Chapter 135: The Unacceptable Truth!
Mikoto nodded silently.
Oborotsuki spoke without hesitation:
"No need to go closer. I can tell you the answer right now."
"Uchiha Fugaku is dead. So are almost all the other members of the Uchiha clan."
"As for Itachi and Shisui—they're still alive."
His words hit Mikoto like a thunderbolt. She jerked her head up, staring at him in utter shock.
"There's nothing strange about it."
"The entire battlefield is within my chakra sensing range. I know every single person's aura like the back of my hand."
Oborotsuki shrugged casually.
If anyone else had said this, Mikoto might not have believed them—but when it came from Oborotsuki, it was different.
She knew exactly how terrifyingly powerful this man was.
Her expression grew even more sorrowful.
"Fugaku…"
Mikoto's body trembled again.
Tears poured down her face in streams. Perhaps sensing her mother's grief—or perhaps because Mikoto's grip loosened from the emotional surge—
Little Sasuke, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly woke up and began crying loudly: "Waaah… waaah!"
The sudden change made Mikoto's face pale in panic.
"Sasuke, shh… don't cry…"
She hurriedly soothed the baby, temporarily pushing aside her own sorrow to comfort her child.
They were still too close to the enemy.
If Konoha's forces discovered them here, the consequences would be unthinkable.
At the same time, Mikoto felt a secret wave of relief—she was grateful she had kept just enough rationality not to approach the battlefield earlier.
Otherwise, they would likely have been spotted already.
After a long while, little Sasuke finally quieted down. Mikoto turned her back to Oborotsuki and began feeding him.
"Itachi and Shisui… those two…"
Mikoto wiped her tears and asked in a trembling voice:
"Were they captured?"
But this time, Oborotsuki didn't answer immediately.
He noticed that Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had been overseeing the cleanup along with the ANBU and other ninja—was now leading his group back toward the village.
The clan heads and their forces were also gradually withdrawing.
The battlefield had been almost completely cleared.
Only Shisui, Itachi, and a few chūnin guards remained at the scene.
"Wait here for me. I'll go confirm things in person."
Oborotsuki glanced at Mikoto, then vanished.
After making a symbolic circle around the area, he returned and told Mikoto directly:
"They weren't restrained by Konoha."
"But the two of you have been placed under a kill order."
His gaze fell on little Sasuke in Mikoto's arms.
Mikoto's body jolted. She shook her head in disbelief:
"Why… why didn't Konoha continue after Shisui and Itachi?"
"Did something happen to them? Were they injured… or…?"
"They're perfectly fine—unharmed and lively."
"Your son even awakened his Sharingan."
"But what I'm about to tell you next… you should prepare yourself mentally."
Oborotsuki spoke calmly, watching Mikoto with steady eyes.
Hearing this, Mikoto's heart sank. Her red-rimmed eyes flickered with confusion.
"Tell me… please."
She finally nodded, gathering her courage.
What could possibly be worse than everything that had already happened?
"From the conversation between Shisui and Itachi, I learned something."
"Fugaku's death… was caused by Itachi himself."
"Or to put it more directly—your son personally killed his own father."
Oborotsuki explained plainly.
"What?"
"That's… impossible… it can't be!"
"How could Itachi… how could he do something like that?"
"You can ask them yourself later."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi has ordered that the Uchiha compound be preserved. Shisui and Itachi are allowed to continue living there."
Oborotsuki's answer only deepened Mikoto's confusion.
She had too many questions, all demanding answers.
Still holding little Sasuke, Mikoto walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down again at the devastated battlefield far below.
"Are you saying…"
"That both Shisui and Itachi… chose to stand on Konoha's side during this incident?"
Mikoto might have seemed fragile and helpless at times, but she was far from stupid.
From the way Konoha's ANBU had fearlessly searched the Uchiha compound earlier, some truths were already obvious.
She had her answer.
She just… still refused to accept it.
That was why she kept asking, hoping against hope.
Oborotsuki didn't directly confirm her guess. He simply remained silent.
His silence was confirmation enough.
Yet Mikoto still couldn't believe it.
She wanted to say something more, but suddenly Oborotsuki's expression turned serious. He raised a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.
He slowly drew the Decapitation Greatsword.
Sure enough, two seconds later, more than a dozen figures appeared from all directions, completely surrounding them.
Their uniforms and masks made their identity clear: Konoha ANBU.
"As expected—the strange chakra signature we sensed wasn't wrong. Someone really was hiding here."
The squad leader muttered coldly to himself.
"This man's identity is unknown. The woman is confirmed to be Uchiha Mikoto!"
"And the child in her arms should be Uchiha Sasuke!"
"No need to hesitate—take them down!"
"Kill!!"
Without another word, the dozen-plus ANBU launched their assault on Mikoto and Oborotsuki.
Mikoto's face paled. She instinctively retreated several steps, turning to flee with little Sasuke.
But in that moment, she saw a figure flash past her like the wind.
Clang—
Oborotsuki blocked an enemy's kunai with his greatsword, sending it flying and numbing the attacker's arm in the process.
The next instant, thick fog suddenly rolled in from all sides.
Amid the vision-obscuring mist, dull thuds rang out one after another.
In mere moments, everything fell silent again.
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