust!"
"I understand. I truly do!" Elephant empathized, recalling similar experiences from his past. "Come on, I'll take you to see the Hokage."
With that, he began to lead the way.
"Huh?" Sogetsu was momentarily taken aback. "Lord Elephant, wait. Where are you going? Isn't the Hokage in the building?"
"Well, um, Hokage-sama…" Elephant's mouth twitched as he struggled to find the right words, his expression turning puzzled and somewhat complex.
"Hokage-sama? What's going on?" Sogetsu's concern grew as he frowned.
"No, it's just… this situation is a bit complicated," Elephant admitted, rubbing his forehead and lowering his gaze. "While you were away, something unexpected happened. Danzo turned into a woman, and the Hokage has been with her during this time, ahem."
Uchiha Sogetsu: "???"
********
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