Chapter 19
"Kakashi, your talent in genjutsu isn't as strong as Haneda's, but your mastery of ninjutsu is excellent."
"My personal suggestion is that you don't need to spend too much time on genjutsu. Just learn some essential techniques and how to break them."
"You can come to me for guidance on those."
"Of course, for other areas, I would recommend asking your father, Sakumo Hatake. He is a truly formidable shinobi."
"Understood," Kakashi nodded seriously, "Thank you, Fugaku-senpai."
Fugaku nodded slightly, then proceeded to point out the mistakes Haneda and Kakashi had made earlier.
…
In the afternoon, at the clan leader's home.
After finishing the training session with Haneda and Kakashi, Fugaku slowly pushed open the door, took off his shoes, and walked inside.
"How did the lesson go, Fugaku?" The clan leader, who heard the familiar footsteps, asked with a smile.
At the moment, he was watering an orchid. After finishing, he put down the watering can and looked up at Fugaku.
"Father, you already knew?" Fugaku asked, a bit surprised.
However, after considering his father's status, he realized it wasn't that surprising.
"When Sakumo's son walks into the Uchiha district, someone is bound to report it to me."
The clan leader walked over to a table, gestured for Fugaku to sit, and continued, "Did you enjoy working with Kakashi and Haneda?"
Reflecting for a moment, Fugaku replied, "It was alright. Haneda was lively and talkative, while Kakashi was calm and spoke very little."
The clan leader frowned—this wasn't the answer he was expecting.
"Show me the teaching process using genjutsu."
"Yes."
Fugaku activated his three-tomoe Sharingan. When their eyes met, the training scenes replayed.
In a small forest, Fugaku was practicing with kunai and shuriken when a young voice called out from outside the woods.
"Fugaku-nii-san, I'm here."
Haneda and Kakashi appeared, walking closely together, almost arm in arm.
"It's Haneda," Fugaku muttered, sounding a bit irritated.
Seeing Haneda bring along the White Fang's son, Fugaku's impatience showed. The clan leader almost wanted to slap him.
'Does he not understand the importance of building relationships with other clans?'
The clan leader held back and continued watching.
"Yes, it's me. I brought a friend with me—Sakumo-sama's child," Haneda said with a smile.
Fugaku seemed to recall something and jumped down from the tree with a sigh.
"Are you here to ask me about ninjutsu, Haneda?" Fugaku asked, his face expressionless.
Can't you greet him with a smile when he brings the White Fang's son? Why do you always look like someone owes you money?
The clan leader glared at Fugaku's projection, clearly frustrated.
He held back his anger and watched as Haneda spoke again.
"Yes, Fugaku-nii-san, I've been struggling with the Shadow Clone Technique and immediately thought of you."
As Haneda introduced Kakashi, he continued, "This is my friend Kakashi Hatake, he's the top student in both our class and the entire grade."
By praising Kakashi, Haneda cleverly revealed their relationship while highlighting Kakashi's identity.
The clan leader was impressed. Haneda handled the situation like a true intelligence ninja—subtle but effective.
But Fugaku remained stone-faced and ungrateful!
"I see... Kakashi, the Hatake clan excels at kenjutsu. While some Uchiha are skilled with the sword, I'm not an expert in that area, so I can't teach you much."
Upon hearing this, the clan leader could no longer hold back and cursed under his breath:
"I'll teach you!"
His tone was so fast and emotional that Fugaku looked confused, but he still asked with concern, "What's wrong, Father?"
"You ask me what's wrong? Do you not understand what Haneda is doing?"
"Answer me!!"
The clan leader, usually patient, exploded in frustration, shouting at Fugaku.
But the vision of the training scene continued. At that moment, Haneda's voice reappeared.
"Fugaku-nii-san, Kakashi is also skilled in ninjutsu. Aren't you good at genjutsu and fire techniques? Maybe you could teach us something?"
Fugaku, feeling cornered, sighed and said, "Alright, I am indeed skilled in genjutsu and fire jutsu. But I know too many techniques, so give me a moment to think…"
"Stop. That's enough."
"I think Haneda would make a better clan leader than you."
The clan leader waved his hand, and the gesture was so strong that he nearly slapped Fugaku. Had Fugaku not agreed to teach them, that slap would have landed for sure.
Fugaku quickly withdrew his genjutsu, still looking puzzled, but his gaze was clear.
Seeing his son's pure but clueless expression, the clan leader felt another wave of frustration.
At least Fugaku had talent and strength, which tempered the clan leader's anger somewhat.
As a former Uchiha leader who had survived under the Second Hokage's watchful eye, he had developed patience.
"Do you know why Haneda switched from asking about the Shadow Clone Technique to genjutsu and fire techniques?" the clan leader asked, trying to control his temper.
Fugaku hesitated for a moment and replied, "Because I'm better at genjutsu and fire techniques?"
"That's one reason—Haneda's way of covering for you," the clan leader said flatly.
"And the other reason?" the clan leader pressed.
Fugaku's eyes remained blank, prompting the clan leader to question his son's intellectual inheritance…
Fugaku recalled Haneda and Kakashi's close relationship as friends and finally blurted out, "It's because of Kakashi!"
Hearing "Kakashi," the clan leader got excited, thinking Fugaku had finally caught on!
But then Fugaku added another line.
"Haneda and Kakashi are good friends, trustworthy ones."
The clan leader nearly collapsed in frustration.
'Friends?! It's because of Kakashi's father—Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha!!'
"Did you hear that clearly, Fugaku?"
"I heard it clearly, Father," Fugaku replied, his head bowed in innocence.
"Now, listen carefully as I explain," the clan leader continued, his face dark with disappointment.
"Ever since Lord Hashirama's death and the Second Hokage took over, the Uchiha have been suppressed by the Hokage's faction."
"Both the Second and the Third Hokage did this."
"Now, with Tsunade disillusioned and Jiraiya uninterested, only two of the Sannin remain involved with the village."
"Outside of times of war, the village is usually without two of its strongest protectors."
"What's left of the Hokage's faction is just the Third Hokage, Orochimaru, and three aging elders."
"Among the village's other powerful figures, most remain neutral toward the Uchiha, with the strongest being Konoha's White Fang—Sakumo Hatake."
"You know that Sakumo's strength is on par with a Kage."
"Haneda is trying to leverage his friendship with Kakashi to help the Uchiha build ties with Sakumo, which could be key in balancing power with the village's higher-ups."
"Of course, that alone isn't enough, but it's a start—as long as the Uchiha don't cause trouble…"
***
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