Yahiko, Pakura, and Raiga Kurosuki found it hard to believe Chi Yu when he claimed that he had once been at the very bottom of Konoha's society—and that if he hadn't fought and sacrificed for the village, he would never have had a chance to rise.
To them, it made no sense. Chi Yu didn't seem like someone who had struggled.
A shinobi as powerful as Chi Yu had to have been groomed from a young age. That kind of strength didn't come from nowhere.
In the world of shinobi, the reason why ordinary ninja rarely rose above mediocrity was due to the unequal distribution of resources and opportunity. The strong were given more chances to become stronger. The weak were overlooked.
They hadn't personally seen Chi Yu fight in battle, but they knew his reputation. A direct disciple of Orochimaru of the Sannin. The wielder of the highly advanced Lightning Breathing Body Flicker Technique. And he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan—a dojutsu only the Uchiha Clan could awaken.
Rumors like these spread, especially among the warfront.
And if he had the Sharingan, that could only mean one thing: Chi Yu was an Uchiha.
But now, he was claiming that he came from nothing? That he had once been rejected by Konoha?
Could an Uchiha really be treated like an outcast?
Seeing their skeptical expressions, Chi Yu let out a low chuckle.
"Don't believe me? Honestly, I wouldn't either. When I introduced myself earlier, I didn't mention my surname—because I don't have one."
"Although I possess the Sharingan, I have no ties to the Uchiha Clan."
"I suppose I should explain a little more—otherwise, you won't understand my contempt for Konoha."
"I didn't want to talk about this, but since we'll be fighting side by side from now on, it's only fair that you know."
"First of all, I didn't even live in Konoha until I was five. My parents were exiled—driven out by the Uchiha Clan."
"Why? Because my father was a Senju, and my mother was an Uchiha. The two bloodlines couldn't be more at odds. You know what that means, don't you?"
Pakura and Raiga's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yahiko just frowned in confusion. "So what? Two people from different clans got married. Why is that such a big deal?"
Pakura looked at him with a complicated expression. "Kamiyo... do you really not know?"
Yahiko scratched his head. "Should I?"
Raiga spoke up. "Before the founding of the Hidden Villages, the world was ruled by war between ninja clans. Among them, the two strongest were the Uchiha and the Senju."
"It was their endless bloodshed that defined the Warring States era. Eventually, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, the heads of their respective clans, brokered a fragile peace and founded Konohagakure together."
"Other nations copied the model, and the Five Great Shinobi Countries were born."
"But make no mistake—the hatred between the Uchiha and Senju didn't vanish. It only went underground."
"When Madara turned against the village and attacked it, Hashirama confronted him. Their battle carved the Valley of the End into the land. That's how deep their rivalry ran."
Yahiko looked awkward and rubbed his nose. He really didn't know. He never liked reading or lectures.
Pakura turned back to Chi Yu. "You said your parents were exiled just for being together?"
Chi Yu nodded. "That's right. By the time Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage, the Senju Clan had already declined. Many married into civilian families or dissolved into the village. Publicly, there was no longer a distinct Senju Clan—only the name remained in records."
"But the Uchiha still held power, and they despised the idea of a union with a Senju, especially someone like my mother who awakened the Sharingan."
"They demanded she abandon me while still pregnant. My father—who had already left active duty as a shinobi—snuck into Uchiha territory, took my mother, and fled."
"The Uchiha put pressure on Hiruzen. My parents were branded missing-nin and hunted down. We lived in hiding."
He took a breath before continuing, his voice calm but cold.
"My father was killed by bounty hunters who wanted my mother's eyes. She was mortally wounded protecting me. Before she died, she brought me back to Konoha—begging Hiruzen Sarutobi to let me stay."
"I was allowed to live, but I wasn't welcome."
"The Uchiha disavowed me. I didn't bear their name. I was considered an outsider, a bastard of cursed blood."
"And because of my parents' status as traitors, the villagers bullied me. I had no dignity, no protection, and no clan to shield me."
Pakura, Raiga, and Yahiko were stunned into silence.
They never imagined that someone like Chi Yu had suffered so much beneath the surface of Konoha's supposed harmony.
Yahiko hesitated before asking, "So… what happened after that?"
Chi Yu spread his hands. "I did what I had to. I survived. I pushed my body and mind beyond their limits. I bled for that village. And eventually, I caught the attention of Orochimaru."
He smiled faintly.
"And from there, I clawed my way up, one step at a time."
Even though he spoke casually, all three could feel the weight of what he left unsaid. It had not been easy.
Pakura narrowed her eyes. "So… do you hate Konoha?"
Chi Yu gave a wry smile. "What do you think?"
"Yes, Konoha sheltered me. But I paid that debt in full. I risked my life for them. Again and again."
"We're even now."
"And if there's no debt between us, then what's left?"
He looked each of them in the eye.
"Only resentment."
Raiga asked cautiously, "Is that why you created this organization? To get revenge?"
Chi Yu shook his head. "That would be shortsighted."
"Now that you know my past, I hope you understand what this organization really stands for."
"We're the ninja discarded by the system. Used up, then cast aside."
"Their wars. Their politics. Their so-called honor. They take everything from us, and when we're no longer useful, they toss us out like trash."
"But our passion isn't meaningless—not if we redirect it."
Yahiko tilted his head. "Redirect it where?"
Chi Yu's eyes sharpened.
"Toward ourselves. Toward our own future."
"The world is heading toward another era of chaos. Peace will last for a while—but not forever."
"When the next storm comes, we won't be pawns on someone else's board."
"We will carve out our own place in this world—and live without regrets."
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