Chapter 116: Uchiha Izumi Learns the Truth
Outside a hospital room in Konoha, Kakashi leaned against the wall, holding a small booklet.
Click!
"Is everything arranged?"
Hearing the door open, Kakashi asked without looking up: "Uchiha Sasuke, how is he now?"
A man with somewhat short brown hair, wearing a black combat uniform, walked out of the hospital room.
Tenzō said calmly: "Uchiha Sasuke's mental state is very unstable. Uchiha Itachi seems to have mentally tortured him using genjutsu."
"If there are no surprises, he probably won't wake up today."
Kakashi fell silent for a moment before asking: "Then... what about the Uchiha clan?"
"We searched thoroughly. Uchiha Sasuke is the sole survivor. Moreover, some Uchiha clansmen had their eyes gouged out."
As Tenzō spoke, a trace of weariness and helplessness flashed in his usually blank eyes.
The Uchiha clan grounds have now been sealed off by ANBU.
After all, the scene inside...
Never mind ordinary villagers, even ANBU ninja felt it was startling to behold.
The ground of the Uchiha clan district was almost stained red with blood, constantly emitting an incredibly foul, bloody stench.
Aside from Uchiha Sasuke, the men, women, elderly, and even infants not yet a month old of the Uchiha clan...
Not a single one survived.
"This..."
Kakashi opened his mouth upon hearing this, but ultimately found any words to be pale and powerless.
Although he already knew the outcome, the thought that the Uchiha clan, which had been passed down for a thousand years, was gone just like that, still felt somewhat unbelievable.
What's more, the Third Hokage was now also severely injured and unconscious, not yet awakened.
The entirety of Konoha could be said to be leaderless, its strength almost at rock bottom.
"Tenzō, you first..."
Kakashi was about to say something.
But just then.
"Hello, excuse me, is Uchiha Sasuke in this hospital room?"
The voice caught Kakashi's attention. Hearing it, he turned around and looked at the figure behind him.
He saw a boy with long golden hair and azure blue eyes, with six whisker-like markings on his face, standing there.
His tone was gentle, his attitude very polite.
Uzumaki Naruto...
Looking at the somewhat familiar face, a strange light flashed in Kakashi's dead-fish eyes.
For him, who had currently sealed off his heart, suddenly facing his teacher's child, his thoughts were somewhat complex.
"Yes, Uchiha Sasuke is in this hospital room."
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then bent down slightly, asking gently: "Is there something you need with Sasuke? He's still unconscious, you know."
His unusual behavior made a trace of confusion flash in Naruto's eyes.
But only for a moment, then the confusion turned into realization.
"So this guy was the white-haired ANBU who was monitoring me before."
But looking at him, it doesn't seem like just a monitor observing the monitored.
"Thank you. I'm Sasuke's friend, just wanted to come visit him."
After Naruto politely thanked him, silence fell outside the hospital room.
Tenzō had already vanished with a Body Flicker when Naruto appeared.
Unlike Kakashi who was on leave, Tenzō was still on duty, so he had to avoid appearing before outsiders as much as possible.
Kakashi looked at Naruto, his eyes flickering, wanting to speak but hesitating.
He really wanted to say something to Naruto, but these years of self-imposed isolation had left him with only superior-subordinate colleague relationships.
Even when normally interacting with that guy Guy, most of the time it was Guy talking and him listening.
Now, facing his teacher's child, Kakashi, for a moment, actually didn't know how to begin.
"Suddenly, I somewhat envy Guy's thick nerves."
However, Naruto didn't mind the awkward atmosphere between them.
He focused his mind, asking silently in his heart.
"Father, do you know this guy in front of me?"
Inside the seal space, Minato remained silent for a long time before replying, neither happy nor sad: "Hatake Kakashi. I was once his team leader Jōnin, so I guess I count as his teacher."
Minato could also understand Kakashi's current state.
Back then, Kakashi was also Kushina's guard during childbirth.
At that time, Kakashi had experienced Obito's death and had just barely recovered from the blow of his own father's suicide.
