Chapter 197

The fact that Homura and Koharu survived all the way into Boruto showcases their exceptional ability to stay alive.

Gensou had experienced this firsthand.

While in Konoha, when he had a moment to spare, he had gone looking for them.

Despite the large-scale commotion in the village, they hadn't shown up, and he had no idea where they were hiding.

Their ability to remain calm under pressure was truly impressive.

"Mitokado Homura... Utatane Koharu..."

Sasuke silently repeated their names in his mind.

From Gensou's explanation, Sasuke had actually been more eager to go after the two who directly planned and orchestrated the Uchiha massacre: the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura.

Unfortunately, Danzo had already died at Gensou's hands.

As for the Third Hokage, who had died even earlier...

Sasuke's eyes grew cold.

He recalled the times when, as a child, the Third Hokage would visit him with a kind and caring expression.

What should have been fond memories now left him feeling disgusted.

It had been the Third Hokage who ultimately decided to wipe out the Uchiha Clan.

His survival was not due to the Third's mercy, but because Itachi had negotiated for his life in exchange for becoming the executioner of his own family.

This man, the hidden mastermind behind the Uchiha's downfall, had continued to act as if nothing had happened, playing the role of a benevolent elder who offered warmth and encouragement to Sasuke.

Did he never feel any disgust for his own hypocrisy?

Looking back on those moments when he had been touched by the Third's concern, Sasuke now felt utterly repulsed.

The Will of Fire? What a joke!

"By the way, there's another person," Gensou added. "It wasn't just Itachi who wiped out the Uchiha Clan. Another Uchiha, someone with the Mangekyou Sharingan, was involved. He wore an orange spiral mask and called himself 'Madara.' Of course, he's not."

"As I thought, there was another Mangekyou Sharingan user," Sasuke muttered. He had tried to learn this from Itachi, but his brother had kept silent. Now, he had learned the truth from Gensou.

Gensou explained further, "The reason I'm telling you this now is that you're finally strong enough to handle it. If I had told you earlier, it would have only caused unnecessary distress."

"I understand, Lord Gensou," Sasuke said with a determined nod.

"Whether it's Homura, Koharu, or that other Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan, I will personally deal with them and put an end to the Uchiha massacre once and for all."

Gensou smiled. "Perfect. Soon, we'll meet that Uchiha, and you may encounter him sooner than you expect."

"Prepare yourself. But before that, you should think about how you're going to explain the truth to Zanki and the others."

Hearing this, Sasuke's fierce determination wavered, and his face froze for a moment.

He had almost forgotten about that.

He looked at Gensou with a pleading expression.

But Gensou merely turned his back on him, offering no help.

This was not something he was good at, nor was it something he wanted to witness.

Sasuke had no choice but to head down from the rooftop, his face heavy with the burden of the truth.

Although he didn't want to face it, he couldn't keep the truth hidden from the others.

Soon enough, Gensou, who remained on the rooftop, heard the sounds of shock, anger, and confrontation coming from below.

He shook his head.

Outbursts of raw emotion like this were always something he preferred to avoid.

Better to wait it out.

Half an hour later, which was shorter than expected, Gensou descended from the rooftop and rejoined the group of Uchiha.

Looking around, he noticed that while everyone's emotions seemed to have shifted somewhat, their attitudes toward Sasuke hadn't changed much. Things appeared to have settled peacefully.

With the Uchiha, there was no room for mind games. If they weren't satisfied, there would have been a fight.

Gensou didn't ask any further questions.

Based on what he knew about the group, even if they learned the full truth about the massacre, they wouldn't easily forgive Itachi. After all, Itachi had sided with Konoha, accepted their orders, and slaughtered his own clan.

Sasuke, too, was conflicted.

Could he hate Itachi? Knowing that his brother had done everything for his sake made it hard to hold onto that hatred.

But the fact that Itachi had sided with Konoha rather than his clan—despite understanding Itachi's ideals—still filled Sasuke with resentment, perhaps even anger.

To betray one's own blood for the sake of the so-called Will of Fire...

For someone like Sasuke, who viewed his clan as his family, it was something he could never fully understand or accept.

Whatever the case, Itachi was now dead.

And for Sasuke and the other Uchiha, one thing remained clear: their hatred toward Konoha had only deepened.

Gensou, seeing this, chose not to add fuel to the fire and instead gave a brief command before leading the group onward.

Before, they had been a mix of Three-Tomoe and Two-Tomoe Sharingan users. Now, they had three pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan and the rest had fully evolved Three-Tomoe.

As the Uchiha reunited with their longtime allies, the Hagoromo Clan, the ripples of their actions spread swiftly across the shinobi world.

The Uchiha Clan, once thought to have been annihilated, had resurfaced, and Itachi Uchiha had been slain—by none other than his younger brother, Sasuke, with the help of several other Uchiha who had seemingly come from nowhere.

And the battle had taken place right inside Konoha. Witnessed by many, it had sparked dissatisfaction among Konoha's villagers, directed at the village's leadership.

These events reignited the long-dormant tensions in the shinobi world.

...

In a hidden underground base in the Land of Rice Fields...

Orochimaru, who had been lying low for the past two years, fiddled with a face mask in his hands while reading the latest news from the shinobi world, provided by Kabuto. His long tongue flicked across his lips as he let out a cold laugh.

"Itachi... finally dead, huh?"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "According to reports, he was killed by Sasuke and some other Uchiha. Who would have thought there were still so many of them?"

"The most remarkable one is still Uchiha Sasuke. Especially now that he has Itachi's eyes," Orochimaru's face was filled with greed and regret.

He had come so close to obtaining Sasuke back then.

But with so many Uchiha still alive, this could work in his favor.

Even if he couldn't get Sasuke, he could lower his sights and go after one of the other Uchiha.

His Living Corpse Reincarnation technique was nearing its limit.

Orochimaru glanced at his hands, which now looked completely normal.

After scouring through the archives of the Uzumaki Clan and finding the Reaper Death Seal mask before Gensou could, Orochimaru had managed to restore his arms and reclaim his full strength.

He had even discovered that the souls of the former Hokage were no longer sealed, which was great news for him.

Now, he was back to his peak condition.

It was time to search for a new body.

And the Uchiha were always his first choice.

The Sharingan... It was a prize he was determined to claim!

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum] 

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]