Hidden Injury! White-Haired Kid, Do You Feel Guilty?

"Sasuke, you should head back first!"

Itachi sent Sasuke away, smiling at him, "Brother will be home soon. You wait for me at home for half an hour at most."

"...Okay!" Sasuke pouted, clearly unhappy.

He thought his brother had finally taken a day off to spend time with him.

But now, he was caught up in some other matter.

Sasuke turned back every few steps, seeing his brother talking with Shisui and not looking at him at all.

Pouting, Sasuke grumbled to himself, "Brother is always like this!"

On the other side.

"Itachi, thank you. I didn't expect you'd have to help me out." Shisui, with his prominent button nose, smiled at Itachi, "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be stuck with them for a long time."

"Is it about Gan, Wen, and Tsui?" Itachi asked, "The Police Force wants to take revenge on Whitebeard?"

Shisui didn't hide it: "Yes!"

He smiled wryly, "I've tried to talk them out of it many times, but they don't listen to me. Instead, they say I'm becoming too soft. But rationally speaking, we shouldn't touch Whitebeard."

"That giant called Whitebeard is too special. He might have formed a bond with our Nine-Tails jinchuriki. If we attack him, how will the higher-ups in Konoha view us?"

Itachi thought for a moment and realized a possibility: "They will think we did it on purpose!"

"Exactly." Shisui nodded.

He continued, "The relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha is already extremely tense. If we cause trouble with the jinchuriki now, or even trigger the power of the Nine-Tails…"

"Konoha will completely lose trust in us." Shisui's tone was serious, "Civil war might break out!"

Itachi was startled.

Civil war!

Shisui smiled, "So no matter what… I won't agree with them. Even if they call me weak, I will stick to my original idea to avoid a civil war."

Itachi reminded, "But they won't give up because you refuse. They might act on their own."

"That's what worries me."

Shisui sighed.

Two young Uchiha boys, whose combined age was less than thirty, discussing such important political matters was a strange sight.

But this is the ninja world.

Early maturity is common.

…

"Cough, cough, cough…" Whitebeard was coughing continuously on the road. The injuries he sustained during the Summit War had healed because of the crossover, but his old hidden injuries had not.

Years of fierce battles at sea had accumulated numerous injuries.

In Moby Dick, Whitebeard always needed IV fluids and medications.

There were always several nurses watching over him.

Now, in the ninja world, Whitebeard hadn't had an IV in days, and his internal injuries were causing him more pain.

His muscles, internal organs, and bones…

All felt discomfort.

"Dad, are you okay?" Naruto noticed Whitebeard's condition wasn't right, his small face filled with concern, "You've been coughing a lot on the way."

"Hoo—" Whitebeard exhaled deeply, creating a gust of wind that blew up dust.

He rested Murakumogiri's end on the ground, supporting his massive body, trying to ease his discomfort.

After a while.

He finally responded to Naruto's increasingly worried expression, "Gurararara! Foolish son! Your dad is fine!"

"Really?" Naruto scratched his head, "You're not lying, are you?"

"Foolish son!" Whitebeard flicked Naruto a love flick, causing Naruto to crouch in pain and clutch his head.

"Why would your dad lie to you?" Whitebeard grinned, "Compared to a few days ago, I've never felt better!"

Whitebeard wasn't lying because a few days ago, he was in the Summit War, near death.

Now, his physical condition.

It was indeed better than back then.

Returning to Naruto's small house, with night falling, Whitebeard rested beside the house.

This had become his usual resting spot.

The nearby neighbors were too afraid to pass by where Whitebeard was sitting.

At this moment.

Naruto was inside, bathing and preparing to rest.

Outside, Whitebeard was meditating.

"Do you need to visit Konoha Hospital?" This voice didn't come from Naruto.

It was Kakashi.

Kakashi's expression was complicated. He knew he shouldn't be advising an outsider, especially one who had formed a bond with Naruto and taken away his sensei's son.

But.

Whenever he saw Naruto, Kakashi felt guilty. He didn't know why…

He just did.

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard wasn't shy about his injuries, laughing, "Even the best hospital can't completely heal me."

Kakashi, with his dead-fish eyes, said, "You should at least check it out? Konoha Hospital has many excellent medical ninja."

Whitebeard teased, "Why are you so concerned, white-haired kid? Do you want to be my son?"

"...Just for Naruto's sake." Kakashi was speechless.

"Oh?" Whitebeard clicked his tongue. "Are you close with my foolish son? It doesn't seem like it!"

Kakashi was silent for a moment.

Then he said, "Naruto's father… was my sensei. I don't mean you, but his blood-related father."

"Maybe Naruto doesn't know me, but I know him… Ugh!" Kakashi's eyes widened.

The intense pain in his abdomen forced him to kneel, his insides twisting!

"What are you doing?" Kakashi almost threw up, looking at Whitebeard.

Whitebeard had suddenly jabbed his abdomen with one finger, the force almost making Kakashi faint.

Looking at him.

Kakashi's hair stood on end!

Because he saw Whitebeard's extremely grim expression, a silent pressure enveloped him.

The surrounding air seemed to twist, becoming very still.

"White-haired kid." Whitebeard glanced sideways, "How can you be at ease seeing my foolish son suffer? His real father was your sensei. Before he died, he should have asked you to take care of his son, right?"

"Even if he didn't, you should have that responsibility, right? All these years, what have you been doing? My foolish son was bullied in Konoha. You must have known!"

The anger rising in Kakashi's heart vanished completely.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Facing Whitebeard's intense questioning.

He was speechless.

…

…