Chapter 193

Amid the cheers of the oblivious Konoha villagers, welcoming the Uchiha group as if they were returning heroes, the Uchiha continued their journey.

Behind them, the Konoha shinobi exchanged bewildered glances.

"Since when were the Uchiha Clan so warmly received by the villagers?" Asuma lit a cigarette, clearly confused.

He was well aware of the Uchiha's reputation in Konoha in the past.

Kakashi, watching Sasuke and the others from behind, spoke calmly, "People tend to view the deceased with great sympathy. After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, even villagers who didn't think highly of them began to pay their respects and shed tears. After all, regardless of how strained relations were, we were all still part of the same village. It's this sense of belonging that leads the villagers to greet the Uchiha so enthusiastically now."

"And also..."

At this point, Kakashi's gaze flickered, but he didn't continue.

He knew there was another reason.

The Uchiha had never had a harmonious relationship with the villagers.

Some of it was due to the Uchiha's own personality traits, but most of it was due to Konoha's leadership fueling the division.

How much real conflict could there have been between ordinary villagers and the Uchiha?

With the Uchiha's pride, they rarely interacted with the average villager.

The only point of contact was when the Uchiha Police Force was enforcing the law.

You could say they were strict and unfeeling in their duties.

But their enforcement wasn't personal—they treated every villager, shinobi, and even noble clans equally.

So what if you were a member of the Sarutobi Clan, or your uncle was the Third Hokage?

To the Uchiha, you were all subject to the same treatment!

In that sense, the villagers only found the Uchiha difficult to deal with and emotionally distant.

It never reached the point of hatred or fear.

The true source of animosity was Konoha's leadership, who, through various manipulations, isolated the Uchiha and distorted their image in the eyes of the village.

As for who those leaders were...

Well, the dead deserve some respect, so it's better not to mention it.

It wasn't until after the Uchiha clan was massacred that the villagers realized they hadn't been as terrible as they were made out to be.

Their law enforcement had been strict but fair, treating everyone equally. For the common people, fairness was paramount.

Now, with the current members of the Konoha Police Force being much more lenient, their efficiency had dropped compared to when the Uchiha were in charge. Tasks that once ran smoothly were now handled poorly.

In light of this comparison, many villagers began to remember the Uchiha fondly.

Moreover, upon reflection, they realized the Uchiha had never truly wronged them.

The Uchiha hadn't taken advantage of them or threatened them with violence, so why had they been so fearful and hostile back then?

In addition, the destruction of the Uchiha weakened Konoha both in terms of military power and overall influence, leading to a decrease in commissioned missions and a downturn in the village's economy.

So, with the Uchiha's return, the villagers felt a mix of expectation and guilt.

This combination of emotions was what led to the current scene of overwhelming enthusiasm.

"But... they've forgotten one thing: the Uchiha of today are not the Uchiha of the past."

Watching the excited villagers, Kakashi sighed deeply.

At the same time, Jiraiya had figured out Gensou's intentions.

"He's really put us in a tight spot, huh?" Jiraiya said with a bitter smile.

The Uchiha would soon leave.

And when the villagers saw the Uchiha depart without looking back, showing no attachment to Konoha, how would they react?

They might not understand the full situation, but their basic instincts would lead them to blame the Konoha leadership.

And the truth was...

Konoha's higher-ups had indeed played a less-than-honorable role in the Uchiha's downfall.

After all, it was they who gave Itachi the order to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan, from the elderly to the children, regardless of their involvement in any disputes.

If Itachi had refused, they would have carried out the task themselves.

"Gensou's methods are truly impressive. Not only has he sown discord within Konoha, but he's also strengthened the Uchiha's unity," Jiraiya observed, shaking his head as he watched the Uchiha walk through the village without hesitation, their resolve only growing stronger in the face of the villagers' cheers.

Next to him, Tsunade, feeling increasingly trapped in her role, quipped, "Great, I'll resign out of shame. You can take over as Hokage."

Tsunade was genuinely speaking from the heart. The longer she stayed in the position, the more stifled she felt by the mess left behind by the Third Hokage.

Jiraiya was startled by her words and quickly waved his hands, saying, "No way! Especially not now, Tsunade. You can't just step down in the middle of all this..."

For the next while, Jiraiya did his best to dissuade her.

Meanwhile, at the front of the Uchiha group...

Faced with the enthusiastic cheers of the villagers and their barrage of questions, Uchiha Izumi smiled but maintained a distant demeanor.

It wasn't until she spotted a dango shop she hadn't visited in a long time that her eyes lit up.

"It's been so long since I've had dango from this place. I'll go grab some."

Seeing this, Zanki, feeling a bit nostalgic himself, headed towards a dango stand he used to frequent.

Their actions didn't stem from any lingering attachment to Konoha.

On the contrary, it was precisely because they had no attachments left that they wanted to savor these last moments.

Seeing their clanmates scattering to different places, Sasuke thought for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the Ichiraku Ramen shop not far away.

"Welcome!"

"One bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen."

Sasuke entered the empty Ichiraku Ramen shop, taking in the unchanged surroundings, though the familiar yellow-haired figure who used to sit here wasn't present.

As he had done in the past, Sasuke ordered a bowl of ramen.

"Got it!!" came the energetic reply from Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, who never lost his passion for his work. Before long, a steaming bowl of ramen, rich in flavor, was placed in front of Sasuke.

It was only then that Teuchi finally looked at the customer.

At first glance, the man seemed familiar, but Teuchi couldn't quite place him.

Then, a lightbulb went off, and Teuchi's eyes lit up.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded calmly.

"It really is you! It's been so long! I remember you always used to come here with Naruto."

"That's right." Sasuke picked up his chopsticks and began eating quickly.

Curious, Teuchi asked, "Will you be coming around more often? It's been a while since I last saw you."

"I won't be coming back. I'm a rogue ninja now," Sasuke stated plainly.

"Won't be coming back? That's too bad. Even if you're a rogue nin—wait, what? A rogue ninja?"

Teuchi's face froze as the realization hit him.

He had almost forgotten that Sasuke's surname was Uchiha, and that two years ago, the last remaining Uchiha had defected from the village—a story that had caused quite a stir.

But age had dulled his memory, and it wasn't until Sasuke himself reminded him that it all came flooding back.

So... should I report him now?

(End of Chapter)

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