But then, due to an accident, he personally killed Rin.
Not long after, he and his wife passed away due to the Nine-Tails Rampage.
It was precisely this series of blows that caused Kakashi to seal off his own heart.
However, even if Minato could understand Kakashi, ever since learning about Naruto's childhood experiences, he also felt a little bit of resentment towards Kakashi.
After all, watching his own teacher's child suffer...
"Sigh, really!"
Minato scratched his head, somewhat troubled, unsure if he was comforting Naruto or himself: "No matter what, Kakashi wasn't completely brainwashed by Sarutobi Hiruzen's version of the Will of Fire."
"If possible, Naruto, you can try to pull him over to your side."
Naruto heard this, his eyes also flickering somewhat.
Hatake Kakashi?
Sounds almost like someone jinxed by fate.
Having once possessed and never having possessed – which of these two experiences is more unfortunate, no one can say for sure.
But what's certain is, both are very unfortunate.
Hatake Kakashi was now simply living mechanically as a tool.
"If there's a chance, I'll try."
Naruto didn't give Minato a definite reply.
Instead, he looked up again at Kakashi, asking: "Excuse me, may I go in to see Sasuke now?"
Naruto's question also interrupted the chaotic emotions in Kakashi's heart.
Pondering for a moment, he nodded: "Of course, you can. But when he wakes up, I hope you won't agitate him."
Those caregivers who knew about the Uchiha massacre would involuntarily show some pity when facing Sasuke, which might very well agitate the currently sensitive Sasuke.
Naruto, as Sasuke's friend, should be unaware of the night of the massacre, presumably faring much better than those caregivers.
"Thank you, I'll be careful."
Naruto thanked him politely and humbly, then turned and walked towards Sasuke's hospital room.
However, as he turned his back to Kakashi,
His gaze seemed to unintentionally drift towards a nearby hospital room, more heavily guarded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also injured?
Looks like Menma-nii secured a very good opportunity for him.
...
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Snow.
The calm sea surface gently undulated, a small cargo ship sailing steadily upon it.
Outside the ship's cabin, Kurama Yakumo, with long black hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a deep blue long robe, sat before a drawing board, wielding her paintbrush with a calm expression.
Crew members continuously passed by Yakumo, laughing and playing, but seemed completely oblivious to her.
As if Yakumo's figure had never been in their sight from beginning to end.
Click!
Just then, Kurama Unkai pushed open the door and walked out of his cabin.
Upon seeing Yakumo outside the cabin, a hint more amusement appeared on his originally melancholic face.
"Yakumo, it seems your ability to manipulate the five senses is getting stronger and stronger," Unkai said, coming up behind Yakumo, looking at the image on the canvas, sighing with heartfelt emotion.
Compared to the gloomy and twisted style from years ago when she was in the Kurama clan, Yakumo's current painting style had become much brighter and more realistic.
From the vivid colors, one could see her current positive and upward-looking mindset.
Of course, beneath these bright and vivid colors, also lay an invisible killing intent.
"It's alright. This is just the first stage of five senses manipulation."
Yakumo replied without looking up, continuing to paint: "I'm still a bit short of skillfully mastering the second stage, Genjutsu True Birth, and even further from the third stage, Create Form from Nothingness, that Teacher mentioned."
Kurama Unkai couldn't help but be stunned upon hearing this, then smiled bitterly.
"Sometimes, I really envy you geniuses with such exceptional talent."
Although he had been injected with a low-concentration fusion liquid, it only restored him to the state of his thirties or forties.
Unfortunately, he failed to awaken a Kekkei Genkai.
"Uncle Unkai, your thinking should also change a bit."
Yakumo comforted gently: "Hasn't Teacher already said it? In the future he sees, everyone can have their own meaning. Being a ninja isn't the only way out."
If, initially, she chose to follow Teacher to escape her frail body and become a stronger ninja,
To fulfill the expectations of her parents and clansmen, to lead the clan to restore the Kurama clan's glory,
Then now, it was to see with her own eyes the world Teacher spoke of.
