NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93: The Truth II
"It doesn't end there," Tsunade continued. "You all deserve to know the truth about the incident thirteen years ago—the Nine-Tails attack."
At this, the villagers fell silent, the memory of the colossal beast's rampage and the sacrifices it forced upon Konoha still vivid. Many recalled how the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had sacrificed his life to protect them.
"The Nine-Tails, or Kyubi, didn't attack the village of its own will. It was controlled by someone claiming to be Madara Uchiha, who used it as a weapon against us," Tsunade explained. "The Nine-Tails is a tailed beast, a powerful entity that has been sealed within a shinobi who could manage the seal—a role known as Jinchuriki. The First Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails was my grandmother, Mito Uzumaki, followed by Kushina Uzumaki, the Fourth Hokage's wife and Naruto's mother."
She paused, allowing the gravity of her words to sink in.
"On that tragic day, as Kushina was giving birth to Naruto, this man infiltrated her birthing location, broke the seal, and used his power to release and control the Nine-Tails, unleashing it upon our village. But the question remained—how did he find this place? This information was highly classified, known only to a few."
Tsunade's gaze hardened. "Upon investigation, we discovered that Danzo Shimura, one of our village elders, was responsible for leaking this information to the attacker."
A wave of shock swept through the crowd, as Tsunade's words revealed truths that had been buried for years. The villagers were visibly disturbed, recalling the tragic Kyubi attack that had cost so many lives and left scars across Konoha.
Tsunade took a deep breath, her gaze steady. "Danzo's betrayal goes deeper than anyone could have imagined. By leaking classified information, he endangered every life in this village—including the life of a newborn child, Naruto. His actions led to the loss of countless shinobi, as well as the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage, who gave his life to save us all."
Gasps and whispers echoed through the crowd. Many looked towards me, seeing in my face the legacy of that fateful night. I remained silent, letting Tsunade continue, knowing this moment was necessary for Konoha's healing.
"If Kushina hadn't been alive, Naruto would have been isolated, hated by every one of you," Tsunade said, her voice cutting through the tension in the air. "Hiruzen and Danzo would have used their influence to spread rumors that Naruto was the Nine-Tails itself, and you would have believed them. You would have turned your backs on him, and he would have longed for acceptance and love that he never would have received, not from the moment of his birth.
"But, Hiruzen wouldn't have let that happen completely," Tsunade continued. "He would have appeared at the right moment, pretending to offer solace, manipulating Naruto from that very day to mold him into someone he could control."
The crowd fell silent, many of them still in disbelief. Tsunade's words were sharp and unsettling.
"I know some of you still can't believe that Hiruzen would go that far, but it's the truth," she said firmly. "You've all heard the story of Hatake Sakumo, right? The 'White Fang,' the man who committed suicide after being shunned for abandoning a mission to save his comrades?"
There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, many remembering Sakumo's tragic end.
"It was a scheme orchestrated by Hiruzen and Danzo," Tsunade revealed. "They spread lies about Sakumo, calling him a coward for abandoning the mission, and it led to his downfall. A man who cared more for his comrades than a mission was driven to take his own life because of their manipulation."
The silence that fell over the crowd was deafening. Tsunade's words had hit a nerve deep within every villager. They had all heard the tragic tale of Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang, who had been forced to bear the weight of guilt for saving his comrades instead of completing a mission. The rumors and betrayal that surrounded his death had left a lasting scar on Konoha, and now they were hearing the truth behind it.
Tsunade continued, her voice steady but filled with unrelenting power. "Sakumo wasn't just a shinobi—he was a human being, someone who cared for his comrades more than any mission. But the very people in charge, people like Hiruzen and Danzo, twisted his actions and turned them into something shameful. They manipulated the village into hating him, driving him to despair until he took his own life. This isn't a tale of a mission gone wrong; it's a tale of how the very ones who were supposed to protect Konoha and its people used their power to destroy a man who did nothing but care for his village."
She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle in. Many of the villagers were looking down, ashamed or horrified by the realization that they had been manipulated, that they had been used as pawns in someone else's game. Tsunade's gaze swept across the gathered clans and villagers, her tone growing stronger.
"So, the question is—do you believe that a mission is more valuable than a person's life? Do you think that someone's well-being should be sacrificed for the sake of a mission or a so-called greater good? Because if that's the case, then you've been deceived by the very people who were supposed to protect you."
She turned toward me, and for a brief moment, I could see the pain in her eyes. I could feel the weight of her words, knowing that this was the moment of reckoning for not just the village, but for everyone who had ever trusted in Hiruzen or Danzo. Tsunade had always been a protector, a leader who had seen too much suffering caused by those in power who acted out of self-interest.
The crowd was now hushed, the murmurs of disbelief and shame echoing quietly. Tsunade stood tall, her voice cutting through the air once more.
"Now, we must face the consequences. We must take responsibility for the actions of those who have betrayed this village's trust. And we must rebuild Konoha, not just in brick and stone, but in heart and spirit. From this day forward, we will no longer allow those in power to manipulate us for their own gains. We will stand together, united, as one village. A village where the lives of its people matter more than any mission or title."
The words hung in the air like a declaration. The villagers were beginning to understand the depths of the betrayal they had been subjected to. Tsunade had shown them the truth, and now, there was no turning back. The path to healing would be long and difficult, but with this newfound understanding, the people of Konoha had the chance to rebuild their village on a foundation of trust and compassion.