Chapter 249 Times have changed

Sasuke had never seen his father like this before, and he was speechless for a moment.

The father who used to be calm and dignified, though not always smiling, always had a touch of warmth.

The fact that he was so determined to sever ties at this moment added to his confusion and pain.

Seeing this, Mikoto quickly hugged Sasuke and cried as she said to him, "Don't do anything foolish anymore. Listen to your mother, Sasuke. We will definitely make up for what we've missed all these years. We will love you well from now on."

Itachi silently turned around, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness: "I'll go make dinner."

Sasuke looked at his mother's tear-streaked face, then turned to look at his father's unquestionable expression.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, his voice filled with endless weariness and helplessness: "I will survive, to protect you."

His words were soft, yet they seemed to come from all his might.

Meanwhile, the Iron Country has been renamed the capital of the Martial Country.

Under Yu Xi's rule, an unprecedented transformation is taking place.

hall.

Orochimaru sent a huge pile of documents, which were stacked like a small mountain on Yu Xi's desk. These documents were all about the opposition forces in various places.

They formed the final ninja alliance, which was somewhat excessive in number.

Yu Xi sat in a large office chair, her fingers lightly tapping the table, her eyes revealing a hint of laziness and disdain.

In her view, these so-called opposition forces were nothing but clowns, not worth her personal energy.

She wanted to slack off and enjoy this rare moment of leisure.

Orochimaru, as her assistant, stood to the side, bowed slightly, and asked in a respectful voice, "Should I go and handle this?"

Yu Xi gently shook her head, her voice lazy yet carrying an undeniable command: "You don't need to do it. Just go and conduct more scientific experiments. Those experiments are much more useful than dealing with these minor characters."

She paused, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Go and summon the entire Akatsuki organization. Have them kill these opposing forces. Four days should be enough."

Orochimaru was slightly taken aback, then a look of understanding flashed in his eyes: "Very well, then so be it."

After saying that, he turned and left the office.

Yu Xi watched Orochimaru's departing figure, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Suddenly, a spatial rift appeared beside them.

Kaguya Otsutsuki floated out from inside, her figure elegant and mysterious, carrying many dinners in her hands.

When Yu Xi saw Kaguya Otsutsuki, her eyes lit up and a childlike smile appeared on her face: "Thank you, Kaguya-neechan. I thought you would be waiting for me at home."

Her voice was clear and melodious, with a hint of coquettishness.

Kaguya Otsutsuki, however, did not seem very happy. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes revealed a hint of indescribable worry.

Upon seeing this, Yu Xi's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "What's wrong, Kaguya-neechan? Did something happen?"

Kaguya Otsutsuki didn't say anything, but silently placed the dinner on the table.

Then, using Yomotsu Hirasaka, he returned to his residence in the back mountains of Konoha.

Yu Xi was left standing there, looking puzzled. "Is she on her period?"

Night falls.

Moonlight poured down on the windowpanes of Yu Xi's office like water.

She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingertips gently tracing the condensation on the glass, her gaze piercing through the night to the distance.

"Xiao Nan, Payne, you're here." Yu Xi didn't turn around, but her voice echoed clearly in the empty office.

Konan's paper wings trembled slightly, while Pain's Rinnegan gleamed coldly in the darkness.

“Lady Yu Xi,” Payne’s voice was as cold as a machine, “You summoned us?”

Yu Xi turned around, and the moonlight outlined the delicate profile of her face.

With a casual wave of her hand, the documents on the table fluttered towards Payne like butterflies. "These are intelligence reports on opposition forces in various regions. I want them all to disappear within four days."

Xiao Nan took the document and quickly scanned it, her brows furrowing slightly: "The quantity is more than expected."

“That’s why I need the full cooperation of your Akatsuki organization.” Yu Xi walked back to her desk, tapping the surface lightly with her fingertips. “For the sake of peace, necessary sacrifices are worthwhile.”

Payne's Rinnegan twitched slightly: "Peace always comes at a price. We will complete our mission."

"Very good." Yu Xi nodded in satisfaction. "Remember, leave no survivors, leave no trace. I want to completely eliminate any dissenting voices on this land."

Xiao Nan hesitated for a moment, then simply nodded slightly before she and Payne left.

Orochimaru spent a long time in the laboratory, not only conducting experiments but also inventing new technologies.

In the dimly lit laboratory, only the faint fluorescence from the instruments illuminated his pale face.

The liquid in the test tube had an eerie, dark blue hue, and a robotic arm was precisely assembling some unknown device.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, and dense data scrolled across the screen.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, but his gaze remained focused and fervent.

Finally, the experiment came to an end.

He let out a long sigh and pushed open the heavy metal door of the laboratory.

The corridor lights made him squint slightly, and to his surprise, two familiar figures stood at the door—Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"You..." Orochimaru's voice was a little hoarse, and a complex emotion flashed in his golden vertical pupils.

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his brow furrowed, and his voice was low: "Orochimaru, what are the plans of the Wu Kingdom regarding those opposing forces?"

Tsunade stood to one side, her golden hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

Her eyes were no longer as sharp as before; instead, they revealed a hint of weariness and confusion.

Orochimaru remained silent for a moment, but finally did not hide anything: "Lady Yu Xi has given the order that the Akatsuki will eliminate all opponents within four days."

"All...remove?" Tsunade's voice trembled slightly, and her fingers unconsciously clenched.

“That’s right.” Orochimaru’s voice was calm to the point of being cold. “Leave no survivors, and leave no trace.”

Jiraiya's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but in the end, he slowly loosened his grip and gave a bitter laugh: "Ha...how ironic."

Tsunade raised her head and looked up at the dark night sky.

The starlight reflected in her eyes as tiny specks of light. "Perhaps... we really were wrong."

Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "For so many years, we've believed that mutual understanding is the key to peace, but the war has never stopped..."

Jiraiya lowered his head and remained silent.

His heart had long since become numb, and his once bold words now seemed so pale.

Orochimaru looked at them, a barely perceptible glint in his eyes. "If... you had had the same resolve back then, perhaps the three of us wouldn't have ended up like this today."

Tsunade's tears fell silently; she raised her hand to wipe them away, but they wouldn't dry. "Orochimaru...we..."

"No need to say anything more," Orochimaru interrupted her.

He turned and walked deeper into the corridor, his back casting a long shadow under the light. "The past is the past..."

Jiraiya watched his retreating figure, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.