In that world, everyone possessed their own unique value, everyone had their own unique meaning.
No need to be burdened with the fate of becoming a ninja from birth, no need to shoulder the heavy responsibility of reviving the clan from birth.
One could choose their favorite interests, choose a job that suited them.
In a daze, Yakumo once again recalled her conversation with Teacher back then.
"Yakumo, in such a world, what would you rather do?"
"If I really lived in that kind of world, compared to becoming a ninja, I think I'd rather become a painter."
"A painter? Not bad! Maybe you can even hold a traveling exhibition, hahaha!"
At that time, she still didn't know what a traveling exhibition was.
But Teacher said, a traveling exhibition is when a famous painter shows their works to others who also love painting.
"Show my works to those who love painting?"
Yakumo looked at the drawing board before her, as if seeing an imaginary scene, a deep look of anticipation appearing on her face.
That kind of future... sounds really good...
But thinking carefully, that kind of future also seemed somewhat ethereal and unbelievable.
Things that even Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara couldn't achieve – could this group of people really do it?
However...
"None of it matters anymore."
Perhaps she would die on the path to the future; the possibility of becoming a painter wasn't high either.
But she didn't want her own children to be like her, burdened with the fate of becoming a ninja from birth, unable to even freely choose their own lives.
Besides, that kind of future, though unbelievable, didn't that man just love to create miracles?
Yakumo smiled with relief, shifting her gaze towards the figure in the distance.
Menma, wearing a mask, stood quietly at the ship's bow, gazing at the pure white world covered in snow in the distance.
Mountains, forests, buildings...
The closer they got to the Land of Snow, the stronger the chill became.
Most of this country's territory was covered in ice and snow, lacking the diverse environments of the Land of Fire's four seasons.
From a certain perspective, the Land of Snow and the Land of Rain were actually very similar.
It's just that the Land of Rain rained all year round, while the Land of Snow snowed all year round.
"Land of Snow, hmm..."
Menma gazed at the Land of Snow, his eyes gradually becoming profound.
"This small country covered in ice and snow, this small country overlooked by all other nations, hides new hope, a new future."
The Land of Snow is a small country without a ninja village, but this doesn't mean it lacks military strength.
The Land of Snow also has ninja.
Called Snow Ninja.
However, that group of ninja is personally managed by the Daimyō, not affiliated with the Five Great Ninja Villages like in the Five Great Nations.
And according to intelligence gathered by the Kurama clan, a cruel coup had occurred within the Land of Snow.
The instigator of the coup was the younger brother of the Land of Snow's Daimyō, Kazahana Sōsetsu – the Snow Ninja's administrator, Kazahana Dotō.
The ambitious Kazahana Dotō rallied the Snow Ninja army and successfully assassinated his older brother, the Land of Snow's Daimyō, Kazahana Sōsetsu.
Simultaneously, he brought the butcher's knife down on those nobles who held opposing views, brutally ruling the entire Land of Snow, thereby replacing Kazahana Sōsetsu as the new Daimyō of the Land of Snow.
And this was precisely why Menma valued the Land of Snow, the important opportunity he had been waiting for all along.
"That incompetent brute... actually did me a big favor."
Menma said calmly: "If it were the diligent and people-loving Kazahana Sōsetsu, a Land of Snow with a stable political situation would be much harder to control."
Kazahana Sōsetsu was a very talented and wise ruler.
The Land of Snow's ability to maintain long-term stability through several Shinobi World Wars was largely thanks to his personal charisma and ruling ability.
Kazahana Dotō now relied on pure force to oppress and rule the Land of Snow; this crude method would make his regime very unstable.
What's more, that fellow actually left a survivor.
The sole heir of the Land of Snow's Daimyō, Kazahana Sōsetsu – Kazahana Koyuki.
Whether by bloodline or popular support, Kazahana Koyuki was the legitimate heir to the Land of Snow.
As long as I find...
"Lord Master, Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Shin have awakened."
