Chapter 264 Why are the Uchiha clansmen looking at her?

Although Haruko was a little confused, she convinced herself that Naruto was just a loud and boisterous person, and then stopped thinking about it.

She had more important things to deal with.

Sasuke.

The whole thing started when Sasuke Uchiha accepted Granny Cat's request. For some reason, he suddenly got angry.

Thinking that he might be in a bad mood, Haruko and Naruto decided to throw him a party and invite everyone to join in the fun to cheer him up.

During the party, Uchiha Sasuke seemed to have returned to normal.

She should strike while the iron is hot and go see him today.

Otherwise, given Sasuke Uchiha's stubborn personality, he would probably get stuck in a rut again after thinking about it for a while.

Having made up her mind, Haruko turned to the side, looked out the second-floor window, and waved.

"Bai! I'm going out!"

Shiro, who had been hiding behind the wall, held a broom in both hands. When she heard Haruko's clear voice stepping in through the window, her heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized that her hiding was a bit unnecessary.

Thinking this, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Haruko Hayama always noticed his presence, whether he was hiding in a tree or behind a wall, no matter how far apart they were, she seemed to have a unique connection with him.

You can notice his presence at a glance, acknowledge his presence, and completely accept his presence.

Bai Wei straightened up, no longer leaning against the wall, and walked two steps to the window.

He didn't even need to force a smile, since his happiness was never concealed from beginning to end.

"Be careful on the road, Haruko!"

After saying goodbye to Haku, Haruko arrived at the Uchiha territory.

As a prestigious clan, the Uchiha clan wields immense influence. Coupled with their recent collaborations and connections with other major clans, the Uchiha clan is experiencing positive growth.

The Uchiha territory gradually became more lively.

Restaurants teeming with customers, flower shops bursting with vibrant colors, markets offering delicious food at reasonable prices…

Many villagers and even outsiders come to visit, and the black-haired, black-eyed Uchiha clan members in the territory seem fewer in comparison.

Today was just an ordinary day, with only a few pedestrians in the Uchiha territory.

The vegetable shop owner stood at the door and called out a few times, but no one came up. He sighed in frustration.

Why are there so few people today?

His wife's reply came from inside the shop: "What kind of person do you need on a weekday?"

Before the vegetable shop owner could continue the conversation, his gaze suddenly caught sight of a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

He paused for a moment, then quickly squinted and searched among the pedestrians.

The man with the white beard kept muttering, "That's strange, is my eyesight bad or what?"

"Why aren't you tidying up your stall? What are you doing peeking around here?"

The proprietress, who was carrying a vegetable basket, saw him looking around instead of doing his job and gave him an annoyed look.

"It felt like I saw someone I knew... I can't quite put my finger on it, it was a strange feeling."

"What's so strange about you? I'm telling you, you are..."

Suddenly, the proprietress fell silent.

His eyes, etched with the wrinkles of time, were now wide open, as big as garlic bulbs.

Staring intently at the long, jet-black hair that moved among the pedestrians, her graceful figure, swaying in the wind, gradually became clearer in my memory.

"That's not...that's not..."

She couldn't finish her sentence; before words could even flow, tears that had been sealed away for so long welled up uncontrollably.

The vegetable shop owner next door panicked when he saw her.

"Old woman? Why are you crying!"

Tears streamed down her deeply lined face. The basket the proprietress was holding loosened, and the bright green vegetables fell to the ground with a crisp thud.

"Cai!"

The vegetable shop owner, his face full of heartache, hurriedly squatted down to pick them up.

But halfway there, the proprietress stopped him. She reached out and shoved her husband, then pointed her index finger in the direction where the figure was about to disappear, looking flustered.

"Quick! Haruko! That's Haruko!"

"Haruko?"

Scenes like this play out repeatedly on this street.

Hearing the sound of something falling to the ground, Haruko immediately turned her head to look, only to meet a woman staring blankly at her from the side of the street.

Out of politeness, Haruko nodded and smiled at her in the morning.

There was some distance between them, and Haruko wasn't sure if the woman was crying.

Before Haruko could take a closer look, the sound of a box hitting the ground came from the other side, drawing her attention. She then met the shocked expression of the man in the kimono.

Was it just her imagination?

Why do I feel like they're looking at me strangely?

Haruko looked herself over suspiciously in the morning, but didn't see anything strange about herself.

It's no wonder she's suspicious; after all, walking down the street, people on both sides of the road would stare at her intently from time to time, as if they were deeply shocked and speechless.

The people staring at her all had black hair and black eyes; they were probably all Uchiha clan members.

But... why are the Uchiha clan members looking at her?

Unable to understand, Haruko Hayama quickened her pace and left, completely ignoring the chaos that ensued after she left.

...

"The Fifth Hokage is not yet firmly in his position, and his control over the Anbu is not complete. As long as we work together from within and without, a bloodless revolution is not just a hypothetical possibility."

"This is the hope of all our clansmen. I will not allow you to betray us again. The Uchiha will succeed this time."

"Itachi-nii! You're not that kind of person!"

The kaleidoscope spins, and different sounds come and go, some distant like a past life, others close like a recent second.

When the memories that no longer existed flashed through his mind again, Itachi Uchiha accepted them quickly. He lay still, letting countless pains and struggles overwhelm him.

Suddenly, a familiar and gentle voice rang out, bringing clarity to the chaotic world.

"Itachi! It's me, Auntie, Auntie!"

"I'll only be this good to Itachi!"

The voice was childlike and cheerful.

"So Itachi, you must remember, never disregard life, and never judge life with your own stubbornness."

"Wait for me to come back, then we'll play together again."

"Sorry, Itachi, let's talk about it another time."

"After Sasuke is born, I will embark on a journey."

The voice was deep and sorrowful.

"I'm sorry, Itachi, Auntie broke her promise..."

The final voice was tired and apologetic.

Since waking up in the morning, Itachi Uchiha had been sitting alone on the edge of the corridor, quietly watching everything before him.

The arranged stones, the azure water, and the spreading moss, stroke by stroke, constitute their backyard, the place that Haruko, Naruto, and their younger brother love to stay in.

If there were fewer things in the scenery and the colors were faded a bit, it would be the place where my aunt and he used to love to stay.

In fact, this aunt probably doesn't exist.

It's not in my memory, not in other people's words, and not in my past growth period.

She appeared out of thin air, and she disappeared out of thin air as well.

In the world reflected by the kaleidoscope, only her face remained blurry; the harder one tried to recall, the faster the memory faded.

So Itachi Uchiha stopped thinking about it and waited for the memories that didn't belong to him to fade away little by little, as if this way they could disappear more slowly.

A gentle breeze brushed against Itachi Uchiha's cheek, ruffling his slightly long, smooth black hair, carrying the coolness of early spring and a sense of sorrow.

His lips moved slightly, uttering a barely audible "Auntie..."

I sat there for almost a whole day.

I sat until my emotions had calmed down, until another memory had faded, leaving him with nothing.