"So, do you have a brain or not? If I were with Orochimaru, I would have just run off with him. Why would I stay here?" Linton said, spreading his hands.
"I suspect you have some ulterior motive for staying here," replied Kakashi.
Linton quickly found himself surrounded. They had also discovered the Third Hokage's body, and naturally, Linton, as the only person present, was questioned about what had happened. His answer was simple: Orochimaru had stabbed the Third Hokage, but he himself was injured, so he retreated.
Even though Linton's explanation was straightforward, many people believed him. After all, several members of the Anbu had witnessed the battle. Although they hadn't seen the very end, it was a fact that Linton had helped the Third Hokage fight against Orochimaru, and with their testimonies, some others were inclined to believe Linton too.
The only one raising objections was Kakashi. After all, Linton had explicitly said before that he came to seek revenge against the Third Hokage, vowing to pay him back double. And now the Third Hokage was dead. How could Kakashi believe Linton? Most people didn't even know who Linton was, so they were unaware of the specific situation.
Currently, Kakashi was confronting Linton, and this was not in Linton's favor. People were more familiar with Kakashi, so naturally, they believed him more.
"So, what's my motive?" Linton asked, spreading his hands.
"I don't know," Kakashi replied, "but I know you definitely can't be trusted."
"Hmm... if you distrust me so much, there's nothing I can do," Linton thought for a moment and said. "If that's the case, I'll just leave the village."
"Huh?" Kakashi was stunned again.
"But before I leave, there's still one thing I need to do," Linton said.
"What do you intend to do first?" Kakashi immediately became alert.
"Attend the Third Hokage's funeral," Linton said. "I agree to leave if you want me to, but I hope to stay until after the Third Hokage's funeral. You wouldn't deny me even this, would you?"
"..." Kakashi was really unsure of what Linton wanted, but when the others heard that Linton just wanted to attend the Third Hokage's funeral, their opinion of him slightly improved. Wanting to attend the funeral might show he had feelings for the Third Hokage, which could mean he was genuinely on their side.
Kakashi hesitated. He definitely didn't believe Linton's nonsense. This guy wasn't just interested in attending the Third Hokage's funeral; he was probably planning something. But what exactly? He wanted to stop him, but Linton's excuse made it difficult to find a reason to refuse.
At that moment, Linton suddenly added, "Since you suspect me, why don't you keep an eye on me for the next few days? Follow me around. How about it?"
"Hmm?" Kakashi was momentarily taken aback. Allowing him to monitor made Kakashi suspicious. Although Linton was indeed stronger than him, this wasn't the same as being in the middle of nowhere. If Linton made any moves, Kakashi would certainly be able to sound the alarm. This made even Kakashi wonder if Linton genuinely just wanted to attend the funeral. Although Linton had mentioned avenging himself against the Third Hokage, could there be some unknown truth he wasn't aware of? After all, the incident from thirteen years ago did seem strange; it didn't make sense for Linton to suddenly become a rogue ninja.
"Kakashi, given the current situation, let's not complicate things," Kurenai Yuhi quietly said as she approached Kakashi. "I agree with you; this man isn't normal and definitely has issues. But for now, we have a lot of other problems to deal with. Since he's letting you follow him, just keep an eye on him."
Kakashi nodded slightly. Yes, there were many things to deal with now; it wasn't wise to stir up trouble. They had to handle the funerals for the Third Hokage and the others first. Then there was the issue with the Sand Village. After a battle like this, should they go to full-scale war or sign a treaty? And then there was the even more pressing issue of selecting a new Hokage—just choosing who would take the position was already very troublesome.
Thinking it over, would letting Linton just leave the village be a good thing? Where would he go after leaving? What would he do? Not knowing where this guy might run off to would be more troubling. Kurenai Yuhi's suggestion of letting Kakashi keep an eye on him meant they would at least be prepared for whatever he might do, which was better than him planning something in secret.
As for arresting Linton, there wasn't a clear reason to detain him. Although he had the label of a rogue ninja, he was supposedly dead for thirteen years, and there was no warrant out for his arrest. That incident itself was questionable, and now he had publicly helped the village against Orochimaru. If they just arrested him out of the blue, it wouldn't make much sense.
Moreover, Linton himself was very powerful. Several Anbu who had witnessed the fight had already confirmed this. Most people felt that provoking someone like him—especially under the current circumstances—might be a bit suicidal.