A voice suddenly coming from behind directly interrupted Menma's thoughts.
"Awakened?"
Menma turned to look at the respectfully bowing Kurama Unkai, asking with great interest: "What are their reactions?"
A real Uchiha and a fake Uchiha... what kind of sparks will fly when the two of them meet?
Kurama Unkai heard this, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"This... Perhaps you should go see for yourself, Sir?"
He's just an old man, why make things difficult for him?
Menma didn't mind, chuckled lightly, then walked towards the lowest deck of the cargo ship.
...
Meanwhile, in the lowest deck cabin of the cargo ship.
"Sharingan, Sharingan..."
Uchiha Shin paced anxiously within the cabin, constantly muttering: "What on earth do I have to do to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Ever since being brutally tortured in the genjutsu space by Ame-no-Minakanushi last time, he had desperately wanted to possess greater power.
He learned about the existence of the Mangekyō Sharingan from that Uchiha woman over there.
It was an eye even more powerful than the three-tomoe Sharingan!!
"How exactly can I obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
He didn't care what purpose Ame-no-Minakanushi had, nor how chaotic the outside world was.
He only cared about how to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This was his conviction for living.
But with his brain, how could he possibly figure out any useful information?
"Can you rest for a bit?"
Uchiha Izumi, sitting on the bed, couldn't help but complain: "Don't tell me you're still fantasizing about obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"An outsider to the Uchiha clan... being able to possess the Sharingan is already incredible. And you're still not satisfied with that?"
Uchiha Shin frowned deeply, his tone indignant: "What does a woman like you understand? You're just a lucky fellow born into the Uchiha clan!"
"I will definitely possess the Mangekyō Sharingan! No matter what the cost!"
Splurt!
Uchiha Izumi sneered upon hearing this: "Just you, an outsider, also want to obtain the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"Simply wishful thinking!"
In the one or two hours after waking up, Izumi had some exchanges with this guy calling himself Uchiha Shin, naturally learning some information about him.
As an Uchiha ninja, Izumi's ability to gather intelligence was naturally extremely outstanding.
Uchiha Shin, this fellow really liked to show off his three-tomoe and two-tomoe.
An outsider awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan did indeed greatly surprise her at first.
But after interacting for an hour or two, she saw through this outsider's nature.
An idiot, arrogant and ignorant to the extreme!
Information about the Mangekyō Sharingan – she learned it from her deceased grandfather.
Although she didn't know how to awaken the Mangekyō, in her grandfather's generation, only Uchiha Madara alone had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
How could this idiot possibly compare to Uchiha Madara?
Hearing Izumi's ridicule, Shin abruptly turned to look at her.
"Damn it!!"
Shin clenched his fists, gritting his teeth: "Say whatever you want! Anyway, I've already thought of a way to obtain the Mangekyō!"
"Since the Mangekyō Sharingan evolves from the three-tomoe Sharingan, then possessing more three-tomoe Sharingan will definitely allow one to obtain the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
If transplanting one three-tomoe isn't enough, then transplant a pair!
If a pair of three-tomoe still isn't enough, then transplant two pairs!
If it's still not enough, then transplant three-tomoe all over his entire body!!
"...Wait, three-tomoe?"
Unsure what he thought of, Uchiha Shin suddenly froze.
Then he looked at Izumi's eyes.
If he remembered correctly, this woman just said she had three-tomoe Sharingan.
And a pair!
Right?
"You bastard..."
Looking at Shin's bizarre gaze, Uchiha Izumi frowned deeply: "What kind of look is that?"
Being brought here inexplicably, still not knowing what happened to the Uchiha clan.
And the words that masked man spoke also gave her a sense of foreboding.
Her mood was already somewhat gloomy.
Now Shin was staring at her with the eyes of someone looking at prey, instantly making her feel even more irritated.
However, Shin paid no attention to her displeasure.
Instead, he stared intently at her eyes. As he spoke, a deep look of greed appeared on his face.
"Your talent doesn't deserve to possess three-tomoe Sharingan! Why not... why not give them to me!"
