Chapter 875 Despair and Hope
In the mansion of the Uchiha clan, Itachi stood silently in the sprawling yard, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. The atmosphere around him was tense and filled with an air of despair.
Ever since his father's defeat in the Hokage election, the Uchiha clan had descended into a frenzy of emotions, resembling a volatile barrel of oil ready to ignite at any moment. Even without actively listening, Itachi could hear the faint echoes of curses and bitter remarks drifting through the streets surrounding the mansion.
The voices belonged to his fellow clansmen, their anger and disgust directed towards the village resonating painfully in his ears. Itachi couldn't shake off the weight of those curses, which sounded harsh, heart-wrenching, and impossible to ignore.
"The situation has escalated to this point… Our future looks bleak," Itachi murmured, his face clouded with a deep sense of gloom.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor of the yard. Without turning around, Itachi could discern from the softness of the footfalls that it was his beloved younger brother, Sasuke, rushing towards him.
As expected, Sasuke arrived by Itachi's side in a flurry, tears streaming down his face, and asked with a bewildered expression, "Nii-san… Nii-san, why did Tou-san lose the election?"
Itachi let out a sigh and gently flicked Sasuke's forehead, "Sasuke, you're already training to be a ninja. Ninjas shouldn't shed tears so easily; Don't cry so readily in the future."
Sasuke paid little attention to Itachi's remark and persisted with his questioning, his voice filled with confusion, "But Tou-san awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and our clan has served the village faithfully for decades. We were also the founders of Konohagakure. Shouldn't they have voted for him?"
Though young, Sasuke had picked up on the constant stream of curses and resentful remarks from their clansmen towards the other villagers of Konoha. It had made him realize that the Uchiha clan had been deceived and that a significant conspiracy was at play during the Vote of Confidence.