When Uchiha Yuzuru's voice rang out, the Uchiha clan's ninja were the first to erupt into cheers.
They had been persecuted by Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others to the point where they were forced to leave their homes, their resentment bottled up beyond measure.
The Uchiha valued honor above all else. In their eyes, killing Sarutobi Hiruzen and the rest was far less important than clearing their clan's name.
Now, their clan leader was seizing this opportunity to publicly expose the countless crimes committed by Sarutobi Hiruzen and his ilk. How could that not be exhilarating?
The ninja from Kumogakure and Konoha also pricked up their ears.
After everything that had happened earlier, the mystique surrounding Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo had already been shattered.
Everyone wanted to know just how many heinous, conscience-destroying acts those four bastards had committed over the years.
Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama wore complicated expressions.
Not only because Sarutobi Hiruzen was someone they had watched grow up, but also because of his status as Hokage.
A dignified Hokage of Konoha, reduced to being abandoned by all, bound like a dog and kneeling on the ground awaiting judgment…
This was a scene they had never imagined.
"Haah…"
Hashirama let out a sigh and plopped down on the ground.
Memories from the past flashed continuously through his mind, and the figure of Uchiha Madara grew clearer and clearer.
'Was I really wrong…?' he wondered silently.
Compared to Hashirama, Tobirama's feelings were even more tangled.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were both his personal disciples, and it was he who had personally handed the position of Hokage to Hiruzen back then.
Now that they were reviled by everyone, even he, their teacher, felt disgraced.
If his body weren't firmly restrained by the Impure World Reincarnation technique, Tobirama would have already rushed forward and cut those four traitorous disciples down himself.
That would have spared him this kind of public humiliation!
When everyone finally quieted down, Uchiha Yuzuru's deep voice echoed in their ears.
"As Hokage and Hokage advisors, fearing injury and fearing death—has anyone ever heard of ninja who stay off the battlefield for decades?"
"This is the first sin!"
His words struck like hammer blows, and murmurs immediately rippled through the crowd.
"Now that you mention it, I really don't recall the Third Hokage ever charging into battle."
"Exactly. Take this war with Kumogakure, for example. The Third Raikage, A, Uchiha Yuzuru, Killer B, Tōdai… nearly all of Kumogakure's high-level figures were active on the battlefield, making us suffer endlessly. Meanwhile, our Hokage and Hokage advisors sat in high positions, hiding safely in the rear of the village…"
"As the village's strongest combat power, they never once helped on the battlefield… what use do we have for leaders like that?!"
The Konoha ninja glared angrily at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, their fists clenched tight.
Were the people they had once risked their lives to serve really nothing more than four cowards afraid of death?
The Kumogakure ninja, on the other hand, wore smug expressions.
Compared to Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, the Third Raikage was practically a saint.
Uchiha Yuzuru paused briefly, then continued.
"During their tenure, they stagnated and clung to old ways, causing Konoha to fall in just a few short decades from the strongest village in the ninja world to one that anyone could trample!"
"This is the second sin!"
As soon as these words fell, many nodded in agreement.
Back then, Konoha had been the strongest ninja village. Even if the other villages joined forces, they were no match for it.
But now?
In less than two months, Konoha had been breached by enemy forces.
Facing Kumogakure's attack, they had practically been powerless to resist.
From the strongest village to one bullied by all… the bitterness of that fall was impossible to put into words.
Just as the Konoha ninja sighed inwardly, Uchiha Yuzuru's voice rang out again.
"Persecuting ninja clans and oppressing the innocent, forcing great clans like the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyūga to choose to leave Konoha!"
"This is the third sin!"
At these words, the Uchiha ninja ground their teeth as they stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others.
If they hadn't been driven into a corner with no way out, who would willingly abandon their homeland for some unfamiliar land?
If not for Lord Uchiha Yuzuru's careful planning, would they even have had a chance to return?
By then, the entire Uchiha clan would have borne the stigma of traitors, perhaps even been nailed to the pillar of historical shame.
Compared to the Uchiha, the Konoha ninja burned with even greater hatred.
If not for those four bastards forcing these powerful clans into exile, how could Konoha have been reduced to ruins?
How could so many of their friends and family have died?
Everything—everything—was the fault of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo!
Uchiha Yuzuru let out a cold laugh and continued, "Abusing power for personal gain, seizing by force the assets of the village and other clans, turning their own families into parasitic vermin gnawing at Konoha."
"This is the fourth sin!"
As his words fell, ninja from many Konoha clans couldn't help but applaud and cheer.
The term "parasitic vermin" fit all too perfectly—it struck straight to their hearts.
Since Sarutobi Hiruzen took office, he had continuously suppressed the clans. Even the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans—once his staunch allies—were not spared.
Not only were they forced to hand over parts of their clan industries, they also had to select outstanding younger members to be sent into Anbu, turning them into puppets in the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo…
In just a few decades, many clans that had survived a thousand years of Warring States conflict were persecuted to the point of total extinction.
In contrast, the Sarutobi clan, Shimura clan, Mitokado clan, and Utatane clan continued to grow, even surpassing many long-established noble clans.
The reason was exactly this!
By this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu were already trembling uncontrollably.
If Uchiha Yuzuru had brought this to light, would it implicate their clans as well?
Uchiha Yuzuru ignored them entirely and continued speaking.
"Betraying trust and abandoning allies, watching as they were destroyed, leaving Konoha isolated at home and abroad, suffering setback after setback."
"This is the fifth sin!"
He had already alluded to it earlier, so everyone present knew he was referring to the Land of Whirlpools.
The Konoha ninja sighed, many shaking their heads in regret.
"Come to think of it… if the Land of Whirlpools hadn't been destroyed, how could Konoha have ended up so isolated in the previous ninja wars?"
"Exactly. The Uzumaki clan was famous for their chakra vitality and powerful sealing techniques. If we had helped them resist the enemy back then, our casualties in those wars might not have been so severe."
"After the Land of Whirlpools was wiped out, Konoha lost the trust of its allies. That's why, even when surrounded by four nations, no one was willing to lend us a hand."
"In the end, it was Konoha that failed the Uzumaki clan."
Hearing this belated apology, Uzumaki Kushina's tears had already begun to flow uncontrollably.