Evening, inside the encampment of the Uchiha Clan's Missing-Nins.
Sakura and Itachi walked in one after the other. The Uchiha gathered around the campfire immediately assumed a wary expression upon seeing her.
The sounds of various armors being donned, scrolls being torn open, and weapons being picked up rose and fell. The entire camp was briefly chaotic.
"Haruno Sakura!"
Uchiha Yashiro stood in front of everyone, carrying a large blade. A pair of crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun slightly in his eye sockets. The wrinkles on his face became even more ferocious because of his narrowed eyes.
Over a decade ago, it was this young girl who, with just herself and her sword, had stalled the Uchiha rebellion's offensive inside Konoha Village, crushing their hopes of entering the village's power core.
Thinking of this, the other Uchiha also gathered with hostile expressions. A total of over sixty pairs of Three-Tomoe Sharingan combined to form a massive oppressive force of Yin Release, kicking up a cold, fierce wind that blew toward her.
"Heh, that's it?"
The girl revealed an arrogant smile, pointing one finger to the sky and one to the earth. The flame of her will ignited from the tip of her heart, igniting a storm of Haki that covered all the Uchiha.
The crimson turmoil swept across the land, crashing against the Uchiha's Yin Release, crushing who knows how much reality-distorting Ocular Power. Amidst the sounds of tearing, came the grunts of various Uchiha.
"Don't be so hostile. Sakura is here on behalf of Konoha!"
Itachi opened his Mangekyo, using his Ocular Power to build a high wall between the two sides, temporarily suppressing the conflict.
"Itachi, are you planning to sell us out to Konoha!" Inabi, supporting Yashiro, had an irritable disposition and directly questioned Itachi.
Itachi's gaze turned to him. The patterns in his Eternal Mangekyo spun. "What, do you want to challenge me to become the new leader?"
His powerful Ocular Power focused, concentrating on Inabi alone, making his face pale and him unable to speak.
After a long while, seeing no one else daring to meet his gaze, Itachi withdrew his Ocular Power, allowing the many martial faction Uchiha present to breathe a sigh of relief.
"After all these years, not a single Mangekyo?" Seeing the performance of these Uchiha martial faction members, Sakura's expression was somewhat strange.
Itachi closed his eyes with an indescribable expression, heavily exhaled a murky breath, and shook his head at her.
In the years since defecting from Konoha, due to continuous fighting and wandering, the companions he had initially led out of the village had continuously decreased.
It was true that many Uchiha of the martial faction had reached the Three-Tomoe level through battle and training. But when it came to crossing the boundary and becoming Mangekyo users, not one had succeeded.
Probably because the martial faction members, who had been able to cruelly sever their bonds and defect, were more cold and indifferent emotionally. The extreme emotional changes needed to awaken the Mangekyo were not something they could easily generate.
So for a clan whose power originally stems from love, trying to gain power by letting go of love would ultimately end up as futile as drawing water with a sieve.
"Well, they are still over sixty Jonin."
Sakura raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, then passed by Itachi and walked toward the group of Uchiha. "I am here on behalf of Konoha to give you a choice. Assist the village in winning the war. After it's over, those willing to return to the village can do so after being tried."
"Does Konoha want us to come back and be its dogs again?"
"I would rather jump off a cliff and die out there than go back to Konoha with you!"
"Nothing good comes from uninvited favors!"...
As soon as Sakura finished speaking, the entire group of Uchiha Missing-Nins became noisy. Everyone had their own opinions and demands, like a loose sand.
"I also disagree!"
Having followed the two of them all the way, Sasuke rushed out furiously from the flowers. The Mangekyo spinning in his eyes also carried a fierce, murderous gleam.
Although, influenced by his mother, he rarely used these eyes in battle, he was still the owner of those cursed eyes and was also the current head of the Uchiha Clan!
"You selfish bastards! Do you know how much pain your actions back then brought to the clan members left in the village? So I disagree with this!" The boy's impassioned accusation echoed under the night sky. His powerful Ocular Power even more so suppressed them into silence.
Facing the increased ostracism that Sasuke, representing the Uchiha who remained in the village, had suffered, this was indeed the sin caused by them, the martial faction who had intended to rebel.
By now, they couldn't bring themselves to say anything like, 'Why didn't you come with us back then?'
Because Sasuke, who had stayed in the village, had awakened the Mangekyo, while they, the wild dogs chasing power, had nothing. The Uchiha, who had always believed in results, hadn't fallen to the point of denying basic facts.
"It was my arrogance that created all of this. I'm sorry, Sasuke."
Itachi, who had been silent, walked up to him, put his arm around his head, and looked into his eyes.
There was once an arrogant genius who thought he could save everyone. But only when Konoha and the Uchiha fell into inevitable bloodshed did he realize that he was just an ordinary person with a little more strength.
In that state, the genius once thought he could bear all the infamy by himself, preserving Konoha's power and the Uchiha's reputation. Fortunately, he was stopped by the right person before an even greater massacre occurred.
From that point on, realizing the importance of human connections, he changed his methods, leading the rebellious Uchiha away from Konoha, attempting to teach them what love meant on their subsequent journey.
Unfortunately, the genius failed once again!
Standing here today was just a man who had failed to protect his village, his clan, his family… a man with nothing left.
"At least give those who want to atone a chance to make amends. Please, Sasuke..." The youth's voice was tired, yet carried an intense, heavy emotion hotter than anyone else's.
Sasuke opened his mouth but found himself unable to make a sound. He tried several times to organize his words, but couldn't speak. In the end, he could only remain silent.
"The village is also one of the responsible parties in this matter, so your responsibility will be correspondingly reduced in terms of justice."
Sakura, leaning against a tree, saw the atmosphere had reached this point and quickly struck while the iron was hot to persuade the Uchiha.
"That's easy for you to say. What guarantee do we have that the Uchiha won't be persecuted again after returning to the village?" Uchiha Tekka stepped forward to voice the thoughts of some Uchiha who had already begun to waver.
"I can guarantee it. I can guarantee it on behalf of the Senju, on behalf of the Fifth Hokage, and on behalf of the entire Konoha! And you had better truly be able to represent the Uchiha!!!"
Dark thunder surged around Sakura. Her boiling Chakra followed her advancing steps deep into the earth, causing dozens of vines to break through the soil and grow into towering trees.
Having said all this, the girl turned and left. There was no need to wait for these Uchiha's reply. She had conveyed the village's intentions. The remaining matters were internal disputes of the Uchiha. She believed Sasuke and Itachi could handle them.
…
On the other side, south of Konoha's defense line.
A Ninja with brown hair, black eyes, and a stiff face was leading a blond-haired boy as they sped through the forest.
"Are we there yet, Yamato-sensei!"
After traveling continuously for over ten hours with no time to rest, Naruto now only felt thirsty and hungry.
Yamato turned his head and encouraged Naruto: "Hold on a little longer. Once we reach the defense line ahead, we can start training... no, rest!"
"What you just said... was 'training', wasn't it?"
His bright blue eyes turning dead, his lips dry, Naruto turned his head toward Yamato like a zombie.
"Well... heh, that's also the Fifth Hokage's order. Sorry about that!"
Yamato showed a slightly apologetic smile and scratched his head.
"No—!"
The boy's scream echoed along the entire northern border of the Land of Fire.