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Chapter 144: Sasuke Returns; Uchiha Hikari Joins Konoha
🕑 Added 2025-01-04 21:28:05 +0000 UTC"Yagyu, you came to see me!"
After leaving the Hokage's office, Yagyu did not return immediately to Tanzaku Town. Instead, he appeared in an open field lit by a campfire. Seeing him show up, Sakura—who was roasting fish for dinner with Naruto and Kakashi—immediately broke into a delighted smile and hurled herself into his arms.
"Ah… I suddenly missed you, so I came to check on you."
Holding Sakura close as she nuzzled against him, Yagyu shot a grin at Kakashi and Naruto, who both looked somewhat amused. "What are you three up to? Out on a mission, or something else?"
"We're looking for Sasuke."
Naruto's expression momentarily dimmed, then he perked up again. "We got intel from Tazuna that after Sasuke broke ties with Orochimaru, he traveled through the Land of Waves with two companions. He apparently fought someone there and took Zabuza Momochi's Executioner's Blade. So we planned to head to the Land of Waves to see if there were any traces of him."
"Ah, I see."
Yagyu nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "Well, there's no need now. You can all head straight back to Konoha."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Naruto blinked, and Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly beneath his forehead protector.
"Exactly what I said."
Yagyu's lips curved into a soft smile. "Uchiha Sasuke has already avenged himself. He nearly died along with Itachi, but I saved him. In two days, I'll be taking him back to Konoha."
"Really?"
Naruto immediately jumped up, rushing in front of Yagyu and—without warning—shoving Sakura aside to grab Yagyu's shoulders. His voice trembled with excitement. "Yagyu, you're not lying to me, are you? Sasuke really accomplished his revenge, and he's willing to return to Konoha? That's true?"
"Naruto, you idiot, get out of my way!"
Before Yagyu could answer, Naruto felt a hand yank him by the collar, tossing him aside. Luckily for Naruto, Sakura had not awakened any kind of "second personality." Otherwise, he'd have been launched by a punch or a kick, not just a throw.
With Naruto out of the way, Sakura eagerly pressed herself against Yagyu's chest again, eyes equally alight with excitement. Yet more than anything else, she seemed curious. "Yagyu, how did you find Sasuke?"
Kakashi, too, was curious. Thinking it over, he suspected that Sasuke's successful defection to Orochimaru back then might have been because Yagyu allowed it. After all, Yagyu's strength at the time had likely already surpassed his own. Stopping Sasuke would not have been difficult for him.
And the next words out of Yagyu's mouth confirmed Kakashi's suspicions.
Yagyu patted Sakura's head and smiled. "Because I've been watching over you all along. Last year, when you were out looking for Sasuke, I followed you in secret many times. One step ahead of you, I tracked Sasuke down. It just so happened that Orochimaru tried to seize Sasuke's body early and failed."
"At that time, I already invited Sasuke to return home—but he turned me down."
"As an avenger, he was bent on acquiring enough power to kill Itachi Uchiha. Until he achieved that goal, he'd never come back to Konoha."
"So that day, I quietly placed a mark on him in order to ensure his safety."
"Now that he's avenged himself and owes me his life, he naturally wouldn't refuse my offer to take him back to Konoha."
"...So that's how it is!"
Both Sakura and Naruto looked enlightened. Meanwhile, Sakura's face glowed with emotion at Yagyu's words: I've been watching over you. She gazed at him with tearful affection.
Only Kakashi remained pensive, sensing there was more to the story. However, he didn't have time to follow that line of thought before Yagyu's next comment made Team 7's faces abruptly change.
"By the way, something major just happened in Konoha."
Yagyu's expression grew serious. "An unknown enemy unleashed a large-scale curse on the village. The Elder Council, along with the Sarutobi Clan, Shimura Clan, Mitokado Clan, Utatane Clan, and Danzo's entire Root organization—everyone—was killed from afar, turning to ash."
"What?!"
Naruto cried out in alarm. "Then… what about Konohamaru? And Asuma-sensei? Are they okay?"
"I'm not sure."
