A sudden darkness, and before he could open his eyes, a pungent smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils.
Sasuke opened his eyes and looked around; he wasn’t on that unfamiliar street, but lying in bed in a not-so-spacious room.
The entire room was white, looking like a hospital?
He sat up, looking around in confusion.
What was this?
Just as he was pondering, the room door was gently pushed open, and a young woman in a pink nurse’s uniform walked in, seemingly preparing to change his IV drip.
When she saw him sitting up in bed, she froze, then the tray in her hand fell to the floor with a clatter, shattering bottles and jars everywhere.
“You’re finally awake!” she gasped in disbelief, then instructed the young nurse beside her, “Go quickly and inform Hokage-sama, Uchiha Sasuke is awake!”
Sasuke ignored the commotion outside the door, remaining quietly seated on the bed.
Soon, several medical Ninja rushed over, beginning various examinations on him.
He didn’t resist, nor did he speak, letting them perform various Chakra-infused techniques that glowed green on him.
“Is it a dream?”
Sasuke wondered, “Or is this some kind of Kido spell cast by someone?”
As soon as this thought arose, his gaze inadvertently swept over a mirror in the corner of the room.
In the mirror, a small figure was reflected.
It was a child of about seven, wearing a loose blue and white striped hospital gown, with black hair and black eyes, and a tender face.
Everything was exactly as he remembered himself before the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Except for those eyes.
Also, inform Hokage-sama?
Sasuke’s heart sank; he was back in Konoha, back in this unforgettable place?
What about his days of training at Shino Academy, in Soul Society?
Was all the power he gained fake?!
Uchiha Sasuke lowered his head in despair, subconsciously calming his mind and exploring his Soul within.
The next second, he trembled all over.
In the depths of his consciousness, in that familiar mental space, a Zanpakuto floated silently.
The cloth wrapped around the hilt, the scratches on the sheath—everything exuded the most familiar aura.
It wasn’t an illusion.
A Zanpakuto, as the materialized form of a Shinigami’s Soul, could absolutely not be imitated or faked.
It was here.
This meant that his three years of experience in Soul Society were all real.
“It’s not a dream…”
“I’ve returned to Konoha, and my Soul, my power…
all came back with me.”
In the corridor of Konoha Hospital, a series of urgent yet steady footsteps echoed.
Along the way, the Third Hokage’s inner turmoil was far from as calm as his outward appearance.
Uchiha Sasuke had fallen into a coma lasting several days after the Uchiha massacre.
No matter how the top medical Ninja of Konoha diagnosed him, they couldn’t find any physiological trauma.
If he had died just like that, it would have been difficult to explain to Itachi.
Fortunately, he woke up.
Pushing open the door to the ward, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately saw Sasuke sitting on the bed.
At this moment, he had his head lowered, his small body appearing exceptionally thin under the large hospital gown, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
However, when he heard the door open and raised his head, those eyes made the Third Hokage’s heart suddenly sink.
Those were not the eyes a child should possess.
There was no relief of surviving a disaster, not even sadness.
In those dark eyes, there was only an unfathomable coldness.
“Sasuke, you’re awake, that’s truly wonderful.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the surprise and doubt in his heart, forcing a gentle and benevolent smile on his face.
He slowly walked to the bedside and sat down, asking softly, “How do you feel?
Do you remember what happened a few nights ago?”
This question instantly pierced through Sasuke’s newly constructed inner world, pulling him back to reality.
“A few nights ago…” he repeated softly, his cold eyes instantly turning crimson.
He looked up, staring intently at the old man before him, who was revered as a “Ninja Hero,” and recounted the hellish scene of that night.
He didn’t cry, didn’t tremble, as if he were telling a story unrelated to himself.
After listening to Sasuke’s narration, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.
He picked up his pipe, took a deep puff, and then slowly exhaled thick white smoke.
“Alas…” he sighed heavily, as if heartbroken by the tragedy.
“As you described, based on our investigation, we can basically conclude that all of this was done by your brother, Uchiha Itachi.”
He looked at Sasuke with feigned sorrow, continuing, “Don’t worry, the Village has listed Uchiha Itachi as an S-rank rogue Ninja and issued the highest level of arrest warrant.”
“We will do everything in our power to apprehend him and make him pay for his crimes.”
“No need,” Sasuke interrupted him.
“This is a matter of our Uchiha Clan.”
He raised his chin, his crimson eyes filled with resolve, “That man is my target; I will end him with my own hands.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the child before him, sighing again, his tone tinged with helplessness: “Since you’ve decided, then strive to become stronger, Sasuke.”
After a brief silence, Sasuke made another request: “I want to see my father and mother’s bodies, one last time.”
This sudden question made Hiruzen Sarutobi’s eyes flicker.
He moved the pipe away from his mouth, avoiding Sasuke’s direct gaze, and slowly said, “They have already been buried; it’s better not to disturb the peace of the deceased.”
But in fact, when Anbu took inventory at the scene, they found that most people’s Sharingan were missing.
He slowly stood up and patted Sasuke’s shoulder.
“Rest well, Sasuke; the Village is also your home.
If you need anything, you can always come to me.”
With that, the Third Hokage, accompanied by two Anbu, turned and left the ward.
The moment the door closed, the gentleness on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
He whispered to the Anbu beside him, “From now on, monitor Uchiha Sasuke 24 hours a day.”
Inside the ward, silence returned.
Sasuke, alone, slowly clenched his small fists.
“Buried?” he muttered, a mocking sneer curling on his lips.
He might not fully understand the political maneuvering of Konoha’s higher-ups, but in three years in Soul Society, although he hadn’t experienced it himself, he had heard too many lies and betrayals.
The Third Hokage’s momentary evasion of his gaze could not escape his eyes.
Sasuke closed his eyes, having a rough guess about his situation.
“Konoha and Soul Society must be two completely different worlds, and I have returned…”
He felt the familiar and powerful Spiritual Pressure within him, and the restless Zanpakuto, “Although I haven’t mastered Bankai yet, it’s enough.”
The next moment, he suddenly threw off the blanket and struggled to stand up from the bed.
A young nurse happened to push open the door and, seeing his movements, quickly stepped forward to stop him: “Sasuke-kun, you’ve just woken up; your body is still very weak and needs good rest!”
She reached out, trying to support Sasuke.
However, her hand hadn’t even touched Sasuke’s clothes before it was easily thrown aside by a subtle force.
Sasuke didn’t even look at her, simply saying coldly, “Move.”
He stumbled towards the door; he had to go to that place, the Uchiha Clan Compound, the place that held all his happiness and despair.
He wanted to see with his own eyes what was left there.