Chapter 58 A face similar to Madara (three-in-one...)
The mask shattered suddenly, revealing his true face in the cold moonlight. A flash of shock, anger, and panic crossed Obito Uchiha's eyes. But years of planning and experience allowed him to quickly suppress his emotions.
Fortunately, the other person didn't seem to recognize him. That meant there was still room for maneuver! He absolutely couldn't let this guy who suddenly appeared ruin his plans.
In a flash, Obito decided to strike first.
He snorted coldly, no longer concealing his voice, and reverted to his original tone. His hands quickly formed hand seals: "Fire Release: Storm Dance!"
A massive whirlwind of fire, accompanied by distorted air, swept towards Yan Sheng like a roaring fire dragon.
This move combines the spacetime distortion of Shenwei, making its power and range extremely astonishing. It is clearly intended to kill Yan Sheng in one blow, or at least force him to retreat.
At the same time that Obito made his move, Kokushi also reacted.
It wasn't that he couldn't fight while holding two people, but considering that one of these kids was the one he needed to save this time, and the other was also somewhat valuable, it wouldn't be good if he accidentally got hurt.
Since carrying them was indeed a bit of a hindrance, Yan Sheng casually put Itachi and Sasuke aside to a safer spot, leaving behind a nonchalant remark:
"Stay where you are and don't run around."
Before he could finish speaking, his figure was engulfed by the surging flames.
Without hesitation, Itachi, now free, grabbed Sasuke, who was still stunned by shock and hatred, and shouted, "Go!"
The next second, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and, without looking back, headed away in the opposite direction from the battlefield.
If not now, when?
Regardless of who wins or loses between the mysterious man and the masked man, it will be bad news for the two brothers. Their fight is their only chance to escape.
Yan Sheng had, of course, noticed their escape. His senses, like an invisible spiderweb, enveloped the area. But he didn't care.
Run? You can't run far.
Besides, even if they ran far away, it wouldn't matter to him. He could just bring them back.
After all, in his field of vision, the position representing Uchiha Sasuke was marked by an incredibly conspicuous, lighthouse-like, enormous golden arrow. It was the "mission objective" guidance given to him by the planet's consciousness, and it was hard for him not to see it.
Even if a person runs to the ends of the earth, this arrow will still point them in the right direction.
I looked away.
Faced with the fiery whirlwind that was already at his fingertips, Yan Sheng did not use his Sharingan. Nowadays, he rarely relies on his eye techniques in battle.
The main reason is that his two kaleidoscope abilities are quite unique, and in some ways they can be considered useless: his left eye, [Fleeting Beauty], can only restore him to his peak state in his previous life for three seconds, after which he will fall into a long cooldown and a period of weakness; his right eye, [Netherworld Vision], is mainly used to see merits, karma, and souls, and has no direct attack power.
This prevents him from having a sustained and powerful eye technique attack method like other kaleidoscope users.
The only skill that can be considered offensive, [Fleeting Beauty], is usually used as a trump card when he needs absolute deterrence or encounters a formidable enemy.
At present, Yan Sheng does not find this enemy, who is hiding his true intentions and whose strength does not seem particularly strong, troublesome.
Faced with the surging flames infused with the power of time and space, Yan Sheng did not choose to confront them head-on.
His figure became blurred just before the flames engulfed his body, not because of extreme speed, but because of a refined footwork—a manifestation of his unparalleled swordsmanship and movement techniques from his previous life combined with the chakra of this life.
He moved through the gaps in the flames and the distorted spatial fluctuations, escaping the core range of the Fire Release technique unscathed, his demeanor composed.
"Divine Might!"
Seeing that his Fire Release technique was ineffective, Obito immediately activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, focusing his right eye in an attempt to suck Yan Sheng into the Kamui dimension.
However, the moment the divine power was activated, Yan Sheng's eyes suddenly changed.
