Chapter 74, Chapter Seventy-Two

As dusk fell, the waves continued to crash against the rocks on the shore.

The fledgling eagle soared in the sky, having broken free from the snake's grasp.

Sasuke stood silently on the rocks by the shore, the brilliant sunset casting layers of gold across the sea, shimmering and sparkling. Yuki stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her thoughts unreadable.

Behind him stood the members of the Snake Squad, the crimson afterglow of the setting sun casting a thin glow upon each of them.

Obito sat on a rock not far from the others, his Sharingan eyes glancing at Sasuke's face through the mask.

Perhaps because he had his back to everyone, he assumed that no one would notice what he looked like at that moment.

He wept silently, but quickly composed himself.

The six-pointed star Sharingan swirled in Sasuke's eyes.

The love of the Uchiha clan has always been the deepest and most intense, especially among family members.

No family's love can be as deep and passionate as that of the Uchiha clan.

Intense love is often replaced by even stronger hatred.

They loved each other deeply, yet they also resented each other.

Uchiha Yuki and Uchiha Obito were examples of this.

From now on, the team's name will be changed from Snake to Eagle.

An eagle has only one goal.

"We will destroy Konoha."

-

"What are your plans? Are you going to have Itachi's eyes transplanted to you?"

"Need not."

"What Itachi wants to see will be completely different from what I will see in the future."

"I cannot follow the path that Itachi expected. I will revive the Uchiha clan in my own way."

Obito raised his head and said, "Then I'll give you powerful strength in exchange for Uchiha Yuki."

Almost the instant Obito finished speaking, Sasuke refused without hesitation.

"Absolutely impossible."

A full moon hung high in the sky, casting its cool light. Yuki overheard every word of Sasuke and Obito's conversation.

Obito's figure gradually disappeared from Sasuke's sight, and Yuki, who had been hiding in the shadows, slowly stepped out.

"What are you thinking, Xue?"

Under the full moon, Yuki raised her head and looked up at Sasuke, who sat high above her. He wore a light gray stand-up collar shirt, the zipper slightly open to his chest, with the Uchiha clan's fan emblem printed on the back; he wore dark gray trousers with a purple rope tied around his waist, and he looked down at her from his high position.

"Destroy Konoha—" Xue lowered her eyes gently, her voice calm and firm, "No matter what Sasuke's will is, I will stay by Sasuke's side."

Sasuke frowned slightly, not surprised that she avoided the question.

Xue changed into the Akatsuki's black robe with auspicious cloud patterns, her slightly wavy long hair casually draped over her shoulders. Compared to when Sasuke saw her as a child, her appearance was almost unchanged. The cool moonlight shone on her, making her skin appear even whiter, almost translucent.

Yuki rarely showed her emotions in front of Sasuke, who pursed his lips slightly.

"I think I understand Itachi a little better now, back then," Sasuke said slowly. Things he had tried to forget were now clearly surfacing in his mind. He could now recall every little detail about Itachi. Those deep-seated, hazy memories had resurfaced.

"He cried, and I thought I was seeing things. Actually, I just didn't realize it." At that moment, before he fainted, Itachi shed tears.

"Really? Itachi cried then." Yuki's tone remained flat, without any inflection.

Sasuke: ...?

This prompted Sasuke to leap down from the high place and approach the snow.

He hesitated, looking somewhat bewildered: "Xue, do you still hate him?"

The dead clansmen will never come back to life; the cemetery of the Uchiha clan is overflowing with the souls of the dead.

"No, I don't hate him anymore. He's dead, I won't hate him anymore."

The two were about the same height, facing each other. Sasuke froze for a moment, ignoring Uchiha's words and looking into her eyes. Those beautiful almond-shaped eyes were now brimming with tears, which silently streamed down her face. It was clearly the enemy who had massacred her clan who had died, so why was it her beloved nephew who had fallen? Large tears fell, and both their hearts ached with the same bitterness, even their chests throbbed with pain. Sasuke hugged her tightly, and before he knew it, he too had begun to weep.

He killed the enemy who slaughtered his clan, so why did it fall to his beloved brother?

They were like similar young animals licking each other's wounds, huddled together in a corner for warmth in the cold winter.

