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Chương 193: Chapter 193

Amid the cheers of the oblivious Konoha villagers, welcoming the Uchiha group as if they were returning heroes, the Uchiha continued their journey.

Behind them, the Konoha shinobi exchanged bewildered glances.

"Since when were the Uchiha Clan so warmly received by the villagers?" Asuma lit a cigarette, clearly confused.

He was well aware of the Uchiha's reputation in Konoha in the past.

Kakashi, watching Sasuke and the others from behind, spoke calmly, "People tend to view the deceased with great sympathy. After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, even villagers who didn't think highly of them began to pay their respects and shed tears. After all, regardless of how strained relations were, we were all still part of the same village. It's this sense of belonging that leads the villagers to greet the Uchiha so enthusiastically now."

"And also..."

At this point, Kakashi's gaze flickered, but he didn't continue.

He knew there was another reason.

The Uchiha had never had a harmonious relationship with the villagers.

Some of it was due to the Uchiha's own personality traits, but most of it was due to Konoha's leadership fueling the division.

How much real conflict could there have been between ordinary villagers and the Uchiha?

With the Uchiha's pride, they rarely interacted with the average villager.

The only point of contact was when the Uchiha Police Force was enforcing the law.

You could say they were strict and unfeeling in their duties.

But their enforcement wasn't personal—they treated every villager, shinobi, and even noble clans equally.

So what if you were a member of the Sarutobi Clan, or your uncle was the Third Hokage?

To the Uchiha, you were all subject to the same treatment!

In that sense, the villagers only found the Uchiha difficult to deal with and emotionally distant.

It never reached the point of hatred or fear.

The true source of animosity was Konoha's leadership, who, through various manipulations, isolated the Uchiha and distorted their image in the eyes of the village.

As for who those leaders were...

Well, the dead deserve some respect, so it's better not to mention it.

It wasn't until after the Uchiha clan was massacred that the villagers realized they hadn't been as terrible as they were made out to be.

Their law enforcement had been strict but fair, treating everyone equally. For the common people, fairness was paramount.

Now, with the current members of the Konoha Police Force being much more lenient, their efficiency had dropped compared to when the Uchiha were in charge. Tasks that once ran smoothly were now handled poorly.

In light of this comparison, many villagers began to remember the Uchiha fondly.

Moreover, upon reflection, they realized the Uchiha had never truly wronged them.

The Uchiha hadn't taken advantage of them or threatened them with violence, so why had they been so fearful and hostile back then?

In addition, the destruction of the Uchiha weakened Konoha both in terms of military power and overall influence, leading to a decrease in commissioned missions and a downturn in the village's economy.

So, with the Uchiha's return, the villagers felt a mix of expectation and guilt.

This combination of emotions was what led to the current scene of overwhelming enthusiasm.

"But... they've forgotten one thing: the Uchiha of today are not the Uchiha of the past."

Watching the excited villagers, Kakashi sighed deeply.

At the same time, Jiraiya had figured out Gensou's intentions.

"He's really put us in a tight spot, huh?" Jiraiya said with a bitter smile.

The Uchiha would soon leave.

And when the villagers saw the Uchiha depart without looking back, showing no attachment to Konoha, how would they react?

They might not understand the full situation, but their basic instincts would lead them to blame the Konoha leadership.

And the truth was...

Konoha's higher-ups had indeed played a less-than-honorable role in the Uchiha's downfall.

After all, it was they who gave Itachi the order to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan, from the elderly to the children, regardless of their involvement in any disputes.

If Itachi had refused, they would have carried out the task themselves.

"Gensou's methods are truly impressive. Not only has he sown discord within Konoha, but he's also strengthened the Uchiha's unity," Jiraiya observed, shaking his head as he watched the Uchiha walk through the village without hesitation, their resolve only growing stronger in the face of the villagers' cheers.

Next to him, Tsunade, feeling increasingly trapped in her role, quipped, "Great, I'll resign out of shame. You can take over as Hokage."

