"Where leaves fly, fire burns. But the new generation has become nourishment for you corrupt, dark old men."
"All to satisfy your ambition."
"A genius was ruined at your hands."
"No way… what he's saying can't be true, can it?" The stands were in an uproar. The villagers who hadn't fled yet were filled with shock and uncertainty. They vividly remembered how they had hurt Naruto Uzumaki in the past. They had treated him like a monster, verbally abusing him and sometimes even physically attacking him.
And now, everything Naruto was saying was tearing their world apart.
Naruto Uzumaki was the son of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, possessing a talent comparable to that of the strongest Hokage. He should have been allowed to realize his potential in Konoha, but because of the Third Hokage's ambition, he was almost reduced to nothing.
They had been confused when Naruto had mentioned these things before, but now, with his more detailed explanation, a clear picture and logical sequence of events formed in their minds.
The Fourth Hokage and his wife had sealed the Nine-Tails with their lives, entrusting Naruto Uzumaki to the Third Hokage before they died, hoping he would raise him. The Third Hokage had kindly agreed, only to then smilingly spread the rumor that Naruto Uzumaki was the demon fox itself. When Naruto Uzumaki was caught in the storm of public opinion, the Third Hokage would then appear, playing the role of a grandfather, offering him warmth.
Thinking about it carefully, the logic was sound, and it was utterly chilling.
"That's impossible, right? Lord Hokage has always been so kind and approachable. He even personally helped the villagers harvest rice straw once."
"Yeah, and he used to visit the villagers all the time."
"He also launched a program to help poor households. How could he possibly come up with such a dark plan?"
"Perhaps this is just politics."
"Politics… is it really that dark?"
"No wonder I always felt something was strange when the Fourth Hokage died."
"Come to think of it, he only harvested rice straw that one time, right? It was just for show."
"Yeah, and the program for the poor, too. It never really went anywhere."
In the stands, the villagers talked amongst themselves, their unwavering trust in the Third Hokage slowly giving way to doubt. In politics, putting on a show was all too common. Villagers were ignorant, easily fooled and manipulated. Humans have a tendency to follow the crowd. When everyone was praising the Third Hokage, he was naturally a radiant figure in their eyes. But once a different voice emerged, one with a certain degree of credibility, public opinion could turn with merciless speed.
This was the situation the villagers were in now. They began to carefully reconsider the past, and they really did find some things about the Third Hokage that seemed "off." The more they thought, the more suspicious they became, and even the ninja began to have different thoughts.
"Third Hokage… is it really true?" Naruto Uzumaki sat on the ground, devastated, his way of addressing the old man having changed. "The Fourth Hokage and his wife were my parents… I'm not an orphan… I'm not a monster… His kindness to me wasn't real… To him, was I just something to be controlled?" He covered his face and began to sob quietly, tears streaming down his cheeks.
His heart was a mess of conflicting emotions. He wanted what Naruto said to be true, but he also hoped it was false. The reality was too cruel for this boy who loved Konoha so dearly. He thought of the countless times the Third Hokage had given speeches about the Will of Fire, and it all seemed so ironic now.
"Maybe… maybe none of this is real!!" a villager shouted. He looked at the Third Hokage with burning eyes, hoping to hear him refute the claims.
At that moment, in the Third Hokage's eyes, the villagers had already completely evacuated the arena. Only Naruto Uzumaki and the Konoha 12 were wandering around like headless chickens. It seems this genjutsu is taking a heavy toll on him. He can't maintain control for too long, so he let the genin and villagers leave first. As long as I can find a way to stall for time, I can hold out until Jiraiya arrives, the Third Hokage thought, his mind racing, his eyes dark. I can't provoke him. I'll play along for now.
Having thought it through, the Third Hokage shouted at Naruto, "I admit that this was my failure. But Konoha is the place that raised you. Can you really be so heartless?"
"Even though you're from another world, I believe you must have still formed bonds here. Whether it's Sasuke, Shikamaru, or even Kakashi, there must have been a few people who made you feel warmth! I have always believed that you, like Minato, are a strong and gentle person at heart. You can definitely become Hokage too." The Third Hokage's eyes lit up as he thought of Naruto Uzumaki's dream, his tone becoming urgent. "You must want to become Hokage too, right?"
"Hokage?" Hearing the Third Hokage's words, a disdainful smirk appeared on Naruto's lips. "Don't use your own understanding to limit my capacity. The title of Hokage… I lost interest in it long ago."
