Chapter 195: Uchiha Leave the Village, Villagers' Reactions

Chapter 195: Uchiha Leave the Village, Villagers' Reactions

Sasuke didn't pay attention to Ichiraku's inner conflict.

After quickly finishing his ramen and reliving his childhood memories, he stood up to leave.

Sakura suddenly appeared in the shop.

"Sasuke!"

During this time, Sakura had been watching Sasuke.

Seeing him head to Ichiraku Ramen, she had quietly slipped away from the main Konoha group to meet him here.

At this moment, her face was a mix of excitement and complexity as she looked at the close-at-hand Sasuke.

To be honest, though they had seen each other before, it was the first time since Sasuke left the village that they were so close, not even a meter apart.

"Sasuke, I…" Sakura eagerly began to speak.

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

Sakura froze.

As she instinctively pondered over the meaning of his words, wondering if he was complimenting her maturity, Sasuke continued, "Since you've grown up, Sakura, you should understand the adult world."

"Some things Naruto, that simple-minded idiot, will never understand. But you, Sakura, can. So I'll explain it one last time. You can relay this to Naruto afterward."

Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Sasuke had already made his decision.

He spoke calmly to Sakura, revealing his true thoughts:

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

"Sasuke! You can…" Sakura anxiously began to argue.

But as she started, she realized she didn't know what to say next.

She wasn't Naruto, lacking his unyielding determination to never give up no matter the odds.

She was smart and clear-headed.

And because of that, even with her romantic feelings, she knew deep down that after everything that had happened, it would be difficult for Sasuke to return.

So when Sasuke said, "we can't go back to how things were," she instinctively wanted to refute, but found herself at a loss for reasons.

In truth, she wasn't sure why she had come here, just that she had done so reflexively.

Perhaps, subconsciously, she wanted a clear and complete answer.

So Sasuke gave her that complete answer.

"The bond of Team 7 remains in my heart, unbroken. But, Sakura, I've formed new, more significant bonds. I understand now what I'm living for; the hatred I've carried is no longer a burden."

"In the adult world, we have to make choices. Wanting to hold on to everything is for children and Naruto."

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

With that, Sasuke nodded to Sakura, brushed past her, and walked out of the shop.

Sakura wanted to reach out and hold him back, but remembering his words, she ultimately let go, powerless.

"Sasuke…"

In the end, she stood there alone, tears streaming down her face.

The shocking news of the Uchiha's reappearance spread through Konoha like a whirlwind.

Even the Konoha leadership couldn't stop it.

More and more villagers flocked to see the Uchiha clan for themselves.

The village was unusually lively compared to usual.

But this liveliness didn't last long.

As time passed, though the Uchiha occasionally bought things on the street, they kept moving toward Konoha's main gate.

Knowing the village well, more villagers noticed the Uchiha's direction.

As they got closer to the gate, a sense of unease grew.

"Looks like the Uchiha are leaving the village."

"Are they going on a mission?"

"What mission needs so many of them? And all Uchiha?"

"Have you noticed how cold they are, barely acknowledging us?"

"Aren't they always like that?"

"No, this time it's different. Didn't you see? None of the Uchiha are wearing their Konoha headbands!"

"And there's a large group of Konoha ninja following them. They don't look happy."

"What's going on?"

Excitement turned to confusion among the villagers.

When the Uchiha reached the gate, ignoring the villagers' questions, and walked out without a backward glance, leaving swiftly, the following villagers were stunned, the lively atmosphere turning silent.

"Why are they leaving without even saying goodbye?"

"Aren't the Uchiha part of Konoha? Why are they all leaving now? Even on a mission, they should check out at the gate."

"Could it be they're no longer part of Konoha?"

This speculation drew rebuttals and further discussion.

"But the Uchiha were always part of Konoha from the start."

"They were. But after the massacre, perhaps not anymore."

"Wasn't the massacre caused by Uchiha Itachi? What's that got to do with Konoha?"

"Hmph."

"Isn't it strange? We thought the Uchiha were all dead except for Sasuke. How come there are more now?"

"Are you saying the village lied? Covered something up?"

Discussions buzzed at the gate.

Until someone clarified:

"Stop fantasizing! These surviving Uchiha are no longer part of Konoha. They might even be enemies now. Otherwise, why would so many Konoha ninjas be following them? To see them off? No, they're monitoring them!"

This revelation brought silence again.

Quickly, the villagers turned to the accompanying Konoha ninjas.

The ninjas were silent.

Seeing this, the villagers also fell silent.

They didn't understand politics or grand principles.

But they knew the Uchiha had lived here since Konoha's founding.

For the remaining Uchiha to leave without a second thought, there must be a major issue.

Is the problem with the Uchiha who left?

No.

The problem lies within the village, with the Konoha leadership.

At this moment, the villagers looked at the Konoha ninjas.

The atmosphere grew colder than ever before.

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