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After the Masked Man and his group departed, Uchiha Haru continued leading the Uchiha clan toward their destination: the Hidden Mist Village.
The distance from Konoha to the Land of Water was not insignificant. Of course, this was relative.
The Land of Water was nearly independent from the other four great nations, separated by vast seas and naturally isolated from the world.
No matter which country sent envoys or travelers to the Land of Water, they would never be too close. Compared to the Land of Wind or the Land of Earth, which were inland, Konoha bordered the sea.
As long as one crossed the sea, the Land of Water could be reached directly. Among the nations, it was one of the closest neighbors to the Land of Water.
However, Uchiha Haru chose a different route.
Instead of crossing the sea directly from the Land of Fire, he led the clan southward through the Land of Whirlpools, then planned to take a boat to the Land of Water.
This path was obviously longer.
Yet it allowed them to stay on solid land longer, avoiding drifting on the open sea.
Most ninja or merchants traveling to the Land of Water preferred this route.
Thus, Haru guided the Uchiha clansmen steadily along this path.
Meanwhile, Konoha Village had descended into chaos. In a single night, the entire Uchiha settlement was reduced to ruins.
The Uchiha clan members left Konoha the following day.
This incident immediately ignited an uproar throughout the village.
Though relations between Konoha and the Uchiha had always been strained, fraught with tension over many years, the Uchiha remained one of Konoha's most powerful clans. Such a monumental event could not be ignored.
Soon, it became the hottest topic, with rumors and speculation spreading wildly—each more outrageous than the last.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for the Third Hokage to personally step forward, refuting rumors and clarifying the situation.
It was the genius of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Itachi, who had caused the turmoil.
Confused and pressured by others, Itachi had chosen a desperate path—attacking his own clan members and attempting to kill them all.
Fortunately, Uchiha Haru appeared in time to stop Itachi, saving many Uchiha clan members.
Haru also produced a witness: Itachi's younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke.
Though young, Sasuke's testimony was credible.
With the Third Hokage's explanation and Sasuke's words, the reasons behind the Uchiha clan's sudden upheaval became clear.
Yet, the question remained: why did the Uchiha clan choose to leave Konoha?
Was it possible that Konoha's high-ranking officials forced the Uchiha out?
After all, the relationship had been delicate for years, and such a drastic event naturally led to suspicion.
Especially among Konoha's powerful clans, who were concerned for their own safety.
If the higher-ups had treated the Uchiha this way, who was to say they wouldn't use the same ruthless tactics on others one day?
Preventative measures were necessary.
Regarding this, the Third Hokage offered no detailed explanation—he simply couldn't.
He stated only that the decision to leave was the Uchiha clan's own, not a result of coercion from Konoha.
In fact, Konoha had sincerely tried to retain the Uchiha clan, but ultimately failed.
Evidence of this was the large sum of money Konoha gave the Uchiha upon their departure, enabling them to settle elsewhere comfortably.
The split was peaceful, with no open conflict.
Even the Hidden Cloud Village's attitude softened.
Previously, the Hidden Cloud Village had taken a hardline stance, demanding that Konoha hand over Uchiha Haru—accused of killing their envoy.
Konoha had originally compromised to avoid war.
Now, with Haru a hero who saved the clan and led their departure, the Uchiha's affairs were no longer Konoha's concern.
The Hidden Cloud Village would have to pursue the Uchiha clan directly.
They did not object.
After all, their real goal was the Uchiha's bloodline limit: the Sharingan.
Now that the Uchiha clan had left Konoha, any revenge would come directly to them—and the Hidden Cloud Village was fine with that.
However, the Third Hokage made one thing clear:
No.
At least while the Uchiha clan remained within the Land of Fire's borders, no one could attack them.
Attacking the Uchiha clan within the Land of Fire would be tantamount to declaring war on Konoha.
After all, the Uchiha's ancestor was one of Konoha's founders.
Though they had left, attacking the Uchiha clan on Land of Fire soil was intolerable.
The Third Hokage's primary motivation was concern for the Uchiha clan's fragile state.
They had just undergone a huge upheaval and were still unstable, with internal wounds.
Though Haru was there, it wouldn't matter if the Hidden Cloud Village attacked openly or covertly.
While they could not defeat Haru, it was not impossible for the Hidden Cloud Village to kidnap one or two Uchiha by surprise.