Tsunade was genuinely speaking from the heart. The longer she stayed in the position, the more stifled she felt by the mess left behind by the Third Hokage.

Jiraiya was startled by her words and quickly waved his hands, saying, "No way! Especially not now, Tsunade. You can't just step down in the middle of all this..."

For the next while, Jiraiya did his best to dissuade her.

Meanwhile, at the front of the Uchiha group...

Faced with the enthusiastic cheers of the villagers and their barrage of questions, Uchiha Izumi smiled but maintained a distant demeanor.

It wasn't until she spotted a dango shop she hadn't visited in a long time that her eyes lit up.

"It's been so long since I've had dango from this place. I'll go grab some."

Seeing this, Zanki, feeling a bit nostalgic himself, headed towards a dango stand he used to frequent.

Their actions didn't stem from any lingering attachment to Konoha.

On the contrary, it was precisely because they had no attachments left that they wanted to savor these last moments.

Seeing their clanmates scattering to different places, Sasuke thought for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the Ichiraku Ramen shop not far away.

"Welcome!"

"One bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen."

Sasuke entered the empty Ichiraku Ramen shop, taking in the unchanged surroundings, though the familiar yellow-haired figure who used to sit here wasn't present.

As he had done in the past, Sasuke ordered a bowl of ramen.

"Got it!!" came the energetic reply from Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, who never lost his passion for his work. Before long, a steaming bowl of ramen, rich in flavor, was placed in front of Sasuke.

It was only then that Teuchi finally looked at the customer.

At first glance, the man seemed familiar, but Teuchi couldn't quite place him.

Then, a lightbulb went off, and Teuchi's eyes lit up.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded calmly.

"It really is you! It's been so long! I remember you always used to come here with Naruto."

"That's right." Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and began eating quickly.

Curious, Teuchi asked, "Will you be coming around more often? It's been a while since I last saw you."

"I won't be coming back. I'm a rogue ninja now," Sasuke stated plainly.

"Won't be coming back? That's too bad. Even if you're a rogue nin—wait, what? A rogue ninja?"

Teuchi's face froze as the realization hit him.

He had almost forgotten that Sasuke's surname was Uchiha, and that two years ago, the last remaining Uchiha had defected from the village—a story that had caused quite a stir.

But age had dulled his memory, and it wasn't until Sasuke himself reminded him that it all came flooding back.

So... should I report him now?

(End of Chapter)

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Chương 194: Chapter 194

Sasuke didn't pay any attention to Teuchi's confusion. After quickly finishing his ramen and revisiting childhood memories, he paid for the meal and stood up, ready to leave.

Suddenly, Sakura appeared in the shop.

"Sasuke!"

Throughout the whole time, Sakura had been keeping an eye on Sasuke. Noticing him head toward Ichiraku Ramen, she quietly broke away from the Konoha forces, coming here for a chance to meet him again.

Now, standing face-to-face with Sasuke, just a meter apart, Sakura's face was filled with both excitement and a hint of complexity.

To be fair, although they had met before, this was the first time they had been this close since Sasuke had left the village.

"Sasuke, I..." Sakura began, eager to say something.

But understanding what she wanted to say, Sasuke shook his head and interrupted, "Sakura, you've grown up."

Sakura was startled.

As she instinctively wondered what Sasuke meant by that—was it a compliment on her maturity?—Sasuke continued, "Now that you've grown up, Sakura, you should understand what the adult world is like."

"There are some things that Naruto, the simple fool, will never understand. But you, Sakura, you can. So I'll explain one last time. Afterward, you can pass the message to Naruto as well."

In the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Sasuke had made up his mind.

With a calm expression, he revealed his true thoughts to Sakura:

"Sakura, we can't go back to the way things were."

"Sasuke! You can still—" Sakura tried to say something, panic evident on her face.

But just as the words formed, she realized she didn't know how to continue.

She wasn't like Naruto, who had the unyielding spirit to keep fighting against all odds, no matter how faint the hope.

She was smart and realistic.

And precisely because of this, even though she was madly in love, she couldn't deny the truth deep down. After everything that had happened, both before and today, she knew it was almost impossible for Sasuke to return.