A magnificent and intricate kaleidoscope pattern appeared in his eyes, and his powerful pupils and icy aura were in no way inferior to Obito's.
Yan Sheng did not use any specific pupil technique; he simply condensed and released his own pure and vast pupil power to form an invisible barrier.
The spatial distortion power of the divine might acted on this eye power barrier, as if it were stuck in a viscous swamp, greatly reducing its speed and making it difficult to directly devour Yan Sheng.
Obito was deeply shocked.
No, it's one thing for the other person to have a kaleidoscope, but how can they use it in such a "cheating" way? He's never seen it used like this before! The old man never mentioned it either.
Yan Sheng neutralized Kamui's suction force and did not immediately pursue. He stood still, his robes fluttering slightly in the night breeze, his eyes, which contained the kaleidoscope pattern, calmly fixed on Obito, and asked, "Why did you impersonate Uchiha Madara?"
Obito Uchiha snapped out of his shock and stared intently at Yan Sheng's face and the intricate and beautiful kaleidoscope eyes. He hadn't noticed it before, but now he realized that this man bore a striking resemblance to a young Madara Uchiha, and was definitely related to the old man by blood.
They are either distant relatives, brothers, or father and son.
The old man never mentioned it, and he had never seen it in the old man's memory.
"I also want to ask, who exactly are you?" Obito retorted. "The Uchiha clan could not possibly have someone like you."
The appearance of an Uchiha who shouldn't have appeared, possessing an unknown Mangekyou Sharingan and unfathomable strength, completely disrupted his plans.
Yan Sheng looked at Obito, whose expression was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, and had no intention of answering the question. Who he was was not important to a dying man or a prisoner about to be captured.
"Does it matter who I am?" Yan Sheng said indifferently. "As for you, it's fine if you don't tell me, anyway—"
Before he could finish speaking, a powerful killing intent spread out as if it were a tangible force.
Danger!
This level of killing intent and oppressive feeling was something Obito Uchiha had only ever experienced from Madara Uchiha.
Standing before him was a person who bore a striking resemblance to Madara and whose strength was equally unfathomable. A certain nerve in Obito's body was triggered—he felt that he might not be able to defeat this person.
Although they only exchanged one or two blows and didn't actually fight to the death, it's impossible to say whether one could win or not. But the intuition between strong individuals is never wrong.
What's more, this was Obito, who had survived countless life-or-death battles and crawled out of the hellish Kannabi Bridge. His intuition was screaming a warning: Escape! He had to escape immediately!
It wasn't because he was afraid of dying; he had important things to do and no need to risk his life.
As his thoughts raced, Obito no longer hesitated, and his Sharingan suddenly focused.
Kamui!
Space began to distort around him, and his body gradually became illusory, like a reflection merging into the water, disappearing from the spot.
Yan Sheng noticed Obito's figure starting to blur the moment he rushed forward, so fast that he left afterimages in his place.
He had previously surmised that the other party's ability might be related to space, but in the rush, he had not yet come up with a way to perfectly restrain or interrupt this spatial transfer.
As expected.
When he rushed to the spot where the masked man had stood, it was empty, leaving only a few ripples in the space that had not yet completely subsided.
He got away.
Yan Sheng stood there, the night wind whipping his dark robes, making them flutter. His expression was as cold as if covered in millennia of frost.
Thanks to Black Zetsu, Yan Sheng now finds the most annoying and irritating thing to be this kind of guy who hides his true face and doesn't dare to show it, and who possesses all sorts of strange and tricky abilities, especially good at escaping and saving his life.
Last time it was that slippery, dark mudfish; this time it's this imposter Uchiha Madara. He's never successfully captured or killed this type of guy (not counting the clones), and this frustration fuels a surge of resentment within him.
But there's nothing we can do; he's just too weak and his cultivation isn't up to par.
Come to think of it, he was only stronger than most people; there were still stronger ones above him: before there was Yoriichi, and now there are Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
Who isn't better than him?
