Nighttime, in the Uchiha family courtyard. Linton wasn't sleeping; instead, he was cautiously observing the surroundings. If someone discovered his presence here, they would surely report it to the Third Hokage. If the Third came to investigate, he would definitely recognize him, and Linton didn't want to interfere with the plot at this point.
Given his previous connection with Orochimaru, if the Third Hokage suspected this was part of Orochimaru's plan, it wouldn't just be Orochimaru in trouble—Linton would be implicated as well. A potential battle between the Hokages could complicate things further.
Fortunately, Linton hadn't noticed anything unusual yet. It was possible no one had paid attention to Sasuke because the Chunin Exams and Orochimaru's recent appearance had left Konoha short-staffed.
While watching the area, Linton heard a noise behind him. Of course, it was Sasuke; otherwise, Linton would've reacted much sooner.
"What's wrong?" Linton asked.
"For five years, I've been the only one in this house," Sasuke said softly. Clearly, he couldn't sleep.
"Is it about Itachi?" Linton asked.
As expected, hearing that name changed Sasuke's expression immediately. His fists clenched tightly, almost to the point of drawing blood. His hatred was unmistakable.
Knowing the plot, Linton understood that while Itachi bore responsibility, the real culprits were Konoha's top brass. Of course, Danzo, as the usual scapegoat, would bear the brunt of the blame again.
Linton, however, didn't feel like explaining all this to Sasuke—it was too complicated. Besides, Sasuke's current abilities were useless.
"You mentioned you left the village a long time ago. Do you know that guy?" Sasuke, who hadn't had a chance to talk to anyone about his feelings, was speaking more than usual today. It made sense. Sasuke had no one to confide in about the Uchiha's situation—not his teammates, not even his teacher. But Linton, although a stranger, was from the same clan, and Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore.
"Itachi? Never met him," Linton replied. "But I've heard of him—a pretty talented guy, I guess."
"You… want to kill him too, right?" Sasuke suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Linton was momentarily confused, but then he understood. Since Itachi had wiped out the entire Uchiha clan, Sasuke likely assumed his family had been killed too, and that Linton was also seeking revenge. But Linton's Uchiha identity was fake—what revenge?
Still, Linton suddenly realized that he had a new goal. Yes, Itachi had something he wanted: Tsukuyomi, that overpowered genjutsu. It wasn't just powerful—it was the ultimate cool ability. Just by glaring at someone, you could knock them out. Could anything be cooler than that?
Recalling the plot, Linton remembered that Itachi would return to the village shortly after the Chunin Exams. It seemed like he could catch that event. With this in mind, Linton nodded. "Yeah, I do have a score to settle with him. Can't just pretend nothing happened, right?"
"Itachi's life… is mine to take," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.
"You?" Linton glanced at Sasuke. "Honestly… you're way too weak. You haven't even unlocked the Mangekyou Sharingan."
"Mangekyou Sharingan?" Sasuke trembled. He had heard his father mention it before but had no idea how to awaken it. "Please tell me how to unlock the Mangekyou Sharingan!"
The standard response would be, "Kill the person most important to you." However, it seemed like strong enough emotional pain and sufficient ocular power could trigger it without that. After all, Itachi had awakened his eyes after witnessing Shisui's suicide. Itachi probably told Sasuke to kill someone important because he had already decided to die.
"You're not even strong enough yet," Linton said. "You don't qualify. Forget about it."
"What should I do?" Sasuke asked seriously after thinking it over.
"Train," Linton shrugged.
"Can I really catch up to him?" Sasuke asked, looking a bit lost.
"Don't worry, believe in yourself—you're basically cheating," Linton said. He hadn't expected to say that, but it made him pause for a moment. Sasuke possessed something else Linton wanted—the Indra's bloodline.
Linton didn't know if he could acquire it from the system shop, but it was worth a shot.
"Cheating? What does that mean?" Sasuke, confused by Linton's words, turned to ask, but as soon as he looked at him, he saw Linton's Mangekyou Sharingan spinning.