After considering all these points, most people agreed to Linton's suggestion: let him stay for now, with Kakashi keeping an eye on him. After the Third Hokage's funeral, they would hold another meeting to discuss what to do with Linton.
Linton didn't care. Waiting for the funeral was just waiting for Itachi to show up. He remembered Itachi appeared on the day of the funeral, seemingly just to attend it. Once that guy showed up, it wouldn't be up to them whether he stayed or left.
Of course, before Itachi returned, Linton still had some things to do. So far, aside from the Flying Thunder God Technique, he hadn't bought anything else—he didn't have enough points. He was now preparing to earn some more points. His chosen target was none other than Ashura's reincarnation, Naruto Uzumaki.
Of course, Linton had noticed earlier that when he defeated the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, there was no prompt indicating anything could be uploaded. After all, the Edo Tensei body wasn't really Hashirama's body; Orochimaru had used one of his subordinates, some random person. So now the only option left was Naruto.
But how could he meet Naruto? That wasn't easy; as a Jinchuriki, he was always under surveillance. Plus, with Kakashi by his side, if he went to see Naruto, Kakashi would immediately be on alert. But now he had a good excuse—one that would allow him to meet Naruto.
As for the Third Hokage's body, Linton didn't care about handling that. He left the scene quickly. Naturally, Kakashi followed him, along with a few other Anbu members surrounding them.
"Where are you planning to go?" Kakashi asked directly.
"To see my nephew," Linton replied.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.
"Yeah, who else?" Linton said. "Itachi? I guess he also counts as my nephew."
"..." Kakashi was silent for a moment before saying, "Sasuke is in the hospital right now."
"Got put in the hospital by that Sand Village Jinchuriki?" Linton asked.
"You already knew he was a Jinchuriki, didn't you?" Kakashi immediately understood. Yes, earlier, when Linton saw Gaara, he mentioned seeing an old friend. Linton had gained fame during the Third Great Ninja War for his battle against the Sand Village and Shukaku, saving many people in the process. So, the old friend he referred to must have been Shukaku.
"You can tell just by looking," Linton said.
"Why didn't you mention it?" Kakashi questioned.
"Why should I? I already said I came to trouble the Third Hokage," Linton replied.
"So it's true... what exactly are you planning?" Kakashi asked.
"I'm not planning anything now; didn't the Third Hokage just die?" Linton said. "I've avenged myself, so I'm still thinking about what to do next. Actually, I wouldn't mind helping out Konoha."
"..." Kakashi paused for a moment. That... actually made some sense. Linton did come to settle a score with the Third Hokage, and now that he's dead, Linton technically doesn't have any grudge against Konoha...
"I haven't decided yet, but I still need to train my nephew," Linton continued. "He's just too weak right now; he couldn't even beat a Jinchuriki. How can the Uchiha clan face anyone in the future?"
Kakashi somewhat understood. Linton was still technically a part of the Uchiha clan, and given the clan's current situation—with Sasuke being the only remaining member—it made sense that at least when it came to Sasuke, Linton would be sincere. At least, that's what Kakashi thought.
But Linton saying Sasuke couldn't even beat a Jinchuriki? Did he think tailed beasts were easy to deal with? This time, Naruto managed to defeat Gaara because he was a Jinchuriki himself. Normal ninjas would find it really hard to deal with these chakra monsters.
"Anyway, let's see how my nephew is doing first," Linton said
. "Which hospital is he in?"
"Follow me," Kakashi decided to lead the way after some thought. Sasuke's situation was quite troubling. Kakashi was also worried about him. He understood Sasuke's current state—burdened with a deep desire for revenge but unable to improve his skills. Now he'd even been saved by a "dead last," which might cause some psychological issues. And in this case, Linton might actually be helpful. Not only was he strong enough to teach Sasuke, but he was also a member of the Uchiha clan and could help Sasuke withstand some of the pressure.
Of course, Kakashi hadn't considered Linton's real goal. He knew Sasuke was in the hospital, but the person Linton actually wanted to see wasn't Sasuke; it was Naruto, who had been hospitalized alongside Sasuke. Given their relationship, it was unlikely they'd be in separate rooms. Linton just needed an excuse to get close.
Soon enough, under Kakashi's guidance, Linton arrived at Konoha Hospital.
(End of Chapter)