Chapter 92 - 22

Chapter 22: Polygamy and Blessings! The Aftermath of the Massacre!With every word he spoke, Minato's voice grew heavier."I tried." He suddenly opened his eyes, his blue eyes filled with regret. "Naruto, I really did try. I proposed seventeen different solutions in the name of the 'Aoi' department. Strengthening communication, dispatching neutral mediators, allowing the Uchiha to participate in higher-level Village affairs, and even proposing to transfer part of the Police Force's authority in exchange for seats on the decision-making council..."He clenched his fists: "But it was useless. Danzoinsisted that 'the Uchiha's Sharingan is inherently evil and untrustworthy.' The two Advisors insisted that 'the betrayal by Uchiha Madara must be taken as a warning.' And Sarutobi-sensei..."Minato's voice paused for a moment.Naruto listened quietly, his heart sinking little by little."Sarutobi-sensei said..." Minato's voice was very soft, "'If it can be resolved before the rebellion erupts, greater casualties can be avoided. Minato, sometimes... necessary sacrifices are made to protect more people.'"The living room was deathly quiet."So you agreed?" Naruto asked, his voice unexpectedly calm."How could I agree!" Minato slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with helplessness. "I proposed that we could temporarily control all the radicals, use Sealing Jutsu to restrict their Chakra, keep them under long-term surveillance, or even exile them... As long as we didn't kill anyone, any method was open for discussion!"He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "But Naruto, you must understand... I am no longer the Hokage. No matter how special the 'Aoi' department is, it is only a branch of the Anbu. When the Hokage, the two Advisors, and the leader of 'Root' reach an agreement... my opposition alone cannot change anything."Minato leaned back on the sofa, exhausted, covering his eyes with his hand: "All I could do was deploy 'Aoi' personnel to the perimeter of the Uchiha compound in advance. After the massacre began... I tried to rescue as many of the elderly, women, and children who had no combat ability as possible... sneaking them out like rats."Minato couldn't continue.Naruto looked at his father. This man, who had always been as dazzling as the sun and as reliable as a mountain in his heart, was currently curled up on the sofa, covered in someone else's blood, his eyes filled with bottomless exhaustion and self-reproach.He suddenly remembered the original story.He remembered the Fourth Hokage, who could only appear in photos, with his bright smile.He remembered the hero who, in order to protect the Village, had to seal the Nine-Tailed into his newborn son, and then died along with his wife.In this life, you survived.But surviving does not mean it is easy.Sometimes the things one carries while alive... are heavier than death."Dad," Naruto asked softly, "how many people did you save?"Minato lowered his hand, a glimmer of light reigniting in his eyes: "Fifty-three. Mostly elderly, children, and four young people like Izumi. Roughly... one-fifth of the total Uchiha population."This number was lower than expected, but Narutounderstood that under such circumstances, saving these people was already the limit."What about Shisui?" Naruto pressed, "He..."Minato did not answer immediately.He stood up, quickly formed hand seals to set up a three-layered soundproofing barrier, and a pale golden film of Chakra completely enveloped the living room.After doing all this, he sat back on the sofa, leaning forward slightly, his voice lowered:"Shisui is not dead. Furthermore, he has already made a choice."Naruto's heart skipped a beat."He contacted me proactively, before the operation began." There was a complex sense of respect in Minato's voice. "He said, if the fate of the Uchihawas destined to end in Konoha, then at least... we must preserve a spark for the future of the Uchiha.""So he took the survivors...""He took these fifty-three survivors, met with the Suzaku Group of 'Aoi', and has already left Konohathrough a secret passage." Minato confirmed. "They should have entered the Land of Rivers by now, heading towards'Shelter No. 3' that we prepared years ago. It is a converted abandoned mine, and it can be completely self-sufficient."Naruto took a deep breath: "Then, as for Shisuihimself...""He has succeeded as the leader of the White Tiger Squad of 'Aoi'." Minato looked directly into his son's eyes. "This was personally recommended by Itachi before he left. He said, 'If Shisui-nii is still alive, he is the only one qualified to succeed me.'""Itachi..." Naruto murmured, "He really is...""Yes." Minato's voice was even lower. "Uchiha Itachi, promoted to Jonin at ten, passed the top-secret assessment of 'Aoi' the same year, and took over as the leader of the White Tiger Squad the following year, responsible for the most dangerous assault and assassination missions. Two months ago, he applied to carry out a long-term infiltration mission. The target is to infiltrate that terrorist organization named 'Akatsuki'.""So the massacre was his mission?""It was his choice, and also his resolve." Minato's expression was extremely complex. "He knew the radicals were beyond redemption, and he knew the higher-ups would not allow the Uchiha to exist, so he chose to carry out the 'cleansing' himself, but secretly cooperated with 'Aoi' to let those who shouldn't die... continue to live under the guise of 'death.' And in the process, he used this most cruel method to infiltrate the 'Akatsuki'."Naruto was silent for a long time. Moonlight shone in from outside the window, casting deep shadows on Minato's face."What about Izumi's older brother?" He finally asked the question he cared about most.