When Yoruha and Sasuke returned from Nagato and Konan, Sasuke remained silent the entire way. On the road, Yoruha glanced at Sasuke and asked, "What did your brother say to you?" Sasuke paused for a moment, then looked up at Yoruha.
Without any hesitation, he recounted everything Itachi had told him. After listening, Yoruha gave a wry smile and said, "Your brother is really something." Yoruha originally wanted to say "too extreme," but held back out of consideration for Sasuke's feelings.
However, Sasuke understood the implication of Yoruha's words and agreed. Previously, he had thought Itachi's actions were out of love for him, but now, after reflecting and being enlightened by Yoruha's words, Sasuke realized that Itachi's actions and decisions were merely to protect his own ideals.
Itachi wanted Sasuke to live according to his plan. The decisions Itachi made back then were indeed too extreme. Although the Konoha leadership was also quite extreme, if Itachi hadn't cooperated, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have been completely wiped out.
The decision to annihilate the Uchiha clan was made by the Konoha leadership themselves. There was even disagreement among them, and they didn't dare to reveal it to other clans in Konoha. If the news had leaked, while the Uchiha clan would have been the subject of much debate, there wouldn't have been unanimous support for their extermination.
Back then, two key figures, Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, didn't stand with the Uchiha clan. They couldn't even remain neutral. In the end, the Uchiha clan was exterminated, leaving only Itachi and Sasuke, and their relationship played a significant role in this outcome.
Sasuke now understood Yoruha's perspective, so he said, "I know what you're trying to say. Maybe it's because he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, which made his thinking more extreme." Yoruha chuckled, "Your Sharingan hasn't affected your emotions."
"Most of the Uchiha clan couldn't awaken the Sharingan, which shows their thinking wasn't extreme, yet they were still implicated. And I don't think the Sharingan can influence a person's emotions. On the contrary, it's because a person's emotions are affected that the Sharingan awakens. It's just that your Uchiha clan happens to have the Sharingan, which can harness negative emotions."
"Even if ordinary people have extreme thoughts, they can't awaken the Sharingan or utilize those negative emotions. I don't agree with the Second Hokage's statement that the Uchiha clan is a clan of evil or anything like that. It's just a normal clan, but you happen to be able to harness human negative emotions."
"People say you're extreme, but from the founding of Konoha to the upheaval in your clan, you never did anything to harm Konoha."
"On the contrary, in every Shinobi World War, the Uchiha clan made significant contributions to Konoha." Yoruha wasn't exaggerating about the Uchiha clan. During the Third Shinobi World War, when the Land of Water and the Land of Fire were at war, the Konoha leadership deliberately sent the Uchiha clan, known for their fire jutsu, to the battlefield against the Land of Water, clearly to make things difficult for them.
On the battlefield, the Uchiha clan carved out a formidable reputation. Many speculations about the Uchiha clan are just that—speculations. The Uchiha clan has never truly committed the deeds they are accused of. Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito were indeed extreme, but after their actions, they had long since distanced themselves from the Uchiha clan. What they did had nothing to do with the clan.
Konoha has had many rogue ninjas, some of whom have caused significant harm to the village, and they weren't from the Uchiha clan. Are the families those rogues come from more evil or extreme than the Uchiha? No one would say that.
Ultimately, it's because the Uchiha clan was too powerful, and thus feared. From the establishment of the village, the Uchiha were targeted, but as long as their survival wasn't threatened, as long as they could live with dignity in Konoha, they never thought of rebelling.
It wasn't until after the Nine-Tails incident, when Konoha's targeting became too obvious and excessive, that they considered a coup. But even then, Uchiha Fugaku wanted a bloodless coup, merely to control the upper echelons of Konoha and restore their previous power, nothing more.
How humble must they have been to be targeted like that, with such low demands for a coup? They never even thought of seizing the position of Hokage, only wanting to regain their previous authority, which was originally an institution set up by the Second Hokage to monitor them.
To say the Uchiha clan is evil or extreme is truly extreme in itself. Blaming the actions of one or two individuals on an entire clan is unfair. Moreover, the proportion of rogue ninjas from the Uchiha clan is far lower than that of other clans.
Before the Uchiha clan was annihilated, the only rogue ninja from the clan was Uchiha Madara. The Uchiha are different from the Hyuga clan, whose branch family members are controlled by the Caged Bird Seal, making escape futile. But the Uchiha's Sharingan had no such control or limitations.
Even if they became rogue ninjas, it wouldn't affect their Sharingan or weaken their abilities. Yet, despite Konoha's targeting, before their annihilation, there was only one rogue ninja from the Uchiha. If this doesn't count as loyalty to Konoha, then no other clan has the right to speak.
Sasuke was moved by what Yoruha said. Sasuke knew that the Uchiha clan's reputation in Konoha wasn't great. After all, they managed the Konoha Police Force and were responsible for the village's security.
Some people indeed harbored resentment against them. Coupled with the arrogance of some Uchiha members, it was normal for some villagers to reject them. But after Yoruha's analysis, Sasuke realized that Yoruha genuinely understood the injustice of the Uchiha's annihilation and wasn't just trying to soothe his emotions.
After listening quietly to Yoruha, Sasuke said, "Yoruha, having a friend like you in this lifetime is my greatest fortune." "If only you had been born a little earlier." Sasuke thought that if Yoruha had been born earlier and held his current position before the Uchiha massacre, the clan might not have been annihilated.
The Uchiha's situation in Konoha might have improved significantly. But unfortunately, there are no ifs.