The Burden of the Past, the Rage of the Dead

A Lesson in Konoha's Sins

Souta Kazuki's voice echoed through the ethereal space, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the storm brewing around him. The chakra of legends filled the air, thick with wrath, disbelief, and grief. He had told them the truth—the ugly, undeniable reality of Konoha's past. The truth that had been buried beneath years of propaganda, cowardice, and power struggles. And now, the dead were listening.

Senju Tobirama, the once-proud Second Hokage, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His crimson gaze bore into Souta like a blade, his entire body trembling with suppressed rage.

"You wanted to know what happened to Konoha?" Souta's smirk was cold, unreadable. "Fine. Let me tell you about the sins of the Third Hokage… and the corruption that destroyed your village from within."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "Speak."

Souta exhaled slowly before he began, his words deliberate, each one a hammer striking against the fragile perceptions these men had of the village they once swore to protect.

"The Senju Clan has indeed been exterminated," he said, his gaze flickering toward Hashirama, whose expression darkened. "Tsunade Senju is the only one left, and she abandoned Konoha long ago—disheartened, broken by the very system you built."

Hashirama's hands trembled. His village, his dream—it had failed his family.

"As for Hatake Sakumo," Souta continued, shifting his gaze toward Minato and Fugaku, "he was a man too powerful and too righteous for the likes of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo." His voice hardened. "They spread rumors—lies. They turned the people against him. And when he took his own life, they let it happen. No one stood up for him."

Minato's breath hitched. His disciple's father—his hero—had been discarded like nothing.

Souta's voice pressed on, unyielding. "Hyūga Hizashi—the father of the Hyūga prodigy you saw outside—was another casualty of Konoha's weakness." He glanced at Minato, watching his expression twist with pain. "Cloud's shinobi tried to kidnap Hinata Hyūga, but her father intervened and killed them. Rather than standing firm, rather than defending their own people, the Third Hokage and the council bowed their heads to Kumogakure's threats. In the end, they handed over Hizashi's corpse in the name of so-called peace."

The reaction was instant.

A monstrous pressure erupted from Hashirama, Minato, and Tobirama all at once, their chakra tearing through the void like a force of nature. Hashirama's eyes burned with an intensity that had not been seen since the Warring States Period.

Tobirama's teeth clenched as his body shook. "That… that coward!" His voice was hoarse, guttural. "I made him Hokage—I put my faith in him—and THIS is what he did?!" His rage was palpable, his chakra crackling with the weight of betrayal.

Minato, usually the calmest of them all, could not suppress his fury. His blue eyes burned with emotion as he turned to Souta. "Hizashi… he was my classmate," he admitted, his voice raw. "Along with Kushina… with Shikaku, Inoichi… we all trained together. And the Third Hokage let him die for nothing?"

Souta nodded grimly. "Yes."

A heavy silence followed before he continued.

"But this is just the beginning." Souta shifted his gaze toward Fugaku. "Do you remember Uchiha Shisui?"

"Of course, I remember Uchiha Shisui," Fugaku continued, his voice carrying a heavy weight. "He was the greatest prodigy of his generation. I had even considered stepping down one day and letting him lead the Uchiha clan."

His fists trembled. "But then, one day… he vanished."

The silence stretched.

"Did he truly vanish, or was he erased?" Souta's voice was calm, but his words struck like a kunai to the chest.

Fugaku's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Souta exhaled sharply. "Danzo stole his Mangekyō Sharingan."

A sharp, ragged breath escaped Fugaku's lips.

"What did you say?"

"Uchiha Shisui awakened the Mangekyō," Souta repeated. "And in his foolish trust, he revealed his power to Danzo Shimura—only to be betrayed." His voice was cold now, unrelenting. "Danzo ambushed him. Took his eye. Tried to take the other. But Shisui managed to escape. Before he died, he entrusted his remaining eye to Itachi, hoping to preserve the Uchiha's will."

The entire room seemed to crack under the suffocating pressure of Fugaku's rage. His Sharingan morphed violently into the Mangekyō, his pupils twisting in a pattern unseen for years.

"That bastard!" he roared. His voice trembled with anguish. "Danzo deserves to die!"

Souta took a step back as he felt the intensity of Fugaku's chakra rising, but before he could react—

A sharp intake of breath came from behind him.

Tobirama Senju.

His body was frozen. His crimson eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were now wide with shock. His breath came in slow, measured intervals, but there was an unmistakable tremor in his voice.

"What did you just say?"

Fugaku turned, his Sharingan spinning furiously. "You heard me." His voice was laced with venom. "Shisui was Kagami's descendant."

A cold shiver ran down Souta's spine.

Tobirama stood deathly still, his entire body stiffening.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head slightly. "That can't be."

Uchiha Kagami had been his student—one of his finest. Among the Uchiha, Kagami was different. He had been loyal, rational, willing to put the village above clan politics. Tobirama had once considered him the key to bridging the gap between the Uchiha and the rest of Konoha.

And now…

Now he was being told that Kagami's descendant had been butchered by his own successor.

By Danzo.

By his own student.

The realization hit him like a blow to the chest. His hands trembled, his mind screaming at him, refusing to believe it.

"No," he growled, his teeth gritting. "No, no, no—this is not what I taught him! This is not—!"

His rage exploded.

A colossal wave of chakra burst from his body, sending an invisible shockwave through the space. Hashirama's eyes widened as he instinctively flared his own chakra to contain the blast. Minato and Fugaku staggered as the sheer intensity of Tobirama's anger made the air heavy and suffocating.

"I should have killed him myself!" Tobirama snarled. "That snake! That traitor!"

His teeth bared in a snarl, his entire body seething with unrestrained fury. "What kind of monsters did I create?!"

Fugaku let out a bitter laugh, his expression twisted with rage.

"Monsters, indeed!" he spat. "But the village still praises them, Tobirama. Danzo remained in the shadows, but Hiruzen? He is worshipped."

Tobirama felt something crack inside him.

His faith in his teachings.

His belief in the system he had sacrificed everything to create.

He had built the foundation of Konoha with the intention of preserving peace. He had made choices, harsh choices, but all for the greater good. And yet, those who came after him—Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo Shimura—had twisted everything.

Had corrupted it.

Had stained his legacy with blood.

And then there was Hashirama.

The First Hokage's hands were clenched into trembling fists. His lips were pressed together tightly, his usually warm and gentle eyes now dark with uncharacteristic rage.

Konoha had fallen far from what he had envisioned.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," he muttered. His voice, normally so full of warmth, now carried an edge of profound sorrow. "I built that village to protect everyone. To protect the future… And yet…"

And yet, it had devoured its own people.

Minato stood motionless. His thoughts were racing, his faith in his former master shattered.

He had always believed in Hiruzen Sarutobi. Admired him. Respected him.

But now, that belief had turned to dust.

The Third Hokage, the man he had once strived to emulate, had betrayed everything.

His own people.

His own comrades.

Minato clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

"...I was wrong about him," he murmured.

No one spoke.

The room was filled with nothing but the sound of their chakra raging like an uncontrollable storm.

Souta Kazuki took a slow step back. His mission was done.

He had given them the truth.

Now, it was up to the dead to decide what to do with it.