Forcibly suppressing his aching emotions and irritation, Yan Sheng ignored Obito, who had already escaped. His main target remained the important figures marked by the planet's consciousness.
He turned around and, following the incredibly conspicuous golden arrow that only he could see, chased after Uchiha Sasuke in the direction he had fled.
Surprisingly, in just a short while, the other party ran quite far.
—The golden arrow clearly points to the core area of Konoha Village.
Looking in this direction... are they heading towards Konoha Village?
A knowing glint flashed in Yan Sheng's eyes.
Perfect, he could use this incident to solidify his suspicions about the role the Konoha leadership played in the massacre and find conclusive evidence.
With a thought, his speed increased again, like a purple streak of light in the dark night, silently merging into the shadows of Konoha Village, heading towards the direction of the golden arrow.
***
The Hokage Building, the office of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
With a shaken Sasuke in tow, Itachi Uchiha used the Anbu's authority to arrive here without hindrance.
Because of the sudden appearance and intervention of that mysterious person, the most important part of his original plan—planting hatred in his younger brother's eyes for his older brother "Uchiha Itachi" in order to stimulate him to awaken his Sharingan and become stronger—was interrupted.
Now, in Sasuke's eyes, he is also a "victim," captured by that mysterious person.
The situation changed, and Itachi decisively altered his strategy. He seized the opportunity to take Sasuke directly to the Hokage's office; the Third Hokage would understand his meaning.
Then, as Sasuke opened his mouth, as if to ask him something, Itachi looked at his younger brother one last time, as if trying to etch his image into the depths of his soul. Without further hesitation, he vanished through the window, leaving Sasuke alone in the Hokage's office.
Sasuke's mind is still in a state of turmoil.
Everything that happened tonight... so much information crashed into his still-developing brain like a tsunami, leaving him blank and unable to think at all.
His only support, his older brother, abandoned him without any explanation.
Overwhelmed by fear, confusion, the resentment of being abandoned, and grief over the tragic deaths of his parents, his small body trembled uncontrollably. He stood helplessly in the empty Hokage's office, unsure of what to do next.
Just as he was sinking into deep confusion and helplessness—
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several heavy thuds followed in succession.
Several figures dressed in ANBU uniforms and wearing animal masks tumbled in through the open office window, crashing heavily to the floor. They struggled for a few moments before becoming still.
Immediately afterwards, a figure stepped into the courtyard unhurriedly, bathed in the cool moonlight.
It's the murderer!
Upon seeing this person, all of Sasuke's fear and confusion were instantly replaced by an even stronger hatred.
"You bastard!" he roared hoarsely, his dark eyes flashing with a crimson light due to the intense emotion. The crimson light quickly condensed and solidified, eventually transforming into a slowly rotating black tomoe, embedded in the crimson center of his eye.
He was amazed.
The world before my eyes became incredibly clear, dynamic vision was greatly enhanced, and even the dust particles floating in the air could be seen clearly.
But Sasuke was completely oblivious to this strange change. He was panting heavily, staring intently at Yan Sheng with his newly formed Sharingan, which burned with the flames of hatred, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
Yan Sheng calmly met Sasuke's hateful gaze, and unusually, he spoke up to explain, "Don't get it wrong, it wasn't me who killed your entire clan."
***
On his way there, Yan Sheng encountered several groups of secret agents who tried to intercept him.
However, he did not kill them; he simply knocked the members of the secret service unconscious and left them lying on the roadside or in a nearby alley.
He came to save the world, not to cause destruction or become an enemy of the entire Hidden Leaf Village. Pointless killing would only bring trouble and waste his already limited time, offering him no benefit whatsoever.
Following the golden arrow, he found the Hokage Building and saw Uchiha Sasuke standing in a room.
Having confirmed the boy's location, Yan Sheng understood completely. Just as he was about to ask if Itachi Uchiha had brought him, he saw his target's Sharingan, filled with hatred, staring intently at him.
