Chapter 188: The Unraveling Truth
The crimson glow of the Meteor Blade was the last thing many Konoha shinobi saw. Uchiha Ren moved through the dissipating steam like a phantom, his sword an extension of his will. Each swing was economical, lethal. A scream would cut through the fog, cut short as another life was extinguished. He was a whirlwind of death within their own ranks, and they were powerless to stop him. The fear of hitting their own comrades made any large-scale ninjutsu impossible.
"Be careful! He's among us! Ah—!" A warning cry ended in a gurgle.
"Damn it! Fall back! Create distance!" Kakashi ordered, his voice strained. They had no choice but to disengage, scattering away from the bladed hurricane in their midst.
Just as they created a gap, a new voice boomed across the battlefield. *"Secret Technique: Multi-Size Technique!"*
A gigantic palm, easily the size of a house, descended from above, smashing down on the spot where Ren had been standing. The impact sent tremors through the ground and finally cleared the remaining mist.
But Ren was already gone. A faint shunshin whisper was the only evidence of his movement. He reappeared, lounging casually once more on the Nine-Tails' head, his arms crossed as he looked down at the Konoha forces with a mocking smile.
The scene was now clear. The Konoha ranks had swelled significantly. Reinforcements had arrived—the village's true elite. At the forefront stood the Fifth Hokage herself, Senju Tsunade, her face a mask of fury and grim determination. Flanking her were rows of ANBU, the leaders of the Hyūga, Aburame, and other clans, their expressions equally severe. The full military might of Konoha was now arrayed against him.
"Tsunade," Ren mused, his voice carrying easily. "You finally decided to show yourself."
"Uchiha Ren!" Tsunade's voice was like cracking stone. "Why? Why have you done this to Konoha?"
"Why?" Ren's mocking smile vanished, replaced by a look of profound, icy bitterness. "When Konoha backed my clan into a corner and orchestrated our annihilation, I wanted to ask the same question! The Uchiha stood alongside the Senju to found this village! We ended the Warring States period! We shed blood in every great war to protect these very walls! And what was our reward? Extermination! So I ask you, Hokage... why?"
"Bastard!" a jōnin yelled from behind Tsunade. "The Uchiha were slaughtered by your own kin, Uchiha Itachi! Your vengeance is misplaced! Take your grudge to that missing-nin, not to us!"
Ren threw his head back and laughed, a harsh, grating sound devoid of any humor. "Hehehe... Tsunade! It seems even the Hokage is kept in the dark. How pathetic!"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. A cold knot tightened in her stomach. She had always suspected the official story was too clean, too simple. "What are you implying?" she demanded, her voice low.
"You want to know?" Ren's voice dropped, becoming cold and clear, meant for every shinobi present to hear. "Then I will tell you the truth that your precious Third Hokage buried. I have no reason to lie. The peace you enjoy is built on a foundation of my clan's blood and a brother's endless suffering."
He paused, letting the anticipation build. The entire battlefield had fallen silent, the only sound the low growl of the Nine-Tails.
"The Uchiha clan was planning a coup," Ren began, his words falling like stones. "Faced with decades of suspicion, segregation, and being forced to the outskirts of the village, they had enough. Danzō Shimura and the Konoha Council learned of it. They gave Uchiha Itachi an ultimatum: wipe out the entire Uchiha clan, down to the last man, woman, and child... or they would launch a preemptive strike, which would lead to a civil war and leave Konoha vulnerable to its enemies."
A ripple of shock went through the Konoha ranks. Whispers of disbelief began to spread.
"Itachi was an ANBU, a loyal Konoha shinobi. To prevent a war that would have destroyed the village he loved, he made a choice. That night, he slaughtered everyone. His parents. His friends. Our entire family. He spared only one person: his younger brother, Sasuke, to bear the hatred and become strong. And in return, Konoha's leaders branded him a rogue ninja, a monster, letting him bear the sole infamy for their dirty work. The 'peace' you've known for years was bought with the lives of the Uchiha and the soul of my brother."
The silence that followed was deafening. The story was too horrific, too tragic to be a simple lie. Shinobi exchanged stunned glances. Some looked sickened; others had faces etched with pity and dawning horror.
"I... I can't believe it..."
"For the village... he killed his own parents?"
"The peace we had... was this the price?"
Tsunade stood frozen. The pieces fell into place. The Third Hokage's evasiveness, Danzō's shadowy influence, Itachi's inexplicable actions. It all made a terrible, brutal sense. She felt a wave of nausea. The village she led, the Will of Fire she upheld, was stained with a sin of unimaginable proportions.
Ren watched the turmoil on their faces, a grim satisfaction in his eyes. He was not like Itachi, willing to bear the burden of lies for a hollow peace. He would force them to stare into the abyss of their own history.
"The truth is ugly, isn't it?" Ren's voice cut through the murmurs. "Now you understand. This is not an attack without cause. This is retribution."
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