Crowning Each Other with Laurel Wreaths

Land of Fire.

Uchiha Yuzuru's figure appeared out of thin air. Without pausing for even a moment, he continued toward the Land of Fields.

"Thinking back on those days, my tears never dried..."

Uchiha Yuzuru hummed a cheerful tune, clearly in a fine mood.

His battle with Hatake Sakumo had just given him a clearer understanding of his own strength.

Relying solely on the dynamic vision of the Mangekyō Sharingan, he had been able to handle most of Hatake Sakumo's attacks.

Although his taijutsu and ninjutsu had failed to pose any lethal threat to Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Yuzuru did not care.

Taijutsu and ninjutsu only needed to be sufficient.

His most powerful trump card was Kamui!

Even against an all-out attack from Hatake Sakumo, all he needed was a simple use of Intangibility to evade it perfectly.

If he had not wanted to waste too much Dojutsu Power, then with the power of Dual Kamui, killing Hatake Sakumo on the spot would not have been impossible.

Against the overwhelming power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, traditional veteran powerhouses like Hatake Sakumo were inherently at an absolute disadvantage.

It could be said that, at this point in time, very few people in the entire ninja world could threaten his life.

This was Dual Kamui—his sense of security was through the roof!

"Konoha is probably in complete chaos by now, right?"

"But this is only the beginning. I hope Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others can hold out a little longer, or it'll be too boring."

"And those Konoha villagers who despise the Uchiha... one day, they'll learn exactly who they have to thank for the peaceful lives they enjoy."

"That's how it is. Uchiha Yuzuru's strength has far exceeded our assessment."

After hearing Hatake Sakumo's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

Based on Hatake Sakumo's description, there was no doubt that Uchiha Yuzuru possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Who would have thought that, after so many years, the power Uchiha Madara had once relied upon to quell the chaos of the era would appear again?

Damn it!

Wasn't it just a little grievance?

Couldn't they endure it for the sake of the village?

Did they really have to take things this far?

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi remain silent, Shimura Danzō said coldly, "A mere brat with the Mangekyō Sharingan can already fight Sakumo to a standstill. Such power should have been under our control."

"Hiruzen, now that the entire Uchiha Clan has defected and the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has vanished, you, the Hokage, must bear full responsibility!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his head in irritation.

At a time like this, Danzō was still refusing to let him off the hook.

What a curse.

"The most important thing now is to find out where the Uchiha Clan is headed and what they plan to do next."

"If they are exploited by other villages, we'll be in trouble."

After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's analysis, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately said, "Hiruzen, I think we should send people to wipe out all those evil Uchiha!"

"That's right. Those tumors endangering the village should have been removed long ago!"

"But those Sharingan are Konoha's property. We must take every last one of them back."

Seeing how righteously indignant the two were, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but say, "The Uchiha Clan's strength cannot be underestimated. Now they also have a powerful fighter like Uchiha Yuzuru, who possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan. How are we supposed to wipe them out?"

Shimura Danzō snorted coldly. "Are you saying that mighty Konoha cannot deal with one insignificant Uchiha Clan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag from his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Do you think the other ninja villages will simply sit by and watch?"

"What if the other villages take this opportunity to join forces and attack Konoha, just like they did in the previous two Ninja Wars?"

"Should I send all of you and your subordinates onto the battlefield?"

At that, Shimura Danzō muttered, "Root and I are responsible for the village's security. We absolutely cannot go to the battlefield to fight."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately echoed him. "The explosion in the Uchiha Clan Land caused severe losses among our clansmen. Our two clans may need time to recover."

"Then what the hell are you even talking about?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but curse.

The thought that the Uchiha Clan might defect to one of their hostile villages made the pressure on him feel enormous.

He had never thought the Uchiha Clan was particularly worth paying attention to before. So why was it that, now that they were gone, he felt constrained in everything he did?

Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the others were all unwilling to let their subordinates take risks, so even after discussing it for a long time, they reached no conclusion.

In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only drop the matter for now and have Hatake Sakumo lead the Anbu to investigate the Uchiha Clan's current hiding place, to see whether they could persuade them to change their minds.

"Sakumo, tell those Uchiha that as long as they change their minds, Konoha is willing to let bygones be bygones!"

Paper could not contain fire.

What was more, the explosions in the Uchiha Clan Land last night had echoed throughout all of Konoha.

In almost no time at all, everyone in Konoha learned a piece of news shocking enough to make their jaws drop—

Every member of the Uchiha Clan had defected!

Yet compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi's concern and Shimura Danzō and the others' greed, most Konoha villagers simply treated it as a spectacle.

The Uchiha Clan had never enjoyed a good reputation in the village. Everyone found them difficult to get along with.

So when they learned that the entire Uchiha Clan had defected, most villagers merely took it as post-meal gossip.

"Those Uchiha people have always been arrogant and unruly. It's good that they left—their clan never contributed anything to the village anyway."

"That's right. Just seeing their smug faces was irritating. Konoha can finally have some peace and quiet now."

"Still, letting them get away like this is letting them off too easily. Every member of the Uchiha Clan should be wanted as Rogue Ninja!"

"Konoha doesn't need the Uchiha. I'm drinking tonight to celebrate."

"If those Uchiha bastards think doing this will make us regret it, then they're dead wrong. I'm waiting for the day they come crawling back like dogs, begging us to take them in."

For a time, the ruins of the Uchiha Clan Land became a popular sightseeing spot, with an endless stream of villagers coming to visit.

Konoha's taverns became busier than ever before.

It was like a festival of celebration across the whole village, with everyone cheering the Uchiha Clan's departure.

Compared to the ordinary villagers, Ninja Clans such as the Shimura, Mitokado, and Sarutobi clans were even more thrilled.

If Konoha lost villagers, they would feel pained, because those people were the ones they could exploit.

But if Konoha lost a powerful Ninja Clan like the Uchiha, they would only clap in celebration, because it meant more of the pie for them to divide.

Other than the Nara Clan, renowned for their intelligence, no one cared much about the Uchiha Clan leaving Konoha.

In their eyes, it was powerful Konoha that had sheltered the Uchiha, not the Uchiha who had protected Konoha.

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