"I have already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Itsuki looked at the gathered Uchiha and said in a deep voice, "I could have used the Flying Thunder God to silently take you all away without anyone knowing, but I don't want to do that."
"Why should I?"
"Why should we, the Uchiha, sneak away?"
His voice grew louder, and by the end, he was practically roaring.
Those present understood Itsuki's intention, staring at him in disbelief.
If they weren't sneaking away, then… this was madness!
Itsuki shouted, "The Uchiha are one of the founding clans of Konoha! Since its creation, we have fought for the village, sacrificing countless lives."
"Would Konoha be what it is today without the Uchiha?"
"No!"
"I dare say, the Uchiha have contributed more to Konoha than any other clan!"
This was not an empty boast.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the Uchiha nearly fought entire villages on their own.
They held the Mist Village at bay at their doorstep, making them question everything.
Behind these glorious achievements lay the cost of blood.
Which other ninja clan had done as much?
"If that's the case, why should we sneak away now that we're leaving?"
"Why should we?"
"Have we ever wronged Konoha?"
"Have our actions truly betrayed the village?"
"Wrong!"
"We haven't betrayed anyone. The ones who betrayed us are Konoha!"
"Konoha has betrayed the Uchiha!"
"Boom!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They could only think that Itsuki's logic was wildly unconventional.
Twisted as it might be, it struck a chord with the Uchiha!
It was thrilling!
Sasuma and Sōgi were both fired up.
Their aged bodies trembled with excitement, and their lips quivered.
"Do you think I'm wrong?" Itsuki roared. "Tell me, since the founding of Konoha, when have the Uchiha ever wronged the village?"
"Never!"
"On the contrary, Konoha has always targeted us."
"They speak of the Will of Fire. Is this so-called Will of Fire just a tool to oppress the Uchiha?"
"If that's the case, then to hell with the Will of Fire!"
"The Uchiha have never wronged Konoha, but Konoha has always harbored ill will toward us. If that's not betrayal, what is?"
"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!"
"The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!"
"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
"The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!"
"Even if all four of them stood before me, I would still say this: In the fifty years since Konoha's founding, the Uchiha clan has no guilt toward Konoha!"
"Wow!"
The entire Uchiha clan erupted.
If Itsuki's earlier words sounded a bit rebellious, his later statements were completely unassailable.
The simplest truth was this:
The Uchiha had shed blood and sacrificed for Konoha and owed it nothing.
Could the same be said the other way around?
"Well said, Lord Itsuki!"
"Well said!"
"We, the Uchiha, have never wronged Konoha!"
"Konoha has always been against us. They owe us!"
"Roar!!"
The Uchiha clan members roared in unison.
Their voices were so loud that the Anbu and Root agents outside the clan compound noticed something was off and began to take action.
Itsuki raised his hands slightly, and the Uchiha immediately quieted down.
Their eyes, filled with excitement, were fixed on him.
Their Sharingan gleamed!
What Konoha saw as evil eyes, Itsuki now interpreted as eyes of hope.
Itsuki's own blood was boiling.
He could feel the desire within the Uchiha!
Rising to the moment, he declared, "Today, I will lead you all out of Konoha with our heads held high!"
"We Uchiha helped create Konoha, we protected Konoha, and today, we leave Konoha."
Pointing toward the village gate, Itsuki said, "We Uchiha are honorable. We reject this decaying Konoha, and we will leave openly and honestly."
"Open and aboveboard!!"
"Boom!!"
All the Uchiha members let out a loud roar.
In this moment, everyone went wild.
"You bastard!!"
"This bastard, haha!"
Setsuna stared at Itsuki, his face full of complex emotions.
Relief!
Excitement!
Madness!
...
He could hardly believe it.
Itsuki had actually made such a choice.
He gave up the Flying Thunder God Technique and decided to lead the Uchiha clan, proudly walking through the front gates, leaving the Leaf Village openly!
Because they had no regrets!
They had done right by everyone in the Leaf Village, so why should they sneak away?
They had always been the proud Uchiha!
Suddenly, Setsuna felt the urge to cry.
A bloody battle was inevitable.
Yet the Uchiha clan accepted it with joy!
Including him!
Setsuna took a slow step forward. His aged body seemed to regain its vitality.
His back straightened!
He looked at Itsuki and said in a deep voice, "Itsuki, well said, so well said! You've got this old man's blood boiling. This time, let me lead the charge!"
"Count me in!"
The representative of the Dove faction, Uchiha toji, had a calm expression, but his eyes were shaking uncontrollably with emotion.
"I've endured my whole life, only to realize I've been nothing but a clown."
With the great battle unavoidable, toji found peace instead.
The Dove faction?
To hell with the Dove faction!
His mind was flooded with memories.
When Itsuki questioned their souls, he couldn't help but wonder, had the Uchiha really been wrong?
Maybe they had their faults, but for the Leaf Village, their merits far outweighed their mistakes.
Though their actions may have caused some shame, their loyalty remained untarnished!
Which other ninja clan in the Leaf could claim as much?!
A smile crept onto toji's face.
He had let it all go!
He shouted, "We Uchiha have no shame in our hearts!"
Turning to the other Uchiha, he said in a deep voice, "I know some of you stand with the Third Hokage, but it doesn't matter. Before you act, think carefully: who's really in the wrong?"
"Is it even worth it?"
"What's the point of talking?" Itsuki waved his hand and said, "We've done right by ourselves. Now, let's see who's got the stronger fist. If the Leaf tries to stop us, we'll kill them all!"
"Kill them all!"
The Uchiha shouted in unison.
"Good, go pack your things!"
Itsuki yelled, "There's plenty of supplies in the new village. Just pack your most valuable items. In an hour, we leave."
"We Uchiha will start a new life!"
"A new life!"
The Uchiha shouted and dispersed.
toji and Setsuna exchanged a glance and said to Itsuki, "We'll keep an eye on the Third Hokage and his people. We won't let them take a single step into Uchiha territory."
"Thanks for your hard work, both of you!"
After they left, Itsuki turned to the silent Itachi.
"What? Do you think I'm wrong?"
"No!"
Itachi quickly shook his head, looking up at Itsuki with admiration. "Big brother Itsuki, you're so damn amazing! Why didn't you tell us how awesome you were before?"
Itsuki: "..."
(End of chapter)