Chapter 203 : Sasuke, Your Brother Doesn't Want You Anymore
It was noon at the main gates of Konoha.
The sun beat straight down from overhead, shrinking the shadows of the gate pillars into small puddles at their bases.
A four-person squad walked in from outside the village.
Leading them was a silver-haired man. His silvery-white hair stood on end, spiky like a hedgehog.
He wore a standard Konoha shinobi uniform with a green flak jacket over it. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, stretching from just under his nose down to his neck, leaving only his right eye visible.
The eyelid of that right eye drooped slightly, making him look rather listless. His left eye was hidden beneath his forehead protector, which was worn at an angle so the metal plate perfectly covered it.
This man was Hatake Kakashi.
Behind him followed three children, all around eleven or twelve years old.
On the left was a blonde boy. His hair was a bright, golden yellow, shining like autumn wheat.
He had three whisker-like marks on each side of his face, stretching from his cheeks to the corners of his mouth. He wore an orange and black outfit with the collar left open, revealing a white T-shirt underneath. His large, bright blue eyes resembled two freshly washed glass beads.
This boy was Uzumaki Naruto.
Beside him was a black-haired boy, his hair tied back into a low ponytail.
His features were refined, and a cold, stern aura lingered around his brows and eyes. With his pale skin and faintly colored lips, he gave off the impression of an unsheathed blade.
He wore a dark blue high-collared shirt with a white short-sleeved overshirt, the collar open to reveal his collarbones.
This was Uchiha Sasuke.
Next to Uchiha Sasuke was a pink-haired girl. Her hair caught the sunlight with a soft glow. She wore a pink top, dark shorts, and red shinobi sandals.
This was Haruno Sakura.
Uzumaki Naruto stretched lazily, raising both hands above his head and leaning back until his spine let out a few crisp pops.
"Ah... we're finally back."
He lowered his arms and opened his mouth in a massive yawn.
"That mission was so boring."
He turned his head to look at the two behind him.
"By the way, do you guys want to go get some Ichiraku Ramen?"
Uchiha Sasuke glanced at him without a hint of emotion. He didn't say a word and just kept walking forward.
Haruno Sakura's attention was entirely focused on Uchiha Sasuke. Her eyes remained glued to his back. Upon hearing Naruto's words, her expression didn't change at all, as if she hadn't heard him. Without breaking her stride, she continued following right behind Sasuke.
Hatake Kakashi walked at the very front, leading the trio into the village. They soon entered the main street.
Because it was noon, there weren't many people around. The few villagers who occasionally passed by were walking with hurried steps.
As they passed a certain spot, Uchiha Sasuke's footsteps paused. He turned his head to look to the side.
There stood a gate.
It was a large, double-leaf wooden gate. The panels were covered in scratches—some deep, some shallow, some new, some old. Most of the paint had peeled away, exposing the pale gray wood underneath.
The brass door knockers were rusted, covered in a layer of green patina.
The stone pillars on either side of the frame were carved with the Uchiha clan crest, though the crests were cracked and faded in places.
Through the gap in the gates, the street inside was visible.
The road was wide, and the houses on either side were low, looking no different from any other street in Konoha. However, all of these houses were empty.
The windows lacked glass, the doors hung crookedly on their frames, the roofs were overgrown with weeds, and vines crawled all over the walls.
Uzumaki Naruto noticed Sasuke's pause and followed his gaze. He saw the rotting gate, the clan crest, and the desolate street inside.
"Ah, it's the old Uchiha compound."
His tone was casual.
"I heard it's been abandoned for years."
Uchiha Sasuke didn't reply. He clenched his fists and pursed his lips.
"Speaking of which, Kakashi-sensei."
Uzumaki Naruto turned to look at Hatake Kakashi.
"Do you know why this place was abandoned? It takes up a lot of space, and it's right in the center of the village."
Hatake Kakashi stopped walking. He looked at the Uchiha clan crest on the gate and scratched his chin.
"Well, about that."
His tone was reluctant, as if hesitating whether to speak.
"Sasuke probably knows some of the reasons, so I won't say too much."
He lowered his hand and continued walking.
Uchiha Sasuke stood in place, not immediately following. "Father never told me about this, but the clansmen once mentioned it had something to do with a certain person."
He shifted his gaze from the gate to Hatake Kakashi's back.
"Sensei, do you know who that person is?"
Hatake Kakashi's footsteps paused for a moment before he resumed walking.
"Ah, your sensei doesn't really know much about that kind of thing."
Uzumaki Naruto stared at Kakashi's back and curled his lips.
"What gives? You have a Sharingan too, how could you not know?"
Haruno Sakura stood to the side, having remained mostly silent.
