https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-194-The-Uchiha-Clan-Beloved-by-the-Konoha-Villagers/12553503/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-196-It-s-Time-to-Reveal-the-Truth/12553508/
Chapter 195: The Uchiha Clan Leaves the Village, The Village's Reaction
Chapter 195: The Uchiha Clan Leaves the Village, The Village's Reaction
Sasuke paid no heed to Ichiraku's dilemma.
After quickly finishing his ramen and reliving his childhood memories, he got up to leave after paying.
Suddenly, Sakura appeared inside the shop.
"Sasuke!"
Sakura had been keeping an eye on Sasuke during the previous days.
Noticing that Sasuke was heading to Ichiraku Ramen, she quietly slipped away from the main group from Konoha, intending to meet Sasuke again here.
At this moment, Sakura's face was filled with excitement and a hint of complexity as she looked at Sasuke, who was within arm's reach.
To be honest, while the two of them had met before, it had never been like this, with both of them so close that the distance between them was less than a meter. This was the first time since Sasuke had left the village.
"Sasuke, I..." Sakura was about to say something impulsively.
Sasuke, knowing what Sakura wanted to say, shook his head and interrupted, "Sakura, you've grown up."
Sakura was stunned.
As she subconsciously pondered the meaning of Sasuke's words, she wondered if he was complimenting her for having a more womanly charm.
Sasuke continued, "Now that you've grown up, Sakura, you should understand what the adult world is like."
"There are some things that a stubborn idiot like Naruto will never understand. But Sakura, you can comprehend them. So, let me explain one last time, and you can convey this to Naruto afterward."
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Sasuke had made up his mind.
With a calm expression, he revealed his true thoughts to Sakura:
"Sakura, we can't go back to the past."
"Sasuke! You can..." Sakura's face turned anxious as she was about to speak hastily.
But as soon as she started, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
She wasn't like Naruto, who always had the fighting spirit to never give up, no matter how difficult or hopeless the situation seemed.
She was smart and clear-headed.
But precisely because of that, even if she was still in love, she couldn't deny the reality that Sasuke, whether it was before or after today's events, would find it hard to return.
So, when Sasuke said "we can't go back to the past" right in front of her, she wanted to refute him subconsciously, but she couldn't think of a valid reason.
Even when she came here, to be honest, she wasn't sure why she had come, other than that it felt like a reflex action.
Perhaps her actions were driven by a subconscious desire to obtain a genuine and complete response.
And so, Sasuke gave her the answer she sought.
"The bond of Team 7 still remains in my heart, and it hasn't been severed. However, Sakura, I've formed new, more significant bonds that I value. I understand why I live, and the hatred I once felt no longer weighs on my heart."
"The adult world always involves choices and sacrifices. Naively wanting to hold onto everything is the thinking of a child, and Naruto."
"I'm sorry, but I've chosen my new bonds."
After saying the last sentence, Sasuke nodded to Sakura, brushed past her, and walked out of the shop.
Sakura wanted to reach out and stop Sasuke, but thinking of what he had just said, she ultimately lacked the strength to do so.
"Sasuke..."
In the end, she could only stand there alone, tears streaming down her face.
The news of the Uchiha clan's reappearance spread through Konoha like a whirlwind.
Even the Konoha higher-ups' attempts to block the information were futile.
More and more villagers rushed like busy bees to catch a glimpse of the Uchiha clan's splendor.
Compared to the past, the village was livelier than ever today.
However, this liveliness didn't last long.
As time passed, although the Uchiha clan occasionally bought things on the street, they didn't stop there and continued toward the gate of Konoha.
"It seems like the Uchiha clan is leaving the village, judging by their direction," one villager remarked.
"Are they going on a mission?" another asked.
"What kind of mission would require so many people, and all from the Uchiha clan?"
"Have you noticed how aloof and distant the Uchiha members are towards everyone else?"
"Haven't they always been like that?"
"No, this time it's different. Haven't you realized? None of the Uchiha ninjas are wearing their Konoha headbands!"
"And there's a large group of village ninjas trailing behind them. From the looks on their faces, they don't seem pleased at all."
"What could be going on?"
". . ."
After the initial excitement, many Konoha villagers began to sense that something was amiss.
Soon enough, as the Uchiha group reached the village gates, they ignored the villagers' queries and, without any hesitation or even a glance back, swiftly departed.
The Konoha villagers who had been following them were left stunned, and the once lively atmosphere turned silent.
"Why did they leave without even saying goodbye?" someone asked, perplexed.
"Wait, I just thought of something," another villager said, still holding on to a glimmer of hope. "Aren't the Uchiha a part of Konoha? Why would they all leave now? Even if they're going on a mission, they should've registered at the gate."
Someone else scoffed, already suspecting the truth. "Is it possible that they are no longer considered a part of Konoha?"
Naturally, this statement sparked arguments and further discussions.
"But the Uchiha have been a part of Konoha from the very beginning," one person argued.
"That was true initially. But after the night of the clan's annihilation, things might have changed," came the response.
"Wasn't it Uchiha Itachi who was responsible for the massacre? What does Konoha have to do with it?"
"Hehe..."
"Now that I think about it, it is strange," another villager chimed in. "After the massacre, there was only one survivor from the Uchiha clan, Sasuke. How come we now have a whole group of genuine Uchiha appearing out of nowhere?"
"Are you implying that the village lied and hid something from us?"
A buzz of discussions filled the air at the village gates.
Then, someone spoke up and clarified everything. "Stop fantasizing! These Uchiha who have survived until now are no longer part of Konoha, and they are even considered enemies. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many village ninjas following them earlier. They weren't seeing them off; they were keeping watch!"
With those words, silence fell once more.
The crowd of villagers turned their heads to look at the Konoha ninjas who had also been following the Uchiha clan.
The Konoha ninjas remained silent.
Seeing this, the villagers fell silent as well.
They might not understand politics or grand schemes, but they knew one thing for sure. The Uchiha had been living in Konoha since its founding, and they were considered elders of the village.
For the remaining Uchiha members to leave without any regard for their past ties, something major must have happened.
The problem didn't lie with the Uchiha who had turned their backs on their homes.
The issue could only be with the village itself and the Konoha ninjas who held power.
At that moment, the villagers' gazes turned toward the Konoha ninjas, and an unprecedentedly somber atmosphere enveloped the village.
(End of Chapter)
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