Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

What exactly are we protecting?

Is it the life on this land?

Is he still that aloof daimyo who treats ninjas as mere tools?

"Shikaku."

After a long silence, Kakashi finally spoke, his voice grave.

"You mean..." Looking at his expression, Lu Jiu had a vague premonition in her heart.

Kakashi raised his head and calmly met Shikaku's gaze.

Do you think the 'ninja' system really has any reason to continue existing?

"Are we destined to remain mere tools to satisfy the desires of the daimyo?"

"For their orders, they fight against people they've never even met; for their own benefit, they sacrifice the village's children."

Is this the meaning of our existence?

Shikaku opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Because he knew that Kakashi was telling the truth.

The stark and cruel truth.

Kakashi paused for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"Forget it, let's not talk about those complicated things."

"Just talking about the matter itself..."

"All along, it has been Konoha that owes Sasuke a debt."

From the suspicion stemming from the Nine-Tails' attack, to the massacre of the Uchiha clan, and then to Danzo's coercion...

The debt Konoha owed to that boy was already irreparable.

"He didn't do anything wrong; he just wanted to break this chain of mistakes."

Kakashi's voice choked slightly, "Now, do you really want me to continue being his enemy?"

He stood up, took off the straw hat that symbolized his Hokage status, and gently placed it on the table.

Then he placed his hand on the collar of the pure white "divine robe" he was wearing.

"Shikaku, I can't do it."

His fingers unbuttoned the first button. "I can't bring myself to lay a hand on him, nor can I deceive myself any longer to wield a knife for that corrupt order."

As he spoke, the divine robe that represented countless honors and responsibilities slipped off his shoulders.

Kakashi neatly folded the divine robe and draped it over the back of the Hokage chair he had been sitting in for a short time.

Outside the window, the setting sun casts its rays, bathing the distant Fire Shadow Rock in its light.

The five heads of the Hokage from different generations stand side by side, shining brightly.

Kakashi looked up at the rock wall, but all he felt was an indescribable sense of irritation.

Are those stone statues symbols of protection, or shackles of constraint?

"I see."

Shikaku remained silent for a long time before calmly accepting Kakashi's decision.

His voice was hoarse from deep thought.

"Since the Hokage has made his decision, as his assistant, I will naturally carry it out to the end."

He walked to his desk, picked up a pen, and unfurled a blank scroll.

The pen tip falls, and the ink spreads.

The will of the Hokage is the will of the Leaf Village.

Soon, a new official document was drafted.

"Konohagakure, the Fifth Hokage Kakashi Hatake, and the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans..."

"Refuse to respond to the daimyo's call and refuse to participate in this ninja alliance."

"Konoha will remain neutral in this battle."

Chapter 229 It seems you've taken good care of my eyes (5.4k)

The Land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village.

"...Hereby order Kirigakure to immediately assemble all active-duty ninja, regardless of rank (Jonin, Chunin, or Genin), and to proceed to the Land of Iron within three days to join the Five Nations Alliance."

"Target: S-rank rogue ninja, Uchiha Sasuke."

"Master, this is the daimyo's order." Terumi Mei placed the document she had just finished reading in front of the elderly man.

Yuan Shi narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Terumi Mei, his voice hoarse.

What do you think?

"I refuse."

Mei Terumi answered without the slightest hesitation, "We should not be enemies with Sasuke Uchiha."

"reason?"

"The reason is simple."

Mei Terumi stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the village shrouded in thick fog. "Not to mention that he did us a favor by helping Kirigakure resolve the hidden danger of the tailed beasts going out of control."

"In terms of strength alone..."

"Even if the five great powers joined forces, they probably wouldn't be a match for him."

Mei Terumi turned around, her voice trembling, "It's foolish to gamble the village's future on a war we're destined to lose."

"But you know very well the consequences of refusing the daimyo's orders," Master Yuan's voice remained calm. "Funding cuts and supply blockades."

"So what?" Mei Terumi sneered. "What kind of hardship haven't we Kirigakure endured?"

"During those dark years of the 'Blood Mist,' we even drank the blood of our comrades. Why would we be afraid of a few bloated and arrogant lords?"

"As long as the ninjas are still here, as long as the village is still here, we can earn more money if we run out, and we can steal more supplies if we run out."

"But what if everyone dies..."

Her voice trailed off, "Then there really is nothing left."

Master Yuan quietly observed this girl, who had once been just a talented young girl in his eyes, but now exuded a convincing leadership quality.

A relieved smile slowly spread across his face.

“Very good.” He nodded. “They know how to make choices and how to protect their village in the face of power.”

"Mei Terumi, you are now a qualified Kage."

"From now on, Kirigakure will be completely in your hands."

..........

The Land of Iron, the Tower of Three Wolves.

The atmosphere in the conference room of the five daimyo was oppressive.

An expensive white porcelain teacup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Damn it! They're all bastards!" The Fire Country Daimyo roared hysterically, his face flushed red. "Konoha refused! Kirigakure refused too!"

"Are they planning a rebellion?! Huh?!"

He was trembling with rage, clutching the two newly delivered receipts tightly in his hands. The word "rejection" on them felt like a slap in his face.

"Take it easy, take it easy."

The daimyo of the Land of Wind waved his feather fan, and although he spoke words of comfort, his tone carried a hint of schadenfreude.

"It seems we really should thank that guy named Uchiha Sasuke."

"Thank you?" The daimyo of the Land of Fire suddenly turned his head and glared at him fiercely.

"Yes."

The Daimyo of the Land of Wind smiled enigmatically, "If it weren't for him, how would we have known that those ninjas who usually fawn over us are actually so 'tough' at heart?"

“They take the huge sums of money we allocate to them every year, eat our food and use our money, but now that we need their help, they all turn into cowards.”

He clicked his tongue twice, his eyes turning cold. "These aren't dogs, they're a bunch of ingrates."

"It's not just the Land of Fire and the Land of Water."

The daimyo of the Land of Earth, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his face grim. "Even our Land of Earth seems to be showing signs of instability."

"That stubborn old man, Onoki, although he outwardly agreed to send troops, he kept making excuses behind the scenes, saying things like 'troop mobilization is difficult' and 'it takes time to prepare'..."

"This is clearly a wait-and-see approach!"

In the shadows above the roof beams.

Obito Uchiha stood quietly, taking in the ugly behavior of the daimyo below.

His face was even more grim than those of the famous figures.

"It collapsed so quickly?" Obito muttered to himself, his eyes grave.

His original intention was to exploit the Daimyo's fear, forcibly bind the five great ninja villages to the war machine, and use sheer numbers to wear down Sasuke's power, thus buying himself time.

But he never expected to encounter such enormous resistance at the very first step.

Those ninjas were actually so "terrified" of Uchiha Sasuke?

Kakashi from Konoha is one thing, since there's still a past connection between them.

But what about Kirigakure? The newly appointed Mizukage, who clearly had no connection with Sasuke, why did he reject him so decisively?

Could it be that...

Has that brat become so intimidating?