Chapter 434: Curing Chunibyo
Hokage's Office.
After Kakashi left, the Third Hokage walked out from the shadows.
Looking at Kakashi's departing figure, then at Tsunade, the Third wanted to say something, but hesitated. After dithering for a moment, he ultimately just let out a long sigh.
"Alas..."
The old man took out his pipe and puffed on it puff puff. He frowned and looked out the window, the expression on his face inscrutable amidst the lingering smoke.
"Old man," Tsunade leaned back in her chair, trying her best to smooth out the frown she had worn all day, and said tiredly, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. I'm not a Hokage who can't listen to other people's opinions."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked back at her. He leaned against the window sill, exhaled a long breath of smoke, pondered for a moment before saying: "Logically speaking, an old retired guy like me shouldn't be pointing fingers at your decisions... It's just that this time, Tsunade, you really made a mistake."
Tsunade's expression didn't change as she quietly listened to the former Hokage's words.
The Third took a puff of smoke and continued:
"I told you from the start that a child like Sasuke is thoughtful and sensitive, easily hurt and distorted. So he needs more guidance, not exposure to the village's dark side too early... Letting Sasuke know the secrets of Danzo and Root will do him no good. It will only stimulate him, reopen the scars in his heart, and make him feel pain again."
Speaking of this, the old man stopped.
The person he was speaking to, Tsunade, was already the Fifth Hokage, no longer a ninja under his command. It was enough to stop after making the point.
Tsunade began to shake her head even before he finished speaking.
"I know what you mean, old man. You want to protect Sasuke and prevent him from coming into contact with Konoha's dark side, especially the information about the Uchiha massacre; wait until he grows up, his acceptance becomes stronger, and his concepts are not easily changed, then tell him the truth. Or even if possible, you'd rather he never touch the truth in his life."
"But have you ever thought that Sasuke is also a Konoha ninja, and a Jonin, a new elite of the Anbu. He will encounter these things sooner or later. I cannot forbid him from looking through archives and querying data, nor can I keep him in pristine ignorance forever."
"He will grow up one day, and is already growing."
The Fifth Hokage said calmly.
Sarutobi remained silent, just smoking quietly, his wrinkled face expressionless.
"Old man," Tsunade sighed, "You always think that dragging things out will solve the problem... but will it really? Back then with the Uchiha matter, you also wanted to drag it out repeatedly, and what was the result?"
The movement of the Third smoking suddenly paused, followed by a long silence, delaying the answer to Tsunade's question.
The Uchiha Massacre was the biggest failure in Hiruzen Sarutobi's decades-long career as Hokage.
The old man's pain was hidden under the hazy rolling smoke. He said in a hoarse voice: "I... I thought things wouldn't come to this."
At first, he wanted to delay things until Shisui and Itachi grew up, using their strength and prestige to influence the Uchiha clan and change their minds. As a result, Shisui was driven to death by Danzo; later, he placed his hope on the strength displayed by Root and Anbu to deter the restless Uchiha and drag the problem out, but the Uchiha instead made up their minds to rebel.
"You like to drag things out because you are old, and you no longer had the ability and courage to solve problems at that time..." Tsunade ruthlessly pointed out the Third's problem, "That's why you pinned your hopes on the ethereal future!"
"Perhaps that's it."
The Third smiled bitterly.
He waved his hand: "Sorry, Tsunade, I spoke too much... Since I chose you to be the Fifth Hokage, I should trust your judgment."
"No need to say such things, old man. Let's just discuss the matter at hand." Tsunade smiled faintly, "Now that Sasuke's problem is exposed, we can always think of a solution. At least it's better than him keeping this knot hidden in his heart and exploding suddenly in the future."
"Since you always talk about the Will of Fire, try trusting Sasuke for once, trusting that he also has the same Will of Fire in his heart!"
Tsunade spoke with great confidence.
However, on the training ground, Sasuke showed no sign of that whatever Will of Fire.
He first apologized to Kakashi extremely sincerely and earnestly, and then immediately added: "But—"
But, Sasuke was still not prepared to hand over those 11 Sharingan to the village.
