Chapter 248 The strong are respected

Sasuke's Sharingan spun wildly, and the three magatama were almost connected into one piece.

He turned around suddenly, ignoring the pain from the wounds tearing all over his body, and rushed towards the source of the sound like a black lightning.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto exclaimed behind her.

Fugaku reached out to stop his son, but his hand was empty.

In the front hall, Itachi, wearing the Akatsuki organization's black robe with red clouds, was bending over to put the shopping bag on the counter.

Hearing the hurried footsteps, he raised his head slightly, his black eyes, exactly the same as Sasuke's, calm as water.

"You—asshole!"

Sasuke's fist, wrapped in twelve years of anger, hit Itachi's face hard.

The dull sound of bones colliding echoed in the store. Itachi's head was knocked to one side, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

The fish and vegetables in his hands were scattered all over the floor, and a few fresh fish were bouncing on the floor, covered with dust.

Itachi didn't dodge, didn't even raise his hands to defend himself.

He slowly turned his face back and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

His eyes were so calm as if the punch just now was just a breeze.

"It seems that you already know the truth, my stupid Odo." Itachi's voice was low and calm, as if he was discussing today's weather.

Sasuke's fist was still suspended in the air, his knuckles turning white from the force he exerted.

He gasped heavily, the anger in his eyes almost turning into substance. "Do you know the truth?"

His voice trembled with anger. "Knowing that all of you were lying to me? That my whole life was a joke?"

A hint of imperceptible pain flashed across Itachi's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Hatred makes you stronger, Sasuke. It's a necessary sacrifice."

"A necessary sacrifice?" Sasuke laughed hysterically. "Who are you to decide my life? Why make me live a lie?!"

His chakra exploded uncontrollably, and the tableware around him began to vibrate.

At this moment, the floor of the dessert shop suddenly began to move.

A white humanoid creature slowly rose from the wooden floor, as if emerging from the water.

Half of Bai Zetsu's body was still buried in the floor, but he was holding a stack of banknotes in his hand.

"Boss lady, same as usual, three servings of red beans—" Bai Zetsu's words stopped abruptly.

He tilted his head and looked at the two brothers who were on the verge of a fight. "Oh, it seems I came at the wrong time."

Fugaku and Mikoto rushed out from the back room, and their faces changed when they saw White Zetsu.

Bai Jue serves as a messenger under Yu Xi, and its appearance often means the will of that adult.

White Zetsu completely emerged from the floor, brushed off the non-existent dust on his body, and his eyes fell on Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you should thank Master Yuxi." Its voice was strangely cheerful.

"She just asked Pein to teach you a lesson. If she had done it herself—" White Zetsu made a gesture of wiping his neck, "You might have died."

Sasuke's Sharingan turned to White Zetsu, murderous intent intensifying. "Shut up!"

Bai Jue didn't care. He skipped over to the counter and picked up a piece of strawberry daifuku and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm, delicious!"

It spoke vaguely, then pulled out a scroll from its pocket and threw it on the table, "By the way, Master Yuxi has announced the unification of the ninja world. From today on, there will no longer be five major countries and five major ninja villages. There will only be one country - the Wu Kingdom."

Mikoto gasped, and Fugaku's expression darkened even further.

"Also," White Zetsu licked the cream on his fingers, "there will be no family system in the future. Hyuga, Uchiha, Senju... all will be integrated into ordinary people. It will be enough to continue the bloodline, but they can keep their surnames." It suddenly came close to Sasuke

Almost touching Sasuke's nose, "You are so ignorant, your goal now is to protect your family. If you continue to provoke Master Yuxi——"

Bai Zetsu's voice suddenly turned cold. "If she gets angry, not only you, but also your parents and brother will all be killed by her. Then the Uchiha bloodline will be completely destroyed. Do you understand, boy?"

Sasuke's pupils shrank to the size of a pinpoint.

White Zetsu's words were like a bucket of ice water poured onto his burning rage.

Protect your family?

Uchiha bloodline?

These concepts were too unfamiliar to him.

For the past twelve years, his life has been all about revenge.

Bai Zetsu picked up another piece of tiramisu and turned to leave.

It turned around and added, "Your Eagle Team has been placed in an inn in the Hidden Rain Village by Konan. Don't worry, they are fine - as long as you don't do anything stupid again."

After saying that, it sank to the floor as if it had melted and disappeared.

The store fell into deathly silence.

Sasuke stood there, his fists still clenched, but the anger in his eyes had been replaced by confusion.

Too much information hit his brain in a short period of time: his parents were alive, the truth about Itachi, the unification of Yuxi, the end of the family...

"Sasuke." Fugaku stepped forward, his voice heavy, "He's right. The most important thing you should do now is to protect your remaining family."

Sasuke looked up suddenly, "Father, you actually accepted it?!"

Fugaku's three-magatama Sharingan flashed in his eyes, but quickly faded away. "This is not an order, Sasuke, this is reality. Lady Yuxi's power... is beyond your imagination."

He took a deep breath, "Master Jiraiya - one of the legendary three ninjas, he has gathered information about Yuxi's strength. She can really destroy the world, and she can do it anytime and anywhere."

Mikoto gently took Sasuke's shaking hand, "This being chose not to destroy the world, but to unify it. That's already considered merciful, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook off his mother's hand, "She's taking away everyone's freedom!"

Itachi suddenly spoke, his voice frighteningly calm, "Sasuke, you are too naive. In the face of absolute power, freedom is only a fantasy of the weak."

Sasuke looked at his brother in disbelief.

This person, who he once thought had betrayed everything, now stood here.

Calmly tell him to accept the rule of another.

What made it even harder for him to accept was that his parents seemed to agree with this.

"Are you all...crazy?" Sasuke took a step back.

Fugaku and Itachi exchanged a look.

Finally, Fugaku sighed, "Sasuke, there are some things you cannot understand now, but there is one thing you must remember - only when you are alive can you have a future. The Uchiha bloodline must continue. This is our only responsibility now."

Tears welled up in Mikoto's eyes, "Sasuke, we've lost enough. Don't... don't let us lose you again."

Sasuke looked at his mother's tear-stained face, and his chest felt like it was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

For the first time in twelve years, he felt so powerless.

What was once a goal of revenge has become a responsibility to protect his family; the brother he once vowed to kill now stands before him, betraying him in another form; the once proud Uchiha name will now be disbanded and integrated into the common people...

His vision blurred.

Are they tears?

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he cried.

Anger, confusion, pain, bewilderment...all kinds of emotions churned in his heart, almost tearing him apart.

"I need... time." Sasuke finally managed to say something, his voice hoarse and unlike his own.

Itachi stepped forward, pulled a scroll from his ninja tool bag, and handed it to Sasuke. "Here is basic information about Master Yuxi and the new system of the Wu Kingdom. After reading this, you will have a better understanding of the current situation."

Sasuke didn't reach for it.

"This is the only option, to survive," Itachi sighed, placing the scroll on the counter.

Sasuke sneered, "As if accepting Yuxi's rule is the only option now?"

Fu Yue suddenly said in a stern voice: "Enough, do you think we are willing to accept all this? But reality is reality! The strong are respected. If you provoke Yu Xi again, we will sever the father-son relationship!"

Sasuke was stunned by his father's roar.