Chapter 147 Coward
After asking around and finding out that Uchiha Sasuke should have returned home, Haruko went to his door that morning.
"Haruko, Sasuke ran straight into his room as soon as he got back. He won't answer when we call him. Did something happen?" Itachi asked from the doorway.
Upon seeing him, Haruko Hayama froze on the spot. Itachi Uchiha had dark eyes and looked obviously exhausted, which made Haruko Hayama unable to help but show concern for him instead.
"Itachi-kun, what's wrong?"
Hearing her ask about his condition, Itachi Uchiha tried to force a smile but failed. He could only lower his voice and answer, "I'm fine, Sasuke..."
Seeing that he didn't want to talk, Haruko decided to ask him after she finished talking to Sasuke.
"I came here for Sasuke, Itachi-nii, I'll explain in detail later!"
Haruko smiled shyly at him, then darted past him like the wind and skillfully made her way to Sasuke Uchiha's room.
Uchiha Itachi watched her figure until she disappeared, and in the quiet, solitary space, he sighed with relief.
The existence of the Mangekyou Sharingan allowed him to see another piece of memory more clearly, including the death of Uchiha Shisui and the threat posed by Shimura Danzo...
In the real world, Danzo Shimura had already been imprisoned by the Third Hokage for his secret research, so how could he possibly have come to steal Shisui's Sharingan, let alone threaten him to slaughter the Uchiha?
He was already convinced that all these scenes, so different from reality, were illusions, but Uchiha Itachi was still trapped in his own world of sin by the memories he kept replaying in his mind day and night.
He went to confront his father again.
"Father, have you really considered all the consequences of a coup d'état?!"
Faced with his angry rebuke, Fugaku Uchiha calmly picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and asked him in return, "On what grounds do you question me?"
"Son? Clan member? Or a subordinate of Konoha?"
Every word Fugaku Uchiha uttered suppressed Itachi Uchiha's arrogance, eventually causing him to sit back down, his agitated mind calming down.
However, he still looked back at Fugaku Uchiha with a stern gaze, and after hesitating, chose the most appropriate answer: "That depends on what choice the Uchiha ultimately makes."
Fugaku Uchiha ignored the subtle pressure in his words and responded to his initial question, "The Fifth Hokage's position is not yet secure, 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."
"Konoha has just gone through war, and neighboring countries are eyeing it covetously. Uchiha like this..." Itachi Uchiha persisted, trying to dissuade him.
Fugaku Uchiha interrupted him sharply, "Precisely because we've just experienced war, now is the best time. Otherwise, why wait until there's true peace? Don't be so idealistic, Itachi!"
His father's rare reprimand plunged Itachi Uchiha into self-doubt; his lips turned white from being bitten, and his hands gripped his trousers tightly.
This is not the situation he wanted to see—an endless war, a never-ending confrontation…
But was he really too idealistic? Was he just wearing a self-deceiving mask all along?
My father's words still echoed in my ears.
"We still have doubts about the Uchiha Future we saw that day, but there is no denying that we can formulate a response plan more quickly based on that future."
"Over the years, we have endured the Uchiha clan's exclusion by the higher-ups, but as the clan leader, I cannot remain indifferent when faced with the disappointment of my clan members."
"This is the hope of all our clansmen. I will not allow you to betray us again. The Uchiha will succeed this time."
Fugaku Uchiha uttered the words he had prepared in his heart, word by word. These words were also a warning to himself: no one should suppress the Uchiha, including his own weak heart.
Uchiha Itachi slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his initial righteousness was gone, replaced by a bewilderment that even he himself did not know.
His last words were a murmur: "The Uchiha should not have betrayed Konoha..."
Fugaku Uchiha slammed his teacup on the table, making a loud noise that stopped Itachi Uchiha from speaking.
He stood up and walked straight out. As he left the room, Fugaku Uchiha turned around and gave him a deep look.
"My love for Konoha is no less than my love for you."
It is precisely because of the depth of their love that they feel more heartbroken and find it harder to accept injustice.
As his father's footsteps faded into the distance, Itachi Uchiha's tears finally fell, one by one, soaking his dark trousers.