Yagyu shook his head. "I only learned about it in my quick trip back to the village. The curse was directed specifically at the Elders, the four great clans, and Root, and it only took effect inside Konoha itself. Apparently, any of them who happened to be outside the village were spared."
Naruto's face instantly paled. The implication was painfully clear: If it only killed those physically in Konoha, Konohamaru would have been a victim as well.
"Do we know who did it?" Kakashi asked, then realized how silly that sounded and rephrased himself: "Who's the prime suspect?"
"It's likely Hiruko." Yagyu answered slowly. "Lady Hokage mentioned that before the large-scale curse, the moon above the village displayed a pattern similar to a Mangekyō Sharingan. But it wasn't Itachi's pattern, nor was it yours, Kakashi, and it wasn't Sasuke's either. That leaves only one possibility: Hiruko, a.k.a. 'Hundred Faces,' must have obtained his own Mangekyō. He's the only person with deep enough hatred toward Konoha's Elder Council."
"The moon changed?"
Sakura glanced up at the pale, silvery moon overhead. "But we haven't seen any change at all."
"If you could see it out here as well, that curse technique would be truly terrifying," Yagyu said, gently brushing a hand over her hair. "I suspect it happened only above Konoha, which is why those clan members who were away on missions escaped. Anyway, you don't need to go to the Land of Waves anymore—head straight back to Konoha."
With that, Yagyu waved Naruto over. "Naruto, come here."
Grief-stricken, Naruto approached him without fully realizing it.
Yagyu stood up, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, channeling a soft blue glow into his palm. A few seconds later, he withdrew his hand and produced a small vial filled with green fluid. Inside it was an eyeball, red in color, with a black shuriken-like pattern.
"Naruto, look at this eye," Yagyū said, holding the bottle up in front of him, snapping Naruto out of his daze.
"Ugh…"
Naruto's eyes widened. A powerful wave of nausea hit him the instant he saw the eyeball. His throat convulsed, as though something were rising from within.
In seconds, his cheeks puffed out, and he opened his mouth to disgorge a black mass. The mass turned out to be a crow. Its left eye, however, was not a normal avian eye, but rather a four-bladed Mangekyō Sharingan.
Before the crow could perch on Naruto's shoulder and activate the Transcription Seal within its eye, a hand closed firmly around it. Its life snuffed out, the left-eye Kotoamatsukami it carried dropped into Yagyus palm. He stored it in a fresh vial of preserving solution.
"What's that…?"
Team 7 stood there, dumbfounded.
"It's a failsafe Uchiha Itachi left specifically for Sasuke."
Yagyu gave them a cursory explanation, then asked, "Shall I send you three back to Konoha now?"
"Yagyu, can you take us to see Sasuke?" Naruto asked, having regained some composure.
"No. Both Sasuke and the rest of you need time to settle things," Yagyu replied, shaking his head.
"Then send us home, please," Kakashi said gravely. "With everything going on in Konoha, they may need us."
"Mm… I hope Asuma-sensei is okay," Sakura murmured, pressing her palms together in a gesture of prayer.
She wasn't personally concerned about Asuma Sarutobi, but rather Ino Yamanaka—knowing how devastated Team 10 would be if Asuma had met the same fate.
"All right, gather in," Yagyu instructed.
Draping an arm around Sakura's shoulders, he laid his other hand on Naruto. Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the four vanished without warning.
...
Two Days Later – Konoha's Main Gate
"Welcome back, Lord Yagyu."
"Wait… U-Uchiha Sasuke?!"
Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki were on gate duty again. They promptly greeted Yagyu with respect and then started filling out his entry paperwork. But when they saw Sasuke's name on the sign-in sheet, they froze. Their eyes bulged as they stared at Sasuke.
Expressionless, Sasuke set down the pen and handed it to Yagyu, who bent down to show Hikari how to sign her own name.
"U-Uchiha Hikari?"
Seeing the second Uchiha name, Kotetsu and Izumo gaped in shock.
"Thanks for your trouble," said Yagyu, returning the pen to them. "I'm bringing Sasuke and Hikari to see Lady Hokage."