Yan Sheng usually doesn't bother to explain, but he made an exception for the circumstances and said something, but it was obvious that the other party didn't believe him at all.
Looking at Uchiha Sasuke's single-tomoe Sharingan filled with hatred and distrust, Yan Sheng felt a sense of trouble.
The mission target doesn't believe him and even regards him as an irreconcilable enemy. How can he save him and change his fate of potentially destroying the world?
Are we to forcibly abduct and imprison them? It doesn't seem like that—
A chilling sense of crisis suddenly rose in my heart, and a cold sweat ran down my back.
Okay, he understands. He won't do it; he'll just think about it.
Yan Sheng silently recited this in his heart.
Only then did the planetary consciousness of this world withdraw its gaze from him.
The sense of crisis has disappeared.
Yan Sheng had no choice but to think of other solutions.
He had never done anything that required gaining the other person's trust or providing "emotional guidance." He was more accustomed to giving orders, controlling, or achieving his goals directly through force.
This delicate rescue mission, which required patience and communication, made him click his tongue in annoyance.
The two, one large and one small, remained locked in a stalemate amidst an atmosphere thick with the invisible tension.
Sasuke, like a frightened young beast, stared intently at Yan Sheng, not daring to relax for a moment; while Yan Sheng frowned, pondering how to break through this difficult task.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
Sasuke, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes as he shouted towards the door, "I'm here! There are enemies!" His voice was sharp and shrill, typical of a child, filled with undisguised fear.
Yan Sheng did not stop him from calling for help, nor did he immediately run away or take Sasuke hostage. He just stood there quietly, as if waiting for something.
Although Sasuke was puzzled by Yan Sheng's indifference, as mentioned before, too many things had happened tonight that were beyond his capacity to bear, and his little brain had no extra energy to think about the deeper meaning behind this abnormality.
All he wants now is refuge and to find the power to fight this killer.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the heavy wooden office door was kicked open from the outside, the door panel slamming against the wall with a dull thud.
A group of ninjas dressed in ANBU uniforms and wearing various animal masks surged in like a black tide, instantly spreading out into a battle formation and surrounding Yan Sheng in the center.
Immediately afterwards, a figure walked in slowly, surrounded by members of the shadowy forces.
Among a group of uniformly dressed ninjas, the old man in other clothes stood out.
He wore a straw hat with the character "fire" printed on it, a simple white robe over a red ninja outfit, and his face was covered with wrinkles, but his eyes were still sharp. He had a pipe in his mouth, and white smoke was rising in wisps.
Yan Sheng's gaze swept past the hostile ANBU and landed on the old man. Finally, it settled on the back of his white robe, where the words "Third Hokage" were clearly embroidered in red thread.
"You are the Hokage?" Yan Sheng's deep voice broke the tense silence in the room, carrying a scrutinizing tone.
Speaking of the Hokage, in his world, Konoha Village has been established for about ten years, but a formal Hokage has yet to be elected.
At first, the debate raged over whether Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju was more suitable, with both men yielding to each other and unable to make a decision. Later, too many things happened in succession, including civil war, reforms, and the unification of the five great nations, leaving no time to deal with this matter.
In the middle, Tobirama Senju did try to start a vote, and sure enough, the one who received the most votes was his older brother, Hashirama Senju.
Then... it was forcibly rejected by Hashirama Senju himself for various reasons—such as "Madara hasn't agreed yet," "I don't think I've done enough," and "Let's wait a little longer."
Uchiha Izuna responded with a merciless sneer, mocking Senju Tobirama: "Senju, you second brother, still trying to force an election? See if your brother will even listen to you."
In short, the Hidden Leaf Village in his world is currently under the management of a "no Hokage," and is mainly operated by Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha.
In his opinion, since neither Hashirama Senju nor Madara Uchiha had any interest in becoming Hokage, why not let those two become Hokage? After all, they were the "actual" ones in control.
Therefore, seeing a "living" Hokage who had already passed down to the third generation was a novel experience for Yan Sheng, but this novelty only lasted for a few seconds before disappearing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, scanned the office with a deep gaze: the ANBU members lying unconscious on the floor, the wide-open windows, and the tall stranger standing in the center of the room, exuding a dangerous aura... Finally, his gaze settled on Sasuke Uchiha.
He subtly shifted his feet, shielding Uchiha Sasuke behind him and using his not-so-tall frame to block Yan Sheng's view. Then, he took a deep drag on his cigarette, slowly exhaled the smoke, and asked in his deep, steady voice, mellow with the passage of time:
"Who are you? What are you doing barging into the Hokage's office and Konoha?
Sasuke Uchiha cried out urgently, "Third Hokage, this man killed my parents! He's the enemy!"
When Sasuke mentioned his deceased parents, his voice trembled and tears welled up in his eyes.
Knowing the inside story, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at him, sighed softly, and then looked at Yan Sheng again.
"If you cannot provide a reasonable explanation, then I will have no choice but to consider you an enemy."
"How interesting, the real murderer is accusing someone else of being the murderer," Yan Sheng said slowly and deliberately.
Upon hearing Yan Sheng's words, Sasuke reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, excitedly retorting, "What nonsense are you talking about!" His small chest heaved violently, and his single-tomoe Sharingan stared intently at Yan Sheng.
Yan Sheng ignored his reaction and continued in that slow, deliberate yet piercing tone:
"Don't you find it strange? Why is it that when such a big thing happened to the Uchiha clan, and so many people died, there was no reaction from Konoha Village at all?"
Sasuke tried to explain using the reason he had always been taught and the reason he firmly believed in: "Of course it's because we Uchiha are Konoha's guard force, we are responsible for protecting the village's safety, so—"
His voice suddenly stopped.
It was as if someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat, and he could no longer utter a word. A trace of confusion flashed in those newly formed Sharingan eyes, which was then replaced by a gradually clearer fear.
Yes... the guards... the Uchiha are the guards, responsible for overt security patrols.
But can the village's true safety rely solely on the guards? What about the elusive Anbu? What about the elites directly under the Hokage?
The Uchiha clan's territory was indeed some distance from the village, but it wasn't completely isolated. Such a commotion, such a strong smell of blood...
Yan Sheng looked at Sasuke's suddenly changed expression and a smile appeared on his lips.
"See, you're not stupid, you know all this." His voice was like a spell, striking Sasuke's fragile nerves. "The village isn't only protected by the guards. The Anbu, the Hokage's private forces... they're everywhere in the village, monitoring every corner. How could they not find out about such a tragedy that happened in the Uchiha clan's territory? Unless... they don't want to find out, or they can't find out."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose expression had slightly changed, before continuing to apply pressure:
"Moreover, I think the Uchiha clan's territory is quite far from the center of Konoha Village, almost on the edge of the village, or even isolated. This in itself says a lot—the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha is probably no longer a simple partnership between villagers, but rather one of mutual suspicion, or even... mutual hostility, right?"
This is one of the differences between Yan Sheng's world and this parallel world.
In Yan Sheng's world, although the Uchiha clan's territory is located in the north and south of Konoha, respectively, and is the farthest away from the Senju clan, it is still within the village's boundaries.
In this world, the Uchiha clan has been marginalized.
Speaking of which, I wonder what the Senju people are like in this world. Judging from the Uchiha's situation, the Senju are probably not in much better shape.
How interesting. Could it be that the people who founded Konoha were not the Senju and Uchiha clans?
Sasuke's entire body stiffened, as if he were frozen in place.
Every word the mysterious man uttered was like a cold chisel, relentlessly shattering the worldview he had built up over the past seven years.
