The Uchiha clan, which was wiped out entirely, lacked vision.

Chapter 104 Thanks to Itachi for his kindness

Chapter 104 Thanks to Itachi for his kindness

"It's over!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was hanging at the other end, finally gave up struggling. Tears streamed down his aged face, and his gaze toward Itachi was full of sadness and regret.

The other clan ninjas also showed expressions of pity, turning their heads away, unable to bear the sight of the tragic scene before them.

Only Itachi remained expressionless, head bowed, as if nothing had happened.

"Ha ha--"

Uchiha An grinned and waved his hand to dispel the Wood Release, allowing Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others to fall from the tree.

Without chakra, these people were unable to move for a while and could only lie on the ground panting.

The last rays of the setting sun shone on the group, making their disheveled appearance particularly clear.

Uchiha An clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the crowd and said with a smile:

"Come on, everyone, congratulations on your lucky escape!"

"I am an honest and reliable young man; I keep my word. If I say I won't kill, I won't!"

"Everyone's spared their lives thanks to Itachi's mercy!"

"You guys really have to thank Itachi!"

"Itachi was also an outstanding member of our Uchiha clan. Rounding it up, you were essentially saved by the Uchiha!"

"Come on, everyone, shout with me!"

"Thank you for the gift, Uchiha!"

"Long live the Uchiha!"

An was happily raising his arms and shouting, completely absorbed in his game.

Unfortunately, none of the remaining survivors of Konoha cooperated at all. Not only were they ungrateful, but they also stared at An with eyes full of hatred.

However, An is a person with a broad perspective and will not hold a grudge against them over such a small disagreement.

An smiled and withdrew her arm, then turned and waved goodbye to Itachi.

"Itachi!"

"My enthusiasm for today has waned, let's call it a day!"

"I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

"We've been brothers for a long time, we'll meet again someday!"

"Ha ha--"

An laughed loudly and strode away, leaving Itachi behind him, his fists clenched and his teeth clenched.

He desperately wanted to take this opportunity to ambush An and kill him.

But reason told him he couldn't do it!

If he acts rashly, he will only give Ann more opportunities to "play the game," and even those companions he originally saved will be at risk.

They would all tragically perish as a result.

A sense of powerlessness gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake; the torment of being unable to take revenge despite his enemy being right in front of him almost tore his heart apart.

A sense of helplessness spread through his heart, growing stronger and stronger until it pierced his very soul.

"hateful!"

"Damn it!"

Itachi felt a tightness in his chest, and a stream of blood gushed out of his abdomen, which he swallowed back down, leaving only a bright red stain on his lips.

The sweet, metallic taste of blood filled my mouth; it was the taste of defeat, proof of humiliation.

He closed his eyes, suppressing all his pain and anger within his trembling body.

But soon, his attention was diverted by a gasp.

"Ah, Hokage-sama, there are still people here who aren't dead!"

"What?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed in surprise. "Quickly, save them! Check again carefully to see who else is still alive!"

A group of people struggled to their feet and checked each one. They found that quite a few people had survived, but their limbs were broken and scattered on the ground like broken dolls. Even if Tsunade were to be resurrected, she could not heal them.

"Lord Hokage, these people—"

One of the clever ninjas looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a questioning look in his eyes.

"this--"

Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a moment, but before he could make a decision, Itachi interrupted from the side:

"This was deliberately left behind by Uchiha An."

"He needs these people to spread the word about what happened today to everyone in the village."

"Of course, if you want to kill me to silence me, Uchiha An certainly won't object."

"He might actually be happier!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was immediately startled and hurriedly shook his head, saying:

"Itachi, don't worry!"

"Where would you find any murder to cover it up?"

"These are all ninjas from the village. How could the village possibly turn a blind eye to this? They will definitely do their utmost to help them."

"Is that so?" Itachi said calmly, "Actually, they're already useless. They can't carry out missions anymore and will only waste food. Even if we get rid of them, it won't be a big deal."

"Just say that he died a glorious death in battle, and give him more compensation. No one will suspect anything."

'

"Everyone here is trustworthy, and no one would leak the information."

"As for the gossip from outsiders, those are just the enemy's divisive tactics. We only need to manage public opinion and don't need to pay any attention to them."

Without Sasuke as an anchor, Itachi sank deeper and deeper into the abyss, his humanity fading and his way of thinking drifting more and more toward some extreme direction.

Upon hearing these words, the hearts of those around him pounded; some were moved, while others frowned.

Rumors are like a soft knife; they kill people in a dull yet painful way!

The lives saved by trading one's fellow villagers will be the subject of countless criticisms and condemnations once word gets out. It's not just Uchiha Ryo who will suffer; everyone present will share in the damage to their reputation.

Looking at the behavior of these victims, it's clear they've already created a rift in the village. If these people wake up, they definitely won't have anything nice to say about what happened today.

Even if they are mindful of the village's attitude, they might not say too many bad things about the village, but they would probably say more bad things about their surviving "comrades".

From this perspective, silencing these people here is actually the most reasonable and optimal decision.

But this is something that can only be done, not talked about, and no one dares to bring it up on their own initiative.

Now that they've seen Itachi take the lead, they might as well go with the flow and turn their attention to Hiruzen Sarutobi, waiting for the ever-wise and powerful Hokage to make the final decision.

"Itachi, stop talking!" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, interrupting Itachi and waving his hand, saying, "The village would never do something like that!"

"They all sacrificed for the village, how can the village abandon them?"

His words resonated deeply, and every wrinkle on his face was etched with determination and justice, just like his actions over the years.

With different thoughts in mind, everyone immediately stopped talking and focused on rescuing the injured.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched them busy at work, he sighed inwardly and missed his old buddy Danzo Shimura.

The existence of roots is indeed necessary!

Who should succeed as the leader of the roots and rebuild them?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned for a moment before being jolted awake by the deafening explosion.

Although Iwagakure withdrew, the other three ninja villages did not, and they are still fighting fiercely.

He looked at the raging fire in the distance and the increasingly intense battle, and his teeth itched with hatred.

This cannot continue, otherwise Konoha Village will be destroyed sooner or later.

Is it possible that the only option is—

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed rapidly, but the situation left him no time to think. He quickly summoned the Monkey King again, picked up the Vajra Staff, looked around, and immediately decided on the direction of the attack.

Pick the softest persimmon to squeeze, and Sunagakure is the one!

He raised his Vajra Staff and led the people of Konoha Village in a charge towards Sunagakure Village.

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