Their secrets could then be exposed.
Thus, the Hokage chose to buy time.
They needed to give the Uchiha clan a chance to recover.
Once fully restored, even if the Hidden Cloud Village acted, they would find themselves in serious trouble.
After all, the Uchiha clan possessed the Sharingan.
Their insight, perception, and combat abilities far exceeded those of ordinary ninja.
They were no easy target.
In response, the Hidden Cloud Village initially threatened war.
But ultimately, they compromised.
The tension simmered, but peace held—for now.
In today's world, five great nations coexist. It's unrealistic for any one party to seek the complete destruction of another.
The most likely outcome of any conflict is mutual losses.
In the end, such wars only serve to benefit other ninja villages.
Of course, this doesn't mean they can't act.
As long as they operate beyond the borders of the Land of Fire, there is still opportunity.
On the seas, the Hidden Cloud Village's lightning-style ninjutsu was about to show its true power.
A series of events finally confirmed the Third Hokage's statements:
The Uchiha clan left voluntarily, with no coercion from Konoha's higher-ups, acting solely on the clan's own will.
This undoubtedly lent much credibility to the Third Hokage's words.
But it still wasn't enough—too many holes remained, and the explanation didn't withstand scrutiny.
For example: the Uchiha had suffered massive damage and upheaval. Why choose to leave? Wouldn't staying have been a better option?
Furthermore, if they did decide to leave, they left hastily...
These doubts fueled widespread suspicion.
Yet slowly, under the watchful control of Danzo and with time's passage, people gradually forgot the incident.
Konoha Village soon returned to its former peaceful rhythm.
Of course, not everyone.
Under the dark night sky,
A delicate little girl, porcelain-skinned and fragile, lay in a rocking chair, gazing up at the stars.
She was young, appearing gentle and obedient.
The most striking feature was her pure white eyes.
She murmured softly to the night sky, "Brother Haru, where are you now? Are you doing well...?"
At a barbecue restaurant,
Another member of Kurenai Yuhi and Uzuki Yugao's squad had finally recovered from injury and rejoined the team.
To celebrate, they planned a big meal and gathering.
Also present were Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, and Hayate Gekko.
All three men were peers, and since Asuma and Hayate admired and pursued Kurenai and Yugao, the two teams were quite familiar, making this dinner a joint occasion.
Logically, a returning teammate should be cause for celebration.
Yet the atmosphere felt strangely subdued.
Even Might Guy, known for his boisterous and thick-skinned personality, remained silent.
There should have been one more person at this dinner.
During the time their comrades were injured, that person had helped complete missions more than once and saved their lives on multiple occasions.
He had even earned them some glory that wasn't theirs to claim.
And what had they done for him?
When he truly needed them, all they could offer were a few empty words—and that didn't change anything.
They owed him a great debt.
But now, that person was gone...
"Haru ...Haru..." one whispered.
"He will be fine."
After a long silence, Asuma finally spoke, "Perhaps leaving Konoha was the best choice for Haru and the Uchiha clan."
Because of Kurenai Yuhi, he had initially disliked Uchiha Haru.
But after all that had happened in the past few days, though his dislike lingered, he couldn't help but respect him.
"Yes," Hayate sighed deeply. "Everyone knows the strained relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha."
"As Asuma said, maybe leaving was for the best."
"I believe that with Haru's abilities, he'll live well, even outside Konoha."
"It's just a pity..."
Guy grumbled gloomily, "We agreed to have a youth showdown, but now..."
His voice trailed off as he sighed heavily.
He felt deep regret over the loss of such a true rival.
But not long after, his fighting spirit reignited.
"With Haru's talent, he'll grow at an incredible rate."
"I absolutely can't fall behind. From today onward, I'll train harder than ever. When I meet Haru again, I'll definitely compete with him!"
After that, Guy devoured the barbecue and food in large bites, then left immediately to train while it was still early.
A short time later, Asuma, Hayate, and another ninja departed as well.
Only Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao remained in the restaurant.
They had been closest to Haru, shared the most experiences, and found it hardest to let him go.
They didn't know why, but since hearing the news that the entire Uchiha clan had left, they felt a deep emptiness—as if they had lost something vital.
They weren't sure how long it would be before they met again.
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