Those details he had overlooked—the villagers' complaints about the village, his father's furrowed brow, his brother's increasingly busy figure and tired eyes, the occasional strange looks from other family children—were now vivid in his mind, impossible for him to ignore.
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't allow such demoralizing and dark rhetoric to continue. He took a deep drag of his pipe, slammed it heavily on the edge of the table, and interrupted Mikatsu, saying in a deep voice:
"Enough! Stop talking nonsense and sowing discord here."
"It seems you're not surprised at all by what I've said, Third Hokage," Yan Sheng said. "Did you already know all along, or... were you involved from the start?"
These words were like the last straw, completely breaking Sasuke's spirit.
The faint flame of hope that had just been ignited by the appearance of the Third Hokage—the hope that this highly respected Hokage would uphold justice and punish the murderer—was extinguished as if doused with a bucket of ice water.
He glanced at the Third Hokage, whose face was grim, then at the ANBU members who were eyeing him menacingly but had "coincidentally" disappeared when his clan was massacred, and finally at the mysterious man who had revealed the cruel truth in a single sentence, a man who, though terrifying, seemed... to have no intention of harming him.
For a moment, he felt surrounded by enemies.
The home he once thought was warm and welcoming has become his parents' graveyard; the Hokage he once revered seems to harbor a dark secret; the older brother he once relied on has abandoned him and disappeared without a trace...
But just a short while ago, everything was fine!
Why did it turn out like this?
Confusion, betrayal, and the fear of isolation overwhelmed Uchiha Sasuke's world.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Only his single-tomoe Sharingan began to spin wildly uncontrollably under the extreme emotional impact, showing a faint tendency to evolve into a second tomoe.
His small body swayed, and he almost couldn't stand up.
Sasuke was, after all, just a seven-year-old child. Overnight, he experienced a massive upheaval in his family, the death of his parents, the collapse of his beliefs, and the awakening of his Sharingan. His mind and body were already pushed to their limits.
Therefore, after another wave of intense emotional shock, he could no longer hold on, his vision went black, and he fainted.
"Sasuke!" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed, reaching out to catch the falling child just in time.
He looked down at Sasuke's pale face and closed eyes in his arms, a complex and inscrutable emotion flashing in his eyes—guilt, helplessness, and a hint of relief. At least for now, the child wouldn't have to face this embarrassing confrontation.
He turned around and gave a wink to an ANBU member wearing a fox mask beside him. The ANBU member understood, nodded, stepped forward, took the unconscious Sasuke from the Third Hokage's arms, and steadily lifted him up, stepping aside like a silent shadow.
At this moment, the only people still conscious in the office, apart from Yan Sheng, were all members who were absolutely trusted confidants of the Third Hokage.
A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by the crackling sound of tobacco burning in Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe.
He seemed to be thinking about something, weighing the pros and cons, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the unconscious Sasuke before returning to Yan Sheng's expressionless face.
Yan Sheng was not in a hurry. He stood there leisurely, as if he were the master of the place.
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a thick white smoke, breaking the silence, his voice carrying a hint of inquiry:
"I don't know who you are." His gaze sharpened as he looked at Yan Sheng. "But I can tell you must be a member of the Uchiha clan. Yet, in all my years in Konoha, I've never seen you before... Are you a Uchiha who has been living away from home?"
Yan Sheng asked, "Does that matter?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Indeed, at this point, it's no longer important." He coughed twice, pointed with his pipe at Sasuke, who was being held by the Anbu, and cut straight to the point, "Your target is him? Why?"
"I just feel it's a bit of a pity that the Uchiha bloodline has been wiped out," Yan Sheng said calmly. "Since your Konoha dislikes the Uchiha so much, ostracizing them at every turn and even carrying out this purge, why not hand over this last child to me? That would save you a lot of trouble."