He no longer suppressed his sobs, and in the tug-of-war between Konoha and the Uchiha, he vented his pain to the fullest.
Every day, he repeatedly pondered his conversation with his father. As he gradually moved from doubt and disgust to examining the possibility of his father's plan, Itachi Uchiha knew that his subconscious mind had begun to accept his father's plan.
He kept brainwashing himself: his brother was alive, his father was alive, Zhishui was alive, his clansmen were alive, and he was alive. As long as a bloodless revolution was truly achieved, no one would suffer.
But... he who stayed true to his original aspirations is no longer here.
Uchiha Itachi guarded his desolate and ethereal innocence alone. After repeatedly comforting his clan members through their blood and tears, he finally decided to lock away his long-held beliefs.
Haruko knocked on the door in the morning, but when she didn't hear a response from Sasuke Uchiha, she opened the door and went inside.
"Don't come any closer."
She was stopped in her tracks by Sasuke Uchiha's cold, sharp voice.
The room was dimly lit, and Sasuke Uchiha must have been hiding. Haruko couldn't find him for a while.
Haruko lowered her voice, her tone pleading, "Sasuke, can we talk?"
The room was silent for a few seconds, then a barely audible reply came.
"don't want."
Once again rejected, Haruko realized that continuing would only make him more withdrawn. It seemed that there was no way to bridge the gap today, so after asking him a few words of concern, Haruko hesitated and left.
Uchiha Sasuke curled up in the corner, his head buried tightly in his knees, the warm light outside the door that he could see in his peripheral vision was shut out by her departure.
Darkness engulfed him, immersing Uchiha Sasuke completely in his own world.
He had never been so aware as at this moment that he was a coward, a coward who only dared to run away from feelings of unclear meaning.
At first, he just found it annoying that Haruko was sticking to him all the time. But when he finally got used to her, she brought Naruto Uzumaki along to make a ruckus. This eventually turned into Team 7, and before he knew it, they had become teammates he could entrust his back to.
Gradually, he couldn't help but keep his gaze fixed on Haruko Hayama, captivated by her every smile and gesture.
He felt a desire to protect her and take care of her, because if she got hurt, his brother would definitely be very sad... Is that really the case?
Was his idea really just because his brother valued her?
Before Sasuke Uchiha could investigate further, Haruko Hayama became a Chunin and went to lead the others on a mission, leaving him alone in this ambiguous relationship.
So he began to wait, day after day, waiting for her to come back and tell him the answer.
Why does he always think about Haruko Hayama?
He didn't know either.
But Naruto Uzumaki left even earlier than him. Although he was an idiot, he didn't dislike him. Was it because he was a teammate? Or because he was someone who was waiting for Haruko Hayama together?
That's why he was so heartbroken when Naruto abandoned him to chase after Haruko...
Or is it because Naruto Uzumaki is a friend?
Friendships... how could it possibly be that idiot...?
If you're going to leave, you should take me with you, you idiot...
Don't let me catch up only to find out I'm superfluous...
His suppressed sobs echoed in the empty room.
Because of fear of being superfluous, we push away our loved ones; because of fear of losing them, we raise thorns against them; because of fear of being hurt, we exclude our loved ones from the world.
Because he was afraid of being alone, he ultimately chose to be alone.
******
The list of those who have received thanks as of March 15, 2024:
grateful--
K, the one who sent the update reminder charm
Flowers given by the girl after burning incense ×2
Li Xibai is a great beauty, and the flowers sent by Qingzheng Shufen with its sour and spicy flavor.
Tang Xiaoyu from the North, Du Du Bai, Early Summer. Starry Sky, Red-Clad Xiang Yi Sai Gao, Half Summer SS, Working Emperor Zero, Want to Let the Alpaca Travel All Over the Favorite Books, Green and Blue Invincible, Fisherman's Song, Xuan Chun, Mo Wentian Who Loves Red Bean Jelly, Yun Cheyun from Ancient Desert Island, A Girl's Heart Sends Love Power Generation
Thank you for the gifts! The author is so touched! Sasuke will now perform a scene of an abandoned cat shedding tears (′ω｀)
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