Chapter 177

[500PS REACHED!! Next Goal: 1000PS!!]

Konohagakure.

Before the time when carrying a bag of rice up several flights of stairs became a struggle, the village's economy was thriving, and its per capita GDP ranked among the top in the shinobi world.

Aside from the occasional group of villains trying to destroy Konoha without success, the villagers' happiness index was quite high.

On holidays, the streets and alleys of the village were packed with villagers out enjoying their day.

Of course, there was no shortage of well-paid Konoha shinobi.

Today happened to be a day off.

The calls of shopkeepers, the banter of friends, and the laughter of children filled the air, louder than in recent days.

The whole village was bustling.

Except for one area.

The once-glorious Uchiha clan grounds, now like a ghost town, after the clan's tragic massacre.

The Uchiha grounds were located in the most remote area of the village. Though expansive, with so many lives lost, no one had been willing to come here since, let alone live there.

With the passage of time, the once magnificent Uchiha clan grounds had become dilapidated.

A close look revealed traces of the massacre from that fateful night, still visible.

Moss-covered walls, overgrown weeds, collapsed high walls—a scene of gray and green decay.

The only thing with a bit of vivid color was the Uchiha clan crest, still printed in visible places.

After Sasuke, who should have inherited all of this, defected from the village, the Uchiha grounds were supposed to vanish entirely.

But today, its former owners had finally returned.

"Yawn~~~~"

At the village gate, Kamizuki Izumo, one of Konoha's "Two Gate Guardians," who was sitting behind the desk responsible for entry registration, couldn't help but let out a yawn, which prompted his friend Kotetsu Hagane, beside him, to yawn as well, stretching lazily.

"Such a nice day, such beautiful weather, everyone's off enjoying their holiday. Kotetsu, yet here we are, working overtime, guarding the gate from morning till night, without even being able to switch to another job. Honestly, it's so dull!" Izumo complained after finishing his yawn.

Hearing this, Kotetsu replied with a serious expression, "Izumo! All along, Hokage-sama has entrusted us with the important duty of guarding the gate because of absolute trust in the two of us. Just think, if Konoha were invaded, where would the first battle occur? Right here! It's precisely because of our skill and sense of responsibility that we were given this duty!"

"So Hokage-sama values us this much." Izumo felt ashamed for his recent laxity, immediately sitting up straight, eyes sharp, not letting any intruder slip through the gates.

However, Kotetsu then added, "Though, switching to another job might be pretty nice. After all, with our abilities, we should be shining brightly for Konoha in all sorts of situations."

"Kotetsu, you've got a point too." Izumo nodded in agreement.

But just as he finished speaking.

Izumo suddenly realized something was off.

Huh? Kotetsu's words meant... wasn't that what I said in the beginning?

He turned his head, wanting to discuss more with Kotetsu.

Just then.

A series of rapid whooshing sounds approached from outside the gate, getting closer and closer.

"Someone's coming! Judging by the sound, there are more than ten of them. Has there been a mission involving such a large team recently?"

Izumo quickly gathered his thoughts, forgetting their previous conversation, and exchanged a glance with Kotetsu, who had also turned serious. They swiftly moved to the gate, ready to receive the visitors.

Soon enough, they saw them.

No forehead protectors—they weren't Konoha shinobi!

Black hair, black eyes, cloaked in blue.

On the cloaks, there appeared to be a clan symbol of sorts.

Izumo scanned it carefully.

It looked like a fan, red on top, white on the bottom.

"This looks familiar, like I've seen it somewhere before."

Izumo pondered.

At this moment, Kotetsu spoke in a trembling voice of disbelief:

"It's the Uchiha clan crest."

The Uchiha clan?

The Uchiha clan!!!

Izumo's eyes widened, and he suddenly remembered.

The fan-like symbol on the blue cloak was indeed the Uchiha clan crest.

However, in his memory, the Uchiha had long since been destroyed. If it weren't for Kotetsu's reminder, he wouldn't have thought of it at all.

But weren't the only remaining Uchihas supposed to be Sasuke and Itachi? How did all these people have the Uchiha clan crest?

The events at Jomae Village were still classified information in Konoha.

As gatekeepers, they had no clearance to know.

Now, looking at these people with the Uchiha clan crest, their expressions clearly showed they were not here on friendly terms.

Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged glances, both seeing trouble in each other's eyes.

Kotetsu quietly reached for a signal gun, ready to request backup.

Before he could make a move.

One of the Uchiha stepped forward.

"So fast!"

Izumo and Kotetsu couldn't react in time; a familiar yet stern face appeared right before them. The dark eyes turned into the three-tomoe Sharingan in an instant.

With just a glance.

Izumo and Kotetsu's eyes rolled back, and they instantly fell unconscious.

Two more stepped out from the group.

One helped the two Konoha shinobi back into their seats, while the other set up a visual genjutsu in the surrounding area.

Once everything was set, all the Uchiha moved silently towards the clan grounds.

The only one at the scene whose clothing bore the crest of the Hagoromo clan, rather than the Uchiha crest, was Gensou, who did not follow them.

Returning home, revisiting old grounds, and the place where they would be buried—it was bound to be full of sorrow.

Better to leave them some space, to vent.

As for himself.

Gensou glanced at the bustling Konoha streets and the steaming food stalls.

He was hungry, so he decided to grab something to eat first.

"Ah!!! Pervert! Peeping Tom! Ladies, we must catch him this time!"

Gensou hadn't gone far when he heard a series of high-pitched screams.

Then, a white-haired figure quickly darted past him.

After that, a group of women in yukatas came chasing after, full of fury.

"So Jiraiya is still in Konoha, huh."

Gensou withdrew his gaze from the distant Jiraiya and was about to continue walking when he noticed a particularly conspicuous row of books in a nearby bookstore.

"Icha Icha Paradise," authored by Jiraiya.

"Come to think of it, I haven't read this famous book yet."

Gensou walked over, casually flipped through a book.

Then he bought it, his expression unchanged, and continued on his way.

Not even a minute later.

Jiraiya, having quickly shaken off his pursuers, returned, his face unusually serious as he scanned the surroundings.

"Is he gone?"

Earlier, when he brushed past Gensou, he hadn't recognized the unfamiliar face, but his sixth sense, honed through years of battle, had given him a warning.

He had intended to turn back to check.

But now the person was nowhere to be seen.

Jiraiya could only sigh, "In today's shinobi world, you can run into a formidable opponent just by wandering around. It's getting harder to understand."

"Oh well, I should go warn Tsunade."

Jiraiya headed towards the Hokage building.

(End of Chapter)