"No." Hiruzen Sarutobi refused decisively, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The Uchiha's bloodline limit, especially Sasuke's which has already awakened his Sharingan, must not be allowed to remain unclaimed. Besides... he promised Itachi. That child made such a huge sacrifice; he cannot betray him.
“I understand.” Yan Sheng had already anticipated this answer. He leaned forward slightly, his deep eyes seemingly able to see through people’s hearts. His voice was low but clear, reaching the ears of everyone present. “You made a deal with his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Uchiha Itachi voluntarily took the blame for the massacre of his entire clan and became a rogue ninja. The condition in exchange… was to protect his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke’s, life and safety in Konoha.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and the fingers holding his pipe quivered slightly.
He didn't immediately refute, but stared intently at Yan Sheng, his eyes filled with shock and scrutiny. This secret, besides him, the two high-ranking advisors, and Danzo, should only be known to Itachi himself.
“Don’t treat everyone like an idiot,” Yan Sheng straightened up, his tone returning to its previous calm. “This matter, combined with the situation at the scene, Konoha’s unusual silence, and your subtle attitude towards this child, can be easily deduced. Eliminating the root of the problem is common sense, but the fact that he was spared must mean there was a compelling reason for it.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi's worries were exposed, and his expression darkened even more. He took another deep drag on his cigarette, the white smoke almost completely enveloping his wrinkled face.
What exactly do you want to do?
“Didn’t I say?” Yan Sheng patted the dust off his sleeve, his movements elegant yet carrying an invisible pressure. “I just feel it’s a pity. Don’t worry, I have no interest in destroying Konoha, nor will I do anything to harm the village. After all, by blood, I am also a member of the Uchiha clan. If you entrust this child to me for guidance, I can even stay in the village.”
He paused, then added, "Yes, I promise I won't tell him your little secrets."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's facial muscles twitched slightly: "..."
Still not going to talk? You just said almost everything in front of Sasuke, things you could and couldn't say. The child is unconscious now; it's uncertain whether he'll remember anything when he wakes up.
Yan Sheng seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "He suffered too much trauma tonight, and his mind is on the verge of collapse. When he wakes up, this memory will likely become blurry, or even selectively forgotten. This is a form of self-protection. But—" He changed the subject, "If I'm not here, and no one guides or soothes his mind, perhaps... his memory will become unusually clear, and he will stubbornly believe certain facts. For example, that the Konoha high-ups are the real culprits in the annihilation of the Uchiha."
"Are you threatening me?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice deepened, carrying the authority of a Hokage.
If you think so, then so be it.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Sheng suddenly remembered something and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with great interest again, especially at the other man's eyes, which, although aged, were still sharp.
"By the way, there's something I'm curious about," Yan Sheng said slowly. "Do you... know me? Or rather, where have you seen someone whose face... looks a lot like mine?"
"It seems like you've been really interested in my face ever since you came in and saw me."
—Yes, Yan Sheng noticed it.
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi saw him upon entering, his pupils contracted sharply, revealing a shock that was hard to conceal. This was not the reaction one would have to see a stranger.
It was more like... seeing something familiar that shouldn't exist, or something extremely terrifying.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. The room was dark, and the flickering light from his pipe illuminated his ever-changing face.
He did not answer Yan Sheng's question, but the complex emotions that flashed in his aged eyes had already given a silent answer.
Hiruzen Sarutobi never actually met Madara Uchiha in person.
From the time he could remember, the man named Uchiha Madara had become a forgotten part of history, a legend symbolizing power, betrayal, and the end.
He had heard about the infamous name of the "Shura of the Ninja World" since childhood, and about his earth-shattering battle with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, at the Valley of the End.
According to legend, the most powerful clan leader of the Uchiha clan was extremely paranoid. Despite being a founding father who co-founded Konoha with the First Hokage, he ultimately sought to destroy the dream they had achieved together for reasons unknown, and was eventually stopped and killed by the First Hokage himself.