In Sasuke's perception, Kakashi was genuinely good to him, and he respected Kakashi, so he apologized sincerely; but the Sharingan was another matter.
Those were dug out by Danzo from the corpses of Sasuke's dead clansmen after the night of the massacre. And among these Sharingan, there might even be his parents' eyes!
Thinking of this, Sasuke trembled all over with rage!
And these Sharingan were grotesquely installed on an arm by Danzo, used as props for secret techniques... Seeing that scene at the time, Sasuke almost wanted to kill that scum Danzo on the spot!
Being able to endure this killing intent, Sasuke was surprised by the progress of his self-control.
But when Hotaru Hyuga wanted to take the Sharingan away, Sasuke couldn't tolerate it—he would never allow Uchiha eyes to fall into the hands of outsiders, be researched, or even be grotesquely installed on bodies!
That would make him feel that the remaining honor of the Uchiha was being trampled, stepped into filthy muddy water, becoming worthless.
For this, he didn't hesitate to have a direct conflict with the village.
"Kakashi-sensei, please don't persuade me anymore. I won't hand over the Sharingan." Sasuke said decisively.
The white-haired young man sighed secretly.
He had almost talked his mouth dry, but Sasuke acted like a clay idol, not reacting at all. In the end, he just said his mind was made up and he wouldn't hand over the Sharingan.
Once a chunibyo teenager's rebellious heart rises, it becomes terrifyingly stubborn, not to mention he is from the Uchiha clan.
For people who drill into a dead end, direct confrontation is useless.
"I can understand your feelings, Sasuke. But..." Kakashi patted his shoulder and said slowly, "But have you thought about it? Continuing to confront the village like this, you might be disciplined, demoted, or even more seriously, expelled from the village and become a rogue ninja!"
Sasuke sneered indifferently.
"Hmph."
Disciplined, demoted? So what? Compared to Uchiha's honor, he didn't care about these things.
Nothing more than a title.
Even being expelled from the village and becoming a rogue ninja—
"Does it not matter even if you are expelled from Konoha?" Kakashi seemed to see through his thoughts, "When Sakura and Naruto return to the village, but find that you are no longer in Konoha, does that not matter either?"
"Team 7 can never reunite from then on, and you can never see Sakura and Naruto again. Does that not matter either?"
The expression on the black-haired boy's face suddenly stiffened.
"I—!" He stopped after saying only one word, with nothing more to say.
Sasuke could imagine the scene when the two learned that he had left the village. Although slightly different, they would definitely try their best to pull him back to Konoha.
If it were Sakura, she would also be very angry, then while dragging his hand to pull him back to the village, scold him severely.
Sasuke could even feel the warm and soft touch of the girl's right hand.
The cool expression on his face wavered.
"Sasuke, saying so much to you isn't to force you to yield and hand over the eyes." Kakashi struck while the iron was hot, saying, "Tsunade-sama said that the Sharingan belong to the Uchiha after all. The village won't force you to hand them over, let alone ruin the Sharingan like Danzo Shimura did."
"But... think about it a little. As a Konoha ninja, resisting orders like this, even openly violating the village's orders, are you completely faultless yourself, Sasuke?"
"If you don't trust Sensei, you can write a letter to tell Sakura about this and ask for her opinion. How about it?"
Kakashi played the joker card.
Super effective!
Sasuke's expression, which had been resisting communication, finally softened: "I... I want to hear Sakura's opinion."
Tsunade very accommodatingly helped Sasuke send the letter to Shikkotsu Forest.
Haruno Sakura's reply speed was astonishingly fast. She replied almost immediately after reading the letter. The elegant handwriting wrote only three short lines—
"Stupid Sasuke:
Why must you pit Uchiha against the village?
You are Uchiha Sasuke, and even more so, Konoha Ninja Uchiha Sasuke!
I'm at a critical juncture of cultivating Senjutsu, very busy! Disturb me with such stupid questions again, and see if I don't deal with you when I get back!
—Haruno Sakura."
Sasuke held the letter tightly in his hand, the expression on his face a bit stunned.
He clearly wrote the letter seeking comfort and help...
Why was he scolded severely instead?
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