Chapter 185: Receiving the Boxed Meal

In the Uchiha clan's land, at the Nange Shrine.

Inside a dimly lit secret room, two torches crackled and popped.

"Itachi Elder, are you really going to do this?"

The Uchiha clan leader asked with a heavy voice, making one last inquiry.

Itachi Elder remained silent, his face shifting in the flickering torchlight, growing darker and brighter. After a long pause, he finally spoke gravely, "There's no other choice."

"But... this is complete nonsense," the Uchiha clan leader's voice grew deeper with agitation. "Why is it that when the Tailed Beast in Iwagakure goes out of control, they immediately blame our Uchiha clan?"

Itachi Elder closed his eyes for a moment and then slowly spoke, "But they did see the Sharingan, didn't they?"

The Uchiha clan leader disagreed, "That's just one side of the story from Iwagakure."

Itachi Elder let out a sigh, "The Yamanaka clan has already probed the memory of the witness, and they confirmed that they did see the Sharingan."

The Uchiha clan leader still refused to believe, "Couldn't it have been a transformation technique?"

"At this point, the truth no longer matters," Itachi Elder said heavily, shaking his head as he sighed. "Iwagakure has suffered such great destruction. If we don't give them a satisfactory answer while they're angry, a war is certain to break out."

"I don't understand," the Uchiha clan leader said, his frustration clear, "Why did they choose you out of so many of us?"

"It's precisely because of Iwagakure's cunning..."

Iwagakure's decision to do this had been, to some extent, guided by Uchiha Madara from behind the scenes.

"!?!"

"The fall of a nation often starts from within, and the same applies to a village. Iwagakure intends to exploit this situation and create discord between our Uchiha clan and the village, thus weakening it from the inside. As for why they chose me, it's probably because of my status in the Uchiha clan and my old age—I don't have much time left. Moreover, I've killed many of Iwagakure's people in the past, and there's a lot of accumulated hatred. The higher-ups in Konoha, for the sake of the greater good, would never risk war with Iwagakure for the sake of an old man like me. Whether we go to war or not, Iwagakure will achieve its goal."

The Uchiha clan leader sneered, "A mere Iwagakure, what is there to fear?"

When the village was first established, many of the old powers resisted this epoch-making move. They didn't want Konoha to dominate and upset the balance, so they allied together to attack Konoha. However, in the face of the two greatest experts—Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara—all their efforts were in vain.

Itachi Elder sighed, voicing his concerns, "Once war breaks out, it won't just be a battle between Konoha and Iwagakure. The Land of Fire's fertile land has always been coveted by other countries. They might seize this opportunity to take a share. And as the war spreads, it will inevitably lead to the Second Great Ninja War."

"…"

"Sacrificing myself to bring a brief peace, I don't think that's unworthy. Besides, the new eyes are growing. I need to use my death to buy enough time for them to mature."

The Uchiha clan leader was shocked, "New eyes? Are you talking about Tōshirō?"

"This world is full of geniuses. A genius, before they've matured, is just a genius. I've seen too many talented people who perished before they could fully develop."

"When war breaks out, no one in the village will be able to escape; everyone will be involved. Tōshirō's strength is considerable now, but that's only among those of his age. He's still too young. On the battlefield, he will face all sorts of enemies, fighting with a disadvantage in numbers, restricted abilities, and the disadvantage of youth. These challenges will be common. What I can do is minimize these risks. Where Konoha flies, the fire of life continues to burn."

Upon hearing such noble words, the Uchiha clan leader's pupils moistened. This old man, until his last breath, dedicated himself entirely to the prosperity of his family, without regret, offering his final drop of blood.

He was the true inheritor of the Will of Fire.

Itachi Elder, seeing the man's tears, was displeased. His face darkened as he spoke in a reproving tone, "What's with your tears? Do you think your tears can save the Uchiha clan?"

Hearing this admonition, the Uchiha clan leader wiped away his tears, his respect for him growing even more, "I apologize for my behavior."

Itachi Elder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "This is the last thing I must ask of you."

The Uchiha clan leader, filled with admiration, asked, "What is it? Please, Itachi Elder, feel free to command me."

"After I die, do not tell Tōshirō the truth."

The Uchiha clan leader thought for a moment, then asked, "Is it to protect Tōshirō?"

With a sigh, Itachi Elder replied, "Don't be fooled by this child's usual carefree attitude. In fact, he is a person with a sensitive mind. If he learns the truth, he might do something foolish."

Behind the scenes, Uchiha Madara planned to use Itachi Elder's death to provoke Tōshirō, but not immediately—he would wait until after killing Tsunade and then tell him the truth.

"Until the very end, Itachi Elder still thought of the clan…" the Uchiha clan leader said with admiration, speaking from the heart.

"After I'm gone, the responsibility of protecting the Uchiha clan will fall to you."

"Yes."

...

Inside a certain room.

Looking at the room filled with gold and silver treasures, the group couldn't stop smiling.

Before this, they had made a fortune by kidnapping and extorting the son of the Fire Country's Daimyo, earning enough money to last them several lifetimes.

One of the shorter men in the group looked at the wealth, his eyes glowing with greed. "Ye King, we've really struck it rich this time."

Tōshirō, in a good mood, responded with a simple hum.

They had committed the biggest crime in history, which had drawn the attention of the entire world. Now, the Fire Country's Daimyo would undoubtedly launch an all-out investigation to save face.

After this job, Tōshirō planned to retire.

After all, he had earned enough money, and continuing with such dangerous dealings was bound to end in disaster sooner or later.

Moving forward, he would focus on making money through legitimate means.

When it came time to divide the spoils, the short man asked a question that everyone was concerned about: "Ye King, how should we divide the spoils this time?"

Tōshirō didn't think much of it, "Old rule, seventy-thirty."

He and Kakuzu would take seventy percent, and the rest would be split equally among the other members of the gang. This was the way things had always been done.

However, the old-fashioned way of doing things made the shorter man uneasy. His expression showed dissatisfaction, and he voiced his objections, "Wait, why is it still seventy-thirty?"

Tōshirō shot him a glance.

This guy had caused a ruckus last time, wanting a bigger share, and now he was raising the issue again. It seemed like he was looking for trouble.

Before Tōshirō could speak, Kakuzu, one of his supporters, stood up with a change in expression. "What's the issue?"

Faced with Kakuzu's murderous gaze, the short man, despite his small stature, wasn't afraid. "Of course there's an issue! Why is it always seventy-thirty? There are ten of us in total, and you two take seventy percent while the other eight of us get only thirty percent. Isn't that a bit unfair?"

"Unfair?"

Kakuzu scoffed as though he'd heard the funniest thing. "Don't get it twisted. If it weren't for us two, you'd still be slaving away as a bounty hunter, living on the edge every day, earning that paltry reward. Struggling and risking your life like an idiot."

As Kakuzu spoke, Tōshirō glanced at him, thinking to himself, "Wasn't it the same for you before? And you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit…"

(End of Chapter)

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