The two enormous statues still stand in the Valley of the End, facing each other across the rushing waterfall, silently telling the story of their love and hate.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had stood beneath the statue of the First Hokage countless times, and could clearly feel the complex and indescribable emotions the statue contained in the statue—the First Hokage's feelings for his dearest friend.
It wasn't just the posture of a victor; it also carried a deep sense of regret, remorse, and even... an indescribable sorrow. Even though the other party betrayed him and intended to destroy everything, the First Lord still seemed to regard him as his only true friend.
However, for Konoha and for these younger generations, the name Uchiha Madara is a taboo, a demon god symbolizing disaster and misfortune, a symbol that will never be mentioned in any situation.
In short, Hiruzen Sarutobi never saw the living Madara Uchiha, but he saw the giant stone statue in the Valley of the End, which was carved based on Madara Uchiha's true appearance, countless times.
In other words, he knew what Madara Uchiha looked like.
At this moment, the Uchiha in front of me has a cold and stern face that bears a striking resemblance to the statue of Madara Uchiha at the Valley of the End.
How could this discovery not send shivers down his spine?
A terrifying thought instantly flooded Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind: Could he be a descendant of Madara Uchiha who had been separated from his family?
Consider the complicated history between Madara Uchiha and Konoha, which ultimately ended in bloody betrayal. If this hatred and obsession were to be passed down to his descendants... coupled with the unfathomable strength displayed by this man before us, if he harbors resentment and intends to avenge his ancestors... then it would be a huge problem for Konoha, perhaps even a disaster no less severe than the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a splitting headache, and the tobacco in his mouth lost its usual flavor, leaving only a bitter taste.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and tried to conceal his inner turmoil with a calm tone, but the wariness and scrutiny in his eyes were even more intense:
"Well, how should I put it? Your appearance... reminds me of a... senior from Konoha's past." He chose his words carefully, avoiding mentioning that name directly. "It's hard not to make some connections. What is your relationship with him?"
He didn't directly ask, "Are you a descendant of Uchiha Madara?" but his probing gaze said it all.
Now that things have come to this point, and the atmosphere has become so clear, if Yan Sheng still cannot understand Hiruzen Sarutobi's subtle probing and deep-seated fear, then he would not be the Uchiha Yan Sheng who could navigate among the five great nations and become their de facto ruler in secret.
Seeing the Third Hokage's extremely solemn gaze, as if he were facing some kind of ferocious beast, Yan Shengming understood.
It seems that the guy in this world, Ban, has definitely done something bad.
But so what? What business is it of his?
Does it matter?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "...Very important."
This is really important, I'm not kidding.
"Oh. So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?" Yan Sheng asked leisurely.
Looking at the incomparably handsome face before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently puffed on his cigarette. "What are your thoughts on Konoha?"
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Author's Note: Today's update is a little late. I got my period, my stomach hurts, I'm not feeling well, and I'm also a bit down. Sigh... T^T
I hope everyone enjoys reading this. I'm just writing about things I'm interested in and want to share. To each their own; some will like it, some won't. I know the majority remain silent, but there are still many who like it. However, seeing comments saying this is bad or that is bad... still makes me very sad [crying]. I'm going to quit reading comments and never look at them again.
In short, thank you so much for liking it! Please don't read the earlier comments, just look at the later ones. Those who see the later ones are like-minded people, and we can have a pleasant and friendly exchange. [Thumbs up]
Although it might sound narcissistic, just in case, I should say this: please don't defend me, or you'll easily get attacked... well... the current social climate is bad, there's too much negativity. To be honest, I have to rack my brains every time I reply to a comment, carefully considering my tone and word choice, afraid of being misunderstood. So, many times I just don't reply at all _(:з」∠)_
Yes, the author is just that spineless, a complete coward. [crying emoji]
Because there's no one to confide in (the despair of a lonely king), I can't help but vent in the author's notes [crying emoji]. Don't mind me, everyone, just continue reading happily!
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