Sasuke immediately sensed danger, but it was too late. In the next moment, he was caught in a genjutsu, frozen in place.
Linton didn't hesitate. He knocked Sasuke unconscious with a quick chop. Sasuke's current level was so low that it didn't require much effort. Linton had acted quickly to avoid a situation where Sasuke would retaliate and force him to go all out.
When Sasuke woke up the next morning, he instantly flipped to his feet, alert to his surroundings.
"What are you doing?" Linton asked, hearing the noise as he walked over.
"You!" Sasuke assumed a fighting stance.
"Calm down. If I really wanted to harm you, do you think you'd still be here?" Linton said with a shrug.
"Then why did you attack me?" Sasuke demanded.
"First of all, you just got out of the hospital. You need sleep, especially since you'll be training today," Linton said. "Secondly, I'd heard you weren't that impressive, but I had to see for myself. Turns out, you're really not."
Sasuke believed him because nothing serious had happened. If Linton were an enemy, Sasuke would already be dead. Still, he was annoyed by the final comment.
"You're weak, and we don't have time to waste. Let's start your training," Linton said. "We need to find Kakashi."
Though irritated, Sasuke couldn't deny the truth. He'd been defeated effortlessly and had no time to waste. After a quick meal, they headed out to find Kakashi.
In the stone forest west of the village, Kakashi was also training. Since Orochimaru's appearance, he'd sensed an impending storm and knew he couldn't afford to waste time. Feeling his strength was lacking, he was pushing himself to the limit.
Kakashi was practicing one-handed rock climbing. Exhausted, he finally reached the top of the highest peak in the stone forest, only to see a figure standing above him.
"Hey."
Hearing the voice, Kakashi wasn't surprised. He had anticipated Sasuke's arrival and had even left clues to guide him here. He had entrusted Naruto's training to someone else, specifically waiting for Sasuke to recover. He hadn't expected Sasuke to recover so quickly.
"You finally made it," Kakashi said as he flipped up to the peak. But as soon as he reached the top, he froze. There was someone else here besides Sasuke.
In an instant, Kakashi was confused. He didn't recognize the man. How had Sasuke come with a stranger? But then, his eyes narrowed. This man… seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.
"Who are you?" Kakashi asked cautiously.
Linton smiled slightly, about to answer, but Kakashi suddenly remembered. "Wait… Uchiha Linton?"
"Oh? How do you know me?" Linton asked, surprised. He didn't recall meeting Kakashi.
Kakashi was shocked, but as a ninja, he couldn't show it. "I saw you in the village once, back when I was in the ANBU."
Linton understood. He had briefly stayed in the village after the Third Shinobi War, and Kakashi must have seen him then. At the time, Kakashi was wearing his ANBU mask, so Linton hadn't recognized him. As a war hero, it wasn't surprising that Kakashi had noticed him.
"You know him?" Sasuke asked.
Kakashi took a few steps forward, subtly positioning himself to shield Sasuke. He was on high alert but still managed to respond, "Of course… Uchiha Linton, a hero of the Third Shinobi War, but also a rogue ninja…"
"Rogue ninja?" Sasuke was startled, immediately thinking of Itachi.
"Wait, am I a wanted criminal now?" Linton asked.
"No one even knew you were alive…" Kakashi said.
"So I'm not wanted yet. How does that make me a rogue ninja?" Linton shrugged. "Just the Third Hokage slandering me—can't trust that old guy."
Kakashi wasn't interested in Linton's ramblings. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "You must be working with Orochimaru, right?"
"Hold on, I can let the other stuff slide, but you can't accuse me of that," Linton replied. "I've got nothing to do with Orochimaru."
"Then why did you return?" With Orochimaru's recent appearance, and now Linton showing up, Kakashi couldn't help but connect the two. He didn't know what Orochimaru was planning, but he wanted to get some information from Linton.
"Have you ever heard of the Uchiha family's motto?" Linton suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Kakashi was confused, and Sasuke was even more bewildered
. The Uchiha had a motto? He'd never heard of it.
"An eye for an eye, and double the payback."
(End of chapter)