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Chapter 137: Konoha's S-Rank Rogue Ninja: Uchiha Sasuke
Chapter 137: Konoha's S-Rank Rogue Ninja: Uchiha Sasuke
In the Fire Country, within the Hokage's office in Konohagakure, Kakashi Hatake, the squad leader of the recent mission, promptly reported back to the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, after returning to the village. He recounted the mission's failure and the entire sequence of events:
"That concludes my report on the mission, Hokage-sama. My apologies for failing to complete the task."
Listening intently from her seat, Tsunade, a descendant of the Senju clan, nodded gravely and waved her hand dismissively. "Given what you've said, Kakashi, it's understandable that the mission failed if this masked man possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan. Those with the Mangekyo Sharingan from the Uchiha clan are always a formidable bunch."
The recent encounter with Uchiha Itachi and the knowledge of Uchiha Madara's existence were fresh in her mind.
"Indeed," she continued, "every Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan has proven to be a thorn in our side. I'm just relieved that your squad returned without any casualties."
However, a nagging question remained. "But how did another Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan appear, and what's their connection to Uchiha Sasuke and the mysterious Hagoromo Gown organization?" Tsunade wondered, her fingers interlacing as she rested her hands on the desk.
The affairs of the Uchiha clan were no secret to Konoha, and there had been no records of any other Uchiha awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan. If there had been, the Uchiha clan massacre carried out by Itachi would not have been as straightforward.
"Could it be that a distant Uchiha descendant suddenly awakened the Sharingan and evolved it to the Mangekyo level?" Tsunade speculated.
Ninjas were not saints; it was not uncommon for them to indulge in fleeting passions while on missions or travels and inadvertently leave behind offspring with their bloodline limits. Aside from the rigidly traditionalist Hyuga clan, it was not unusual for members of other ninja clans, especially those with kekkei genkai, to leave their genetic legacy in unexpected places.
Take, for example, the Yuki and Hyuga clans from Kirigakure, both kekkei genkai clans that had met their end. Nonetheless, it was entirely plausible that within the borders of the Water Country, a user of Ice Release or a possessor of the Byakugan could emerge in the future.
The very same could be said about Haku.
Thus, Tsunade surmised that the masked man might be a similar case.
What she didn't know was that the late Uchiha Shisui, who had also awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, had kept it a secret from everyone except the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Danzo Shimura.
After Shisui confided in Hiruzen and Danzo about his unique eye technique, Danzo, ever the schemer, moved swiftly to seize Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. The unsavory nature of the act, coupled with the desire to keep his own involvement under wraps, ensured that Danzo left no records of the incident.
Hiruzen, unaware of Danzo's actions, believed that Shisui had taken his own life by jumping off a cliff. Not wanting to tarnish the reputation of the Uchiha clan further and wishing to avoid stirring up internal strife, Hiruzen chose to gloss over the incident, portraying it as Shisui's failure to find them and ensuring that no official records implicated the village's leadership.
As for Shisui himself, he was not one to seek attention. Being a member of the Uchiha clan, he didn't want his actions to fuel the already volatile political climate within the clan, which had fully embraced the path of the warrior. Thus, he kept the existence of his Mangekyo Sharingan a secret from everyone except those present at the time of its awakening.
So, in the vast village of Konoha, after Danzo and the root ninjas who assisted him were annihilated by Hagoromo Gown, no one remained who knew the truth about Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan.
No one, except for one who had long since turned his back on the village.
"You've all done well on this mission," Tsunade said, addressing the team. "Take some time to rest and recover. Dismissed."
The highly independent Root had already been dissolved, albeit not in a manner she would have preferred.
But!
The Uchiha clan, one of Konoha's symbols, pillars, and sources of strength, had also been utterly annihilated by the Third Hokage, and now, in addition to Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha, there was another unknown Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan, three individuals who should have been on Konoha's side but now stood against it.
This thought alone made Tsunade feel absurd.
As a member of the Senju clan, she didn't particularly like the Uchiha, but she didn't hate them to the extent of wanting them exterminated.
How could the old fogies, like the Third Hokage and Danzo Shimura, have harbored such intense hatred?
Itachi's annihilation of the Uchiha clan could not have been accomplished quietly.
She didn't believe that the Third, who had consistently kept ANBU ninja monitoring the Uchiha clan's every move, received no reports that night.
They were all villagers of Konoha; among the deceased Uchiha were elders, children, and many ordinary people without ninja qualifications.
Was it really necessary to be so ruthless? Tsunade sighed.
She could only accept the consequences of their actions and try to resolve the issues they had left behind.
"Kakashi," she called out.
Kakashi, who had developed certain ideas about the Sharingan after this mission and was just about to turn and leave to attempt some experiments, paused at the sound of his name.
He turned to face Tsunade.
"Given the current situation," she sighed and continued with a solemn expression, "the village can no longer turn a blind eye to Sasuke. Going forward, I will issue an official notice declaring Sasuke as a Konoha S-rank missing-nin."
As an ally of Konoha, the Fire Temple, which had suffered significant losses, and the Tsuchigumo clan, needed some sort of explanation.
Too many people had witnessed Sasuke's role as one of the perpetrators.
If Sasuke weren't labeled a missing-nin, Konoha's credibility would be severely damaged.
Tsunade, despite her reluctance, had no other choice.
To be fair, Danzo Shimura, who had just become the acting Hokage in the original timeline, was not wrong to officially label Sasuke as a Konoha missing-nin.
The reason Sasuke hadn't been labeled a missing-nin before was that he had been well-behaved during that time, and the enemies he defeated, like Orochimaru, Deidara, and Itachi Uchiha, were all on Konoha's blacklist.
However, with the Five Kage Summit approaching, news of Sasuke's defeat and capture of the Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails had spread throughout the ninja world.
Failing to label Sasuke a missing-nin now would likely lead to a significant conflict between Konoha and Kumo.
After all, if Sasuke weren't considered a missing-nin, he would still be formally recognized as a Konoha ninja.
A Konoha ninja abducting Kumo's Jinchuriki—that was undoubtedly a prelude to war.
The current situation was similar.
Kakashi wasn't Naruto; he wouldn't be as naive as his student, running to the Raikage and pleading for forgiveness on Sasuke's behalf.
Understanding Tsunade's predicament, Kakashi remained silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"I understand."
Ever since Sasuke left the village, Kakashi knew that this day would eventually come.
Now, he could only hope that Naruto wouldn't be too saddened or lost in fantasy when he heard the news.
(End of Chapter)
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