Chapter 72: Chapter 72
[2250 Power Stones Reached!!! Next Goal: 2400 Power Stones!]
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
====
Although Sasuke bore deep-seated hatred, his life was not devoid of warmth.
Naruto, Sakura, and his peers need no further mention.
He also had some memorable experiences with Kakashi.
For example, together with Naruto and Sakura, they tried every possible method to see what Kakashi looked like under his mask, which always ended in chaos and no results.
Another was that the perennial bachelor Kakashi seemed to have a woman he liked.
Yes, it was the woman in front of him, Hanare.
Looking at the woman who was said to have stolen a lot of Konoha's secrets, Sasuke said:
"Kakashi said you were dead."
"Is that what Kakashi reported? He went to such lengths," Hanare, with a tear mole that added to her allure, stepped closer to Sasuke, smiling at the young man she vaguely remembered.
Sasuke knew Kakashi's character.
He wasn't the type to prioritize beauty over the village's interests.
It was Sasuke himself who insisted Hanare couldn't be let go, and Kakashi had pursued her alone.
Given Hanare's skills, escaping Kakashi's pursuit was unlikely.
Yet here she was.
There was only one possibility: Hanare had successfully deceived Kakashi.
She had made Kakashi believe she was no longer a threat to Konoha, prompting him to let her go and report her death.
This was indeed the case.
Hanare had sincerely expressed to Kakashi her weariness of the spy life and her desire to start anew, living quietly.
Perhaps she genuinely felt that way at the time.
But Kakashi, a perpetual bachelor who relied on "Icha-Icha Paradise" as his emotional sustenance, didn't understand one thing about women.
"Living for espionage is my destiny."
Hanare gently brushed the dust off Sasuke's shoulder, her eyes reflecting a hint of nostalgia, and said: "I once told Kakashi the same thing. So, while I regret deceiving him, I don't apologize."
"Besides..."
Noticing Gensou had finished his conversation with Elder Muteni and was looking their way, Hanare bowed respectfully before giving Sasuke a heartfelt warning, "The prettier the woman, the less you can trust her words. Remember that, Sasuke."
"I don't need women," Sasuke scoffed, turning his head disdainfully.
He now believed in having no women in his heart, and his sword would naturally be divine.
"It seems you two had a good conversation. That's a great start for integration," said Gensou, approaching Sasuke and Hanare.
"Clan Leader," Hanare said with admiration in her eyes, addressing Gensou.
Muteni, who had also come along, introduced, "This is Hanare, the best intelligence operative of the Village of Locks. Thanks to her, we obtained much crucial and secret information from Konoha."
"Well done."
Since he needed to learn more about Konoha's internal affairs, Gensou nodded at Hanare.
Seeing that Hanare and Sasuke clearly knew each other, it was evident she also appeared in the original series.
However, Gensou had little impression of her.
After all, Naruto was a long series, especially with various flashbacks and side stories. He remembered mainly the frequently appearing characters.
Later, led by Muteni, Hanare, and others, Gensou brought Sasuke to the Village of Locks.
It looked no different from villages in the outside world, but as the name implied, each house in the village had a thick lock on the door, symbolizing their determination to protect information at all costs.
Additionally, because the Village of Locks was a front for the Hagoromo clan, it also symbolized the need to safeguard their true identity.
Aside from the dark lines spread across various ninja villages and those without ninja abilities living as ordinary people, most of the Hagoromo clan's strength was concentrated here.
In a way, the Village of Locks was the headquarters of the Hagoromo clan today.
After Hanare, whose real name was Hagoromo Hanare, showed Sasuke around the village, Gensou, under Muteni's introduction, met with the Hagoromo clan members in the village.
The process didn't need much elaboration.
Just as Hashirama was to the Senju clan and Madara was to the Uchiha clan... well, maybe not that last one.
Gensou was a symbol of faith for the Hagoromo clan.
Especially after miraculously living a second life, the clan's admiration for Gensou had only grown.
"After all these decades, it seems the Hagoromo clan has been doing well," Gensou sighed after meeting the last clan member.
