"I don't know either."
Uchiha Shisui said, "After what Senior Yashiro and the others did, I think it'll be very hard for the village to trust the Uchiha again. The reason we're still here now…"
"One is the attitude Clan Head Fugaku showed."
"The other is the Hokage-sama. The Hokage-sama tolerated us."
"But the villagers of the village may not necessarily be able to accept the Uchiha again."
"Unless…"
A flicker passed through Rasa's eyes.
"Unless what?"
"Unless, when Konoha is in a life-or-death crisis, an Uchiha steps forward, saves Konoha, and becomes Konoha's hero. Only then would Konoha's villagers be able to let go of their resentment from before."
Uchiha Shisui let out a bitter laugh.
"But that's simply impossible. Even if Konoha really faced such an enormous crisis, the Uchiha don't have anyone that strong."
"Or… we could go back to the past and stop the Uchiha rebellion."
"But that's impossible too."
"Once the Uchiha rebelled, there was no turning back…"
Uchiha Shisui turned toward Rasa.
"Senior Gen, what do you think?"
Rasa patted Uchiha Shisui on the shoulder and revealed a smile.
"I don't think it necessarily has to be like that."
"The villagers' hatred toward the Uchiha is hatred toward the Uchiha rebels. I believe that if we show the villagers enough sincerity and kindness, then sooner or later they'll be able to accept us."
"And there's also the Hokage-sama. The Hokage-sama should help us."
Uchiha Shisui carefully looked at "Uchiha Gen," clearly not expecting that within the Uchiha clan there could still be someone even more hopeful toward the village than he was.
But after what the Uchiha had done, would the village really accept them?
Uchiha Shisui loved the village, but he was not that optimistic.
"Senior Gen, I'm afraid that will be very difficult."
"If it's difficult, then we shouldn't do it?"
Rasa said, "The Uchiha can't stay like this forever, can they? That would be too unfair to the Uchiha of the future. They clearly did nothing, yet they're still rejected by the village."
Uchiha Shisui froze for a moment and fell into thought.
Rasa stood up and walked out.
When he arrived outside the Uchiha compound, the situation was exactly as Uchiha Tekka had described. Konoha's villagers now hated the Uchiha too deeply.
One hostile gaze after another.
Blatant cursing behind his back.
Some children threw stones and rotten eggs…
Rasa did not fight back. He endured the abuse and beatings, answering with only a smile.
But the villagers did not stop. Instead, they became even angrier.
"That Uchiha Gen is still smiling!"
"What is he smiling about?"
"Is he mocking us for how thoroughly Konoha was hurt by their Uchiha?"
"Shameless—shameless to the extreme!"
"I really want to kill him!"
…
Most of Konoha's villagers did not know about Uchiha Dou's matter. They only knew that the Uchiha had suddenly rebelled, killed many villagers, and then fled Konoha.
Rasa explained himself to the villagers.
"Everyone, we are not the Uchiha rebels. We are Konoha's Uchiha. We are victims too. I understand your anger, but we truly bear no malice toward the village."
"We love Konoha."
"I know the Uchiha do have many problems."
"We produced a rogue ninja like Uchiha Madara."
"And someone like Uchiha Setsuna, who defied those above him."
"But we also had someone like Uchiha Kagami, someone recognized by the Second Hokage-sama. I swear to the heavens that I, Uchiha Gen, bear absolutely no malice toward Konoha."
Rasa deliberately brought up Uchiha Kagami.
"I will absolutely never harm anyone in the village."
The crowd quieted down, but they still showed no pleasant expression toward "Uchiha Gen."
One villager gave a cold snort.
"You talk better than a singer, but if even half of what you're saying is true, I'll eat a whole jin of rotten eggs."
"The Uchiha caused this much damage to the village, and now you want us all to just forget it?"
"So when the benefits were there, you Uchiha were one whole family, but now you immediately want to split yourselves apart? You took the benefits together, and now you want to cast off the responsibility completely? And you want us to be that generous?"
Rasa looked at that villager.
"I know words alone are useless, but I will prove it with my actions."
"You can all watch me."
"If I ever do anything that goes against what I said today, then let me, Uchiha Gen, die a horrible death."
Rasa slowly walked toward the Hokage Building.
Along the way, he drew countless villagers after him.
Every one of them looked at him with fury and hatred.
If the Police Force ninja had not been keeping order, the villagers likely would have already rushed forward and attacked Rasa directly.
Rasa's eyes flickered faintly.
"After the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha's situation may have been a little better than this, but probably not by much."
"After all, the pattern of the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes was far too obvious."
"Even without evidence, the vast majority of people would assume it was done by the Uchiha."
"To live for so many years in that kind of environment, the Uchiha really were capable of enduring."
A figure trailed him from far behind.
It was Uchiha Shisui.
But at that moment, Uchiha Shisui had concealed himself, deliberately disguised his appearance, and was even wearing a mask.
No one would be able to tell that Uchiha Shisui was an Uchiha.
"Senior Gen…"
Uchiha Shisui let out a sigh.
"I'm not as good as you."
"To try and erase the villagers' hatred of the Uchiha in this way… how much pain must you be enduring?"
"You clearly committed no crime, yet you've placed yourself in the role of a sinner."
"You're allowing the villagers to vent their rage."
"You're risking not only your life, but even your dignity."
"Senior Gen, your sacrifice is too great."
At last, Uchiha Gen arrived at the entrance of the Hokage Building.
By then, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already learned of Uchiha Gen's actions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, looking down.
An ANBU ninja stood beside him—the one who had reported the matter.
"Uchiha Gen…"
"To think the Uchiha still have someone like this."
"To let the villagers vent their hatred in this way and erase their resentment toward the Uchiha—only someone with tremendous wisdom and tremendous courage could do this."
Rasa raised his head and looked toward the Hokage Building.
"Hokage-sama, I, Uchiha Gen, request an audience."
Standing behind the window, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a dry cough.
"Uchiha Gen, if you have something to say, say it directly."
Rasa said, "Hokage-sama, our Uchiha clan bears great guilt. I know that even if we are not the Uchiha rebels, we still carry responsibility we cannot escape."
"We are willing to atone for it."
"However, there are innocent people among the Uchiha."
"For example, Uchiha Shisui."
When he heard his own name, Uchiha Shisui's heart tightened involuntarily.
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