Chapter 192: The Uchiha Clan Still Stands
Chapter 192: The Uchiha Clan Still Stands
Yuyi Xuan Yue led the group of Uchiha, boldly strolling through the Leaf ninjas and heading out of the village, right under their noses.
"These guys!!!"
"They're too arrogant!! Do they think Leaf is some pushover?!"
"Are we going to let this slide?"
". . ."
The Leaf ninjas, initially awestruck by Yuyi Xuan Yue's formidable aura, snapped out of their daze. Embarrassed and enraged, they glared at Yuyi Xuan Yue's group, itching to take action and redeem themselves from their moment of cowardice.
However, one person remained silent.
"Hokage-sama?"
Influenced by the Will of Fire and their courageous spirit, the Leaf ninjas looked to Tsunade, awaiting her orders.
Tsunade clenched her fists.
Jiraiya approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head gravely, his expression solemn.
Yuyi Xuan Yue's trio of Rinnegan eyes was not an opponent they could defeat, not with their current strength.
Even if they rallied all their forces and barely managed a victory, the Leaf Village would undoubtedly be knocked down from its position as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Not to mention, if a true battle ensued, the village and its residents would suffer far greater destruction and casualties than what they had endured during the Nine-Tails' attack or the Chunin Exams.
Such an outcome would essentially leave the Leaf Village in ruins.
How could they possibly engage in battle under these circumstances? Yuyi Xuan Yue and his faction had grown too powerful for any single ninja village to handle alone.
The Leaf Village could not afford to be the one to initiate this conflict.
Tsunade understood Jiraiya's implication.
Although her usual temperament would have her itching for a fight, her role as Hokage demanded that she consider the bigger picture and sometimes take a step back.
Tsunade took a deep breath, about to speak, when Jiraiya stepped forward and gave the order: "The Uchiha have been a part of the Leaf for decades. Though they are leaving now, the emotional bonds remain. Today, the Uchiha clan has avenged their fallen members who perished tragically that night. We may have once been from the same village, but we are not enemies now. Let them go."
Compared to Tsunade, Jiraiya, with his extensive travels and experiences in the ninja world, was much more adept at handling such situations diplomatically.
He intentionally brought up the fact that the Uchiha clan's murderer, the S-class rogue ninja Itachi Uchiha, had been slain by the current Uchiha group, indirectly benefiting the Leaf Village. He also played on the emotional connection between the Leaf and the Uchiha, providing a face-saving excuse for both sides, especially the Leaf Village.
After all, if news spread that the number one ninja village allowed Yuyi Xuan Yue and his group to rampage unchecked, the fallout would be disastrous for their reputation.
However, by portraying the Leaf Village as considerate of the Uchiha's past grievances and even harboring guilt, coupled with the Uchiha's recent contribution of eliminating a rogue Leaf ninja, they could justify their inaction. By letting them leave without hindrance and expressing that the Uchiha were always welcome in the Leaf Village, the narrative changed significantly.
Of course, this was all a facade; the truth remained unchanged.
Internally, if blame needed to be assigned later on, Jiraiya could be made the scapegoat.
This was why Jiraiya, without waiting for Tsunade to speak, took the initiative and issued the order himself.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya held immense prestige in the Leaf Village.
His instructions were often followed without question by many Leaf ninjas.
And so, a rather peculiar scene unfolded.
Yuyi Xuan Yue's group walked ahead, while the Leaf ninjas followed behind, creating an odd moment of harmony.
Yuyi Xuan Yue turned his head to glance at Jiraiya, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This guy is quite the talent."
However, since they had mentioned the emotional connection between the Uchiha and Konoha, it would only be fitting to bid the villagers farewell and foster some goodwill before their departure.
With that in mind, Yuyi Xuan Yue led the group of Uchiha in a turn, opting for a more direct route through the center of Konoha Village instead of the secluded path they had taken before.
"Hey, why did the route change?"
"They're heading towards the center of the village!"
"Damn it! What are they up to? Could their real target be the village?"
"Do they intend to use the villagers to threaten us?"
"What do we do now?"
"...!"
At this sight, the group of Konoha ninjas following behind suddenly became restless.
Among them, Ino, who had been keeping a low profile, whispered, "Don't worry unnecessarily! He's not that kind of person."
Based on her understanding of Yuyi Xuan Yue, even if he turned around and took out all of them, he wouldn't harm those civilians who were powerless to tie a chicken.
"It has to be said that compared to Dr. Aosuke from the last time, the real Yuyi Xuan Yue is even more handsome."
Ino, who wasn't aware of their previous encounter in the Wave Country, remained calm and even had the leisure to doodle in a small notebook.
Long ago, she had made it her goal to follow in the footsteps of the female predecessor of the Yamanaka clan from the Warring States period and document Yuyi Xuan Yue's deeds. She hoped that one day, her records would merge with those of her predecessor, and a complete version of the "Yuyi Xuan Yue Biography" would be published during her lifetime.
"Ino, tone it down a bit," Shikamaru quietly reminded her from the side.
As one of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of this generation, he was well aware of Ino's personality and hobbies.
Although the girl had a severe case of infatuation and her interests were a bit skewed, it wasn't a big deal.
Shikamaru, being averse to trouble, usually didn't bother to dissuade her.
However, at this critical juncture, he felt the need to tone down Ino's enthusiasm.
Doodling and daydreaming here was just too out of place.
As for Yuyi Xuan Yue changing direction and heading towards the village center, Shikamaru wasn't worried.
After all, if they had wanted to make a move, they would have done so already.
As for the reason behind the change in direction, Shikamaru's eyes swept over the Uchiha clan emblem on the clothes of the Uchiha ninjas, deep in thought, having already guessed something.
But just like that, even with his guess, he was powerless to change anything.
Jiraiya, who also had some understanding of Yuyi Xuan Yue, was puzzled but not worried that they would do anything to the villagers.
Suppressing the anxiety of the crowd, he eventually followed Yuyi Xuan Yue and the others as before, escorting them like bodyguards.
Soon.
The bustling and prosperous scene ahead came into view.
Yuyi Xuan Yue turned around and smiled at the group of Uchiha ninjas, saying, "It's not easy to come back here. We've visited the Uchiha clan's land, and now we should also take a walk through Konoha Village to make this trip truly complete."
"Let's take one last look. Let's look at the streets that were once in our memories, let's look at the villagers. Tell them..."
"The Uchiha clan still stands!"
(End of Chapter)
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