Her gaze darted back and forth between Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi before she turned to glare at Naruto.
"Idiot Naruto, don't say things like that at a time like this!"
Uzumaki Naruto froze for a second. He opened his mouth, looking a bit wronged.
"Isn't it something everyone knows?"
Hatake Kakashi stood ahead of them, his back turned. He raised a hand to touch his left eye, then let out a helpless sigh.
"Alright, I do know about the old Uchiha compound, but I can't tell you about it because it's a secret. However, the story behind this eye of mine isn't exactly a secret."
Saying that, he turned around and lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan.
"This eye was originally gifted to me by a friend. But later on, some things happened, and the eye was taken back."
Uchiha Sasuke stared at that Three-Tomoe Sharingan. His eyes narrowed unconsciously, a hint of envy flashing in his gaze.
After all, he had yet to awaken his own.
Uzumaki Naruto asked, "Why would an eye be taken back?"
Hatake Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "That's a secret."
"Ah, another secret?"
Hatake Kakashi looked at Uchiha Sasuke. "After that, the village and the Uchiha clan had a discussion and gave me a new Sharingan to replace it."
"And that's that."
He lowered his hand and continued walking.
Uchiha Sasuke looked at him and gave a slight nod.
"I've heard Father mention this."
He withdrew his gaze and took one last look at the rotting gate.
"Let's go. I need to head back as soon as we turn in the mission."
With that said, he stepped forward to catch up with Hatake Kakashi, never looking back.
Haruno Sakura followed right behind him. Uzumaki Naruto scratched his head and hurried after them as well.
The four of them crossed the main street, turned into an alley, passed through another street, and finally arrived at the Hokage building.
It had pale gray walls and a dark gray roof, with the Konoha symbol hanging above the entrance. Two ANBU operatives stood on either side of the door, their expressions hidden behind masks.
Hatake Kakashi led the trio inside. They went up to the third floor, knocked, and pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.
Orochimaru sat behind the desk, a pen in hand, writing something on a document.
Seeing Hatake Kakashi walk in with the three genin, he set down his pen, looked up, and offered a faint smile.
"You've worked hard on your journey."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was perfectly clear.
"You completed this A-rank mission exceptionally well."
His gaze shifted from Kakashi to Naruto, then from Naruto to Sasuke, and finally from Sasuke to Sakura.
"It seems it won't be long before your squad can be assigned S-rank missions."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Naruto tilted his chin up. He placed one hand on his hip and pointed at himself with his other thumb.
"Of course! We're super strong, after all."
Orochimaru's smile remained unchanged. He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Naruto for a couple of seconds before withdrawing his gaze and picking up the documents on his desk to flip through a few pages.
After some conversation, the mission report was submitted, the payment was collected, and everything that needed to be said was said.
"Alright, you may go back now."
Orochimaru closed the file and placed it on the corner of his desk.
Hatake Kakashi nodded and led the three children toward the door.
Uchiha Sasuke walked at the very back, one foot already out the door.
"Oh, by the way, Sasuke-kun."
Orochimaru's voice drifted over from behind, his tone casual.
Uchiha Sasuke paused his steps and turned around to look at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru sat behind the desk, having picked up his pen again. He kept his head down, writing on a document without looking at Sasuke.
"Your brother, Itachi-kun, left the village this morning."
His voice was flat and calm.
Uchiha Sasuke's brow twitched.
"Left this morning? Does he have another mission?"
His voice carried a natural sense of confusion.
"Not quite."
Orochimaru's tone remained casual. "He left the village without permission."
He paused, as if giving Sasuke time to process the information, while simultaneously raising his gaze.
"In the past, such an act would be considered treason against the village."
Uchiha Sasuke's expression shifted, revealing shock and disbelief. His pupils contracted slightly, his mouth fell open, and his entire body froze as if paralyzed by some unseen force.
"However, I have suppressed the disciplinary actions against him for the time being."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I'll have to trouble you to pass this message on to Clan Head Fugaku when you return, Sasuke-kun."
The way he spoke made it sound as though he was telling Uchiha Sasuke: *Your brother doesn't want you anymore.*
Uchiha Sasuke stood there, his hand slipping from the doorknob, his fingers trembling slightly.
He stared into Orochimaru's eyes, as if trying to confirm whether he was lying, or perhaps just struggling to digest what he had just heard.
His throat bobbed.
"I... I understand."
His voice was somewhat hoarse. Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked out of the office.
Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura exchanged bewildered glances, while Hatake Kakashi furrowed his brows deeply.
Power Stones, reviews, and comments— really helps a lot
Want to read ahead? Get access to 50+ extra chapters on my Patreon:
/Aragai_Sama