I thought I could raise a Hokage!!!

Consolation Monument.

Today, there is a new baby under the statue... It is said that it is the new Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in the village.

The villagers of Konoha gathered here again.

On the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, the entire Konoha suffered heavy casualties, almost causing a generational gap in Konoha's middle-aged ninja population...

The death of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki is equivalent to shaking the foundation of Konoha… and cracks between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups were inevitable. This means Konoha could no longer project strength outward.

Beiyuan stood on the shoulders of Uchiha Itachi, who had willingly followed him to see off the couple who remained loving even in chaos…

Not many from the Uchiha clan attended the memorial ceremony. Their own clan suffered minimal losses, and only those outside the clan had heavy casualties.

For example, Uchiha Izumi's father, Uchiha Hazuki, died in battle.

The little girl looked around in confusion… She wanted to find someone to rely on.

A whisper came from nearby: "Captain, some people from the clan… want to return to the compound."

"The clan needs to be rebuilt, so let them move back! No matter which family it is, if there are any difficulties, they must be reported."

Uchiha Fugaku did not want to let everyone return, but in the ninja world, single-parent families struggled to survive—especially many female clansmen who had given up their ninja identities. They could only rely on the clan to get by.

Although the clan was reuniting, this would only worsen Uchiha's relationship with Konoha's leadership. Fugaku was helpless… At this point, when the burden is too heavy, another ounce makes no difference.

Unless Konoha faced a life-and-death crisis—at minimum, the start of a war—neither the Uchiha nor Konoha's higher-ups would be forced into unity.

The problem was that after the last Shinobi World War, no village wanted to fight again. Most were struggling to heal their wounds… and with Konoha's current strength, victory was uncertain.

After paying respects to the dead, the crowd in front of the memorial monument gradually dispersed.

Uchiha Shisui quietly stood beside Itachi and patted the back of his head. "Itachi, let's go together."

"Gah!"

The crow looked at Shisui aggressively. Why is there always someone trying to touch my cub…

"Your crow is getting fiercer, Itachi…"

"Don't say that. Beiyuan is very gentle…"

"...Gah…"

As they passed by the Hero's Tomb, Beiyuan noticed a white-haired young man standing alone. It gripped Itachi's shoulder slightly.

"What's wrong?" Uchiha Itachi looked up in confusion, following Beiyuan's gaze toward the lonely figure. "That's… Kakashi."

"That's Senior Kakashi." Uchiha Shisui frowned slightly and said softly, "I remember, he was the Fourth Hokage's student. The last time I met him on a mission…"

As they spoke, the white-haired young man glanced their way. Shisui raised his hand in greeting. "Senior Kakashi!"

Hatake Kakashi ignored them and walked away from the graveyard with a blank expression.

Uchiha Itachi murmured, "Cold-blooded… Kakashi?"

"No… I still think he's someone with kindness in his heart." Uchiha Shisui had once fought alongside Kakashi. He recalled those moments but couldn't reconcile that Kakashi with the distant, hollow figure before him.

"...Gah..."

Beiyuan's cry echoed over the tombs, making the place feel even more desolate.

The deaths of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina meant their child had become an orphan. It also meant that… Hatake Kakashi had lost all his bonds as a shinobi.

Konoha's White Fang, Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Namikaze Minato… one by one, they had all left his life.

Sadness may fade, but loneliness lingers like a ghost that never leaves.

"Let's go eat something first." Uchiha Shisui placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. He understood Kakashi's grief—the despair hidden beneath that mask.

Uchiha Itachi nodded. "Then let's get some dango…"

"Gah!"

Beiyuan glared at Itachi. Son, are you serious? Every time we eat out, all you think about is dango?

"Eh? But if we always go to Ichiraku Ramen, won't Beiyuan get tired of it?"

"Hmm… that's true…" Uchiha Shisui clapped his hands. "Let's eat Ichiraku Ramen first, then buy some dango. After that, I'll be training all afternoon!"

"Gah!"

"Come on, Beiyuan… I already compromised!"

Ironically, they crossed paths with Hatake Kakashi again at Ichiraku Ramen. He was slumped over the counter, silently eating his noodles.

Uchiha Shisui and Itachi didn't try to speak to him again.

"Old man Teuchi, we'll have six bowls of miso ramen," Uchiha Shisui knocked on the counter, pointing to the wooden sign on the wall. "Three bowls for here, and three for the wall."

"Oh, alright, alright!" The ramen shop owner seemed distracted—no doubt still shaken by the Nine-Tails' attack.

Beiyuan looked around curiously. The tiny ramen shop was intact… The barbecue restaurant across the street, however, was in ruins.

Perhaps this ramen chef really was a man of destiny…

From the back kitchen, the curtain shifted slightly, revealing the timid face of a little girl peeking out at Hatake Kakashi. But with ninja instincts, how could she go unnoticed?

"Cough, cough…"

Someone choked on their noodle soup.

Realizing she had been caught staring, Ayame hesitated. Then, spotting the new customers, she perked up. These boys were cute! She couldn't see them clearly from behind the curtain, so she boldly stepped out.

Of course! What girl wouldn't like Itachi! Plus, there was an extra bonus: the cool older brother, Shisui!

"Hey! Why did you and this crow come here?" Ayame planted her hands on her hips and glared at Itachi and Beiyuan. "You better not bring those scary guys again!"

"...Gah?"

Beiyuan looked up. He felt that Ayame's expression was scarier than those police force guys…

Maybe it was because the last time it had run away from home, the police force had swarmed Ichiraku Ramen looking for it. That fiasco had soured Ayame's impression of the Uchiha clan.

Handsome little brother? Cute little brother? Didn't matter! If they grew up to be like those scary police force men, no way!

The little girl glared at the crow with resentment.

"..."

"Sorry about that. Kids don't know any better…" Teuchi quickly pushed his daughter aside. "Alright, didn't you say you wanted to make ramen? Go do that!"

Uchiha Shisui watched Ayame excitedly rush to the back kitchen. A sudden thought made his expression stiffen. "Wait… we're not eating… that ramen, right?"

"Of course not!" Teuchi waved his hand confidently.

The ramen made by his daughter was something truly special. So far, only two people had ever had the honor of tasting it. One was his father. The other…

"The ramen Miss Ayame made is delicious. Thanks for the meal."

Hatake Kakashi placed a coin on the table, left those words behind, and walked out.

The confident Teuchi: "…"

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.