"Only I am worthy of the Uchiha name!!"
The instant his voice fell,
Swish!!
Shin's figure also suddenly vanished from the spot.
Seeing this, Izumi's eyes instantly hardened, and she simultaneously adopted a defensive posture.
But just then,
The cabin door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
"Truly a brainless idiot."
A chilling wind accompanied by cold words entered Izumi and Shin's ears.
Before the two could react,
BOOM!!
Uchiha Shin, originally rushing towards Uchiha Izumi, was instantly sent flying backwards, then slammed straight into the cabin wall, emitting a loud crash.
Faintly, one could even hear the crisp sound of bones breaking.
Thump!
"Cough!"
Uchiha Shin slid down from the wall to the floor, and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
"I remember I warned you, right?"
Menma slowly walked before Uchiha Shin, looking down at him with cold eyes: "I said, you are just an experimental material now, not even considered an outer member."
"Who gave you the courage to lay hands on someone I've taken an interest in?"
Hearing this chilling voice, Shin, collapsed on the ground, couldn't help but stiffen.
In a daze, he once again recalled the fear of being dominated by this man in the genjutsu space.
"I... I..."
Uchiha Shin lowered his head, trembling all over in trepidation.
However, Menma paid no attention to his emotions.
"If you can't endure it, then just die quietly in the genjutsu."
He finished coldly, then directly walked past Shin, a red light flashing in his eyes.
With a "thump," Uchiha Shin behind him collapsed to the ground again.
Menma shifted his gaze to Uchiha Izumi, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
His saving Uchiha Izumi wasn't a whim.
If he remembered correctly, Uchiha Izumi awakened her Sharingan as a child after witnessing her father die in the Nine-Tails Rampage.
And around the age of thirteen, she reawakened the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Unfortunately, lacking tempering, she simply didn't know how to utilize the Sharingan. Her strength wasn't much different compared to those two-tomoe Uchiha clansmen.
However, the age at which she awakened her eyes was much earlier than that guy Uchiha Itachi.
This showed her talent in Kekkei Genkai was very strong, and not inferior to Uchiha Itachi's.
If Uchiha Itachi could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, then there was no reason Uchiha Izumi couldn't.
Her awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan was merely lacking a suitable trigger.
Just don't know what kind of reaction this woman will have after learning the truth of the Uchiha massacre.
Sorrow, anger, despair, hatred...
These negative emotions that can help awaken the eyes definitely won't be lacking.
If this still isn't enough, Menma wouldn't mind giving her a little push.
And just then.
"Thank you very much for saving me!"
Uchiha Izumi snapped back to reality, walked before Menma, and bowed respectfully to him, full of gratitude.
She then straightened up, looking somewhat nervously at the three-eyed cat-face mask.
When she first saw Menma, she subconsciously became wary.
But in a flash, she thought of the person's strength before her.
If this person wanted to harm her, she probably couldn't resist at all.
What's more, the other party was her life-saver.
However, Uchiha Izumi finally still asked with an anxious face: "Excuse me, what is the situation with the Uchiha clan now?"
"What exactly happened? And that mysterious person with the yellow mask..."
Her only relative, her mother, was still in the Uchiha clan grounds!
Yet she now seemed to be on a ship, completely unaware of its destination!
Naturally, she couldn't help but worry.
"I know you have many questions."
Menma interrupted her endless questions, stating decisively: "But I only saved you because I admire your talent, that's all."
Menma's words undoubtedly poured a bucket of cold water on Uchiha Izumi, gradually calming her down.
"Sorry, I lost my composure."
Uchiha Izumi let out a long breath, then bowed slightly, asking respectfully: "Please tell me, what exactly happened to the Uchiha clan now?"
She believed she had already prepared herself mentally.
No matter what the answer was, she could accept it calmly.
But when Menma uttered those words, Uchiha Izumi still froze on the spot.
"Konoha's Uchiha clan... has been destroyed."
"...What?"
(End of Chapter)
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