"You've always been the person I admire most in my heart. Even if you were missing-nin, it was because the village forced you to be one!"
"Uchiha Fugaku said with a serious expression."
"Oh."
Hatake Sakumo gave a faint smile, his thoughts unreadable.
So what's the reason you've been looking for me?
Hatake Sakumo looked at Uchiha Fugaku and spoke.
"Lord Sakumo, our Uchiha Clan intends to betray the village!"
"The village has persecuted us too much. Now they're even forcing our entire clan to fight against the whole village. They're treating us like disposable items!"
Uchiha Fugaku spoke, his fists clenched tighter and tighter.
"But without backup, even I wouldn't be able to escape the village's siege. So I want you to help our clan. If we can escape Konoha, our clan will follow your lead from now on!"
Uchiha Fugaku bowed deeply to Hatake Sakumo.
He really didn't want to stay in this village anymore.
He used to be able to comfort himself by thinking he could just endure it and wait for the Fourth Hokage to take over, but now Uchiha Fugaku could no longer comfort himself no matter what.
Because he discovered that the village was driving his entire clan to their doom!
If they don't go to the battlefield this time and are unwilling to fight against Sunagakure as a clan, then Hiruzen Sarutobi will simply make them all stay in the village.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
But Hiruzen Sarutobi will try to trip them up as before, and this time he won't do it openly.
Even Tsunade won't be able to save their clan then!
Uchiha Fugaku now feels more and more that Madara Uchiha's departure was absolutely the right thing to do; those who didn't leave with Madara Uchiha were the truly foolish ones!
"I'm sorry, I can't meet you."
Hatake Sakumo heard Uchiha Fugaku's complaints and sensed the latter's determination.
But now that he himself has fallen into a deep pit, how could he possibly have the ability to save the Uchiha Clan?
If Madara Uchiha knew that the entire Uchiha Clan Uchiha Clan defected with him, who knows what he would do to them.
That's like escaping from a wolf's den only to fall into a tiger's lair.
"You don't want to?"
Uchiha Fugaku let out a long sigh.
He was prepared for Hatake Sakumo to disagree, but when the other party actually refused, he realized that he still couldn't accept it.
"You have your own difficulties, right?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked into Hatake Sakumo's eyes and said.
"Feel sorry."
Hatake Sakumo sighed.
"I'll help you defeat the Sunagakure, and I guarantee you'll be able to return to Konoha safely this time."
Hatake Sakumo cannot have the Uchiha Clan follow him, but he can defeat Sunagakure!
Although he was Konoha missing-nin, who says that Konoha missing-nin can't participate in war?
"That's great! Thank you so much!"
Uchiha Fugaku was initially feeling down, perked up instantly upon hearing Hatake Sakumo's words!
With Hatake Sakumo's help, at least the Uchiha clan members who came here won't suffer heavy casualties.
There were very few members of the clan who had awakened the Sharingan to begin with, and now, after this battle, although the quality has improved, the number has decreased again.
Now, only about a hundred people remain who follow Uchiha Fugaku, most of whom are Two-Tomoe, and a few are Mitsudomoe.
There aren't One-Tomoe left.
Because half of their tribesmen died in the previous war, almost every one of the remaining half received an eye upgrade.
There's a reason why the Uchiha Clan gets stronger with each battle.
In other words, one needs to have the talent to be Mangekyō, otherwise, this war would probably produce several Mangekyō.
"If nothing unexpected happens, there should be One-Tail in the next war. You take care of One-Tail, and I'll hold off the other four."
Hatake Sakumo said to Uchiha Fugaku.
Although he possesses swordsmanship techniques like Heavenly Abyss to deal with large creatures, it is ultimately Susanoo, which is larger in size.
Since that's the case, let Uchiha Fugaku deal with the One-Tail while he holds off the other four.
"Good!"
Uchiha Fugaku nodded.
A few days later
Let's go!
Rasa and his companions, along with Bunpuku from Sunagakure, and a large Sunagakure army, once again arrived at the place where they would face off against Konoha.
"Last time, Hatake Sakumo helped you calculate that you were lucky. I don't believe you can rely on a missing-nin forever!"
Rasa sneered and spoke to Uchiha Fugaku opposite him.
"I'm really sorry!"
Uchiha Fugaku also snorted coldly, and then Hatake Sakumo appeared!
" Heavenly Weeping!"
Without uttering a single wasted word, Hatake Sakumo immediately began brandishing his White Fang at top speed!
White Fang seemed to become an afterimage, unleashing endless sword light from within!
Damn it!
" The Gold Dust Wall!"
Rasa's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly summoned a wall of Gold Dust to block it!
Gold Dust emerged from the ground and subsequently formed an indestructible wall of Gold Dust in front of it!
The Heavenly Weeping Slash can only cause some cracks when it hits the surface, but it quickly heals!
"Hmph, my Gold Dust Wall is not something you can destroy!"
Rasa saw that Hatake Sakumo was unable to break through his Gold Dust Wall, his previous gloomy expression disappeared.
" Heavenly Abyss!"
Hatake Sakumo didn't bother with any more words. He increased the size of his sword aura several times over and then slashed fiercely at the Gold Dust Wall!
The Gold Dust Wall was cleaved in two by this attack, and Hatake Sakumo seized the opportunity to rush in!
" Scorch Release: Fireball Barrage!"
A fireball appeared in Pakura's hand and hurled it towards Hatake Sakumo!
Chiyo and Ebizo also controlled their puppets to attack Hatake Sakumo.
Rasa was also attacking Hatake Sakumo with Gold Dust.
Even with such a fierce attack, Hatake Sakumo was able to steadily withstand it all, and even launch counterattacks from time to time!
The four of them were held up by Hatake Sakumo alone, and had no way to deal with Uchiha Fugaku!
" Bunpuku, hurry up!"
Rasa shouted loudly at Bunpuku!
" Shukaku, run away after you come out... Don't hurt anyone..."
Bunpuku turned his head in the spiritual space and spoke kindly to Shukaku.
For a moment, Shukaku even felt as if he had seen the Sage of Six Paths again.
Aside from that old man, no one else would treat the Tailed Beast so kindly again.
"Old man, why...?"
Shukaku's voice was unusually low.
"You Tailed Beast are pitiful."
"We are not pitiful! We are the embodiment of power; you weak humans, with your short lifespans, are the ones who are pitiful!"
Shukaku interrupted Bunfuku before Bunpuku could finish speaking, his tone becoming increasingly aggressive.
"We both understand the pain of being without freedom. Now that I have the opportunity to give you freedom, what reason do I have not to take it?"
Bunpuku looked at Shukaku and laughed.
It's like an elder looking at their own child.
Shukaku fell silent.
He didn't know what to say to this old man who was so good to him.