Coming to this world, he had mostly treated life as a game, but since becoming the clan leader, he had also taken on responsibilities.
After almost losing everything, his primary worry had been the fate of the Hagoromo clan.
Seeing them now reassured him greatly.
Listening to this, Muteni felt full of guilt and said, "I'm sorry, Clan Leader. The Hagoromo clan is not as prosperous as it was decades ago."
Gensou waved his hand dismissively, "Rise and fall, ebb and flow, it's the natural order of things. Compared to the now-extinct Uzumaki clan, the Kaguya clan, the Yuki clan, the Senju clan with only its name left, and the Uchiha clan, the Hagoromo clan is doing quite well."
Satisfaction comes from comparison.
Gensou had noticed that while many clan members came to pay respects, their power varied greatly, with only five or six having chakra levels of a jonin.
Though not all had come, it was still a stark contrast to the Hagoromo clan of the Warring States period.
This prompted Muteni's self-blame.
After all, he had experienced the peak of the Hagoromo clan.
Gensou understood this well.
Fragmentation, scattering seemed like a good idea and indeed prevented extermination.
But it came at a high cost.
Once a millennium-old foundation was scattered, restoration to its former glory was impossible.
Additionally, ninja training required substantial resources, making it difficult for the Hagoromo clan to nurture elite members as before.
Decades of dispersion naturally weakened the clan's overall strength.
If Gensou returned to find the Hagoromo clan powerful enough to challenge the Five Great Ninja Villages, that would be abnormal.
Given their current state, he was already quite satisfied.
Moreover, his return was timely.
Had it been another decade or so, the dispersed members might have abandoned the clan name entirely.
For decades, the Hagoromo clan hadn't elected a new leader, with elders taking charge instead.
Despite the official explanations, Gensou understood the deeper meaning.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 73: Chapter 73
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
====
[News! I've Already Confronted the Five Kage, and the System Just Arrived! Event!!!]
<150 Power Stones/Chapter!>
====
Fortunately, everything had changed.
From the moment Gensou appeared, the scattered members of the Hagoromo clan would be reunited into a single entity.
This was the prestige and charisma of the strongest clan leader in a thousand years.
After learning all the current details of the Hagoromo clan from Muteni and reclaiming authority without a ripple of emotion, Gensou looked at the elderly Muteni and thought of someone, a flash of sadness quickly buried deep in his heart. He sighed slightly:
"The clan members from back then, now you're the only one left."
Muteni remained silent. After a moment, he spoke in a dry tone, "Moving and separating the clan wasn't easy. Throughout the long process, sickness and killing always take their toll."
During the Warring States period, the lifespan of ninjas was already short.
Even in the early days of the ninja villages, due to the impact of the Warring States period, many ninjas whose bodies were injured and vitality severely depleted couldn't enjoy a few years of peace before succumbing to illness.
To live as long as the Konoha elders did, besides substantial medical support, the most crucial aspect was living a life of luxury and comfort.
The Hagoromo clan's relocation naturally wasn't peaceful, involving plenty of bloodshed and violence.
"Speaking of which, the Uchiha clan also played a significant role in our relocation," Muteni added.
Gensou had a brief understanding of this from Samui before, but the specifics were better known by Muteni, who had experienced it firsthand.
Muteni explained, "After all, the Uchiha and Hagoromo clans were allies for many years. Even though contact diminished after Konoha's establishment, the friendship remained. Moreover, there were frequent intermarriages between the two clans. Although we didn't ask for help during the relocation, the Uchiha clan still sent some ninjas to assist us."
"Did Konoha know about this?" Gensou asked.
Muteni shook his head, "No. The Uchiha sent people in secret."
Gensou understood now.
One had to admit, the Uchiha, though proud and seemingly difficult to get along with, were trustworthy as friends.
If it were anyone else, their enthusiasm to help the Hagoromo clan would have made Muteni and others suspicious.
But the Uchiha? If they coveted something, they would seize it by force, not by deceit.
