Chapter 77 077: Almost Forgot About You, Old Hag
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt incredibly conflicted.
He stood there, covered in wounds. His Hokage robes were torn, and the bloody scratches on his face were still seeping. Yet, his back was perfectly straight, his chin slightly raised, and his gaze fixed directly on the youth ten meters away.
At this moment, he needed to stabilize morale.
As the Hokage, he could not show weakness in front of the village's ninjas, and he especially could not waver.
"Uchiha Taiga."
Hiruzen's voice was hoarse, emphasizing every syllable.
"Is all of this what you've always wanted?"
Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow. He thought Hiruzen would say something else, but he hadn't expected the Third Hokage to question him in return.
This line of questioning actually surprised him a little.
"So that's what you think."
Taiga tilted his head, the smile on his lips unchanging.
"Makes sense. After all, your teacher was Senju Tobirama. That man was always wary of the Uchiha, and he taught you to be the exact same way. Being on guard for a lifetime, suspicious for a lifetime—it's become pure instinct."
He paused, his smile widening.
"But it doesn't matter. Hasn't this always been your way? Hatake Sakumo, the others, and now me. As long as you deem someone a threat to the village's stability, whether they are an outsider or one of your own, they have to be disposed of. Perhaps this outcome is exactly what you, the Hokage, wanted."
Hiruzen's expression shifted slightly.
He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before he could utter a word.
"Consider today a wake-up call for all of you."
Taiga's tone became casual, as if discussing something trivial.
"If you do something, you have to own up to it and bear the consequences yourself."
With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he stood in a relaxed posture, exuding an unprecedented sense of ease.
He was in a very good mood right now—delighted, even.
Now that things had reached this point, there was nothing left to say.
He had killed Shimura Danzo, clearing his mind.
He had crushed Hyuga Soma, lifting his spirits.
And those Main House elders who had jumped out demanding to take back his Byakugan had been wiped clean from existence.
In the past, he might have held back slightly due to certain concerns, but now? He didn't care at all.
The thought of finally being able to travel and see the entire ninja world gave Taiga a liberating sense of boundless freedom.
He no longer had to stay trapped in the cage called Konoha, nor did he have to be bound by its baffling rules. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased.
This was the life he wanted.
It was going to be absolutely exhilarating.
Just then, a commotion broke out on the periphery.
Dozens of figures rushed over from the direction of the village, stopping at the edge of the battlefield.
The Uchiha clan had arrived.
But they didn't get closer. It wasn't that they didn't want to; they didn't dare.
The environment was too volatile. The shockwaves had just dissipated, but not entirely.
A scorching heat still lingered in the air, the ground was still faintly trembling, and tiny cracks continued to spread across the glassed walls of the crater. They could only stand on the outskirts, crowded together with the Konoha ninjas who had followed right behind them.
The two groups stood in close proximity, yet guarded against one another.
Every Uchiha had activated their Sharingan, secretly on high alert.
The Konoha ninjas were equally tense and cautious.
No one spoke, the air thick with an explosive tension.
Suddenly, a figure dashed out from the crowd.
Ignoring the lingering shockwaves and potential dangers, Uchiha Mikoto pushed past the crowd and sprinted toward the center of the battlefield.
Her eyes were fixed solely on Uchiha Taiga, desperately checking if he was hurt.
She skidded to a halt as she drew near.
Taiga stood there without a speck of dust on his clothes, no scratches on his face, and no singed hair. It was as if nothing had happened at all.
Tears instantly welled up in Mikoto's eyes.
"Sister Mikoto."
Taiga looked at her and sighed.
"You shouldn't have come. Go back. The Uchiha don't need to be here."
Mikoto couldn't stop her tears. She stood there, her lips and voice trembling.
"Did it really have to come to this?"
Taiga shrugged and jutted his chin toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"You'll have to ask him that. Letting Shimura Danzo target me time and time again—did he really think I had no temper?"
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Mikoto, his tone softening a bit.
"Forget it. Either way, I killed that old dog, I feel great, and I plan on leaving Konoha. You guys shouldn't get dragged into this. Consider it the last bit of goodwill I have for the Uchiha clan."
Mikoto shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the shattered glass on the ground.
"I don't want that."
Her voice was soft but resolute.
"Taiga, don't go."
Taiga just smiled. It wasn't a cold smile, but a gentle one tinged with helplessness.
"Don't talk nonsense, Sister Mikoto. If I stay, I'm afraid no one in Konoha will be able to sleep."
Mikoto fell silent.
She knew he was telling the truth.
After today, regardless of the outcome, Taiga could no longer stay in Konoha.
He had killed Shimura Danzo, slaughtered numerous elders and members of the Hyuga Main House, and caused massive destruction to the village.
No one would feel safe with someone like that remaining in the village, especially not the Hokage.
"In fact, my leaving might actually improve the Uchiha clan's situation," Taiga said calmly.
"Alright, take everyone back. Don't let those people crowd around me; it's annoying just looking at them."
He raised his right hand and formed a single hand sign.
Poof! A cloud of white smoke erupted beside him. As the smoke cleared, a Shadow Clone appeared.
Taiga gave the clone a slight nod.
The Shadow Clone didn't speak, only nodding in return before vanishing from the spot, streaking toward the village as fast as a bolt of lightning.
Hiruzen's pupils violently contracted.
"What are you doing?!"
His voice exploded from his throat as he held the Adamantine Staff horizontally in front of him, his body shifting into an offensive stance.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. What was Uchiha Taiga's Shadow Clone going to do?
Kill someone? Destroy something?
His reaction was somewhat of a trauma response.
Taiga glanced at him, his smile fading as his expression shifted from gentle to cold.
"Quiet."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck the ground like a heavy stone.
"Don't make me drop another one of those things on the village. A loser should act like a loser."
Hiruzen's body stiffened.
His hands gripped the Adamantine Staff so tightly that his veins bulged and his knuckles turned white. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen just stood there, caught in a dilemma.
Right then, more sounds of rushing wind echoed from the distance.
The commotion here was too massive for anyone to ignore, and the village had naturally been heavily affected.
The ANBU Hiruzen had brought earlier were only a fraction of their forces. The ones arriving now were the core strength of the village.
Several figures sprinted over from the village and landed at the edge of the deep crater. Leading them were two people: Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
They had arrived with reinforcements.
Koharu took in the scene at a glance—the massive crater, the glassed walls, the devastation everywhere, and the youth standing with his hands behind his back.
Her expression changed drastically, her voice cracking as she shrieked, "Uchiha Taiga! Are you betraying the village?!"
Taiga turned his head to look at Utatane Koharu.
A peculiar expression crossed his face.
Seeing this look, Hiruzen's heart sank, screaming that this was bad.
He was too familiar with that expression. Every time Uchiha Taiga made that face, it meant someone was about to suffer terribly.
And sure enough.
The corners of Taiga's mouth slowly curled up into a wide grin.
"I almost forgot about you, old hag. I wasn't even thinking about you, but you just delivered yourself right to my doorstep. How lucky for me."