The two embraced tightly, not wanting to lose each other again.

Obito remained silent in the darkness, observing everything in quiet contemplation.

What are those dark pupils behind the mask thinking?

Even he himself didn't know.

-

Inside the Akatsuki's base, Sasuke's body, which had gradually recovered, was now able to move and fight freely.

Sasuke's gaze fell on the bed, where Yuki had fallen into a deep sleep after excessive exercise.

Strands of her hair, damp with a light sheen of sweat, clung to her cheeks as he repeatedly and relentlessly demanded his affection.

Sasuke's fingers were very nimble, even after he had satisfied everything.

He always liked to make Xueda go into a state of blankness and inability to think many times.

Yuki woke up while Sasuke was getting dressed. She opened her eyes, propped herself up on the blanket, and got up.

The girl's fair skin bore faint red marks on her private parts. She looked somewhat dazed, having just woken up. Her beautiful features weren't the sharp, striking type, but rather possessed smooth, flowing lines. When she wasn't smiling, she exuded a distant aura. She had just realized what was happening, reaching up to run her hand through her slightly disheveled hair. A slight ripple appeared in her clear, bright black eyes, and her slender figure seemed veiled in a thin layer of frost in the dim sunlight.

"Is it about to begin?" Her voice was clear, with a hint of coldness.

Sasuke draped a robe over her shoulders and said, "Yes, let's go."

Shuiyue pushed open the door and leaned against it, his purple eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at the two neatly dressed people.

He held a water glass in one hand, sipping water through a straw, his gaze sweeping over Xue repeatedly.

He pursed his lips, a hint of jealousy in his voice: "You guys did it again?"

"Suigetsu, I told you, don't bother me and Yuki." Sasuke said, adjusting Yuki's collar slightly.

Shuiyue muttered to himself as he glanced sideways and approached Xue, who looked at him.

He kissed Xue's cheek and licked it with the tip of his tongue.

Do all members of the Hozuki clan have a cold body temperature? Suigetsu's tongue was cold, and Yuki couldn't help but shiver.

This made Shuiyue laugh softly, revealing teeth as sharp as a shark's.

"It's so cold, Shuiyue. Stop fooling around."

Xue took a slight step back, and Sasuke firmly supported her shoulder. Xue tilted her head back slightly, only then noticing that his loose hair almost brushed against the corners of his eyes. She reached out and gently brushed aside a few long strands of hair from his forehead, revealing Sasuke's smooth, delicate forehead. Sasuke's eyes were beautiful, the peach blossom type. His most frequent expression was a slight frown, even when he felt pleasure in bed, he would subtly suppress it. That unconscious, subtle curve often conveyed a more undisguised eroticism than the emotions expressed in his eyes. Xue's fingertips touched his long eyelashes, hidden beneath his bangs.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shuiyue hugged Xue from behind, her hands clasped around Xue's lower abdomen.

He handed over a small kunai from his ninja tool pouch. Yuki paused for a moment, then took it and said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, do you need your bangs trimmed?"

Sasuke nodded, and Yuki had a strange feeling of returning to the Uchiha clan head's residence. Sasuke casually pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. Yuki took a thin kunai and carefully trimmed the strands of his bangs. First, she thinned them out slightly, then shortened the part above his eyes. Finally, she tousled them with her hand, and the trimming was finished.

The handsome and spirited young man was breathtakingly beautiful, accentuated by his hairstyle.

Xue paused for a moment, then brushed aside his hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I will always be by Sasuke's side."

"Nothing can separate us anymore."

It's like a knight making a promise to a beautiful princess.

Sasuke took the kunai from her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

The three of them mingled, Suigetsu kissed the back of Yuki's neck, and Sasuke's lips and tongue intertwined with hers.

After Karin waited at the door for a long time without seeing the three of them, Suigetsu noticed her approach, let go of her hand, stood up, and slung his Executioner's Blade over his shoulder. He reminded the two, who were still locked in a passionate kiss, "It's time to go, Karin is here."

Sasuke's eyes shimmered with lust, and when his lips parted, a strand of saliva was drawn out.

Soon, Sasuke composed himself and returned to his usual arrogant demeanor.