Burying Love By My Own Hand: Hidden Crisis

"Stop!"

"Puchi~"

A kunai was brutally inserted into Uchiha Mina's chest.

The next moment, two guarding ninja appeared beside Uchiha Tunan, holding two kunai to his neck.

"Damn it."

Shunkawa Yamanaka stood before the iron bed, his face extremely grim. He yelled at Ryoji Yamanaka, who was shakily getting up by the door:

"Quickly notify Lord Takuya."

Ryoji Yamanaka had just woken up from the genjutsu and didn't know what had happened.

After a moment of confusion, he immediately ran outside.

"Heh heh..."

At this moment, Uchiha Tunan let out a tragic laugh, tears of blood streaming from his eyes.

Disregarding the kunai at his neck, he leaned his head towards Uchiha Mina's forehead and kissed her gently.

"Mina... I love you..."

Just then, Takuya Yamanaka, who had heard the news, walked in.

He paused slightly upon seeing the scene in the interrogation room and asked:

"What happened?"

Shunkawa Yamanaka quickly replied, "Reporting to you, Lord Takuya, this is what happened..."

After listening to Shunkawa Yamanaka's report, Takuya Yamanaka fell silent for a moment. He glanced at the grief-stricken Uchiha Tunan and said in a deep voice:

"Give me the memory recording. You all may leave."

"Yes."

Uchiha Tunan ignored Takuya Yamanaka, who had entered. He fumbled and unlocked the metal restraints binding Uchiha Mina.

Only her eye patch remained.

He then picked up Uchiha Mina's corpse and walked out in a daze.

"You..." Takuya Yamanaka instinctively reached out to stop him.

However, his hand stopped halfway and retracted. He sighed:

"You may go."

Uchiha Tunan looked at Takuya Yamanaka with a pale face and said in a hoarse voice:

"Thank you."

With that, Uchiha Tunan left with staggering steps.

For some reason, watching Uchiha Tunan's retreating figure gave Takuya Yamanaka a sense of desolation.

"Already able to use the Sharingan proficiently? Even two Chunin couldn't stop you. This kind of talent..."

Takuya Yamanaka narrowed his eyes and looked at the recording in his hand.

"It's best to let Lord Hokage make the decision."

After leaving the interrogation department, Uchiha Tunan did not go directly to the cemetery, nor did he go to the clan compound.

Instead, he chose to take a detour and walk through Konoha's bustling commercial street.

How could such a scene be without an audience?

Along the way, people around pointed and whispered.

Members of the Security Force wanted to step forward to inquire, but they were stopped by Anbu operatives temporarily dispatched by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Where is he going?" In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the crystal ball before him, lost in thought.

Uchiha Tunan's current state seemed very precarious to him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi counted it up: in just these three months, Uchiha Tunan had successively lost his cousin, parents, classmate, and girlfriend.

He had nothing left of family, friendship, or love.

Any other child his age would surely have turned dark.

Even if they didn't turn dark, they would likely fall into despair.

"This is difficult. Why didn't I think of it before?

I should have intervened to save that girl.

Tunan, I hope you won't disappoint my expectations."

Uchiha Tunan, holding Uchiha Mina's corpse, arrived at the swings outside the Ninja Academy and sat down.

In the shadows, several Anbu operatives were monitoring from various locations.

"Mina, this is where we first met."

You're not here anymore, and I don't plan on staying either.

Once this semester ends, I'll apply for early graduation.

Take a look."

Uchiha Tunan reached out and gently pulled open a gap in the eye patch covering Uchiha Mina's eyes.

Beneath the patch, Uchiha Mina's eyes widened in terror.

Dying with regrets? Then don't look, lest you scare others.

Uchiha Tunan feigned a sob, withdrew his hand from the eye patch, and wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

Then, he carried Uchiha Mina's corpse to the graveyard for burial.

After the burial, Uchiha Tunan knelt in the graveyard all night.

Perhaps because Hiruzen Sarutobi had secretly given orders, no one disturbed him during that time.

After all, this was when Uchiha Tunan was at his most vulnerable and in need of comfort.

It was also the most opportune moment to strike, so why would he give such a great opportunity to others?

Thus, as dawn began to break, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived behind Uchiha Tunan.

"Tunan, pull yourself together. Mina definitely wouldn't want to see you like this."

Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice, Uchiha Tunan turned around and stood up.

He pursed his lips, then forced a smile and said:

"Yes, Mina said he liked mature and steady people. I can't cry... I can't cry..."

As he spoke, tears welled up uncontrollably in Uchiha Tunan's eyes, and he could only keep wiping them away with his hands.

While wiping, he explained:

"Something got in my eyes."

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched this scene, sighed deeply, and reached out to gently stroke Uchiha Tunan's hair, saying:

"Sigh~ You've been through too much and lost too much during this time.

But you still have the village, and you still have me.

And there are many, many people who care about you.

You're still young now; the village will protect you, and I will protect you.

When you grow up, it will be up to you to protect the village."

Uchiha Tunan was stunned by his words. He gazed at Hiruzen Sarutobi with tear-filled eyes and said dazedly:

"Lord Hokage..."

"Tunan..."

"Lord Hokage... sob..."

His emotions finally broke free. Uchiha Tunan threw his arms around Hiruzen Sarutobi, burying his head in his chest.

He looked just like a child who had been wronged outside.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down at Uchiha Tunan, who was sobbing uncontrollably in his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly. He seemed lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Tunan, who was feigning grief, was also thinking rapidly.

Is this old man's approval really that hard to get?

It seems that besides my parents, the only others I've gained approval from are inexperienced children.

This system doesn't even give a progress bar. It's so troublesome.

After a short while like this.

The red sun on the horizon gave a gentle leap, rising from behind the Hokage Rock.

Golden sunlight bathed them both, accompanied by green leaves fluttering in the breeze. The scene appeared so harmonious and natural.

Seeing that the time was about right, Uchiha Tunan pulled away from Hiruzen Sarutobi's embrace, took a deep breath, and forced another smile:

"Lord Hokage, thank you. I will pull myself together and protect our village."

Seeing that Uchiha Tunan was no longer sad, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sense of relief.

He's not decadent, nor has he turned to darkness. Thank goodness.

He immediately smiled kindly and warmly:

"Can you attend school on time tomorrow? Do you need me to grant you leave?"

"I'm fine."

"Are there any difficulties in your life recently...?"

The two continued to chat as they left the graveyard.

They parted ways at the intersection of the commercial street.

What happened yesterday had already become a curious piece of gossip among the villagers.

On his way home, Uchiha Tunan noticed people around him talking mysteriously, occasionally pointing at him.

As the person involved, Uchiha Tunan naturally had no complaints about this scene.

After all, in this matter, he was innocent and the tragic party.

Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan's eyes narrowed slightly before returning to a calm expression.

Directly ahead, a man with a pale face and waist-length black hair was walking towards Uchiha Tunan.

"Look, look, it's one of the Sannin, Lord Orochimaru."

"Lord Orochimaru."

"Lord Orochimaru."

The surrounding pedestrians murmured and watched the approaching figure with reverent gazes.

Orochimaru calmly nodded to the passersby who greeted him.

It had only been a few years since the Second Great Ninja War, and the Sannin were the pride of all of Konohagakure.

When Orochimaru reached Uchiha Tunan.

Uchiha Tunan placed his hands on his knees, his eyes filled with reverence, and bowed to Orochimaru, saying, "Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru didn't pay special attention to Uchiha Tunan, nodding just as he had to others.

The two brushed past each other.

However, after Orochimaru had walked a short distance, the snake-like pupils in his eyes constricted slightly.

His serpentine intuition told him someone was spying on him.

He immediately stopped and turned his head to look.

On the vast street, there was nothing unusual.

"A misjudgment?"

Orochimaru scanned the area again, and after confirming there was nothing out of the ordinary, he turned and left.

Just as Orochimaru left the street.

Uchiha Tunan took off the baseball cap he was wearing.

Just now, as the two brushed past each other, Uchiha Tunan had sensed a special and familiar leakage of chakra.

He had quietly observed with his Byakugan.

In Orochimaru's ninja tool pouch, there was a sealed test tube containing a pair of Sharingan.

Had he already started his work?

It seemed he needed to be careful.

He probably wouldn't get involved with me, right?

"Little guy, that hat looks great on you."

"Thanks, I'm not buying." Uchiha Tunan gave the shopkeeper a reserved smile and placed the baseball cap back on the shelf.