CHAPTER 198: CHAPTER 198 : SASUKE : MY MOTHER IS STILL ALIVE?!

After witnessing the truth of the Uchiha Clan Massacre night, Sasuke’s loyalty to Konoha rapidly deteriorated.

Of course, one major reason was that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had been deceiving him.

At the same time, countless people who knew the truth remained silent, allowing Sasuke to continue living under false pretenses.

For example, his teacher, Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi was fully aware of the strange circumstances surrounding the Uchiha Clan Massacre night, yet not only did he withhold that knowledge from Sasuke, he also insisted on teaching him to remain loyal to Konoha.

Kakashi was one of the people Sasuke respected most, and being treated this way made Sasuke feel deeply betrayed.

Now, Sasuke couldn’t wait to leave Konoha.

He wanted to escape this place that filled him with sorrow and hatred.

Uchiha Haru looked at Sasuke and, without needing to guess, understood exactly what was going through Sasuke’s mind.

This feeling of betrayal wasn’t good.

But was it truly betrayal?

Sometimes, knowing more only brings pain; ignorance can be a shield for survival.

However, Haru didn’t try to tell Sasuke this.

Because words alone wouldn’t help.

Truth must be experienced to be understood.

"Let’s go," Haru said to Sasuke, then activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly appearing beside Kimimaro, Uzumaki Karin, and Chōjūrō.

This was Sasuke’s first time witnessing the incredible power of the Flying Thunder God Technique, and he was stunned.

The anger and sense of betrayal in his heart momentarily softened.

"Teacher!"

Seeing Haru return, Kimimaro, Chōjūrō, and Uzumaki Karin, three young shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village, saluted him respectfully.

Noticing Sasuke standing beside Haru didn’t surprise them.

They had already suspected something during the Chūnin Exams, when their teacher showed special concern for Sasuke in Konoha.

Back then, they had only vague feelings.

Now, those feelings had become reality.

Without hesitation, the group immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique again, vanishing from Konoha in the blink of an eye and returning to the Hidden Mist Village.

The Flying Thunder God Technique was undeniably effective.

But mastery of such a technique required immense strength.

Even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—the founder and pioneer of the technique—could not casually use it like this.

The strain on space-time and chakra consumption was beyond what ordinary shinobi could endure.

Haru, having an Otsutsuki-level constitution with enormous chakra reserves and extraordinary perception, was able to perform such an extraordinary feat.

After Haru’s departure, Might Guy—who had left earlier to avoid witnessing any drama and "not to be a light bulb or eat dog food"—informed Kakashi that Haru was about to leave.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief hearing this.

If Haru really planned to strike Konoha, now was the perfect opportunity.

He would never choose to leave at such a critical moment.

In other words, Kakashi’s previously terrifying suspicion that Haru intended to seize control of Konoha was likely unfounded.

This news eased his mind considerably.

Facing someone like Uchiha Haru was already a nightmare just to imagine.

At that moment, Naruto and Sakura came running from afar, shouting out loud:

"Teacher Kakashi!"

"Sasuke! Sasuke’s gone!"

"We saw with our own eyes that Sasuke was taken away by people from the Hidden Mist Village, and now he’s gone!"

"People from the Hidden Mist Village?"

"Is it Uchiha Haru?"

Kakashi asked.

"Yes, it’s him!" Naruto gasped.

"Teacher Kakashi, has something happened to Sasuke?"

Although Naruto and Sasuke had often clashed in the past, Naruto had always seen Sasuke as his closest partner.

Now, Sasuke suddenly disappeared.

He and Sakura had searched all over Konoha but found no trace of him.

Hurriedly, they went to Kakashi to report.

"All right, I understand," Kakashi nodded.

"You two go back for now. Don’t worry about this."

"But—"

"Sasuke will be fine," Kakashi said firmly, cutting Naruto off.

"I’ll handle this."

