"What?!"
"Damn it!!!"
"Nani?!"
"…"
The group of young ninja—Konoha's finest—stood there, completely stunned. They couldn't believe that an elder of the Hidden Leaf Village would dare lay a hand on a student from the Ninja Academy!
Naruto Uzumaki, in particular, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"That damn Dumpling Elder!!! How dare he go after Hirofumi!!! I swear I won't let him get away with this!!!"
Sasuke Uchiha sighed and corrected him, exasperated.
"Idiot! It's Elder Danzo, not Dumpling Elder!"
"I don't care what kind of elder he is!!! One day, I'm gonna show him why the flowers are so red!!!"
Seeing the group getting riled up by his words, Ito Hirofumi raised his hands to quiet them down.
Their emotions were fired up now—perfect. It was time for a passionate, rousing speech!
After all, why not take a page out of the Mustache Guy's book?
"Everyone… do you remember the very first lesson we had at the Ninja Academy?!
Back then, Iruka-sensei asked us what the Will of Fire is!
So, tell me, what do you think the Will of Fire of the Hidden Leaf Village is?!
'Where leaves dance, the fire burns eternal. The flames light up the village, nurturing new sprouts to grow!'"
Hirofumi paused, answering his own question, as the young ninjas leaned in, eager to hear what he had to say.
"Let me be blunt: you, me, us—we're the new sprouts of the Hidden Leaf Village!
One day, we'll grow into towering trees, burning brightly to light the way for the next generation of sprouts!
The future of the Hidden Leaf Village will rest in our hands!!!
Think about it—since its founding, our village has seen four Hokages. In the First Hokage's era, the Hidden Leaf dominated the ninja world. In the Second Hokage's time, our village's influence still echoed. The Third Hokage, in his prime, was called the Hero of the Ninja World! And the Fourth Hokage? The Yellow Flash of the Leaf!
Our village was once glorious, unstoppable, and powerful!
But now?!
Is the Hidden Leaf Village really that strong anymore?!
Over the years, I've learned a lot, and I can't shake the feeling that this isn't what our village is supposed to be!
The former Anbu captain, Shisui Hatake, took his own life amidst rumors and slander. Honestly, that whole situation is just absurd!
Then there's Neji Hyuga's father, Hizashi Hyuga. That man died just to appease the wrath of the Land of Lightning!
And closer to home, I won't even go into detail, but the Uchiha clan—the most powerful family in the Hidden Leaf—was completely wiped out!!!
Do you really think this is the same Hidden Leaf Village it used to be?!"
Hirofumi poured it all out in one breath. Some of the young ninjas knew bits and pieces of these events, while others were completely in the dark. But after hearing Hirofumi's words, they all couldn't help but feel that the Hidden Leaf Village was… kind of a mess right now!
The deaths of those predecessors and the annihilation of the Uchiha clan raised a lot of uncomfortable questions.
Kids from prominent clans, like Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka, had heard whispers about these incidents and knew a bit more about the village's darker secrets.
But civilian ninjas like Sakura Haruno and Rock Lee? They were clueless…
Naruto, as usual, didn't fully grasp the situation, but seeing everyone's grim expressions, he could tell something was seriously wrong!
Sasuke's face darkened with hatred as he thought of the man he'd sworn to kill.
Neji Hyuga's expression was equally grim, though he no longer harbored resentment toward Hinata or his uncle. Hirofumi had once told him that his father died to protect his brother, not because the Hyuga clan abandoned him.
Neji had come to terms with it and now saw his father as a hero…
But that didn't mean his anger was gone. It had just shifted—toward the Hidden Leaf's leadership and the Land of Lightning!
Hirofumi paused, giving everyone a moment to process before continuing.
"And it's not just the Uchiha clan. What about the Senju clan, who founded the village alongside them? Two of the most powerful clans from the Warring States era—both gone!!!
I believe this version of the Hidden Leaf Village is wrong. If things keep going like this, one day, our village will vanish into the dustbin of ninja history!!!"
Hirofumi's voice grew more intense, and he stood up, practically channeling the Mustache Guy's energy, one hand waving dramatically in front of him!
"Did you know that for years, the Hidden Leaf has been paying reparations?!
Whenever another village needs cash, they stir up some trouble with us, and the Hidden Leaf obediently forks over millions—tens of millions—of ryo!!!
Do you know how much money that is? You couldn't even fit it in a carriage!!!
The glory of the Hidden Leaf Village is long gone. All that's left now is weakness! Reparations!!!
If this keeps up, what's next? Are we going to start giving away land?! Sending our people to marry into other villages for peace?!
Are we going to send our sisters out to entertain the ninjas of other nations?!!!
This is a disgrace!!! A disgrace to the Land of Fire! A disgrace to the Hidden Leaf Village!!! A disgrace to every Hokage who came before us!!!!"
The young ninjas, all in the heat of youth, were fired up, especially after imagining the scenarios Hirofumi described. Would their village really resort to giving away land, paying reparations, or offering their sisters for peace?!
The thought alone was unbearable!
"Damn it!!! I'm not letting that happen!!! Reparations, giving up land, marrying off our people? No way in hell!!! If it comes to that, I'll fight to the death!!!" Naruto roared.
"Exactly! Naruto's right!!! We'll fight if we have to!! Every one of us has sisters at home! Screw that! When I, Inuzuka Kiba, become clan head, I'll make sure this nonsense never happens!!!"
Neji, thinking of his two younger sisters, felt his blood boil. If the Hidden Leaf ever tried to send them off for some marriage alliance, he'd never allow it! The Hyuga clan wouldn't stand for it either!
If that day ever came, he'd rather defect from the village!!!
Shikamaru Nara, always the sharp one, picked up on the deeper meaning behind Hirofumi's words.
Growing up, Shikamaru's intelligence and his father's teachings had given him insight into the village's darker side.
But what good was knowing? The Nara clan couldn't change anything. His father couldn't change anything. And neither could he!
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