Chapter 33 (C33)

Spring seemed to arrive exceptionally early in Konoha in 1958.

Greenery sprouted from the bare branches, and the gently flowing water melted the thin ice and dirty snow on the lake, taking away people's heavy coats in the process. Even the air gradually warmed up, making breathing much easier.

Compared to the major events of the past decade, such as the Third Shinobi World War, the Nine-Tails' rampage, the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice, and Orochimaru's defection (one of the Legendary Sannin), as well as minor events like the emergence of a young genius and his exceptional admission to university, this year was so uneventful that it was almost boring, with almost nothing worth recording in Konoha's yearbook.

At the same time, Kana gradually found a stable balance between missions, training, and raising her children, and she also found a way to keep the main family from bothering her.

A peaceful life brings a sense of tranquility, making even the scenery, people, and dogs seem more pleasing to the eye.

Akimichi Kita said, "Is this the legendary maternal radiance?"

Nara Shikatori remarked that women really do change after having children.

Then Kana punched one of them in the head.

In contrast, the system that knows where the story is going appears quite anxious.

Kana reassured the system about the temporary peace and quiet after the head swap, saying, "Why are you so nervous? I'm not getting involved in Uchiha clan affairs."

The annihilation of a clan hailed as having the strongest bloodline limit in the world overnight without being detected by the secretly monitoring guards would have been impossible without the support of the Konoha leadership.

Moreover, beneath that so-called righteous facade lies a murky veneer of countless political struggles and personal ambitions that cannot be brought to light.

With her current abilities, rashly getting involved in this mess would only result in her being wiped out in the political infighting.

Kana is under no pressure due to a lack of moral boundaries, and she is very good at putting herself in others' shoes. "If I were to slaughter the Hyuga clan one day, he shouldn't stop me."

The first few times I heard this dangerous idea, the system panicked. It frantically performed calculations and simulated the consequences in the background to try to scare away the taskers, similar to the "boy who cried wolf" mentality. Now, after hearing it so many times, I've become numb to it.

"If anyone follows the 'Uchiha' storyline in the future, remember to let them reincarnate as soon as possible." Kana, unusually kind, analyzed for it, "The tragedy of the Uchiha was not something that happened now, nor was it something that was brewed in the past ten or twenty years."

From the perspective of the Uchiha clan, they were one of the founders of Konoha and should have been on equal footing with the Senju clan, enjoying equal treatment and being the leaders of the village.

However, in the eyes of other clans—even the Senju clan, especially the Senju clan—the Uchiha were merely losers who were absorbed into the Senju clan after losing to them, yet they harbored ambitions, harbored rebellious intentions, and were waiting for an opportunity to seize power—especially since they had such resources and abilities, and at a time when the Senju clan was declining and its population was dwindling, they had to be on guard.

Aside from the First Hokage, no one truly regarded the Uchiha clan as trustworthy partners.

This suspicion, vigilance, resentment, and unwillingness, after nearly a century of fermentation, has reached a point where it is almost irreversible.

Even if the Uchiha clan produced geniuses like Shisui and Itachi, who are rare talents, it wouldn't change anything.

If we give them more time, let them grow up, let them become the leaders of the Uchiha clan, let them step into the center of power and speak for the Uchiha, let them wait long enough to change other clans' perceptions of the Uchiha...

Unfortunately, the Uchiha clan didn't have time.

Kana wouldn't try to persuade him.

Words that come out of one's mouth are weak and powerless, and if they don't offer any other feasible solutions, then they become nothing more than condescending preaching.

It's like someone once told her that even though she has no relatives or friends and is all alone, she should still be sunny, happy, and joyful—that's utter nonsense.

They had reached a tacit understanding that, when it came to family matters, they would not interfere unless someone took the initiative to speak up.

and……

Kana felt that the system was overthinking things, and she couldn't persuade him at all.

But perhaps it was fate, because a month before that night arrived, she received a mission to leave the village.

The ink dangled from the tip of the bristle, and after a long period of stillness, it finally gave way and fell onto the scroll, like a tear that had spread out.

The Naka River is where Shisui died and is also the territory of the Uchiha clan. Kana rarely ventures into this area.

The person who made the appointment arrived as scheduled, and their first words were, "We shouldn't have met."

"We haven't seen each other for a long time." Although they continued to exchange letters using scrolls as a medium, they no longer made a point of arranging to meet in order to avoid suspicion.

Uchiha Itachi walked to her side and sat down on the ground. His black hair and clothes made him almost blend into the night.

People always say that Itachi Uchiha was arrogant and taciturn, but Kana never thought so before today.

"I'm leaving. In one hour, to the Land of Water." Including the round trip, "it will take at least a month."

"That's good." A year is enough time for the boy's voice to change. Like a sacrificial ritual, all the light-hearted naivety and innocence fade away and sink to the bottom of the water, becoming as firm as stone, but his voice is very soft.

"What does this have to do with you?" she asked.

"Why do you ask that?" He rarely smiled anymore, and the occasional tenderness he showed was only revealed in front of Sasuke.

"It's my intuition."

Itachi Uchiha chuckled again. It was as if a breath had been released, giving his already pent-up body a chance to breathe. Only now did Kana feel a slight relaxation in his tense body.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" The Uchiha clan is under heavy surveillance, and she won't be able to stay here for long.

Why did you suddenly want to meet up?

Kana stared into those eyes, silently returning their gaze, showing no sign of pain, nor at all like someone about to be wiped out and fleeing.

So, he had already disguised himself very well at this point.

Her answer, though seemingly irrelevant, was in fact an answer. Kana stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "I'm leaving for a while, so I've come to say goodbye."

"You said we're friends, so it's not appropriate for me to leave without saying goodbye."

With her cool-toned skin and white eyes, she shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Itachi Uchiha seemed to be stung by that glint of light, and lowered his eyes.

Kana looked down at him, her long eyelashes clearly defined, and trembled slightly.

So Kana stopped looking, turned around and waved casually, "I'll write to you." They always referred to scroll communication as "writing letters."

"Kana."

She turned around.

He was still smiling. The lines extending from the sides of his nose became more pronounced when he smiled, like cracks on a perfect clay mask, but that only made him seem more alive.

Kana hesitated for a moment, then did not reach out to pull him, as that would be too inappropriate and intimate.

Fortunately, he doesn't need it.

He stood up, took two steps, and came to her.

When he reached out his hand, Kana reflexively tilted her head back slightly.

Two fingers stopped in front of her brow.

It's like giving her time to change her mind.

But Kana rarely regrets her actions.

The eagle tapped her forehead with two fingers.

Goodbye, Kana.

A pale light peeked out from the distant mountains. Before dawn had fully arrived, light and shadow were separated, as if drawing out two different worlds. Kana looked back one last time.

"What's wrong?" His comrade from the Dark Guard stopped in his tracks.

Kana shook her head, fastened the mask with red floral patterns, concealing all her expressions, and said, "Let's go."