Uchiha Douhuan steeped the tea slowly, unhurried.
Ever since his first kill on the battlefield at the age of nine, he had lived on the edge of life and death for six long years. Coupled with multiple separations from teammates and comrades — some forever — he eventually awakened the Uchiha clan's ultimate power: the Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, Douhuan could clearly feel that wave after wave of trauma had made his mental state… unstable.
Well, it was the Mangekyō after all. It would almost be disrespectful to these eyes if he didn't go a little crazy.
To keep his mind from fracturing entirely, Douhuan took time after the war to study the tea ceremony.
Not for refinement — simply to keep his sanity anchored.
The small room fell completely silent, broken only by the occasional gentle clink of porcelain.
Kakashi clearly didn't share the same patience for calm. Seeing that Douhuan still hadn't responded, he spoke bluntly:
"The report you showed me today — what does it mean?"
Steam rose as the boiling water washed through the tea leaves, releasing a rich fragrance. Douhuan lifted his eyes to Kakashi, handed him a cup of tea, and then finally asked:
"Did you visit Grandma Mio yet?"
Kakashi's visible eye stared deeply at Douhuan for a moment before he nodded. "I did."
"Be sure to visit her often. Life isn't easy for the elderly… Even though the clan's compensation wasn't small, it's lonely for her to live alone."
"Can you tell me what that report actually says first?"
Douhuan ignored the question again. "As for those clan members who speak ill of you, I'll remind them. As clan head, I still have some authority."
"Uchiha Douhuan!" Kakashi snapped, frustrated by the evasive answers.
"There you go — getting impatient again." Douhuan chuckled, glancing at Kakashi's untouched tea.
Then he turned around, lifting the kettle to place it back onto the stove. Kakashi seized the moment, yanked down his mask, drank the hot tea in one gulp, and quickly pulled the mask back up.
When Douhuan turned around and saw Kakashi's twitching expression from being scalded, even he was speechless. He could only shake his head.
"The content of that report is exactly what you saw," Douhuan finally said as he raised his own tea and downed it in one breath. "We haven't begun a full investigation yet."
"I wasn't born yet when that incident happened," Douhuan continued. "But I've heard bits and pieces from the elders over the years."
"If what they said is true, then White Fang-senpai was truly a great shinobi. He did not deserve to end his life like that."
"Really?" Kakashi murmured, disbelief flickering in his voice.
Over the years, his father's name had almost faded from Konoha's history. And among the few elders who still mentioned him, their evaluation was… not flattering.
"How others think, I don't know. But among the Uchiha, White Fang-senpai is held in great respect," Douhuan said calmly. "You know well — no one values their comrades more than the Uchiha."
"…Thank you." Kakashi lowered his gaze slightly, moved by the sincerity of the words. They reminded him of someone from long ago — a dropout, dead-last teammate who had once said something similar.
"But from what I learned today," Douhuan set down his cup and sighed, "it seems White Fang-senpai's death wasn't simple."
"At the very least, Danzō had his hands in something… unpleasant."
"Whether we should continue investigating — that's been debated within the clan." Douhuan leaned back. "The incident implicates too many people. The elders say White Fang-senpai had strong support to become the Fourth Hokage."
Kakashi frowned, not quite understanding the implications.
Douhuan sighed inwardly. Shinobi trained from childhood to kill efficiently often found politics far beyond their comprehension.
But he had no choice. Kakashi's political value was precisely what the Uchiha lacked most.
Why had Sarutobi Hiruzen kept Kakashi in ANBU for six years straight?
Even Kakashi probably didn't know how valuable he was, as the sole surviving student of the Fourth Hokage.
Although Minato never had time to fully cultivate a faction before dying young, the people who adored the Yellow Flash had never disappeared. Even his personal guard unit, though gradually sidelined after his death, still represented a force that Konoha could not ignore.
That was exactly why Uchiha Douhuan had carefully orchestrated everything to get close to Kakashi.
Realizing this, Douhuan could only shake his head. "Never mind. I will continue the investigation."
"…Thank you." Kakashi still didn't quite understand, but he could sense how much resolve Douhuan had poured into this.
"No need to thank me. I'm only doing this because… a hero should not meet such an end." Douhuan rose from his seat. "If you truly want to show gratitude, then visit Grandma Mio more often."
"…I understand," Kakashi said solemnly.
He turned toward the window, preparing to leave before dawn broke.
"Wait." Douhuan suddenly called out.
Kakashi turned, eyes filled with confusion.
"In a couple of days, come to the Police Force and pick up that guy with Mokuton. The interrogation is almost done. He's the only Wood Release user in the village since the First Hokage. Keeping him locked in the Police Force is a hassle."
Kakashi nodded, leapt out the window, and with a few flickers, disappeared into the night.
After he left, Douhuan also stepped to the window, his eyes glimmering with thought.
Once he cleared White Fang's name, Kakashi — the son of a hero and the student of a Hokage — would instantly become the center of Konoha's attention. And when that moment came, regardless of what others thought…
The Uchiha clan, who helped him vindicate his father, would become his firmest ally.
And that would be the moment the Uchiha Clan finally stepped into the light.