With that, Yagyu entered the village with Sasuke and Hikari. Though Hikari had already visited bustling Tanzaku Town, she showed no curiosity at Konoha's streets—besides Yagyu, nothing much interested her. She simply held his hand obediently, like a devoted little sister.
All the same, this trio drew plenty of attention.
They were too incongruous a sight: Hikari and Sasuke looked so alike that it was obvious they were clanmates or relatives. Yet Hikari was holding hands not with Sasuke, but with Yagyū.
At the same time, countless female onlookers caught sight of Yagyu and Sasuke. Some recognized Yagyu and didn't dare approach, but many who didn't know them found themselves wishing they could swoop in and strike up a conversation.
After all, both men were extremely handsome.
Unlike in the time of Konoha's founding, when Hashirama and Madara were revered and feared, Sasuke's reputation within Konoha wasn't nearly as terrible as Madara's had been. Thus he wasn't treated like some dreaded villain. With Yagyu's sunny warmth and Sasuke's cool bearing, they made a pair guaranteed to enthrall every woman in sight.
Even some younger girls eyed Hikari, jealously noting how she got to hold Yagyus hand. Thankfully, none of them exuded killing intent, or Hikari would have snapped to attention and hurled a genjutsu their way.
Upon arriving at the Hokage's building, the three were quickly ushered into Tsunade's office. There, Tsunade folded her arms and looked solemnly at Sasuke. Now and then she glanced at the girl beside Yagyu—Uchiha Hikari—her eyes clearly assessing them both. Before long, however, a faint smile graced her lips.
"Sasuke, welcome home," she said.
"Thank you for your tolerance, Lady Hokage."
Sasuke offered a slight bow in Tsunade's direction. Another Hokage might have put him on the Bingo Book for defecting to Orochimaru, marking him as an S-rank missing-nin. But Tsunade had never labeled him a traitor, sparing him from pursuit by Konoha's ninja and bounty hunters. Thus, Sasuke was free to return anytime. He was genuinely grateful.
"No need to thank me—thank Team 7 instead," Tsunade replied with a light shake of her head. "They've been waiting for you to come home, and they never dissolved the team. They were still searching for your whereabouts until recently."
A wave of warmth coursed through Sasuke. Memories of the old days surged in his mind. Part of his reason for agreeing so readily to return with Yagyu—aside from repaying him—was indeed the bond he felt for Team 7.
Sasuke bowed his head in acknowledgment. "I'll apologize to them in person."
"Good. Then Team 7 can finally start functioning again."
Tsunade smiled, then asked curiously, "I hear from Yagyu you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Mind letting me see it?"
"Sure."
Over the past two days, Sasuke and Yagyu had already ironed out the "script," so Sasuke wasted no time activating his six-pointed-star Mangekyō. Seeing it match what Yagyu had described—and confirming that it was not the same pattern as the triple crescent moon seen that fatal night—Tsunade nodded, eliminating any suspicion that Sasuke had been involved.
Next, her gaze shifted to Hikari, standing beside Yagyu. "Yagyu, who's this young girl?"
"She's Uchiha Hikari, a wanderer of the Uchiha clan."
Yagyu offered an ambiguous explanation. "She's been kept prisoner by Itachi Uchiha for years. Sasuke and I rescued her."
At those words, Tsunade immediately understood. Clearly, this young girl was the one Itachi had secretly protected all along. Sasuke, for his part, showed no hint of displeasure. Even if the real masterminds behind the Uchiha clan massacre were Konoha's higher-ups, Itachi had still been the one who personally killed their parents and clansmen. Sasuke was done hating; he had already exacted his vengeance. If letting Itachi bear all the blame allowed Hikari to join Konoha rightfully, so be it—that would be Itachi's final contribution.
Knowing that Itachi had been Konoha's spy in the Akatsuki, Tsunade pressed no further. She certainly didn't suspect that a girl so petite—barely older than Hanabi—could have been the culprit behind the previous night's carnage.
And so, with Itachi's unspoken "endorsement" and Yagyu's personal recommendation, Uchiha Hikari smoothly joined the ranks of Konoha.