So when Sasuke said, "We can't go back," she instinctively wanted to refute it but found she couldn't come up with a reason.

In fact, she wasn't entirely sure why she had come here. It had been a reflex.

Perhaps, deep down, she simply wanted a clear and complete answer.

And so, Sasuke gave her the answer she sought.

"The bond of Team 7 still remains in my heart; I haven't cut it off. But, Sakura, I've found new bonds—more bonds that matter to me. I now understand why I live, and the hatred that once consumed me no longer weighs on my heart."

"In the adult world, choices must be made. The childish desire to hold onto everything, that's something for kids... and Naruto."

"I'm sorry, but I've chosen my new bonds."

With that, Sasuke nodded to Sakura, brushed past her, and left the shop.

Sakura wanted to reach out and stop him, but remembering what he had just said, she felt powerless and let her hand drop.

"Sasuke..."

In the end, she could only stand there alone, tears streaming down her face.

The news of the Uchiha Clan's reappearance spread through Konoha like wildfire, and no matter how much the village leadership tried to suppress it, they couldn't stop it.

More and more villagers, eager to catch a glimpse of the Uchiha, rushed to the streets.

The village was far livelier today than usual.

However, the excitement didn't last long.

As time passed, although the Uchiha occasionally stopped to buy things, they didn't linger, continuing their march toward the village gates.

The villagers, familiar with the layout of the village, soon noticed the Uchiha's trajectory.

As they neared the village gates, the villagers started whispering among themselves.

"Looks like they're heading out of the village."

"Are they going on a mission?"

"What kind of mission requires so many people, and all of them Uchiha?"

"Have you noticed how cold they seem? They're barely acknowledging anyone."

"Aren't they always like that?"

"No, this is different. Did you notice? None of the Uchiha are wearing Konoha headbands!"

"And look at that big group of Konoha shinobi following them. They don't look happy."

"What's going on?"

The initial excitement began to give way to suspicion as many villagers sensed something was off.

Soon enough, the Uchiha reached the village gates, and without answering any of the villagers' questions, they walked through without hesitation, not even sparing a glance back as they left.

The villagers who had followed them this far were stunned. The previously lively atmosphere fell into silence.

"Why did they leave without saying anything?"

"Wait... aren't the Uchiha part of Konoha? Why are they leaving? Even if they were going on a mission, they'd need to check in at the gate first."

Someone else scoffed, already piecing it together. "Is it possible... that they're no longer part of Konoha?"

Naturally, this remark sparked a flurry of responses, some in agreement, others in denial.

"But the Uchiha have always been part of Konoha!"

"They were, but after the massacre, maybe they aren't anymore."

"The massacre was Itachi Uchiha's doing! What does that have to do with Konoha?"

"Hmph."

"Now that I think about it, isn't it strange? Back then, they said only one Uchiha boy named Sasuke survived, and everyone else was dead. So where did all these Uchiha come from?"

"Are you saying the village lied to us? That they hid something?"

The discussion at the village gates grew louder.

Then, someone finally said it out loud:

"Stop deluding yourselves! These surviving Uchiha are no longer part of Konoha. In fact, they might even be Konoha's enemies now. If they weren't, why else would so many Konoha shinobi be following them? Are they escorting them? No! They're watching them!"

These words plunged the crowd into silence once again.

Before long, the mass of villagers slowly turned their heads to look at the Konoha shinobi who had followed the Uchiha.

The Konoha shinobi remained silent.

Seeing this, the villagers fell silent as well.

They didn't understand politics or grand strategies.

But they knew this: the Uchiha had lived in Konoha since its founding; they were one of its elder clans.

For the few remaining Uchiha to leave so decisively, without looking back, there had to be something terribly wrong.

And the problem wasn't with the Uchiha, who had left their home.

No.

The problem lay within the village itself, with those who held power in Konoha.

At that moment, the villagers looked at the Konoha shinobi.

The atmosphere had never felt colder.

(End of Chapter)

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