bioinnovel Chapter 505 Everything is Fate
Chapter 505 Everything is Fate
As the sun set, a cool evening breeze swept across the camp, stirring up fine dust that settled on the ninjas' scarred faces, dispelling the day's heat and smoke.
The Konoha ninjas had already begun packing their belongings, and thick pieces of firewood were being stacked into makeshift campfires, with sparks occasionally crackling and being extinguished by the evening breeze.
Several ninja horses, carrying supplies and reparations, drooped their necks, exhaling white mist from their nostrils, occasionally letting out low neighs, and their hooves pawing the ground restlessly, kicking up gravel in all directions.
Everywhere in the camp, people were busy packing luggage and moving equipment.
The air was filled with the relaxation of post-war rest, yet it also concealed a sense of eager anticipation for home, as well as the weariness and heaviness of having gone through life-and-death battles.
Three figures sped towards them through the twilight, their robes fluttering and stirring up a gust of wind and a little dust before they quickly regained their footing. It was Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, and Rin Nohara.
The moment they landed, the three of them looked at the orderly camp in front of them, where people were busy packing their belongings and preparing to leave. Their eyes flashed with a bit of strangeness and astonishment, and they subconsciously stopped in their tracks.
The emergency order received before the battle was clearly "The battle at Iwagakure is critical, bring your squad to support immediately", but the calm scene before them showed no sign of "critical battle".
Kakashi's silver hair fluttered wildly in the evening breeze. He glanced at the wounds of the Uchiha clan members around him, the stretchers and bloodstained ninja tools in the corner of the camp, his expression growing increasingly solemn, his fingertips unconsciously tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"It seems the war has long since ended; we're too late."
Nohara Rin instinctively gripped the strap of her medical kit, her eyes filled with sorrow at the devastation of the battlefield.
Minato Namikaze stood tall and straight, his clothes stained with a little dust and grass from the journey, yet his capable aura was still undeniable.
He strode forward, his steps steady yet somewhat urgent, with Kakashi and Rin Nohara following closely behind.
When he was a few steps away, he stopped, bowed slightly, and said with deep remorse and self-reproach, "Fugaku-kun, the first thing I want to do today is to apologize to you... I failed to protect Obito, and he was left on the battlefield forever... This is my dereliction of duty as his teacher..."
After saying that, his hands, which were hanging by his sides, tightened slightly, and his eyes were filled with undisguised self-blame and regret.
At this moment, Fugaku Uchiha's brows were less furrowed with worry due to the victory in the war and the successful acquisition of 250 billion ryo in reparations.
Upon hearing this, he slowly raised his hand and waved it gently, without any hint of reproach: "Minato-kun, there's no need to take it to heart. On the battlefield, life and death are preordained, and swords have no eyes. Obito fought for Konoha, which was his duty as an Uchiha ninja. Perhaps this was his fate."
As the head of the Uchiha clan, he cannot indulge in personal emotions; he must prioritize the clan and the greater good of Konoha.
Minato Namikaze felt a sense of relief, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still couldn't hide his guilt. He bowed deeply again to express his gratitude, his posture extremely respectful: "Thank you for your understanding, Fugaku-kun."
Kakashi, standing to the side, clenched his fists tightly at his sides, his silver hair barely concealing the sorrow and self-reproach surging in his eyes. He recalled the way the two of them fought side by side to protect Rin, and the look in Obito's eyes as he entrusted the Sharingan to him before his death.
Nohara Rin's eyes were slightly red, her long eyelashes trembling like startled butterfly wings. She quickly lowered her eyes, suppressing the bitterness surging in her heart. Her lips pressed into a tight line, and she sighed softly.
"Fate?" A cold, hoarse voice suddenly broke the brief calm and heaviness.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Uchiha Sanfeng slowly stand up.
But he still straightened his back and walked towards the group step by step.
"The reason Iwagakure hastily ceased hostilities and swiftly withdrew wasn't because they were afraid of the Uchiha. They received advance warning that Kumogakure was making moves on the border of Takigakure, and in order to redeploy their forces to defend against Kumogakure, they urgently transferred their frontline troops to the Takigakure border!"
When they reached a meter in front of Minato Namikaze, the Uchiha Mitsunaka stopped, and a sense of oppression emanated from him.
"And you, Minato Namikaze, just happened to arrive at this time with your men, and your mission just so happens to be to destroy the Kannabi Bridge on the border of Takigakure."
"Who else could have orchestrated this absurd and redundant task but Hiruzen Sarutobi? He calculated that Iwagakure was going to withdraw its troops and deliberately assigned you this 'merit,' allowing you to legitimately claim the credit for the cleanup of the Iwagakure battlefield, paving the way for your future election as the Fourth Hokage!"
Thinking of the more than two thousand dead and wounded members of his clan, the vibrant lives buried in the wilderness, and the wails and cries of his relatives and friends, his tone became tinged with a chilling anger.
Minato Namikaze's expression changed drastically, his initial confusion turning into astonishment and disbelief. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.
He never imagined that such a sordid power struggle was hidden behind the emergency mission he was ordered to carry out. His initial guilt was now compounded by shock and helplessness, which quickly transformed into even deeper remorse and embarrassment.
He quickly shook his head, raising his hand as if to explain, but unsure where to begin, he could only wave his hand in vain: "Mr. Sanfeng, I'm sorry, I really didn't know there was such a scheme involved!"
"I only received an urgent order from the village saying that the battle on the Iwagakure battlefield was critical, and that the Kannabi Bridge was Iwagakure's lifeline for supplies. If it were destroyed, it could turn the tide of the battle. That's why I rushed here to support them overnight with Obito, Kakashi, and Rin. I had absolutely no intention of taking credit for anything!"
His voice was full of urgent explanation, his eyes were open and innocent, he had never expected that he would become a pawn in someone else's power struggle.
"Don't know?" Uchiha Mitsumine sneered, his tone full of mockery and disdain.
His tone grew increasingly sharp, like an icy blade piercing Minato Namikaze, the crimson in his eyes almost burning: "Our Uchiha clan suffered over two thousand casualties in this war!"
"More than two thousand lives were lost, every drop of blood was spilled on this wasteland. Every member of our clan who sacrificed their life fought with all their might to protect Konoha, and their bones are buried in this foreign land!"
He took a half-step forward, almost face to face with Minato Namikaze, his anger and resentment undisguised: "As a close friend of the Fugaku clan leader, you barged in without a word with a mission, seemingly offering your support without regard for your own safety, but in reality, you were just reaping the benefits, stealing the credit, and taking all the credit. Isn't that hypocritical?"
"Mitsubone-kun, I..." Minato Namikaze was speechless, his cheeks flushing red and then white, looking extremely embarrassed.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something in his defense, but found all his words pale and powerless. Faced with the wrath of the Uchiha Three Peaks and the lives of more than two thousand people, any explanation was utterly inadequate.
He could only bow deeply again, adopting an extremely humble posture: "I was really just following orders. If you hadn't pointed it out, I still wouldn't have known the calculations behind the mission."
"It was my oversight to come here so rashly, which has disrupted your plans. I am even more sorry to Fugaku-kun and to the Uchiha clan members who sacrificed their lives."
He never imagined that his dedication to fighting for Konoha would inadvertently make him a tool in the power struggle.
"Mitsubone, stop talking." Fugaku Uchiha raised his hand to stop Mitsubone Uchiha, who was about to continue criticizing him. His tone was deep and powerful, carrying the unquestionable authority of a clan leader.
His gaze swept over Uchiha Mitsunori's tense profile, a warning glint in his eyes, signaling him to calm down.
His gaze then swept over everyone present, his tone calm yet revealing a sense of the bigger picture: "Our war with Iwagakure is over. We've received the reparations, signed the ceasefire agreement, and the overall situation is settled. This matter ends here; there's no need to pursue it further."
Although he harbored resentment towards Hiruzen Sarutobi's schemes and even a hint of suppressed anger, he was well aware of the undercurrents swirling within Konoha.
The Uchiha clan has become a target of envy and criticism due to its numerous military achievements. If they were to break ties with Minato Namikaze and engage in internal strife at this time, it would only give external enemies an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and ultimately harm the common interests of Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
Minato Namikaze felt a warmth in his heart, and his tense mind relaxed slightly. He bowed to Fugaku Uchiha again to express his gratitude, his tone full of gratitude and guilt: "Thank you for your understanding, Fugaku-kun. I was presumptuous and disturbed your plans."
"Now that the battle is over, we should not linger any longer. Let's set off back to the village and report back to the Hokage."
He straightened up, his eyes still filled with guilt, but now with determination. His clenched fists showed his resolve to find out the truth: "At the same time, I will also find out the ins and outs of this matter and give the Uchiha clan an explanation."
He turned and gestured for Kakashi and Rin Nohara to set off. His steps were slightly heavy, as if he were walking on cotton, and his heart was full of complicated emotions.
Kakashi nodded silently and slowly followed.
The words of the Uchiha Sanfeng were like heavy stones pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. It turned out that Obito's sacrifice and the deaths and injuries of the Uchiha clan members had all become bargaining chips for Hiruzen Sarutobi to pave the way for Minato Namikaze.
He glanced up at Minato Namikaze's back in front of him, and then remembered Obito Uchiha's dying wish to "protect Rin." His heart was filled with complex emotions and confusion. He couldn't tell whether to blame Hiruzen Sarutobi for his scheming or for his own powerlessness.
Rin Nohara looked dazed, her steps were unsteady, and her gaze toward Minato Namikaze carried a hint of estrangement and disappointment, yet also a deep sense of guilt toward Obito.
If they had known the truth about the mission earlier, would they have made a wasted trip, and would Obito have had a different ending?
She bit her lower lip tightly, suppressing all her emotions, and silently followed in their footsteps, leaving only a barely audible sigh that dissipated in the evening breeze.
The three figures gradually disappeared into the depths of twilight, swallowed up little by little by the thick night, leaving only a faint trace of chakra.
Uchiha Mitsunori stared in the direction they had left, his face still full of resentment, and slammed his clenched fist hard against the broken rock beside him.
With a muffled thud, his palm instantly swelled and broke open, blood slowly seeping out along the rock's texture and dripping onto the rubble on the ground.
"Letting them go like this is too easy on Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi!"