The Third Hokage, noticing Kakashi's conflicted expression, gave his order.
"From now on, don't let that Uchiha Ryosuke get close to the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
"You know as well as I do that the Nine-Tails incident might have been caused by an Uchiha manipulating the beast."
Kakashi nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and left the Hokage's office.
Back inside, the Third Hokage let a faint smile slip across his face, satisfied with his own cunning.
The next morning, Ryosuke was once again engaged in physical training, working to steadily improve his body's capabilities.
Even though getting beaten helped boost his stats, he couldn't always rely on sparring with Might Guy. That wasn't a long-term solution.
They couldn't keep engaging in real combat. It was harmful to both of them.
Ryosuke's body had incredible regenerative abilities and could recover by the next day, but Guy was different.
Hurting Guy could interfere with his missions—and Ryosuke didn't want to risk that.
Besides, Ryosuke didn't have to worry about money and could train all he wanted, but Guy was a civilian ninja. He couldn't afford to avoid missions forever.
If Guy got injured during their sparring and failed a mission—or worse, died—that would be on Ryosuke, and he didn't want that.
As Ryosuke trained alone, a masked man suddenly appeared nearby.
Sensing the presence, Ryosuke stopped and looked over.
"What do you want?"
"Has the Third Hokage finally decided to protect Naruto properly?"
Maybe the old man had some decency after all.
Kakashi sighed inwardly and replied slowly.
"The Third Hokage asked me to tell you—stop getting close to Naruto."
Ryosuke blinked in surprise. He was irritated, but now wasn't the time to start a fight with the Third Hokage.
"Then what do you plan to do with Naruto? Are you going to reveal his true identity?"
That was what Ryosuke really cared about.
Kakashi hesitated, but ultimately decided to relay the Hokage's reasoning. It wasn't a classified matter, after all.
When Ryosuke heard it, his expression darkened.
So… they considered the villagers' hatred, bullying, and scorn toward Naruto to be part of some test?
What a noble-sounding excuse.
It reminded him of Gaara's situation in Sunagakure—his father constantly sent people to provoke him, even assassins. He eventually sent Gaara's beloved uncle Yashamaru to kill him.
When Gaara killed his attacker and discovered it was Yashamaru, he snapped. That was the moment he truly descended into madness.
From that point on, Gaara became a living weapon.
Had Naruto not met Gaara later on and changed his heart, he probably would've been consumed by darkness forever.
Gaara's father had also believed this was a necessary test—that only a jinchūriki who endured darkness and still loved the village could be trusted.
But to Ryosuke, that was complete idiocy.
And the facts supported him. Gaara's eventual loyalty to Suna wasn't thanks to his father—it was thanks to Naruto.
Ryosuke stared at Kakashi.
"Do you agree with this so-called test?"
Kakashi looked regretful and nodded slightly.
"This is Lord Hokage's decision."
He didn't fully agree with it—but he didn't have the authority to go against it.
Ryosuke's expression grew colder.
"And I remember... Konoha's White Fang also took his own life because of the villagers' scorn."
"Was that also a test from the higher-ups?"
"You think this kind of test is necessary?"
Kakashi's face shifted instantly.
His father had been a hero of Konoha—but he was ridiculed and slandered after abandoning a mission to save his comrades. Even those he saved had turned on him.
Eventually, his father was crushed by the weight of it all and took his own life.
Kakashi had never believed his father was in the wrong.
Abandoning your comrades made you worse than trash.
But what could he do? The entire village thought his father was a disgrace.
Maybe that was the village's test for his father.
But he hadn't survived it.
And maybe Naruto wouldn't survive either.
Naruto was still just a child. Kakashi didn't believe he could bear the weight of it.
Even his father couldn't.
Quietly, Kakashi said, "I don't agree with it. But it's the Hokage's order."
Ryosuke's eyes lit up faintly. So Kakashi wasn't beyond saving.
"Go back and tell the Third Hokage this," Ryosuke said coldly.
"An Uchiha will talk to whoever he damn well pleases. Tell him to stay out of it."
"Even if he is the Hokage, he has no right to meddle in Uchiha affairs."
If the Third Hokage wasn't going to give Naruto the childhood he deserved, then Ryosuke would.
Kakashi was stunned.
He had assumed Ryosuke, like Obito, was one of the more humble Uchiha—different from the proud and arrogant types.
But clearly, he'd been wrong.
At this moment, Uchiha Ryosuke might be more prideful than anyone else in the clan.
"You're really going through with this?" Kakashi asked.
The relationship between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha was already strained. Ryosuke openly opposing the Hokage could lead to serious consequences.
He wasn't trying to take sides—it was just that open conflict between a great clan and the leadership would be bad for the entire village.
But Ryosuke nodded without hesitation.
So what if he clashed with the old man?
If the Hokage wanted to act against the Uchiha, he'd have to wait until after the upcoming peace talks with the Hidden Cloud Village.
That situation alone was enough to keep the Third Hokage busy.
It had been Cloud's fault, but Hyūga Hizashi had been forced to die in place of his brother.
Sure, it might've ended a war—but it also cost the Hokage the Hyūga Clan's loyalty.
Ryosuke had noticed—there were no Hyūga in the Hokage's inner circle anymore.
Kakashi wanted to say more, but swallowed his words.
There was no convincing this proud Uchiha.
And truthfully, he couldn't change the Hokage's decisions anyway.
So he turned and disappeared into the forest.
Ryosuke watched him vanish, then resumed his training.
Because in the end, strength was the greatest trump card.