Each tear seemed to contain boundless sorrow and grief.
She never imagined that she would die at the hands of her own child, so much so that she wouldn't even look at him one last time until the very end.
After a brief period of cold, she felt as if she had returned to her mother's embrace, and the warm darkness before her eyes turned into a pale blue glow.
The sweet liquid didn't enter my mouth, and I fell into a long slumber.
"It seems to have succeeded. The Artificial Pure Land Project has diverted the souls of the dead from the Pure Land of the underworld, to the artificial Pure Land."
A gentle, indifferent tone echoed in this secluded place where no one could detect it. Konan remained silent, stunned by the scene before her.
After a brief silence, her beautiful light orange eyes turned behind her, her expression complex.
"To achieve your goals, you're even willing to sacrifice your own people. Don't you have any feelings? Even small animals know how to cherish their companions; only cold-blooded animals would kill their own kind..."
"No, I did not kill them. The one who truly slaughtered the Uchiha was Uchiha Itachi. I was just an ordinary person whose 'weakness' was exploited."
Her smile grew even brighter as Huayue cast her gaze into the pale blue container not far away, her eyes deep and unfathomable.
War is a dirty game, and the war in Konoha perfectly illustrates this point.
The Konoha High Command is doing everything in their power to eliminate instability within the village, seemingly oblivious to the fact that their own old friends are the biggest source of instability.
The annihilation of the Uchiha Clan will be the final straw that breaks the camel's back, pushing the last Uchiha under the command of Huayue.
Three hundred Uchiha clan members with exhausted potential and three tomoe, along with a genius destined to awaken the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, or even a single Rinnegan, must make a choice.
Having experienced the Second and Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha were arrogant and conceited, lacking respect for the strong and attempting to bind them with their bloodline.
Even Uchiha Madara, the First clan leader since the founding of Konoha, could be abandoned when necessary, so how can their absolute loyalty be guaranteed?
Ever since he showed off his talent, he has dared to act arrogantly and boss people around. Some time ago, he even broke into his mansion and acted recklessly.
Arrogance and conceit, failing to recognize one's own limitations—in this respect, Itachi did not make a wrong judgment.
His only misjudgment was that he overestimated the power of fame and underestimated the preciousness of life.
To ensure the peace of the majority, another group must be killed. Is this a worldview shaped by the distorted logic of the Hokage World, or an influence of the Uchiha Clan's innate thought process?
In Huayue's view, both of these factors should have their respective proportions, and the inducement from Konoha High Command and the dying words of her close friend are also key parts.
And he, Uchiha Huayue, was nothing more than the Pure and Flawless Dirty Player.
With his 'weak point' exploited, Uchiha Huayue was 'threatened' by the Konoha High Command and was powerless to do anything about it, on the condition that Sasuke and the innocent Uchiha's lives be spared.
However, the Konoha High Command lacked martial ethics and actually attacked innocent Uchiha clan members and children. With the deliberate indulgence of Konoha's 'benevolent father' Sarutobi Hiruzen, one of the culprits was merely dismissed from his post!
Left with no other choice, Uchiha Huayue had to swallow his anger and teach Sasuke alone, waiting for the right moment to detonate the dark seeds buried deep within Sasuke's heart, ultimately initiating a revolution against the underlying logic of the entire Ninja World.
"Aren't you afraid that your dirty deeds will be exposed to the light of day, and you will face judgment from the entire Konoha and the Ninja World?"
Konan felt her blood rush to her head and subconsciously blurted out what was on her mind.
"Fear? Why should I be afraid? The one who ordered the Uchiha Clan Massacre was the Konoha High Command, and the one who carried out the act was Uchiha Itachi. My role in this incident was merely that of an innocent person forced into it."
"After that, I will adopt Uchiha Sasuke, so that after experiencing darkness, he can receive the care of a father, the companionship of family, and the concern of friends..."
As she said this, Huayue's lips curled into a smile, and the loneliness in her eyes was genuine.
"The most terrifying thing in the world is not the tragic death of loved ones, but the loneliness of being left unattended. Isn't it this loneliness and anger at the underlying logic of the Ninja World that prompted you to silently help me all this time?"
Konan remained silent. Perhaps at the beginning, Huayue help to carry out various plans and surveillance was indeed out of concern for the lives of Yahiko and Nagato.
But as her spies spread throughout the Ninja World, every day, tragedies similar to those of her childhood wandering days were being staged, whether in the Five Great Nations or in impoverished villages.
Therefore, even Konan herself did not realize that her help for change, in addition to the initial coercion and pressure, was also mixed with a lot of other emotions.
"You also hope that the miracle that happened in Kusagakure will tear through the dark clouds that shroud Amegakure, and bring about a real change in the Ninja World, right?"
"Those who manipulate people's hearts and souls will not be rewarded. You'd better be careful."
Knowing she couldn't win the argument, Konan could only retort with a stubborn remark, while Huayue smiled faintly, her expression subtle.
That he won't get a good reward isn't necessarily true. Even in the original timeline, Orochimaru, who manipulated the souls and lives of countless people, ultimately ended up retiring peacefully.
The most crucial factors are power and alignment; Indra and Asura, two Child of Destiny, are destined to stand on the side of Huayue.
A gentle approach, a stern father's love, and a tender mother's love—offering a helping hand when they are most needed, allowing two blank sheets of paper to be painted with the colors one desires—this is the most effective strategy, a calculated, overt strategy.
"When she wakes up, remember to let me know. I imagine the first thing she'll do after waking up is worry about her youngest child. That's what motherly love is."
Seeing that Huayue turned and left, seemingly uninterested in the brief turmoil within Konoha, Konan frowned slightly and couldn't help but ask.
"Where are you going?"
"Going to pick up a child is also a matter of basic logic. The victim of the war, the kind villagers who suffered from the ravages of war, ultimately become the cruel perpetrators. This world is truly twisted and insane."
As the figure receded into the distance, Konan withdrew her gaze and looked at the figure in the Culture Vessel, a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
"Even in death, he found no peace; such a tragic fate. Perhaps his last vestige of tenderness and compassion was to let you watch your children silently grow into adulthood..."
The pale blue fluorescence quietly went out, and everything was hidden in the darkness, as if this inconspicuous corner had never existed.
Within the Land of Water, on a small island perpetually covered in snow, a ragged little figure wanders through the cold, snowy landscape.