Naruto slowly walked towards Naruto Uzumaki, his eyes ice-cold.
The stadium was in an uproar.
He admitted it! The Third Hokage had admitted that it was his failure. But you're the Third Hokage! Did you have no power at all? If you had cared, how could Naruto have had such a childhood?
So there was only one truth! The Third Hokage really had tried to control Naruto Uzumaki. And judging by the actions of the other-world Naruto, the Third Hokage's methods were undoubtedly wrong. The Third Hokage of the other world had completely pushed Naruto to the opposite side of Konoha.
And now, a similar future was very likely to repeat itself here!
So, the Third Hokage really was that kind of cold-hearted politician!
What was even more infuriating was that Naruto had said, "The title of Hokage… I lost interest in it long ago." The underlying meaning was that the Naruto of the past, like Naruto Uzumaki, had wanted to become Hokage.
Countless people groaned, clutching their heads. What had the Konoha leadership done? Other villages would kill to have a genius they could cherish and protect. Why was Konoha pushing its geniuses away? A Kage-level powerhouse who could easily defeat the Third Hokage had been pushed to become an enemy of the Leaf! He should have been Konoha's top fighting force! With Naruto on their side, what other village would Konoha have to fear?
Naruto's next words sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Do you feel any regret now? I imagine not. You didn't wake up when the Sannin left, so you probably won't now either."
"Oh, right. You also drove the White Fang of Konoha to his death. Just because his reputation was too high, you had to suppress him, and in the end, you suppressed him to death."
"And I have to mention the great Uchiha clan that was annihilated. Tsk, tsk, tsk. When you think about it carefully, what you've done is truly astonishing. So brilliant. Under your rule, Konoha has absolutely no room for geniuses."
"Under the leadership of the strongest Hokage in history, the Third Hokage, Konoha's strength has reached new heights." Naruto emphasized the word "strongest," making no effort to hide his sarcasm.
The crowd had a sudden realization. So that's how it was. Konoha had once been so powerful. Other villages were considered strong if they had three or four Kage-level shinobi. But in its heyday, Konoha had more Kage-level powerhouses than one could count on one hand. And each of them was incredibly powerful by any standard. But somewhere along the line, Konoha's Kage-level shinobi had either died or left. Various great clans had been destroyed or had withered away. It was a truly lamentable state of affairs.
They had thought it was just the normal ebb and flow of history. They never imagined that the reasons behind it were so thought-provoking!
"Lord Third!! Why?!!" a villager roared in despair, tears in his eyes.
"Father." The thunderous cries of the crowd woke the unconscious Kakashi. His fingers twitched. Naruto hadn't struck a vital point, so he had only lost the ability to fight. Hearing the truth about the White Fang, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger, which finally turned to despair. Deep down, he didn't want what Naruto said to be true. But thinking about it carefully, his father's death was indeed full of suspicious circumstances.
Kakashi wished he had remained unconscious, so he wouldn't have to face all this. He looked down in anguish at the bloodstains on his clothes and his own blood-soaked hands. All the fight had gone out of him. He had killed a comrade again. Just like how he had caused Obito's death.
Kakashi Hatake, the genius ninja of Konoha. Graduated from the academy at age 5, promoted to Chunin at 6, and Jonin at 12. But his hands were stained with the blood of his comrades. One by one, his comrades had died in front of him, but he had lived on like a dog. Why wasn't it me who died? For the first time, the ever-strong Kakashi shed tears. He no longer had the courage to pick up a kunai. He no longer had the right to be a ninja. He had failed everyone!
Hearing all this, Orochimaru also sighed, his gaze towards the Third Hokage turning exceptionally cold. He was the one closest to the darkness, and had even once been a part of it. After defecting, he had established the Sound Village, and while conducting his research, he had also planned this Konoha Crush. His only goals were to make a deal with Danzo and to kill the Third Hokage. He believed that after the Third's death, Tsunade or Jiraiya would become the next Hokage and bring a new change to Konoha. After all, he had grown up in the Leaf; he certainly had some feelings for Konoha and the Third Hokage. He had wanted to give his former teacher a perfect final curtain call, to let the best version of him live on in everyone's memories. The Third Hokage of his memories would be a kind, benevolent leader who was dedicated to Konoha. And Konoha would be reborn. That was what Orochimaru had hoped for.
But the Third Hokage's reputation was now in tatters. All because, throughout the entire battle, he had been toyed with by Naruto's bizarre Kekkei Genkai. He looked at Naruto, his eyes filled with greed. Such a body, such an ability. This was perhaps an even more perfect vessel than Sasuke Uchiha.