Moreover, large clans always acted based on interest.
However, due to the Sharingan's nature, the Uchiha often let emotions override everything.
Just like secretly helping the Hagoromo clan without Konoha's permission.
If Konoha had discovered this, the Uchiha's political situation in the village would have worsened.
The reason the Uchiha still did this wasn't for profit, but because of the longstanding friendship and intermarriage, and the fact that there were Uchiha members married into the Hagoromo clan.
For instance, Muteni's wife's maiden name was Uchiha.
"Clan Leader, the young man you brought back this time is the current Uchiha orphan, Sasuke, right? What do you plan to do with him?" Remembering his wife's secret pinch, Muteni cautiously asked.
Seeing through Muteni's expression, Gensou waved his hand, "Don't worry, you won't have to kneel on a washboard when you go home."
Samui, who represented the Hagoromo branch in the Land of Lightning, had unreservedly shared the fact that Muteni was afraid of his wife when discussing the current state of the Hagoromo clan.
"Sasuke is not a prisoner here. Your wife and the others can visit him if they want."
As he said this, Gensou's face held a look of surprise.
Just like a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon causing a hurricane in Texas.
The dispersion and continued development of the Hagoromo clan had brought about significant butterfly effects.
For instance, in the murderous year when the Uchiha clan was exterminated, some members sensed something was wrong and, out of caution, secretly contacted the old Hagoromo clan's dark lines, faking death certificates for a few Uchiha members and smuggling them out of the village to this place.
"What was that Uchiha person's name?" Gensou asked.
"Uchiha Setsuna!"
Muteni answered with deep nostalgia.
"He was the one who suggested assisting the Hagoromo clan and personally came to escort us!"
On the streets of the Village of Locks.
Sasuke, hands in his pockets, followed Hanare with a bored expression as they strolled.
If he could, he would prefer to be training rather than wandering around this village, which was similar to Konoha but much smaller and less prosperous.
But Gensou was different from Kakashi or even Orochimaru.
He had no choice but to follow his orders.
Others might hold grudges in their hearts.
Although Sasuke was rebellious, he willingly obeyed those who could truly make him submit.
Uh... in Sasuke's eyes, Kakashi was average in ability.
As for Orochimaru, he had chosen to follow him.
After walking a while, Hanare seemed to receive some instruction and led Sasuke away from the bustling street to a quiet mansion.
Sasuke looked around and casually asked, "Why bring me here?"
Hanare approached the gate, raised her right hand, and made an inviting gesture, "Someone inside wants to see you."
"See me?"
Not worried about encountering danger on Gensou's turf, Sasuke didn't hesitate, crossing the gate and following Hanare to a room.
"Go ahead, there's a surprise waiting for you inside."
Knowing Sasuke's background, Hanare pointed to the door, indicating for Sasuke to enter alone.
Glancing at Hanare's pretty smiling face, Sasuke, not wanting to overthink, walked up to the door. Just as he was about to push it open, for some reason, his hand paused, feeling a bit anxious.
He couldn't explain why he felt this way.
But with Hanare watching him closely, Sasuke didn't want to show hesitation.
With a cold snort in his heart, he pushed the door open firmly.
Creak~~ The door's old, squeaky sound echoed.
Stepping inside, Sasuke found the room much darker.
He didn't mind and looked ahead, spotting an elderly woman with black hair, exuding a familiar aura, sitting in the main seat, gazing at him kindly.
Not just the elderly woman.
Sasuke noticed about a dozen young men and women with black hair and black eyes standing beside her—no elders, no children.
Unlike the elderly woman's kindness, their gazes varied.
Excitement, relief, pity, and even hatred.
Sasuke didn't know these people and didn't understand their complex looks.
Until the elderly woman in the main seat, with an elegant and dignified posture, spoke kindly to Sasuke: "Child, welcome home."
As her voice fell.
Everyone, including the elderly woman, closed their eyes.
In the next moment.
Pairs of bright red Sharingan eyes opened in the darkness, shining brilliantly.
(End of Chapter)
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
109 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment