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Hui, the identity that Orochimaru arranged for the Konoha clone.
An orphan.
Raised by Orochimaru as an assistant.
Naturally, such matters as identity certificates cannot be handled on the spot; everything is done through Danzo.
The fact that Orochimaru can entrust Danzo with these arrangements indicates that there is already an established transaction between the two.
It has only been two years since the Second Shinobi World War ended, yet Danzo has already begun cooperating with Orochimaru.
Whether it is for studying Hashirama's cells or other purposes remains unclear.
Perhaps Danzo intends to study Hashirama's cells but is still uncertain, observing Orochimaru's capabilities before making a deeper commitment.
Even within Danzo's own Root, there may have already been research regarding Hashirama's cells.
However, a degree of cooperation between them is inevitable.
One clear example is limb transplantation.
Whether it is arm regeneration or transplantation, Orochimaru excels in such techniques, and as a disabled man, Danzo would inevitably seek his assistance.
After all, if Tsunade were absent from Konoha, Orochimaru would be the only one capable of performing such an operation.
Even if Tsunade were available, Danzo would never dare seek her help.
He wouldn't gamble his life on whether Tsunade's medical ethics would override her hatred for him.
It remains unknown how Orochimaru persuaded Danzo, but regardless, Hui's identity was successfully established.
During the process, only Hui's disguised photos were submitted.
If Danzo were to discover that the person he had arranged identification for was his former subordinate, his reaction would be interesting.
Of course, Hui had no intention of testing that scenario.
Now that his identity was confirmed, he was officially a Konoha ninja.
"Although my identity was acquired through Orochimaru's influence, it's best to minimize contact with him to avoid suspicion.
Meeting him once or twice is fine, but repeated interactions would inevitably make Orochimaru notice the abnormalities.
After all, I have no soul."
Hui was a clone—an entity created from Uchiha Kiyo's body using the Clone Secret Technique. Although the technique was near-perfect, there was one undeniable distinction:
The absence of a soul.
No matter how sophisticated the clone, it would never possess a true soul.
This fact was immutable.
Thus, Hui needed to keep his distance from individuals sensitive to souls.
Not just Hui, but all of Uchiha Kiyo's clones needed to be cautious about this.
There were no known shinobi in Sunagakure or Amegakure researching souls.
Kirigakure, however, posed a potential threat—if Uchiha Madara was still monitoring the village, then the risk was significant.
With his new identity, Hui could finally walk the streets of Konoha freely.
His predecessor had endured two years of seclusion, and since Hui retained those memories, he too felt that burden. Now, he intended to explore Konoha.
Though Konoha had not fully recovered to its pre-war peak, after two years of rebuilding, it had reached a level comparable to that of the mid-Hiruzen era.
Observing the villagers going about their daily lives, Hui couldn't help but sigh.
"Konoha truly is the most peaceful village.
It's no surprise that so many characters in the original timeline were willing to sacrifice themselves for Konoha.
The ordinary and tranquil atmosphere of Konoha is unmatched in the ninja world."
For those who had experienced the horrors of war, Konoha's peaceful lifestyle was something they cherished and were willing to protect.
"But that has nothing to do with me."
Being targeted by Konoha's higher-ups—who even sent assassins after him—meant Konoha was no longer a home for Uchiha Kiyo.
As the saying goes, an open attack is easy to counter, but a hidden dagger is impossible to guard against.
No matter how peaceful the village appeared, it was the most dangerous place for him.
What he did during the war had already severed any remaining ties with Konoha.
Uchiha owed nothing to Konoha.
If he owed anyone, it was his family.
The Uchiha clan had always treated him well.
His growth had been supported by clan resources, and he had never been mistreated.
The clan's benefits were freely provided.
On the other hand, everything Konoha offered came with a price.
The ninja school's education? Uchiha Kiyo repaid it through his contributions in the war.
As for the village's ninjutsu resources, he had earned them through his missions.
He owed Konoha nothing—especially not its corrupt leadership.
As Hui wandered through Konoha, a white-haired child caught his attention.
A true white-haired child.
Because they were facing each other, Hui could clearly see the boy's appearance.
Dead-fish eyes.
A small mask on his face.
No doubt about it—this was Kakashi.
But... wasn't Kakashi only two years old at this time?
How was he out on his own?
Hui glanced around but saw no adults accompanying him.
Little Kakashi was walking silently with a bottle of soy sauce in his hand.
"Buying soy sauce?"
Hatake Sakumo... what kind of parenting is this?
No wonder Kakashi struggled to understand his father's actions after his death.
It took the influence of others for him to finally come to terms with it.
You child abuser!
That said, a genius is a genius.
At two years old, he could already go out and buy things alone.
So did Hatake Sakumo proudly boast to others that his son was running errands at two years old?
According to Uchiha Kiyo's standards, true geniuses in the ninja world weren't those born with special bloodlines, but rather those who matured early and possessed superior intelligence.
Genius in the ninja world meant genius in battle.
Before reaching Kage level, combat skills determined victory.
And those with superior combat intelligence tended to be the ones who matured early.
Kakashi and Itachi were prime examples.
Both graduated from the academy at six years old.
Their chakra reserves were average, offering no significant advantage, so their early graduation was solely due to their exceptional battle instincts.
Hui couldn't resist approaching Kakashi.
He reached out and ruffled the boy's white hair.
"I've always wanted to touch this white hair.
Didn't get the chance with Sakumo, but his son will do."
Little Kakashi, walking back from his errand, suddenly felt someone ruffle his hair.
He looked up in confusion, his little eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Kid, how old are you? Running errands at this age? Your parents must be something else—what if you got lost?"
Hui's acting skills, inherited from his original self, were impeccable.
The surrounding villagers, recognizing Kakashi, quickly explained.
"Haha, this is White Fang-sama's son, Kakashi.
I heard he's been smart since birth."
"Yes, and White Fang-sama believes in making him independent early."
"That's right! Look at little Kakashi—already helping out at home. My five-year-old can't even do that."
Feeling embarrassed by the praise, Kakashi lowered his head and scratched his hair.
Hui feigned surprise.
"So he's White Fang-sama's child? No wonder—like father, like son.
So responsible at two years old!"
He took the opportunity to ruffle Kakashi's hair again.
Not bad—soft texture.
"Yes, yes, as expected of White Fang-sama's child!"
The villagers echoed Hui's sentiment.
But these were the same people who would later turn against Sakumo, leading to his downfall.
"Fools."
No matter how peaceful their lives were, they remained ignorant sheep.
Easily swayed, manipulated by the village's higher-ups.
It was pitiful.
Hui sighed but withdrew his hand, leaving with a mix of amusement and disdain.
This brief encounter with Kakashi reminded Uchiha Kiyo—he was getting closer to the original timeline.
More key figures would begin to appear.
Passing by the Hokage Tower, Hui saw another familiar figure—clad in green tights.
But unlike in the future, this one lacked a watermelon haircut.
Might Duy.
The father of Might Guy—the man who, with the Eight Gates fully opened, took down four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
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