"Is there something you need, Uchiha?" Kaito asked, looking up at Sasuke, who stood in front of him with a cool expression. Kaito didn't feel offended; in fact, he found the kid in front of him somewhat cute.
As for the legendary rivalry that people talked about, Kaito just couldn't muster any interest. Though he was influenced by his environment, he wasn't going to act like a child just because the others were.
Sasuke stared at Kaito, his black eyes filled with frustration. Finally, he managed to say only one thing, "Next time, I will surpass you!"
After delivering his declaration, Sasuke turned on his heel and returned to his seat, not waiting for a response.
Kaito was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. Sure enough, even in the world of ninjas, children were still children. The serious look on Sasuke's face and his attempts at being cool were genuinely adorable.
Kaito even wanted to take out a camera and record these moments. He imagined showing Sasuke the photos once they grew up—it would definitely be worth a laugh.
As for Sasuke's declaration, Kaito didn't feel particularly affected by it. He wasn't going to be surpassed so easily. Sure, Sasuke also had his own advantages, but clearly, at this point, those had yet to fully come into play.
In truth, Kaito had a positive impression of Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke was hardworking and driven. He might have that innate Uchiha pride, but it wasn't excessive. His words just now, for instance, were purely a product of his pride compelling him to make a stand.
But Sasuke's arrogance was still acceptable. Compared to other members of the Uchiha clan, his behavior was nothing extreme—even quite admirable, really. After all, Sasuke never held grudges against others for surpassing him, nor did he use his status as a weapon to target others. All he did was vow to keep trying, and that's something Kaito could never find fault with.
Kaito remembered that, when he was young, he had disliked Sasuke while watching the original anime. He found Sasuke arrogant, and his treatment of Naruto irritated Kaito. At that time, Kaito was innocent and sided completely with Naruto. Anyone who mistreated Naruto automatically became the villain in his eyes—especially someone like Sasuke, who constantly spoke of revenge.
Looking back now, Kaito realized how naive he had been. As he grew older, his perspective on Sasuke changed significantly.
Sure, Sasuke had a certain arrogance, but it never reached unbearable levels. The effort he put in, alongside his undeniable talent, was commendable. More importantly, compared to other Uchihas, Sasuke was genuinely decent.
As for his relationship with Naruto—they seemed at odds on the surface, but anyone who understood knew what lay beneath.
Then there was Sasuke's obsession with revenge. Was that not completely normal? His entire clan had been slaughtered. Who wouldn't want revenge? If Kaito were in Sasuke's position, he wouldn't forgive Konoha either. Killing Danzo wouldn't be enough—far from it.
If Sasuke had acted indifferent after facing his clan's massacre, that would have made him a truly heartless monster—a cold-blooded ingrate.
Even under such extreme circumstances, Sasuke never veered off the path entirely. Yes, he declared himself a "vengeful avenger" whenever he could, but compared to what he had gone through, Kaito thought that was surprisingly restrained.
As for Sasuke's elder brother, Uchiha Itachi, with his unparalleled prowess in genjutsu, Kaito couldn't really understand his actions. Attempting to mediate between his clan and the village was fine, but why turn on his own family when things didn't go as planned? Kaito couldn't wrap his mind around it and didn't care to.
He knew one thing for certain: if anyone in Konoha tried to harm Sinai, regardless of who they were—whether they were a high-ranking official or elder—he'd first bide his time until he was strong enough, and then he'd burn everything down if he had to.
And no one could stop him.
This desire was something that both motivated and restrained Kaito. Sinai was content in Konoha. The village treated her well enough, providing a decent job with reasonable pay and additional support as a ninja's widow. All these little conveniences made life manageable for her as she raised Kaito.
Because of that, Kaito never harbored thoughts of betraying the village. He knew about the darkness within Konoha, a darkness that sometimes made him seethe. But that darkness wasn't his concern. Kaito wasn't a saint who wanted to rid the world of injustice. He was just an ordinary person wanting to grow stronger and protect himself and those he cared about.
The darkness in Konoha was terrifying, yes, but other villages weren't any cleaner. Every place that had shinobi carried its own shadows.
As for those injustices that Kaito couldn't stand, if he had the power, maybe he'd try to change them. But without the power, he simply hoped those things wouldn't affect him or those he cherished.
Kaito had always known he was a selfish person, and he had no desire to change that. It was just the way he was.
Therefore, he could never understand Uchiha Itachi's choices. Perhaps people in the shinobi world had their own unique ways of thinking that Kaito could never relate to.
But none of that mattered to him. Let Sasuke and the higher-ups of Konoha deal with Itachi's choices—it was their mess to handle, not his.
Pondering the current situation, Kaito glanced at Sasuke and considered the tension within the village. He didn't pay too much attention to village politics, but it seemed like relations with the Uchiha clan were becoming more strained.
Was the Uchiha massacre approaching?
Kaito pondered for a moment. He knew it would happen, but he wasn't sure when. From the looks of things, it seemed imminent.
He had no intention of intervening or trying to change anything about that night. He was nothing more than a small fry right now. What would he accomplish by involving himself? He'd only get himself killed.
With that in mind, Kaito thought about Sinai's usual daily routine. She had virtually no interaction with the Uchiha, which reassured him. Then, he turned his thoughts back to the Uchiha's predicament.
Ultimately, Kaito decided there was nothing he could do to help them. They were beyond saving.
It was unfortunate, especially for Fugaku Uchiha, who seemed to lean toward a more diplomatic approach. If Fugaku hadn't had to deal with Danzo, maybe things wouldn't have escalated so dramatically. Even if tensions remained, perhaps they wouldn't have reached the point of rebellion.
But that was Danzo. As long as Danzo existed, reconciliation between the Uchiha and the village was impossible. Even easing tensions was a pipe dream.
Perhaps it was Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan that clouded Fugaku's judgment, pushing him toward rebellion. But Kaito doubted that. Fugaku was a clan leader. He wouldn't have been naive enough to think a single Mangekyo Sharingan could stand against the entire village, especially a village as powerful as Konoha.
No, Fugaku must have felt that they were out of options, that rebellion was their last hope after they were backed into a corner. Seeing Shisui's Mangekyo probably just pushed him to make a final desperate gamble.
And then, he was betrayed—not just by any spy, but by his own son.
Truly tragic.
Honestly, Kaito was glad he wasn't born into the Uchiha clan. If he had been, he would have been plotting his escape from Konoha from day one. He couldn't think of any way to mend the divide between the Uchiha and the village. Maybe encouraging Shisui to take out Danzo might have helped, but it was pointless to think about. It was all speculation anyway, with no way to prove if it would have worked.
Thinking about it was just exhausting, and ultimately useless.