Hearing Naruto's heart-stabbing words, the Third Hokage absolutely could not accept it. He was the greatest Hokage in history! Under his governance, Konoha had prospered! He would not allow anyone to deny his efforts! Everything he had done was for Konoha!
The humiliation of being denied was too much to bear. The Third Hokage roared, "No! It's not like that! The White Fang just couldn't handle the rumors! The Uchiha clan had long been planning a rebellion! As Hokage, I have to consider too many factors! I have to not only govern the village, but also manage conflicts with other villages!!"
"Manage? So when Konoha won the war, you still had to kill a member of the Hyuga branch family to appease the Cloud Village? Submissive to outsiders, but a tyrant to your own people. Is that what you call managing?" Naruto sounded as if he had heard the most absurd thing in the world. He stopped walking and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Having been in Root, he had naturally come into contact with many secrets. The Third Hokage's twisted operations had truly opened his eyes.
"No way? That really happened?"
"We were the victors, so why did it seem like we lost?"
"What the hell is this? Someone shits on our heads, and we eat the shit and then send them on their way?"
The stands were in chaos once again. Many of the villagers who had left even came back, ready to watch the drama unfold. The ANBU ninja stood where they were, their faces grim.
"That… that's because after the war, Konoha could no longer afford another conflict. Everyone needed peace," the Third Hokage hesitated for a moment before explaining.
"That seems plausible. Our losses after the continuous wars were not small."
"But the Cloud Village couldn't afford it either," a different voice from the stands pointed out.
Naruto continued unhurriedly, "The Cloud ninja, who was here as a peace envoy, tried to abduct a member of the Hyuga clan. The Hyuga clan head acted justifiably and killed him. Yet the Cloud Village used this as a pretext, threatening to start a war and demanding that Konoha deliver the Hyuga clan head's body to the Cloud Village as an apology. This action all but screamed that the Cloud Village coveted the Byakugan and wanted to study it. As the losing side, to make such a ridiculous demand, it was clear they had no sincerity at all. And what did Konoha do? You licked your boots and apologized, ultimately forcing the Hyuga clan head to commit suicide."
"No one likes war, but peace is never obtained by kneeling. It is won, inch by inch, with your fists!"
"When you make concessions, Konoha projects an image of cowardice to the outside world. In the future, other villages will make even more unreasonable demands."
"Have you been kneeling for so long that you've forgotten how to stand?" Naruto said unhurriedly. A Hokage, yet the years had worn away his edges. He had become corrupt in his position, sucking the blood of everyone. Under such a weak leader, how could any strong individuals possibly emerge in Konoha?
Hearing Naruto's undisguised disgust, the Third Hokage's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to say a word. Was I… really wrong?
"Third Hokage…"
"Lord Hokage…" The stands fell silent. The villagers and ninja all wore numb expressions. The Hokage of a great ninja village, a master of political maneuvering, had been debated into silence. Everyone already had the answer in their hearts.
"That's right! We still have Jiraiya-sama!"
"Jiraiya-sama, please come quickly!" a voice from the crowd called out. They suddenly remembered that one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, was in the village. He could definitely refute Naruto's claims! Konoha was not as corrupt as he said! He definitely could!
Naruto watched all of this, a cruel smirk on his lips. He dispelled Kyoka Suigetsu.
In the next moment, the Third Hokage's vision cleared. The stands, which had been empty in his eyes, were now packed with villagers and ninja, all shouting emotionally:
"Third Hokage, give us an explanation!"
"Where is Jiraiya-sama! We want Jiraiya-sama!"
"We in Konoha don't need peace that comes from kneeling! Even if we die, we will die standing!!"
The Third Hokage finally understood. So everything he had said and done had been seen by everyone. His five senses had been toyed with by Naruto?
How was that possible?!! He was a Kage-level shinobi!!!
He looked at Naruto in disbelief, his eyes filled with anger, panic, and despair. What kind of terrifying Kekkei Genkai was this?! And this being could have been Konoha's greatest asset. From this moment on, he would become Konoha's greatest sinner.
The Third Hokage understood. He was finished.
His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something. A storm of emotions raged within him. Finally, the anger and shame overwhelmed him, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood before fainting.
"That's enough, Naruto." A sigh suddenly sounded in the air. Then, Jiraiya, wearing his wooden geta, appeared before Naruto, a complex look in his eyes.