"Let's forget it!" Jokichi looked at the crow in Itachi's hand, stayed silent for a while, and said, "You just left after becoming a missing-nin, and I start raising a crow. Isn't this telling others that I have a connection with you?"
"?"
Itachi's eyes widened slightly in confusion. "Why does you raising a crow equal telling others that I have a connection with you?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Jokichi rolled his eyes. "Konoha is so big, but you are the only one who raises crows, right!"
"..."
Itachi fell silent.
After a good while, he looked up at Jokichi.
"I think you have persecution paranoia."
"Huh?"
Itachi sighed slightly. "Konoha is so big, how could I be the only one raising crows? Moreover, I am in the Anbu; my identity and whereabouts are kept secret. The only ones who know I raise crows are a few relatives at home. Putting all that aside, with the difference in our identities, no matter what, no one would associate me with you just because of a crow!"
"Uh..."
Jokichi was somewhat embarrassed.
He had made the mistake of using a god's-eye perspective to infer other people's codes of conduct.
Just like many protagonists of Naruto fanfictions he read in his past life.
Because they knew what kind of virtue Danzo had, the protagonists with cheats thought Danzo was monitoring them twenty-four hours a day, fighting a battle of wits and courage with the air all day long, guarding against Danzo coming to mess with them.
But in reality, Konoha has hundreds of thousands of residents and tens of thousands of ninjas...
If you have a prominent identity or a well-known reputation, it would be understandable.
But some guys who just transmigrated over, lacking both an identity and a reputation...
Danzo must really have nothing better to do after eating his fill to monitor a guy with nothing like you twenty-four hours a day.
"Ahem..."
Jokichi coughed lightly, his expression turning serious. "Since that is the case, then I will raise this crow for now. By the way, is there anything I need to pay attention to when raising a crow?"
"You do not need to do anything, just let it out to move around every day, it will find food on its own."
"That is great, I was worried it would take up my training time!"
Itachi nodded indifferently. "I have said what I needed to say, I will take my leave now."
After saying that, he formed a hand seal in front of his chest with one hand, and his entire body turned into black feathers and disappeared into the room.
...
This night was a sleepless night.
Danzo died, and Root was annihilated.
Only the ninjas who were out on missions escaped the disaster.
Many ninjas who were on holiday received emergency assembly notices.
Upon learning this news, they felt extremely shocked.
Not just because Danzo and Root were destroyed in Konoha, but even more so because the person who destroyed all this was a companion of Konoha.
—Uchiha Itachi.
A large number of ninjas were dispatched. They shuttled through the streets and alleys, searching every corner of Konoha, and many more squads were sent out to search within the borders of the Land of Fire.
Capture the murderer at all costs.
Of course, all of this happened in the dark of night.
The vast majority of Konoha residents did not know.
Because Root was buried in the dark, many elderly people who had lived in Konoha their entire lives did not know of the existence of this department, let alone the young people.
And Jokichi, he had washed up and gone to sleep early.
Everything outside had nothing to do with him.
...
Early the next morning, Jokichi woke up early.
He pushed open the window. A light rain was falling outside, and raindrops dripped along the eaves and plum branches, making a pitter-patter sound.
"A light rain!" Jokichi sighed mournfully.
He hated rainy days, especially light rain.
Because on rainy days, it was not good to go out, and a light rain was more like someone shedding tears of sadness, making him feel upset and restless.
Forget it, I will just practice swordsmanship in the dojo!
Jokichi changed into his training clothes, swiftly washed up, cooked, ate, and then began a new day of training.
...
Uchiha compound.
Sasuke sat on the corridor in the backyard, his back leaning against a load-bearing pillar as he looked up at the sky.
The rainwater dripping from the dark clouds formed puddles in the courtyard.
Sasuke bit his lower lip tightly, his small hands clenched dead tight.
Last night, the village ninjas came.
They told them that Itachi had killed the village higher-up Danzo, and killed everyone in Root.
Itachi was already wanted and had fled Konoha as a missing-nin.
Sasuke could not believe that his gentle brother would actually become a missing-nin who killed companions and betrayed the village.
What made him even more unable to believe it was that his father and the clan members actually calmly accepted this fact, without the slightest doubt.
Only his mother wept secretly when she was alone.
"Damn it, how could such a thing happen!" Sasuke pounded angrily on the wooden board, making a heavy thud.
They were clearly still playing on the streets together during the day, and he even said he would guide his training.
But in the end, at night...
His fists clenched dead tight, letting out a crisp cracking sound.
The veins on Sasuke's forehead bulged, and the expression on his face gradually twisted. "Itachi, you bastard, how could you do such a thing!"
"Are you unwilling to accept this?"
An indifferent and majestic voice sounded from the side.
Sasuke was suddenly startled and looked up to his side.
He saw a tall, rather majestic figure standing there.
"Father!" Sasuke looked at the incomer in surprise.
Uchiha Fugaku crossed his arms, his face full of seriousness. "Itachi did something that brought shame to the clan, you must absolutely not learn from him."
"Father..."
Sasuke bit his lower lip and asked unwillingly, "Brother... did brother really do such a thing?"
"I went to the scene to investigate. Many Root ninjas have traces of being hypnotized by the Sharingan. Currently, only Itachi can achieve this, and..." Uchiha Fugaku came to the edge of the corridor, looked up at the sky, and sighed, "The Third Hokage Hiruzen confirmed it personally."
Sasuke's fists were clenched so tight his fingers turned white, his face full of anger. "Itachi, I will not let you off, you scum of the clan."
"Remember the humiliation Itachi brought us, then work hard to become stronger, and go wash away this humiliation."
"I will become stronger."
"When the rain stops, come to the training ground in the other courtyard. I will teach you the clan's ninjutsu."
"Got it."
Looking at Sasuke immersed in resentment and unwillingness, Fugaku nodded, turned, and left.
It was just that his eyes, which had always maintained majesty in front of Sasuke, dimmed down.
Although he did not know that everyone in the clan had been hit by Kotoamatsukami, from the change in the Konoha higher-ups' attitude towards the Uchiha, Fugaku still perceived a lot.
Behind the annihilation of Danzo and Root, it was not as simple as a mere betrayal.
Perhaps, it was the clan that dragged Itachi down.
...
Time flew by like a white horse passing a crevice.
The weather gradually grew warmer, and the white snow by the roadside was replaced by the fragrance of spring grass and flowers.
March 1, Konoha Year 54.
Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and their fragrance overflowed.
Konoha was surrounded by a sea of pink flowers.
Countless five or six-year-old children went to the Ninja Academy, either alone or led by adults.
March is the school opening season.
Today is the day the Ninja Academy opens for registration and examination.
Countless people surrounded the registration window, and then collectively went to participate in the entrance examination.
Jokichi had the admission letter given by the Third Hokage Hiruzen, so he did not need to participate in the examination, and naturally did not need to squeeze in with these people to register.
He stood under a large tree in the distance, waited until almost all the people registering were gone, and then unhurriedly came to the window and handed the admission letter given by the Third Hokage Hiruzen to the teacher inside.