Kazumasa was choked and speechless.
Shaoyu did not look at them anymore, but turned to those standing behind him.
Hundreds of faces, hundreds of pairs of eyes, some young, some old, some with children, some alone.
In their eyes, there is expectation, anxiety, longing for the future, and nostalgia for their homeland.
But they all chose to stand up.
I chose to believe him.
Shaoyu took a deep breath and bowed deeply to everyone.
"Thank you." His voice was a little hoarse, "Thank you for believing in me."
He straightened up and scanned every face.
"I, Uchiha Shaoyu, hereby swear to take you to Kumogakure and give you a new clan land and a new life. From now on, you no longer have to swallow your anger, no longer have to look at other people's faces, and no longer have to be regarded as a factor of instability."
"You just need to live upright, do what you want to do, and take the path you want to take."
He paused.
"If someone bullies you, I will stand up for you. If anyone dares to touch you, I will destroy his entire clan."
"Your children can study in the best school in Kumogakure, learn the best ninjutsu, and make the best friends. Your elders can take care of themselves in the largest clan in Kumogakure, bask in the sun, play chess, and have grandchildren."
His voice became louder and louder.
"I, Uchiha Shaoyu, swear by my Mangekyō Sharingan - I will never betray your trust in this life!"
After the words fell, the martial arts arena was completely silent.
After a while, someone started crying.
It's those old people.
They are those old people who have been angry for half their lives, endured it for half their lives, and finally see hope.
"Good... good boy..."
A trembling old woman Earth Flow came to Shaoyu, grabbed his hand, and burst into tears.
"My son... my son left with you back then... he said in Ninja Cat... he said you were very good to them at Kumogakure... I... I wanted to leave with you a long time ago..."
Shaoyu supported her and gently patted the back of her hand.
"Mother-in-law, you will follow me from now on." He said, "Your son will definitely support you in your old age."
The old woman cried harder.
In the crowd, cries came and went.
But there is laughter too.
Those young people, those children, their eyes are shining with light, which is their expectation for the future and their yearning for the unknown.
Fugaku stood aside, looking at this scene, as if he was stupid.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
Mikoto held his hand and shed tears silently.
Her father stood beside her, his face ashen and silent.
Behind them, some of the two hundred tribesmen who chose to stay had their heads lowered, while others looked at those who left, their eyes full of complicated emotions.
There is envy, reluctance, confusion, and determination.
This is their own choice.
No one forced them.
Shaoyu turned around and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Third." He said, "Is it okay?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him, then at the Uchiha tribesmen standing behind him, and remained silent for a long time.
Then he nodded slowly.
"... Okay."
Shaoyu smiled.
He turned around, looked at the people standing behind him, raised his hand, and pointed forward.
"My fellow tribesmen." His voice was loud, "Now, go back and pack your things. Take everything you can take with you, and forget what you can't take away. At this time tomorrow, gather here and we will set off to Kumogakure together."
There was a burst of cheers from the crowd.
"Okay!"
"I've finally waited for this day!"
"Long live Lord Shaoyu!"
The cheers were mixed with the cries of the elderly, the laughter of children, and the excited discussions of young people.
Shaoyu raised his hand to signal them to be quiet.
"Remember," he said.
"Only bring the necessary things. Gold and silver, scrolls of ninja tools, ancestral treasures - you can bring these. Furniture, bedding, pots and pans, you don't need to bring these. Kumogakure has new ones over there."
He paused and glanced at the old people and children.
"The elderly and children will go first, and the young and strong will follow. I will send someone to protect you on the way, so you don't have to worry about safety."
Everyone nodded and then began to disperse, each going home to pack their things.
The martial arts arena gradually became quiet.
Only Shaoyu, Shisui, and the two hundred Uchiha tribesmen on the opposite side chose to stay.
Fugaku stood there with a pale face and said nothing.
Mikoto stood beside him, her tears had been wiped away, but her eyes were still red. She looked at the leaving tribesmen, her eyes full of complicated emotions.
Her father Uchiha Kazumasa stood beside her, his face even uglier than Fugaku.
His lips were pursed tightly, his gray beard was trembling slightly, and in his cloudy old eyes, there was anger, helplessness, and a trace of... envy that he himself was unwilling to admit.
But he didn't say anything.
Shaoyu glanced at them and said nothing.
He just bowed slightly and made a polite salute.
"Bye bye."
Fugaku hesitated for a moment and said, "I leave Itachi to you. You must take good care of him. I owe you."
Before Shaoyu could speak, Shisui spoke.
"Fugaku Clan leader, don't worry, just leave Weasel to me. I will take good care of him."
Shaoyu smile.
"What Shisui said is that as long as we are in Kumogakure, I will ensure the safety of everyone."
Then he turned around, took Shisui, and walked outside the clan.
When passing by Sarutobi Hiruzen, he stopped.
"Third Hokage." He said, "We will talk about the tribe's affairs tomorrow. Now -"
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Nine-Tails's matter is done."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face changed slightly.
He didn't expect Shaoyu to be in such a hurry.
But once you agree, you can't go back on it.
He took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay." He said, "Minato."
Minato Namikaze walked out from the side, his face a little pale.
He knew this moment would come eventually.
But he didn't expect it to come so soon.
"Go and bring Kushina." Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
Minato was silent for a moment, then nodded.
His figure flashed and disappeared from the spot.
After a while, Minato came back.
Beside him stood a young red-haired woman.
Kushina Uzumaki.
She looks to be in her early twenties, tall and has long fiery red hair that is particularly dazzling in the sun.
There was obvious tension and uneasiness on her face, and her green eyes looked at Shaoyu from time to time, and then quickly looked away, like a frightened deer.
Minato held her hand and whispered something.
Kushina listened, nodded, took a deep breath, and then walked towards Shaoyu.
"You... are you Uchiha Shaoyu?" Her voice was trembling, but she tried hard to stay calm.
Shaoyu looked at her, the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
"The little girl of the Uzumaki family." He said, "I have admired my name for a long time."
Kushina's face turned slightly red.
What a little girl, this guy obviously looks younger than her.
In fact, it's just Uchiha Shaoyu's appearance.