Naruto still hesitated, wanting to say more.

But Sakura pulled him along to leave.

Naruto’s impulsiveness clouded his judgment.

Sakura, however, was more cautious.

Though she was deeply worried about Sasuke, she knew how to read situations and hold her tongue better than Naruto.

Kakashi was not surprised when he heard the news. Deep down, he knew there was a limit—Sasuke would not be in any real danger. Especially since the person who took Sasuke was Uchiha Haru from Kirigakure. Haru shared a close bond with Kakashi and many in Konoha.

Even during the recent Chūnin Exams, when a crisis threatened Konoha, it was Haru who acted decisively, rescuing the village from disaster. It was hard to imagine how grim things would have been without him. Probably none of them, including the Konoha shinobi, would have survived such a catastrophe.

Though Sakura didn’t know Haru well and only had hearsay about him, she trusted him on some level. At the very least, someone like Haru would never harm a teenager regardless of circumstance.

After Naruto and Sakura left, Kakashi sighed and looked thoughtfully toward Kirigakure.

Now that Sasuke had been taken by Haru, it was clear—Sasuke would not be returning. He had grown up in Konoha, yes, but he was still an Uchiha. Returning to Kirigakure, back to the Uchiha clan, was only natural.

Moreover, since Haru had found Sasuke, it meant Sasuke was likely learning the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Knowing all that, could Sasuke still want to stay in Konoha?

The thought made Kakashi’s expression grow bitter.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Danzo had both deceived Sasuke—and Kakashi himself as well. But everything they did was meant to protect Sasuke. Kakashi just hoped that when Sasuke grew older, he would understand the pain and sacrifice behind their actions.

After a pause, Might Guy suddenly spoke up. "Kakashi, have you noticed something? During all this chaos in Konoha, there’s one person who didn’t appear even once, as if he’s vanished."

"You mean Danzo?" Kakashi replied with a trace of disdain.

He knew exactly who Danzo was. Always claiming to act for Konoha’s good, but in reality? Never once stepping up when the village faced a true life-or-death crisis.

No, never once.

Danzo was only after his own benefit, hiding behind the guise of loyalty. Kakashi simply looked down on him.

"Yes," Guy said. "Konoha has just endured a massive event, even the Third Hokage fell in battle. But Danzo..."

Might Guy frowned, his mind simpler and less inclined to think too deeply.

"Do you think something happened to Danzo?" he asked.

"No." Kakashi answered bluntly, no hesitation in his voice.

An old silver coin like Danzo would flee faster than a rabbit if danger ever came his way. What kind of danger could possibly take down such a man?

"Oh." Hearing Kakashi’s words, Guy fell silent. Since Kakashi said it, there was no need to question further. The reasoning was not something he wanted to think about.

After a moment, Kakashi added, "Guy, wait. We don’t need to worry about Danzo. He’ll come back on his own soon enough."

"Right." Might Guy nodded without further comment, returning to his duties.

Konoha was still recovering from heavy damage, and there was much work ahead.

But what Kakashi did not expect was how time slipped by—one day, two days, then three—and still no sign of Danzo or any members of the "Root" organization. They seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Had something truly unexpected happened?

Kakashi refused to believe it.

He knew Danzo too well.

Still, to be cautious, he sent out search parties around the village. Yet no clues surfaced—except for one disturbing discovery.

A large stretch of forested land nearby was completely burned to ashes. Where once stood lush greenery, now lay scorched blackened ruins.

Such a massive fire couldn’t have been accidental.

Especially so close to Konoha, it would have drawn attention if it were natural.

But no one had seen or heard anything.

This led Kakashi to a grim conclusion.

It was no accident.

Someone had deliberately set that fire.

The goal was clear: to erase all traces and destroy any evidence or bodies.

Who had done this? What had they been trying to cover up?

He didn’t know.

But his thoughts inevitably turned to Danzo and the "Root" organization—who should have returned long ago.

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