Chapter 79 079: Going on a Long Journey
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The crowd was clearly stunned by Uchiha Taiga's actions.
Mitokado Homura's eyes widened, staring blankly at the decapitated body of Utatane Koharu beside him.
Her head had rolled to the side, eyes still open and mouth slightly agape, her face frozen in the confusion of her final moments.
Her body remained standing in place, maintaining the posture from just seconds ago. Blood continued to gush from the severed neck, the dark red liquid spreading across the glassed ground like thin, slithering snakes.
Mitokado Homura's cheeks twitched.
Watching his longtime companion die right beside him, a surge of emotion welled up inside him. He couldn't tell if it was anger or fear; it was simply an indescribable feeling.
He and Utatane Koharu had known each other for over fifty years. They had been classmates since the Ninja Academy, fought through two Great Ninja Wars together, became disciples of the Second Hokage together, and assisted the Third Hokage in managing the village together.
Fifty years, and now she was dead.
Dead right in front of him, right beside him. He hadn't even seen how she died.
Mitokado Homura's lips trembled, his fingers trembled, his entire body trembled.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction was much the same. His eyes were completely bloodshot. Gripping the Adamantine Staff planted firmly in the ground, he leaned forward, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
He was the Hokage, the leader of the village.
He was supposed to protect everyone—his teacher, the villagers, his comrades—yet he had failed to protect any of them.
He failed to protect his teacher. Senju Tobirama died on the battlefield against Kumogakure, and he could only watch helplessly as his mentor stayed behind to cover their escape, unable to do a thing.
He failed to protect his student's student. Namikaze Minato died during the Night of the Nine-Tails, leaving Hiruzen to forever gaze at that youthful smile carved into the Hokage Monument.
He failed to protect the villagers. So many died during the Nine-Tails incident, and all he could do was stand on a rooftop shouting for people not to panic.
And he failed to protect his comrade. Utatane Koharu died right in front of him, right beside him, and he couldn't even catch her falling head.
He couldn't protect anything. He couldn't do anything.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's body shook as a profound sense of powerlessness seeped into his very bones, pushing him to the brink of collapse.
Witnessing this scene, Uchiha Mikoto felt even more agonized. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, blurring her vision. Her voice squeezed out of her throat with a desperate, pleading tremor.
"Taiga... did it really have to come to this?"
Uchiha Taiga turned his head and looked at her.
His smile remained unchanged, still carrying that gentle yet somewhat unruly charm.
"It couldn't be helped. Some people just keep pushing their luck. If they have a death wish, I might as well grant it."
His tone was completely casual, but his words sent chills down the spines of everyone listening.
"Mikoto, you know my temper. Some things I might just tolerate and let slide, but for others, I have to make sure people know the line cannot be crossed. And if they cross it, they have to pay the price."
He withdrew his gaze, sweeping his eyes over the others—Mitokado Homura, the ANBU, the Hyuga Branch House ninjas, the Uchiha clan members—before finally landing on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"You are not a qualified Hokage."
Uchiha Taiga's words pierced Sarutobi Hiruzen's ears like sharp thorns.
"You have ideals but no sense of responsibility. You have power but no resolve. You have a bottom line, yet you are weak. Otherwise, you wouldn't have relied on someone like Shimura Danzo."
He shook his head.
"Take my advice and step down. Let someone more suitable take over. Otherwise, it won't be long before you find yourself facing more situations just like this, perhaps even betrayal from those closest to you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen trembled even more violently.
His lips moved as if he wanted to retort, but after opening and closing his mouth a few times, no sound came out.
He had nothing to say.
Mitokado Homura's face flushed red as he abruptly turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen! Don't listen to his nonsense! Give the order!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't move. Gripping the Adamantine Staff with both hands, he kept his head bowed, staring blankly at his own feet.
"Hiruzen!"
Mitokado Homura's voice rose a few pitches.
"You can't hesitate anymore! We absolutely cannot let him leave! If he gets away, the village..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen still did not respond.
He stood there like a stone statue.
The surrounding ninjas watched the scene unfold, all eyes fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen.
They were waiting for the Hokage's order... to attack, or to stand down?
Many of them were sweating profusely as they gripped their swords, overwhelmed with tension, but without an order, they couldn't make a move.
They also saw Sarutobi Hiruzen trembling, which made their hearts heavy.
The Third Hokage was shaking.
The Third Hokage wasn't giving orders.
The Third Hokage had fallen silent.
Uchiha Taiga looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and gave a slight shake of his head.
He wanted to laugh, but felt it wasn't even worth the effort.
Truth be told, his earlier words were spoken from the heart, a genuine assessment of Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, saying them in front of so many people was quite a slap in the face.
But it didn't matter. An old man who had completely lost his spirit wasn't worth his attention anymore.
Uchiha Taiga turned his head to look at Uchiha Mikoto.
"This is where we part ways."
His voice was soft.
"I'm going on a long journey. Take your clansmen and go back."
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure dashed over from the direction of the village, moving as fast as a flash of lightning.
The figure stopped beside him. It was the Shadow Clone he had sent out earlier.
The Shadow Clone carried a small but bulging backpack, clearly stuffed with quite a few items.
Slung across its lower back was a large scroll, its surface marked with sealing runes drawn in black ink. Hanging from its left hip were three ninja swords: the one gifted by Uchiha Fugaku, the one left behind by Uchiha Obito, and the Sword of Kusanagi. All three were sheathed in high-quality scabbards, with only their hilts exposed.
The Shadow Clone looked at him, nodded, and then dispersed with a *poof*, turning into a puff of white smoke.
As the smoke cleared, the backpack, the scroll, and the three swords dropped to the ground with a few soft thuds.
Uchiha Taiga bent down, strapped the backpack onto his shoulders, secured the scroll to his lower back, and fastened the three swords to his left hip.
He straightened up, adjusted his collar, and tugged at the backpack straps to ensure everything was securely in place.
He looked fully prepared for a long journey.
At this moment, his smile was more genuine than ever before, coming entirely from the bottom of his heart.
Taking one last look at the scene and the distant Konoha village, Uchiha Taiga withdrew his gaze. He turned his back on Konoha and began walking toward the outskirts, his pace neither fast nor slow, looking no different from a casual stroll.
His silhouette was stretched long by the setting sun, extending from the edge of the crater into the distance, yet it didn't intersect with the shadows of anyone on the battlefield.
"Taiga!!"
Uchiha Mikoto's voice called out from behind him, thick with tears.
Uchiha Taiga didn't stop walking. He simply raised his right hand and waved casually over his shoulder, as if bidding farewell to an old friend.
"Go back."
His voice drifted back from ahead, calm and composed.
"Tell the Uchiha that if they refuse to change, they can just drown in their past glory."
With those parting words, his figure stepped beyond the perimeter of the crater and onto the road leading away from the village.
Ahead of him lay the forest, more ninjas, and the great unknown.
Behind him lay Konoha, the glow of firelight, and the people watching him leave.
Uchiha Taiga walked right through the outer perimeter of Konoha ninjas. They stood on both sides of the road—some gripping swords, some holding kunai, others maintaining hand signs.
As they watched him approach, their bodies instinctively stepped aside to make way.
No one attacked. No one blocked his path. No one even spoke a word.
They merely stood there, watching him walk right through their ranks.
Seeing him off.
Everything felt so incredibly natural.