Chapter 211 : Sudden and Decisive!

Upon hearing Kazuhiko's words, they exchanged glances, seemingly arriving at a mutual understanding. Finally, the third elder contemplated for a moment before responding to the inquiry.

"Clan Head, the reason for their despondency is not entirely clear. It seems to stem from the suddenness of it all..."

"Sudden?" Kazuhiko furrowed his brows. What could possibly be so sudden? Cutting ties with Konoha wasn't this something they had mentally prepared for when departing from the Land of Whirlpools...

In response to Kazuhiko's inquiry, the third elder nodded and elaborated further.

"Yes, Clan Head. Over the past few decades, we've been indoctrinated with the belief that Konoha is our steadfast ally, and that the bond between the Land of Whirlpools and Konoha is unbreakable..."

"Due to this indoctrination, many within our clan have taken up arms on the battlefield, laying down their lives in service to Konoha. No matter the magnitude of our losses, we deemed it worthwhile, for Konoha was our friend!"

Hearing this, nods of agreement rippled through the assembly. Many present had lost parents on the battlefield, all in the name of aiding Konoha.

Thus, from a young age, they harbored complex sentiments toward Konoha...

The third elder continued, "But now, right before our eyes, the Land of Whirlpools and Konoha have severed all diplomatic ties. Henceforth, Konoha and us are no more than ordinary neighbors."

"Though we anticipated such a day when we departed from the Land of Whirlpools, its arrival still feels remarkably abrupt."

"I think of my former comrades, the clan members who laid down their lives for Konoha. Now, it seems their sacrifices were in vain!"

"They gave their lives for such a Konoha! It's utterly meaningless!"

With these words, tears welled up in the eyes of the third elder, and sobs echoed among the younger clan members.

"Yes, Clan Head, it's meaningless... Our sacrifices hold no value..."

"We were taught since childhood that the Uzumaki clan and Konoha were allies, but now, it appears we may become enemies upon our reunion..."

"My father perished on the battlefield for Konoha, Clan Head... I once revered him, but now, I can't help but see his sacrifice as futile!"

Many young clan members wept as they voiced their grievances, while others silently succumbed to tears.

The other elders, too, were visibly affected, reminiscing about comrades who had sacrificed for Konoha, many of whom were their own kin.

Reflecting on the rupture with Konoha today, they realized how insignificant their sacrifices for Konoha truly were...

Observing the kneeling figures before him, Kazuhiko finally comprehended the underlying cause.

"Ah..."

Kazuhiko released a heavy sigh, attempting to empathize with their intricate emotions toward Konoha.

Yet, understanding alone seemed insufficient. After all, he was an outsider. Despite grasping the impact of Konoha's betrayal on them, he couldn't fully empathize.

The people of the Land of Whirlpools may be like this. Many young people are in their teens. The education they have received since childhood is that they and Konoha are allies like a family.

Now, it's really not something that can be done in a short while for them to change their perceptions of more than ten years and decades.

Unlike him, he accepted everything directly and easily, because it was easy for him, but obviously, it was not so easy for his other clansmen.

In particular, after being friends with Konoha for so many years, everything about Konoha has already penetrated into the Land of Whirlpools, and many of their companions and relatives are more or less related to Konoha.

How could this make them clear their relationship with Konoha at once?

But the reality told them that Konoha no longer had anything to do with them, which made them confused for a while...

They can't be as indifferent as Kazuhiko, this is not a game, it's the result of the environmental education they received since childhood.

Kazuhiko had already figured out after hearing that, they were not unwilling to break up with Konoha.

Even many of them may have more hatred for Konoha's betrayal than Kazuhiko, after all, "deep love" can provide only "deeper hatred" after betrayal.

However, they are living people after all, so many years of habit, make them change all of a sudden, or such a big change, make them a bit at a loss for a while.

Finally, in front of Kazuhiko, they looked like they were silent.

Now that he knew everything and knew that they were not dissatisfied, nor did he regret breaking up with Konoha, the anger in Kazuhiko's heart disappeared immediately.

Looking at the people who were still kneeling on the ground, Kazuhiko didn't care too much. This kind of thing could only allow them to slowly adapt and adjust by themselves, and there was no other way.

Kazuhiko shook his head and said softly.

"Get up."

The kneeling people stood up one after another, most of them staring at Kazuhiko with tears in their eyes.

Then he was no longer angry, but seeing them crying and crying still made Kazuhiko upset.

"Don't cry, the men of my Uzumaki clan are crying here, it's not a joke!"

Following Kazuhiko's stern shout, they also reacted instantly, and quickly wiped their faces with their sleeves.

It was impossible to determine if anyone had actually witnessed it, aside from the distant Senju clan members, but from such a distance, discerning whether they shed tears remained unclear.

There was no one else in close proximity, and Wang Dezhao hadn't seen it either, which brought a sense of relief.

Maintaining their composure in front of outsiders was crucial to them, as being seen crying by others would bring shame.

But not in front of their own family...

Everyone wiped away the tears from their faces, and as they gazed at the unwavering Kazuhiko, they couldn't help but admire his unmatched decisiveness and resilience.

Even the well-informed third elder couldn't help but appreciate Kazuhiko's decisiveness, contrasting it with their own discomfort.

"Clan Head, when it comes to dealing with Konoha, your decisiveness surpasses ours by far! We will promptly make adjustments," declared the third elder with conviction.

"Yes, Clan Head, we must learn from your decisiveness!" echoed the others, their admiration evident as they resolved to shake off Konoha's influence as swiftly as possible.

Kazuhiko could only offer a helpless look in response.

********

Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.

https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer