I just returned to Konoha and found that my entire clan was gone.

Shikamaru touched his chin and began to analyze to himself.

Sasuke, of course, wouldn't reveal his mission, so he crossed his arms and looked like he wouldn't answer.

Ino's initially anxious heart calmed down, and she walked up to Sasuke and said.

“Sasuke-kun, Sakura was so sad after you left. She’s been listless every day and doesn’t even care about Tsunade’s training anymore.”

Sasuke remembered that he still had some of Sakura's medicine in his ninja tool pouch. His conflicted thoughts vanished in an instant, and he said firmly.

“We were destined to be different people. I was prepared for that when I left the village.”

“Actually, Sasuke, you don’t need to do this. Itachi is dead, isn’t he? You can go back to the village. Kakashi and I will speak on your behalf to Lady Tsunade and have your arrest warrant revoked.”

Asuma still couldn't bear to see Sasuke leave the village, and as for Ye Lan, well, that guy was too opinionated. Sasuke was different; there was definitely a chance to persuade him.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't pretend I don't exist just because I'm not talking. It seems like you weren't treated too lightly last time, Big Beard!"

Kisame drew his Samehada sword from his back and spoke for the first time since they began talking.

Sasuke was, after all, a member of the organization, and he couldn't sit still when they were so blatantly trying to recruit him.

"Alas!"

Kisame's killing intent jolted Ino and Choji awake, instantly bringing them to their senses. Kisame was no ordinary person; he was also an S-rank rogue ninja from Kirigakure.

"Is that so? We didn't decide a winner last time. You can try again this time."

Asuma's temper flared up instead, and he thought to himself, "What business is it of yours, a rogue ninja, to advise a junior?"

Last time, he suffered a setback because he didn't know the properties of Samehada. As a fellow Jonin, he wasn't really afraid of his opponent. If a fight could make Sasuke change his mind, Asuma would definitely be willing to give it a try.

Kisame didn't expect Asuma to get so excited. He curled his lip in disdain and got into an attack stance.

"All right!"

Seeing the two about to fight, he suddenly shouted.

His black pupils had transformed into Sharingan. Sasuke stepped directly between the two, and a dark chakra erupted from his body, instantly calming them down considerably.

This aura was much stronger than Kisame's earlier. Ino and the others were already having some difficulty breathing. They never expected that their classmate, with whom they had spent every day, would reach this level.

"Kisame, don't forget what the leader instructed us before we set off."

Sasuke first tried to dissuade his companion, Kisame.

"This wasn't something I started."

Kisame muttered something, but still put away his greatsword. When they came out, the Heavenly Dao specifically instructed them not to fight if they could avoid it, as their main task was to recruit "talents".

Seeing that Kisame had already concealed himself, Sasuke spoke to Asuma.

"Konoha is no longer a suitable place for me, and I have no regrets about leaving."

"But..."

Ino opened her mouth, still wanting to try and win Sasuke back. After all, she really didn't want the man she had been infatuated with to leave.

"Could it be because of what the village did to the Uchiha?"

Asuma took a deep drag on his cigarette. As the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma knew more about the Uchiha clan than the average ninja.

Not to mention that Ye Lan revealed Danzo's evil deeds. Asuma himself was horrified after learning about it, and sometimes he didn't dare to think about what role his father had played.

"The Uchiha matter will eventually come to a conclusion, but that's not the most important thing. Konoha's values ​​are no longer aligned with mine, and forcing ourselves to stay will only hurt both sides."

"So you're going to join Akatsuki? Don't you know what kind of organization that is?"

You can talk about other things, but Sasuke no longer identifies with the village, something Asuma hadn't expected. He walked up to Sasuke and grabbed his collar.

Asuma, who was a head taller, clearly looked angry, and Sasuke could even smell the smoke on him.

"Their target is the Tailed Beasts! Naruto! Think about what you're doing! They are a complete and utterly terrifying organization."

"ridiculous!"

Sasuke easily broke free from Asuma's grasp and spoke without any hesitation.

"A group of people who do the same things as assassinations, intelligence gathering, and war have the nerve to call others terrorist organizations? In my opinion, Konoha is just wearing a shiny cloak."

"Don't take yourselves too seriously. To put it bluntly, you're just a bunch of mercenaries. What's the difference between you and Akatsuki?"

For the first time, Sasuke's eyes showed disgust.

"No, you're not even as good as Xiao. In Ye Lan's words, you're like a prostitute trying to maintain a virtuous image."

How could you say that about the village that raised you?!

Asuma went mad; he never expected Sasuke to say such blasphemous things.

"Sasuke, that's going too far!"

Shikamaru frowned and said, while Choji and Ino couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Oh? I'm being unreasonable? What about those dead Uchiha? Or does Konoha have some lofty mission? Or is it just that ethereal Will of Fire?"

