Chapter 29: The Funeral
After the two Sand ninja had fallen, Kyosuke walked over to Fugaku with a heavy heart.
He looked at Fugaku's expressionless face, opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Putting himself in his shoes, even if he had a way to resurrect her in the future, he probably would...
Hm? Resurrect?!
A thought suddenly lit up in Kyosuke's mind. He was about to speak... but ultimately remained silent.
It's better not to tell him for now, he thought, the images of Sasuke and Itachi flashing through his mind. He decided to put the matter aside for later.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Three figures suddenly appeared. It was the Anbu team.
"Uchiha Kyosuke, we have been ordered to bring you back to the village safely. Come with us," the lead Anbu said, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over the surroundings.
When he saw the state of the two dead Sand ninja, the face hidden behind his mask couldn't help but twitch in astonishment. He then secretly sized up Fugaku, who had his back to him.
It seems his power level needs to be reassessed and raised, the Anbu thought to himself.
At that moment, Fugaku finally turned around. He ignored the Anbu and asked Kyosuke in a hoarse voice, "Is Nagisa alright?"
Kyosuke nodded silently, indicating that she was safe.
Before the battle had even begun, he had secretly hidden the unconscious girl. As long as she wasn't carried off by a passing wild animal, she should be fine...
Thinking of this, Kyosuke nodded at Fugaku, then prepared to go and retrieve the "pig" who was still fast asleep.
Before he left, Fugaku gave him a subtle look. Kyosuke nodded in understanding. The meaning was simple: keep the existence of his Mangekyo a secret.
Of course, even if he hadn't asked, Kyosuke would never have revealed the information. The Uchiha were already arrogant enough. If they found out they had a pair of "Mangekyo" in their midst... the consequences would be unimaginable.
The journey back was much slower than the journey there. The Anbu certainly weren't going to carry him like his clansmen had. Not to mention, Kyosuke also had to take care of the still-unconscious Uchiha Nagisa.
As for Fugaku, after destroying the "eyes" of the fallen clansmen, he had been carrying Chiko's body, following behind without a word.
And so, the group slowly made their way back to Konoha in a suffocating silence...
Three days had passed since Kyosuke returned to the clan.
Although the rescue team had suffered heavy casualties, they had successfully completed their mission and received high praise and rewards.
Uchiha Fugaku, in particular, was now practically the designated next head of the Uchiha clan.
Kyosuke also received some rewards, but they were mostly money and other material items. As for the clansmen who had died in battle... their families would be compensated.
Not long after their return, the Konoha leadership sent people to offer their "condolences," but their performance left Kyosuke feeling disgusted.
Insincere, he thought. The word perfectly described their behavior. In their hearts, they were probably glad that so many Uchiha had died.
Whoosh...
A torrential downpour fell from the thick, dark clouds high above, adding a touch of somberness to the Memorial Stone.
Kyosuke and the others, dressed in black, stood with solemn expressions, watching the funeral of the "heroes."
At the forefront stood Fugaku, his eyes filled with infinite sorrow. He had organized this funeral.
As for the high-ranking elders, they were absent for some unknown reason. Even the Second Elder, who should have been there most of all, was not present.
Heh, is it because he's old and his rheumatism is acting up? Kyosuke sneered inwardly.
He then turned to look at Nagisa, who had long since dissolved into a puddle of tears.
"Waaaah... Sister Chiko... everyone... this is all my fault... waaaah..." Nagisa, also dressed in black, stood with her head bowed, sobbing uncontrollably.
He had heard that the Second Elder had forbidden her from coming, but he had ultimately given in to his stubborn granddaughter's pleas. Before she left, however, he had repeatedly instructed Kyosuke to look after her. He had said she had just "recovered" and couldn't catch a cold, that she shouldn't be too sad, and so on.
He hadn't mentioned the dead clansmen at all.
In the eyes of these high-ranking officials, it was the duty of these people to die for them. The emotion of guilt did not exist in their hearts.
Kyosuke could only remain silent in the face of this. At the same time, the idea of "seizing power" grew stronger in his mind.
But for now, this was not his concern. The man standing at the forefront, Fugaku, probably had an even stronger desire for it.
"Human life is such a fragile thing, isn't it, Kyosuke-kun?"
A hoarse voice suddenly spoke beside Kyosuke's ear.
He turned to see Orochimaru, also dressed in black.
"You're right. Life is indeed very fragile," Kyosuke replied with a blank expression.
Hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes lit up slightly, but he didn't press him further. After a while, he left. Before he went, he told Kyosuke to come to his house tomorrow.
Kyosuke's heart stirred slightly. He nodded in agreement, then bowed his head again in mourning.
"Hey~ Kyosuke, where do you think people go when they die?" On the way home, Nagisa asked in a soft, sad voice, her head resting on his back.
Seeing that her grief had not yet subsided, and fearing that the experience would leave a scar on her heart, Kyosuke could only tell her some stories from his past life to distract her.
"Legend says that when a person dies, their soul goes to a place called the 'Underworld'."
"There, the ground is covered in red spider lilies."
"It is said that the flowers bloom for a thousand years, and then wither for a thousand years."
"But when the flowers bloom, there are no leaves, and when there are leaves, there are no flowers... flower and leaf will never meet."
"This means that once a person dies, they can never meet again, for all eternity."
"There, there is also a bridge..."
The rain subsided, and the warm sunlight once again shone upon the earth, bringing a touch of warmth back to the cold land.
On the streets of Konoha, two small figures were slowly walking forward.
Though they were still small and weak now... they would eventually grow up.
End of Volume One: "First Arrival"
(End of Chapter)
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