Chapter 56: Sasuke: My Brother Would Never Do Something Like This
Sasuke’s young face visibly showed a few traces of astonishment.
Immediately after, an inexplicable surge of dissatisfaction and anger welled up.
He quickly stood up, trying to put on the standard cold, expressionless face of the Uchiha Clan, his gaze locking tightly onto the other.
Sasuke furrowed his brows and questioned: “What the hell are you talking about? Are you slandering the Uchiha Clan?!”
Sasuke wouldn’t allow anyone to badmouth his own brother!
As the top genius of the first-year class at the Ninja Academy and the second son of the Uchiha Clan Head, when Sasuke adopted this serious stance, the few Ninja Academy kids opposite him still felt a bit intimidated.
One of them weakly replied: “That’s how it’s being said outside! Someone said—Uchiha Itachi killed everyone in the Uchiha Clan, whether elders or children, he spared no one.”
Sasuke: “……？？？”
Just as he was about to say something, a sudden startled shout came from the classroom door. Haruno Sakura was seen rushing back into the classroom in a hurry.
She hurried to Sasuke’s side and anxiously said: “Sasuke, lots of people are saying something happened to your Uchiha Clan.”
Another person ran over—it was Yamanaka Ino. She directly pushed aside Haruno Sakura and hurriedly said: “Sasuke, someone said your parents died… died at the hands of your brother Uchiha Itachi.”
Sasuke suddenly grew tense.
His young face’s expression changed slightly.
One outrageous rumor after another entered his ears, gradually making Sasuke realize that something might really have happened at home!
But this was too outrageous!
Killing all the clan members, killing his parents… How could his brother possibly do something as insane as the rumors claimed? He was the gentlest Uchiha in his heart!
Absolutely impossible!
Though his mind was filled with disbelief, Sasuke couldn’t control his legs. Ignoring the stares from the group of Ninja Academy students around him, he bolted out of the classroom and out of the Ninja Academy.
Instinctive panic and unease in his heart drove Sasuke to rush back to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
“Impossible…”
“Big brother he…”
“Absolutely impossible!”
……
Sasuke had run until he was gasping for breath. Along the way, he heard that indeed many people outside were saying something had happened to the Uchiha Clan, and the rumors were getting more and more outrageous.
He even vaguely heard someone saying that he, Uchiha Sasuke, had also been killed by Uchiha Itachi.
No…
If Uchiha Sasuke had also been killed, then who was he?
“Damn rumors…”
He no longer had the mind to refute those who badmouthed his brother; right now, he just wanted to hurry back to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
And oddly enough, along the way, he hadn’t encountered a single Uchiha Police Force ninja!
This made Sasuke’s heart grow increasingly uneasy.
At that moment, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted two ninjas wearing Uchiha Police Force uniforms at the street corner ahead.
Sasuke’s eyes lit up instantly.
His heart also relaxed a bit.
At least, it proved that part of the outrageous rumors weren’t true; at least some Uchiha Clan ninjas were still alive.
“No!” Sasuke hurriedly shook his head. What was he even thinking? It wasn’t just part of the rumors that weren’t true—it should be all of them!
“Um! P-please… wait a moment!!!”
Seeing those two Uchiha Police Force ninjas about to turn and leave, Sasuke hurriedly shouted toward them.
The other side seemed to hear him.
They both stopped.
Sasuke also took the chance to run over. The moment he stopped, he braced his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, his fair forehead covered in sweat—he was clearly exhausted.
Finally catching his breath, he lifted his small head and hurriedly asked: “I’ve heard lots of people in the village spreading rumors about our Uchiha Clan. Please, what’s really…”
Sasuke’s voice abruptly stopped.
He recognized one of the Police Force ninjas in front of him—Mother had once warned him to avoid too much contact with “Uchiha Ikeizumi”!
Sasuke suddenly grew tense again.
Because after Uchiha Itachi returned to the village, Sasuke had curiously asked him why Mother didn’t want him to contact Uchiha Ikeizumi.
Uchiha Itachi had then told him about the conflict between him and Uchiha Ikeizumi back then, shocking the still young Sasuke.
It also made Sasuke instinctively view Uchiha Ikeizumi as an “enemy.”
Someone who wanted to kill his brother.
If not an enemy, what else?
“Oh? It’s Sasuke?” A somewhat familiar voice sounded from the other side, and Sasuke mechanically turned his head.
He realized he had encountered an acquaintance—Uchiha Izumi!
Because his brother had few friends, he remembered every one of his brother’s friends clearly.
“Sasuke, it’s Thursday today, and it’s not time for Ninja Academy to let out yet. Are you skipping class?”
Izumi narrowed her eyes, one hand pressing on Sasuke’s small head, rubbing it while saying: “Skipping class is very bad behavior, Sasuke. It’s a bad habit—you can’t learn that.”
Sasuke quickly stepped back, smoothed his messed-up hair, and hurriedly explained: “I… I heard those rumors, so I wanted to hurry home to check. They said my brother… killed everyone in the Uchiha Clan.”
Izumi suddenly understood.
She said to Uchiha Ikeizumi beside her: “Senior, the evil deeds Uchiha Itachi will commit in the future have even reached the ears of Ninja Academy students. But real news gets exaggerated along the way, leading to many rumors that contradict the actual facts.”
Sasuke was stunned and hurriedly asked: “What facts? What real news? Is it related to my brother?”
However, Sasuke noticed the other side wasn’t paying attention to him.
The man called “Uchiha Ikeizumi” simply glanced at him and then looked away.
Sasuke saw that the other’s gaze had fallen on a seemingly very ordinary Konoha civilian not far ahead.
He heard the other say in an indifferent tone: “Because someone deliberately fanned the flames of the negative public opinion against Uchiha Itachi from the shadows. Someone is exploiting this public opinion storm.”
Izumi was immediately startled and weakly asked: “Exploiting? Senior Ikeizumi, do you have some new discovery?”
She also looked toward the person locked in Uchiha Ikeizumi’s gaze.
Hmm…
Was there something off about that person?
Izumi saw that Senior Ikeizumi didn’t say much more and simply walked unhurriedly in that direction.
Izumi immediately followed.
Leaving Sasuke standing there alone, his young face bewildered.
He looked left and right.
He fell into hesitation.
He wanted to hurry back to the Uchiha Clan Compound, but that would take another ten-plus minutes. If he just asked about it, maybe he could get an answer in a few minutes.
“Although Mother told me not to contact Uchiha Ikeizumi, I’m contacting Uchiha Izumi… that should be fine, right?”
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
And followed along.
……
……
