Chapter 154: Shadows Beneath the Truth
The air in the Hokage Hall felt heavy—thick with tension, as if the faintest sound might shatter the uneasy calm that hung between Konoha's elite.
After the latest investigation and Hatake Kakashi's personal report, the truth of that tragic incident years ago finally came to light.
It had all been a ploy by the Hidden Mist.
They had sealed the Three-Tails into Rin Nohara—not as a gift of power to Konoha, but as a curse. Their goal was cruelly precise: once Rin returned to the village, the seal would automatically release, unleashing the Tailed Beast to ravage Konoha from within. And in the chaos that followed, Mist shinobi would invade, striking the final blow.
But Rin had seen through the ruse—along with Kakashi. Understanding that her very existence would doom the people she loved, she chose to end her life on Kakashi's Chidori.
A sacrifice born of righteousness… and tragedy.
The revelation stirred murmurs among the assembled jōnin. The truth was as heartbreaking as it was horrifying.
But then came the question that froze every heart in the chamber.
"Hokage-sama," one of the jōnin began hesitantly, "if that's true… why didn't Uchiha Obito kill Kakashi? Why did he spare him? And Rin's death—she wasn't killed by the village or by the Fourth Hokage. So why did Obito come to resent the village? Why did he hate the Fourth Hokage?"
A silence swept through the hall.
From his place among the councilors, Hyūga Hiashi's heart clenched. Before the Fifth Hokage could respond, he slammed his hand on the table and barked,
"Sakata! Do not interrupt Hokage-sama. He was just about to explain."
The rebuke cracked like thunder. The young Hyūga jōnin, Sakata, flinched and bowed deeply, his face pale.
Even the Hokage's authority felt less immediate than the weight of one's clan head glaring down.
Hiashi forced a composed smile and turned toward the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama… please forgive his rashness."
Inwardly, however, his thoughts were racing. He believed Fugaku's words so far—he had, after all, seen that ominous chakra himself on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage. It matched perfectly with the energy still clinging to Obito's corpse.
But still…
Could it be possible?
Could Uchiha Obito have acted on Fugaku's orders?
Or worse—could Fugaku himself have orchestrated that night, and now silenced Obito to erase the truth?
Hiashi immediately buried the thought. It was dangerous—even to think such a thing.
Fugaku Uchiha was now Hokage. His strength was unrivaled, his control absolute. The Hyūga Clan's alliance with the Uchiha was fragile but necessary; any sign of doubt could bring ruin.
No… better to play the loyal ally.
Even if the Uchiha had caused the Nine-Tails' attack—what did it matter now? The Hyūga were safe, prosperous, and politically shielded.
Hiashi's reprimand of Sakata had little to do with discipline—it was about survival. If any Hyūga drew suspicion now, it would threaten the entire clan. He would have to convene a private meeting later, to remind his people exactly what to say—and what to never speak aloud again.
"It's fine," Fugaku said at last, his calm voice cutting through the tension. "He only asked what many of you are thinking. I was just about to explain."
Hiashi swallowed and quickly bowed again, hiding his unease behind a practiced smile.
"Hokage-sama, I—"
"Enough, Advisor Hiashi." Fugaku raised a hand, silencing him. "Don't interrupt."
Hiashi froze, nodding quickly. "Of course, Hokage-sama."
Fugaku's dark eyes swept the room before resting on the nervous Byakugan user who had dared to question him. His voice was measured—neither angered nor defensive.
"Although Rin Nohara was not forced to her death by the village, nor killed by the Fourth Hokage, Obito's state of mind was… unstable. He believed her capture was the village's fault—that Konoha's leadership had failed her."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"In his heart, he blamed his teacher—the Fourth Hokage. Obito once admired Minato Namikaze as the Yellow Flash, a man who could appear anywhere in an instant. But when Obito and Rin were ambushed, Minato did not arrive in time. When Rin was taken and turned into a Jinchūriki, again… Minato was absent. And when Rin died before his eyes—Obito's final thread of reason snapped."
Fugaku's gaze hardened.
"That pain festered into hatred. Many years later, when Minato's wife—Uzumaki Kushina—was about to give birth, Obito saw his chance. He knew the weakness of a female Jinchūriki: during childbirth, the seal is at its weakest. So he struck, releasing the Nine-Tails to exact vengeance on both his teacher and this village."
Fugaku's tone grew solemn as he concluded:
"My Uchiha Clan knew nothing of Obito's survival or his actions thereafter. He severed all ties with us long before that night. What he did—he did alone."
His words hung in the air like iron.
Silence followed. Then slow, reluctant nods spread among the shinobi. The story fit. The logic, grim as it was, made sense.
So that was it—the tragic chain of events that turned an idealistic boy into a monster.
Still, pity flickered through many hearts. For all his brilliance, the Fourth Hokage had been cursed with a disciple whose heart shattered too easily.
But before the room could settle, another voice rose.
"Hokage-sama," said a middle-aged jōnin cautiously, "forgive my boldness, but there's something I don't understand."
Fugaku inclined his head. "Speak."
"You said you fought Uchiha Obito that night," the man began, "but why was he there—in the forest outside the village? Has he been lurking in Konoha all this time? Or…" he hesitated, "…did someone let him in?"
The air instantly grew heavy again.
A ripple passed through the council like a chill wind. Everyone knew what that question implied.
Konoha was protected by an intricate barrier—one that detected any intrusion from outside. To enter unseen, one would either have to already be within the village… or be let in by someone who controlled the barrier.
And who among Konoha's clans once held such access?
Only one name fit that possibility.
The Uchiha.
Eyes darted toward the Hokage's seat—then quickly away again.
Fugaku's expression did not change, but the faint pressure of his chakra filled the chamber like a dark tide.
For the first time, the shinobi of Konoha began to realiz
e:
The truth might not be as simple as it seemed.
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