After the banquet, Uchiha Raizen entered Sakurako's room. Once again, he was enveloped in tenderness throughout the night.
Early the next morning, Raizen hurried back home.
"Uncle Raizen, where are you going so early?"
Seeing Raizen walk through the front gate, Sasuke Uchiha approached him happily and asked.
Hearing this, Raizen scratched his head in slight embarrassment, making up a quick excuse. "Uh, I just went out for a walk."
"Little Sasuke, don't you have school today?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No, Uncle Raizen. Today is the weekend."
"Uncle, come and teach me some ninjutsu!" Sasuke looked at Raizen with eyes full of expectation.
Raizen didn't actually have much "ink" in his stomach; aside from the rewards granted by the system, the rest of his knowledge consisted of basic, elementary things learned at the academy.
Raizen sometimes wondered if it was because he was a transmigrator that he felt somewhat "unsuited to the soil" of ninjutsu. His natural talent for it was average—compared to the "traitors" of the family like Itachi, he was worlds apart. This was precisely why, even though Raizen knew the fate of the Uchiha, he never sought to change it through combat but chose to stay away instead.
(Note: Why do some readers think staying away from Konoha for a long time is desertion? It's not like Sasuke leaving the village to join Orochimaru, the village's enemy—that is being a Rogue Ninja. Think of Jiraiya, who wanders outside the village for years "gathering material" for his adult books—would you call him a traitor? Or Tsunade, who was away for years gambling—did she desert? You can't restrict everyone to a tiny village and cut off exchange with the outside world. How would the economy survive? How would food come in? A small village cannot produce everything to satisfy its needs.)
Raizen thought for a moment. What if I taught Sasuke the Rasengan?
But after careful consideration, he dismissed the idea. It wouldn't be good to reveal that he knew such a technique. At this stage, it was better to be steady, stay low, develop in the shadows, and quietly wait for more children to be born to claim more system rewards. At the very least, he needed to be as strong as Madara Uchiha before he could show his hand.
Raizen gently patted Sasuke's head and smiled. "Sasuke, you're still young. You don't need to be so obsessed with training every day. You should enjoy a better childhood instead of living in hatred."
A beautiful childhood can heal a lifetime. A tragic childhood requires a lifetime to heal. As an uncle, Raizen truly did not want Sasuke to live in bitterness.
"But Uncle Raizen, I want to contribute to the revival of the Uchiha too. You're working hard to repopulate the clan, and since I'm still too young to help with that, I have to work hard at training. I want to increase my strength so I can support you... and one day kill that man with my own hands!" Sasuke's eyes turned red as he spoke.
Hearing this, Raizen sighed softly and pulled Sasuke into a hug. "Little Sasuke, trust your uncle. I will handle everything. For now, you just need to study well; don't overthink the rest."
"I want to give you a perfect childhood, not one consumed by revenge."
"But Uncle, I really want to help!" Sasuke sobbed. "The clan only has you and me left. If I don't help you, who will?"
"Uncle Raizen... I miss Mom and Dad!"
"Uncle... do you think I'll ever see them again?"
"I really miss them so much! Waaaah!"
Raizen's eyes grew slightly moist. "Sasuke, I promise you, I will definitely let you see your mother and father again."
"Really, Uncle?" Sasuke opened his eyes wide, looking at Raizen earnestly.
"Mhm, really."
"In a few years, I will definitely let you see them again. I swear it," Raizen said seriously. "But Sasuke, you must not tell anyone what I just said. If the wrong people find out, your parents might never be able to come back."
"Because there are many bad people who don't want them to exist in this world. Do you understand?"
Sasuke nodded solemnly. "Mhm, Uncle Raizen, I understand. I won't say a word to anyone, no matter who asks."
Raizen patted Sasuke's head. "Good. That's my good nephew."
"It's the weekend. Tonight, I'll take you and Karin to the cinema to watch a movie!"
"Really, Uncle?!" Sasuke's face lit up with surprise.
Raizen laughed. "Of course. When has your uncle ever lied to you?"
Sasuke was ecstatic. "Uncle Raizen, you're the best! I'm going to go tell Karin right now!"
"Go on!" Raizen set Sasuke down and watched him run off with a smile.
Watching the boy's back, Raizen sighed. He felt that in the original story, the pain Sasuke endured was no less than Naruto's. Naruto suffered from the village's isolation and hatred, but Sasuke suffered through the Tsukuyomi, watching his loved ones die over and over at Itachi's hands. Comparing the two, Naruto's pain of loneliness was far outweighed by the trauma of witnessing the slaughter of his entire kin.
Don't worry, Sasuke. I will redeem you. I won't let you become as cold and revenge-driven as you were in the original history.
"Raizen-kun, have you been crying?"
Momoko walked over holding a child, looking at Raizen's red eyes with surprise.
Raizen rubbed his eyes. "No, it's just... some sand blew into my eye."
"Sand in your eye? Is it serious? Here, let me blow it out for you!" Momoko hurriedly placed the baby in a nearby cradle and rushed to Raizen's side, peering into his eyes. "Raizen-kun, which eye is it? Let me help."
Seeing her serious expression, Raizen couldn't help but smile. "It's alright, Momoko. I got it out."
Raizen pulled Momoko into his arms and gave her a sudden, deep kiss.
Momoko's body instantly went soft, and her eyes looked at him with longing. "Raizen-kun... I... I'm thinking..."
"Thinking what?" Raizen stared at her with a knowing smile.
"Oh, stop it, Raizen-kun! You know what I mean! You're just teasing me!"
"What do I know? I don't know anything. I don't know what you want."
"Hehehe, tell me quickly, what are you longing for?"
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