REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!
Chapter 264: Reflect Deeply!
Ridiculous!
Thinking one simple apology could brush everything aside? What kind of fantasy was that?
If he didn't thoroughly humiliate Sarutobi Hiruzen, Yasushi wouldn't deserve the Uchiha name!
That single question made Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face visibly redden.
Yasushi pretended not to notice, casually creating a wooden chair with a finger snap. He sat down, crossed his legs, and swung his foot lazily.
"Well? What mistakes?"
"...Yasushi, I'm currently apologizing to you. Isn't this approach somewhat excessive?"
Since becoming Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen had never endured such humiliation. Fire practically blazed from his eyes.
Yasushi completely ignored him, simply turning his head toward nearby Hashirama.
"See, Lord First? This is what you called sincere acknowledgment of wrongdoing."
"Look at him. Does he seem to have acknowledged mistakes?"
"He doesn't even know what he did wrong. Clearly he doesn't believe he erred at all—he's just being forced by you to apologize."
"I cannot accept this kind of apology!"
Yasushi turned toward the clansmen behind him: "Can you accept this?"
"We cannot accept this!" All Uchiha shouted in unison, directing their angry gazes toward the humiliated-looking Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Now it was Hashirama's turn for displeasure.
His personality was straightforward—right was right, wrong was wrong.
Once mistakes were made, he sincerely acknowledged them without burden of face-saving. He was extremely dissatisfied with Third's performance.
"Hiruzen, what are you doing?"
"Show proper attitude!"
"You're Konoha Village's role model!"
"If even you won't sincerely acknowledge mistakes, how can you convince others?"
Facing First's scolding, Third nearly wanted to spit blood.
He'd never hated Edo Tensei more than now.
If possible, simply returning to the Pure Land to continue sleeping would be his preferred choice.
But running now was too late—it would only make First view it as desertion.
No choice remained. Sarutobi Hiruzen forcibly suppressed his inner rage, bowing his head to speak painfully:
"I erred in trusting Danzo excessively, failing to properly control Root, allowing him to commit the evil act of annihilating the Uchiha clan within the village."
"Everything stemmed from my negligence. I failed to fulfill the Hokage's responsibilities, leading to this tragedy—"
Before Sarutobi Hiruzen finished, Yasushi pointed at him, shouting loudly:
"Hey! You're avoiding the main issue while dwelling on trivialities!"
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, stop playing word games with me!"
"Without your tacit approval, how would Danzo dare act so recklessly?"
"What negligence?"
"You need to reflect deeply!"
"Don't claim you knew nothing about the massacre beforehand!"
"What about Shisui's death?"
"What about that beast Itachi?"
"Stop pretending to be innocent!"
"We cannot accept this kind of apology!"
Following Yasushi's accusations, the Uchiha behind him also erupted, pointing at Sarutobi Hiruzen while cursing furiously.
"Exactly! Stop pretending to be innocent!"
"During the Nine-Tails incident, Danzo had people blockade our clan grounds, forbidding anyone from leaving. Don't claim you didn't know afterward!"
"But what did you do?"
"You forced us to relocate our compound far from the village, providing convenience for future Uchiha elimination. Dare you say that wasn't premeditated?"
Under everyone's angry accusations, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned ashen. Knowing he couldn't pass without thorough reflection, he sighed heavily before reorganizing his words and apologizing again:
"I erred in doubting the Uchiha clan's loyalty to the village."
"I erred in tolerating Danzo's wanton suppression of the Uchiha clan, further erring in allowing him to secretly harm Uchiha comrades."
"I erred in not..." At this point, Third paused before taking all blame upon himself. "...not stopping Danzo and Itachi's cooperation in purging the Uchiha clan."
"The Uchiha clan's tragedy of annihilation was entirely caused by my incompetence as Hokage."
"Everything was my fault. I've deeply recognized my mistakes."
"Yasushi, I now formally apologize to you and all deceased Uchiha clansmen, seeking your forgiveness."
"That's more like it."
The Uchiha crowd still simmered with residual anger but stopped shouting, instead directing their gazes toward their clan head.
Before today, how could they have imagined hearing an apology from the Third Hokage?
They firmly trusted their supremely capable clan head, believing he would never let them suffer injustice.
Yasushi slowly nodded, waving his hand.
"Fine. We'll accept that you've recognized your mistakes."
"Next."
Third finally breathed with relief, walking with lowered head to stand behind Hashirama, watching the next person approach Yasushi to acknowledge wrongdoing.
Yasushi sat there brazenly, listening carefully before asking: "What mistakes?"
Anyone whose answer failed to satisfy Yasushi was rejected, subjected to furious cursing from the clansmen behind him.
The apologizer would then rack their brains, carefully considering exactly "what mistakes" they'd made and how to answer satisfactorily.
Konoha's people went through one by one, each apologizing earnestly. Finally came Uchiha Itachi's turn.
Itachi stood woodenly at the back. After everyone finished, he finally moved forward with heavy steps, shuffling slowly.
The moment Itachi appeared, the crowd behind Yasushi immediately exploded.
"Itachi, you traitorous bastard!"
"That day I kindly invited you inside. You repaid me with a blade!"
"My two-year-old brother—you didn't even spare him!"
Everyone cursed while rushing forward, raining punches and kicks upon Itachi.
Itachi stood there woodenly with lowered head. Facing everyone's attacks, he neither dodged nor retaliated, simply allowing everyone to beat and curse him.
"Enough. Come back."
Yasushi spoke just once. Those proud, angry Uchiha immediately stopped, returning to stand behind Yasushi still fuming.
Only a few Uchiha remained unsatisfied, spitting thick phlegm at Itachi, covering his head and face.
Itachi stood there woodenly before slowly kneeling before everyone in dogeza, forehead pressed to ground. A dry voice emerged from between his arms:
"I erred in raising my blade against clansmen."
"I erred in failing to distinguish men, women, old or young—slaughtering all clansmen without exception."
"Everything was my fault."
"Your hatred toward me is justified."
"Kill me!"
***
80+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces