Chapter 35: Sarutobi Hiruzen Must Be Insane!
Fugaku was ultimately the current Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, and even if the Uchiha Ninjas behind him were extremely dissatisfied, they could only all fall silent at this moment in front of this stern-toned Clan Head.
“Lord Danzo.”
Before turning to leave with a taut face, Fugaku said in a slightly sinking tone: “The Uchiha Clan has no other intentions toward the village. The village has no need to continue distrusting the Uchiha Clan like this.”
With that said.
Without waiting for Danzo to speak, Fugaku gritted his teeth and turned to leave, leaving Danzo with only a gradually receding back view.
Fugaku sighed inwardly.
He knew he had backed down once again, and this time in front of so many clan members… Even this retreat of his might very well leave Uchiha Ikeizumi isolated and without aid.
But Fugaku felt that if he didn’t back down, the relationship between the village and the Uchiha would be irreparably ruined.
The village already didn’t trust the Uchiha Clan.
If they started a martial conflict with the Root Ninjas now…
Could the Uchiha Clan still stand in Konoha?
“Sorry, Ikeizumi…” Fugaku looked up at the full moon in the sky and murmured: “I’m doing this for the greater good. As long as the Uchiha Clan can coexist peacefully with the village, whether it’s infamy or anything else, I’ll bear it all myself.”
Fugaku felt he saw things very clearly.
The Uchiha Clan seemed strong, but compared to the entire village, it was nothing more than mantis trying to stop a chariot.
“What I’m doing is just to protect the Uchiha Clan.”
The guilt in his eyes dissipated somewhat.
……
“Hmph. Uchiha…” Danzo’s eyes grew increasingly sinister, but he didn’t lose his reason to the point of wanting to forcibly keep Fugaku there.
“Lord Danzo, the Hokage and the others are back!” At that moment, a Root Ninja suddenly reminded him.
Danzo was stunned: “So soon?!”
He had only waited shallowly for a few minutes, and sure enough, he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen returning to Konoha with a group of Anbu Ninjas.
“Hm?”
Danzo suddenly sensed something off, because he saw many Anbu Ninjas carrying “dead bodies” on their backs.
Even that monkey guy’s arms were holding a “dead body”.
So many dead bodies!
By the moonlight, his gaze lingered over corpse after corpse, yet he didn’t find the most detestable face he wanted to see.
And the attire of these corpses was mostly that of Anbu Ninjas, with some looking like research personnel.
Moreover, each one had a very gruesome death! Many corpses didn’t even have complete body parts, appearing “scattered and tattered”.
Danzo also smelled a faint burnt scent.
“Hiruzen, where is Uchiha Ikeizumi?!” Danzo’s brows furrowed deeply, already impatiently opening his mouth to question.
Sarutobi Hiruzen lifted his eyelids and glanced at Danzo.
But he silently walked right past Danzo without a word, not even acknowledging any Root Ninja, as if treating all of them like air.
This made Danzo’s anger rise uncontrollably.
“Hiruzen!”
“Lord Danzo.” At this time, an Anbu Ninja suddenly blocked in front of Danzo and said in a low voice: “The Hokage has just experienced the pain of losing a son. Please don’t disturb him.”
Losing a son?
Danzo’s pupils contracted slightly.
That meant the dead body in the monkey’s arms was Sarutobi Shinnosuke? The monkey’s eldest son was dead? Killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi?
Danzo’s breathing became slightly rapid.
This was a blood feud, right? That monkey guy must already be furious enough to have the Anbu Ninjas surround and attack Uchiha Ikeizumi to death, right?
“As for Uchiha Ikeizumi…” The Anbu Ninja hesitated before continuing: “He left the Secret Research Base, so he should have already returned to the village. He probably took a straight line over the village wall to avoid trouble, too lazy to go around to the main gate.”
Danzo suddenly froze.
“What do you mean?”
His sinister eyes were full of disbelief, the huge emotional fluctuation making his old face’s expression seem a bit strained. Danzo gritted his teeth and asked hatefully: “You mean… Hiruzen let that innately evil Uchiha brat go? Even though that evil Uchiha killed his eldest son?”
“Yes.” The Anbu Ninja simply replied.
Danzo was dumbfounded.
He knew this monkey guy was already old, no longer having the ambition and drive of his youth, and had become completely indecisive.
But he hadn’t expected that even facing the enmity of losing a son, this monkey bastard would still be so indecisive!
How could he let the killer of his enemy go?
Was he a saint?!
“Hiruzen!” Danzo couldn’t hold back his emotions, his face darkening to the point where vulgarities were almost spilling out, but he ultimately forcibly restrained himself, shouting only at Sarutobi Hiruzen’s back: “What the hell are you thinking! That innately evil Uchiha brat killed your son! And so many Anbu Ninjas too! And you’re still going to keep that scourge in the village?!”
Danzo didn’t understand!
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s steps paused slightly.
“I…”
Sarutobi Hiruzen clenched his teeth until blood oozed from his gums, as he lowered his head to gaze at the face of Sarutobi Shinnosuke in his arms.
“I… am upholding Shinnosuke’s final Will of Fire. He wouldn’t want to see the village’s power worn away by internal conflict when there’s no external enemy invading.”
“This is his dying wish.”
“I…” Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath: “Need to fulfill his dying wish for him. Moreover, Uchiha Ikeizumi… Uchiha Ikeizumi didn’t… kill the wrong person—that’s what Shinnosuke said too.”
Danzo listened in stunned silence, wondering if he was getting old too and his ears had a problem?
He felt that Sarutobi Shinnosuke, killed by Uchiha Ikeizumi, had gone mad!
And Sarutobi Hiruzen, having experienced the pain of losing a son, had gone mad too!
Damn it…
Were there any normal people left in this Konoha Village?
……
On the other side.
Izumi, who had followed Uchiha Ikeizumi back to the village, dragged her fatigued body back to the Uchiha Clan Compound once more. And on the way, she split off from Uchiha Ikeizumi to take separate paths.
“Ah! So tired…”
Izumi walked on the dim street, feeling somewhat listless about life.
This was exhaustion both physical and mental.
She couldn’t count how many people Senior Ikeizumi had killed tonight. Especially in that instant when the lava rain fell, probably not many in that Secret Research Base survived, right?
And even the Hokage’s eldest son was killed by Senior Ikeizumi.
Is this「 absolute justice」…
Even the Hokage’s Eldest Son’s status held no privilege before justice.
“This… perhaps is why even if I’m so tired, I still grit my teeth and strive to follow behind my senior?”
Izumi was muttering to herself.
But at that moment, she nearly collided head-on with a tall figure.
Fortunately, her reflexes were quick, and she stopped in time.
And hurriedly retreated two steps.
Looking up hastily, Izumi was stunned and couldn’t help blurting out: “Clan Leader Fugaku?”
Fugaku was also stunned; he recognized this Uchiha girl.
“Izumi?”
Fugaku suddenly thought of something: “Has Ikeizumi come back?”
Izumi hurriedly replied: “Senior Ikeizumi should already be home.”
“…I see!” Fugaku felt a sigh of relief in his heart.
Ikeizumi, he had come back alive.
Fugaku felt a bit guilty again.
……
At the same time.
Uchiha Ikeizumi, who had returned home, turned his attention to the final “inheritance” left by his former Guiding Jonin Sarutobi Shinnosuke—the “reward” from killing the Red Name villain.
……
……
