If Sarutobi Hiruzen had long expected to find Uchiha Clan corpses all over the streets, the traces left behind by Lu Yu's battle had truly shocked him.
With his wealth of experience, Sarutobi Hiruzen could tell from how concentrated the signs of battle were that an earth-shattering fight had taken place here last night.
Sarutobi came to the spot where Lu Yu had gathered his strength and leaped. As he looked at the enormous crater before him and the cracks spreading hundreds of meters around it, the corner of his mouth twitched.
What kind of strength did it take to create such a terrifying scene with a single kick? Was this person some kind of monster?
Looking again at the ruins scattered throughout the Uchiha Clan compound, Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded that this had been a one-sided massacre.
Sarutobi Hiruzen unconsciously stroked his beard and began to think.
First, the person definitely wasn't Uchiha Fugaku, because Fugaku's fatal wound was on his back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen reasoned that Fugaku must have been unable to bring himself to fight his son, and had calmly accepted his death instead.
Second, it couldn't have been Itachi, either. The power Uchiha Itachi had used last night was terrifying, but that dreadful presence had disappeared after only a few seconds.
Clearly, these horrifying traces of battle had been left behind when Itachi's opponent killed him instantly.
So who was this opponent with such terrifying strength?
At that thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. He had only just dealt with one of Konoha's scourges, and now an even more terrifying figure had appeared.
Worse still, he couldn't tell whether this person was an enemy or an ally. Was Konoha destined to fall because of him?
At the same time, Danzo slipped back into his base through a secret door without making a sound. After finding some clothes and putting them on in his disheveled state, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness I left myself a secret door. Otherwise, I'd have made a complete fool of myself today."
Once he was properly dressed, Danzo quickly returned to his office. When he saw the human-shaped dent in the wall, the corner of his mouth twitched violently.
Danzo sat down at his desk, feeling irritated. He casually picked up the latest information on the Uchiha Clan, collected by Root members, along with pictures of the scene. His brow immediately furrowed.
Danzo was an old hand, after all. The instant he saw the wound on Uchiha Fugaku's back, his expression changed. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"Then Itachi's opponent last night wasn't Fugaku? It was..."
Remembering the other man's terrifying aura and flawless attacks, Danzo felt his scalp tingle. He trembled in fear.
After all, if that person could sneak into his base once without a sound, he could do it a second or third time. This time it was the women's restroom—what would it be next?
If that person got tired of playing around, would he kill him?
After a long while, Danzo sighed helplessly.
"Having a powerhouse like that set his sights on me is no good at all. Looks like I'll have to keep a low profile for a while..."
While the adults worried about the Uchiha Clan's destruction, the children were more concerned about their friend.
Early that morning, Lu Yu and Shikamaru bought some fruit and headed into Konoha Hospital.
On the way, they ran into Ino, Choji, Naruto, and the others.
The kids were all unusually downcast that day. They exchanged glances, then silently entered Sasuke's hospital room.
"Keep your voices down. The patient is very emotionally unstable right now, so don't say anything that might upset him."
They nodded in silence. From a distance, they watched Sasuke sitting in the room with a vacant stare, unsure what to say. A few minutes later, they decided to leave, their hearts heavy.
Just then, a doctor came out of the room and asked the children,
"Which one of you is Nara Lu Yu? The patient wants to see him."
Lu Yu nodded to the doctor.
"That's me. I'm Nara Lu Yu."
"Okay. The patient is emotionally unstable, so be sure not to bring up anything too upsetting."
"Okay."
Lu Yu pushed the door open, and the sharp smell of medicine reached his nose.
He looked around the dim room, frowned, then went to the window and pulled the curtains open. Bright sunlight streamed inside, making the entire room feel much brighter.
Sasuke squinted as he basked in the sunlight. Thinking of all the happy times he'd enjoyed over the years, he fixed his gaze on Lu Yu and said sincerely,
"Boss, thank you for everything over the years."
"Don't be silly. Just enjoy this rare chance to rest. I've decided that once you're discharged, I'm putting you through special training."
Lu Yu lightly patted Sasuke on the shoulder twice, then looked at him seriously.
"Don't keep me waiting too long."
With that, Lu Yu turned and left.
Sasuke watched Lu Yu's back until he disappeared, then turned his head and basked in the sunlight once more.
Was Boss trying to help me move on from the darkness and enjoy the sunlight?
At the thought, Sasuke's eyes grew much brighter. Some things didn't need to be said.
By the lake, Ino noticed that Lu Yu was, unusually, sitting upright in his lounge chair instead of reclining comfortably as he usually did.
Lu Yu leaned forward, holding his fishing rod. The bobber bobbed up and down as a fish nibbled at the bait, but he didn't react.
At that moment, Lu Yu was thinking about something.
Maybe it's time for me to make a few changes?
Before you continue