"Don't be ridiculous. That kind of thing is just an excuse for one's incompetence and failure. Konoha, which controls most of the resources in the ninja world, telling those backward countries that it yearns for peace is as laughable as a rich man telling a beggar that we should reason with them."

Shikamaru felt like his head was about to explode. Everyone who met him would praise his intelligence, but he had never thought about such things before. Sasuke's words suddenly freed him from a certain mental constraint.

"You, you..."

Asuma didn't know how to refute it. He had never realized that Sasuke had become so eloquent, and he couldn't find any excuse at all.

"Kisame, let's go!"

Sasuke saw no need to continue talking to these people, and after calling Kisame, he planned to leave.

Ino wanted to reach out and stop her, but felt that any excuse would be useless at this moment, and her eyes became dull and lifeless.

"That's right!"

As Sasuke was about to leave, he turned back and said something again.

"Although Ye Lan said that as long as Konoha doesn't attack us, we won't target Konoha, I want to say that you'd better not even have such a thought. Once I find out, I will show absolutely no mercy!"

Chapter 150 The Land of Iron

After Sasuke left, what was originally a pleasant mission now turned somber again.

Shikamaru returned to his usual gloomy demeanor, and Choji, upon arriving in the capital of the Land of Iron, did not indulge in a large meal. Everyone began to harbor their own thoughts.

Asma sensed something was wrong. As an adult, he wouldn't be easily defeated by words, so he started to liven up the atmosphere for his students.

Choji and Ino were relatively easy to deal with, but Shikamaru was the most difficult to handle.

"I am dying."

Shikamaru glanced at the chessboard. Even though he was clearly no match for Asuma, Asuma insisted on dragging him into the game. He couldn't feel any sense of accomplishment in defeating such an opponent.

"You lost again! Shikamaru, your chess skills have improved again."

Asuma scratched his head and said that this was the only way he could think of to communicate with Shikamaru.

But this kid really doesn't show any mercy. I'm his teacher, after all, so I can't let him get away with this.

"You've come to me for more than just a chess game, haven't you?"

After arriving in the Land of Iron, they did not immediately return. Since the mission was completed and there was still plenty of time, Asuma suggested that they take a rest and stay at the inn for the time being.

Shikamaru rearranged the chess pieces and stared at the board somewhat absentmindedly.

"Actually, you don't need to take Sasuke's words to heart."

Asuma, seeing that things had progressed to a certain point and that Shikamaru's mood had improved after winning a few rounds, spoke up.

"If you don't even have the courage to open your ears and listen, how can you face the facts?"

Shikamaru retorted with a question, leaving Asuma speechless.

"Asuma, were the things Senior Yelan said at the meeting true?"

Asuma knew there was no way to hide it anymore. Shikamaru was certainly already certain of this, given his intelligence. He was just asking him for an answer.

In the end, he nodded helplessly.

"I knew it. It seems Senior Ye Lan's departure was to be expected..."

Shikamaru used the word "leave" instead of "defect," which made Asuma somewhat uncomfortable.

"Shikamaru, you need to understand one thing: Ye Lan is already an S-rank rogue ninja of the village, and it's impossible for him to return to the village."

Unlike Sasuke, Ye Lan directly exposed the true face of Konoha's higher-ups, leaving the village's dark side utterly exposed. There is absolutely no way Ye Lan will return to Konoha.

"What would you do if Senior Ye Lan caused another big scene?"

Why would you say that?

"Oh, I forgot you were just discharged from the hospital. The Hokage now has two more advisors, or rather, they've been reinstated."

Shikamaru believed that if Yelan found out about this, he would definitely take action again, and then how would he deal with it?

"Why...why did the Hokage make this decision?"

Asma nearly dropped the cigarette he was holding in his mouth; who on earth came up with such a stupid idea?

"This was decided by the other temporary advisors at the same time."

Shikamaru said quietly, he couldn't understand why his father would agree to those two old guys' request. Was it really just for that little deer farm?

Asuma finally understood why Shikamaru had become like this. He really didn't know where to begin in trying to persuade him, and after thinking for a long time, he finally managed to utter a single sentence.

"Perhaps Shikaku-senpai has his own ideas."

After hearing this, Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle and waved his hand, saying, "Asuma, let's play chess instead."

...

"Do you want to eat this? I heard it tastes pretty good."

Kisame placed a dessert in front of Sasuke. After arriving in the Land of Iron, they had been wandering aimlessly, and recruiting people was not an easy task.

Sasuke frowned, a rare occurrence for him. "I hate sweets. I can just eat rice balls."

Sasuke casually picked up an eel rice ball and began to eat it with relish.

"Really? That's a real shame..."