Chapter 76: The Real Reckoning
Hah.
Naruto exhaled.
This breath seemed to release the injustice he had suffered over the past thirteen years.
It also seemed to vent the anger he had suppressed for so long.
It was more like—the people responsible for his darkness had finally paid the price.
It felt good.
Naruto looked at the ruined Konoha beneath his feet and clenched his fists.
This was what he had wanted to do for a long time. And now, he had finally done it.
For thirteen years—
He had wanted nothing more than to destroy Konoha.
To make everyone here pay.
To let those who had abused him, tormented him, and made his childhood dark—feel the same pain.
Only then could they understand the darkness of Naruto's thirteen years.
Only then could those thirteen years of suffering be washed away.
This was the true reckoning.
A bloody reckoning.
Naruto's eyes flashed. Next—it was their turn.
At that moment, the Third Hokage's roars echoed one after another.
ANBU from Konoha leaped from the rooftops of the Hokage building after receiving the Third Hokage's kill order. One by one, they charged toward Naruto.
They tried to perform ninjutsu to knock Naruto out of the sky.
Seeing this, Naruto snorted coldly.
He raised Senbonzakura. His figure flashed.
Before those ANBU could reach him, Naruto made the first move.
A single Shunpo—he appeared in front of them.
Senbonzakura swung down.
The blade flashed.
Puff!
Blood splattered. Blood sprayed across the sky.
Those ANBU who had attacked Naruto were cut down in an instant—killed on the spot.
Their bodies fell.
After beheading the incoming ANBU, Naruto flicked his blade and looked indifferently at the roof of the Hokage building. He looked at the Third Hokage—who was glaring at him, furious and trembling.
He said calmly:
"Now—do you feel the pain?"
"Now—do you see why I did this?"
The Third Hokage was completely consumed by anger and hatred at that moment. He couldn't listen to Naruto's words at all.
Seeing the strong killing intent in the Third Hokage's eyes, Naruto wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled and said calmly:
"There it is. That look."
"That's right. Just like you want to kill me right now—I want to kill you too."
"This is the price."
"Third Hokage—when you hid the truth and let the village's anger and hatred be vented on me—you should have expected this outcome."
"You should have known that all of this would be paid back someday."
His cold, indifferent voice resounded through the skies above Konoha.
When the Third Hokage heard it, he froze on the spot.
After hearing this, everyone present looked at Naruto in a daze.
Sakura and Ino had just asked Kakashi why Naruto had done this. Now, they seemed to understand Naruto's anger and actions.
They looked at Naruto with complicated faces.
No one could imagine how Naruto had been treated over the past thirteen years.
No one knew how Naruto had survived.
They couldn't imagine it—but they could glimpse a corner of it from the villagers' hostile attitudes and insulting words toward Naruto just moments ago in the market street.
This was truly retribution.
They didn't know what to say.
But Konoha's leadership didn't see it that way.
The Third Hokage didn't see it that way either.
They had witnessed everything with their own eyes, but they couldn't empathize.
As the ones in power, they only felt that all of this was natural. That it was Konoha's people who should sacrifice for the village.
But why didn't they ever think—why not let themselves bear such painful darkness?
Why didn't they ever think—when the Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto, was it so that they could treat Naruto as a hated, bullied, emotionless tool?
No. It wasn't.
All of this was the result of their political games.
They only wanted to keep the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki firmly under their control.
They never cared about Naruto's feelings.
They only wanted to give the villagers an outlet for the destruction the Nine-Tails had caused—so that the villagers' anger and hatred could be vented, and their own positions strengthened.
So they let a child bear everything.
Bear the darkness that should never have been his to bear.
The Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura ignored what Naruto said. They ignored Naruto's feelings entirely.
Then, the Third Hokage roared:
"Uzumaki Naruto! You destroyed the village and killed your fellow ninja! You are a traitor who has broken every rule! Today, I will bring justice and take you down! I will give the people of Konoha an explanation!"
After speaking, the Third Hokage threw off his white Hokage robes and hat, revealing the tight black combat uniform underneath.
Then, the Third Hokage formed hand signs with both hands. His fingers moved quickly as he prepared to attack Naruto.
Seeing this, Naruto didn't back down. Instead, he smiled. His eyes were full of killing intent as he said calmly:
"Come on. This isn't over yet. The real reckoning has only just begun."
After saying that, Naruto gripped Senbonzakura tightly and charged toward the Third Hokage.
By then, the Third Hokage's hand signs were complete. He yelled at Naruto:
"Wind Style—Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Style—Fire Dragon Flame!"
True to his reputation as the Third Hokage—he performed two ninjutsu simultaneously in the blink of an eye.
The combination of wind and fire made the attack even more powerful. The power reached S-rank.
Suddenly, a massive fire dragon spewed from the Third Hokage's mouth.
After the fire dragon appeared, it burned fiercely. With the addition of the Wind Style jutsu, its power increased dramatically.
In an instant, the fire spread in all directions, sweeping toward Naruto.
When Naruto saw it, he sneered, raised his palm, and said calmly:
"Bakudo #81—Splitting Void."
Before the flames could hit him, a transparent light barrier suddenly appeared in front of Naruto.
The monstrous fire immediately slammed into the light barrier.
Boom!
No matter how the flames burned and roared, they could not pass through the defense of the light barrier.
After blocking the Third Hokage's attack, Naruto didn't strike back at him. Instead, he looked at Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura inside the Hokage building's office.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu saw Naruto's gaze. The arrogance they had shown earlier—the desire to kill Naruto—was gone.
Instead, their faces were filled with terror. Absolute, extreme terror.
After Naruto saw the two of them, a flash of killing intent passed through his eyes. He said calmly:
"You two old men. Even now, you haven't repented. You've never realized your mistakes."
"Now—you've felt the pain of the village being destroyed. There's no point in keeping you alive."
"Let's start with you two."