The room fell into a stunned silence. Souta Kazuki's revelation had hit them all like a lightning bolt. The idea that an elder of Konoha, a supposed guardian of the village, had personally tried to eliminate a mere student from the Academy was unfathomable. The betrayal ran deep, shaking the very foundations of their trust in the system.
"Damn it!!!"
The outburst came from Naruto, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His bright blue eyes burned with righteous fury. "That bastard Danzo! How dare he try to kill Souta?! I won't forgive him!"
Uchiha Sasuke, standing nearby, sighed, rubbing his temples. "Idiot. It's Elder Danzo, not just 'Danzo.' Show some respect, even if you hate him."
"I don't give a damn what he's called!!!" Naruto snapped, his voice echoing in the room. "Sooner or later, I'll make him pay! He'll learn why the flowers are so red!!!"
The fire in Naruto's voice seemed to spread to the others. The tension in the room grew thicker, a storm of emotions brewing in the hearts of Konoha's next generation. Before the fury could spiral out of control, Souta raised his hands, gesturing for silence. He had their attention now—this was the moment.
"Everyone… do you remember our first lesson in the Academy?" His voice was steady but carried an intensity that made them all listen. "Iruka-sensei asked us what the Will of Fire truly means."
He paused, letting his words sink in before answering his own question.
"Where the leaves dance, the flames will burn. That fire will illuminate the village and nurture the next generation. That's the Will of Fire." Souta's gaze swept across the room, catching the eyes of each of his friends. "But what does that really mean?"
They listened intently, waiting for him to continue.
"I'll tell you. It means us. We are the next generation. We are the ones who will carry the flame forward! But look at our village right now—does Konoha still feel as strong as it once was? Does it still carry the pride and honor it once did?!"
A ripple of unease passed through the group. Shikamaru and Ino, raised in clans with deep roots in Konoha's history, shifted uncomfortably. They had heard whispers of change, of secrets buried beneath years of deception, but they had never dared question them before.
"Konoha was once unmatched," Souta continued, his voice rising. "During the First Hokage's era, we were the most powerful village in the world. The Second Hokage continued that legacy, and even the Third Hokage in his prime was called the Professor and the God of Shinobi. Then came the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash—who single-handedly turned the tide of war."
"But look at us now." Souta's fist slammed onto the table. "The former Anbu captain, Hatake Sakumo, was driven to suicide by baseless rumors. Hyuga Hizashi, Neji's father, was sacrificed to appease another nation! And the most unforgivable of all—the Uchiha clan, once one of the founding pillars of Konoha, was wiped out in a single night!"
A deep, suffocating silence filled the room.
Sasuke's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. His breath grew shallow. He didn't need the reminder. He had lived it. The massacre that haunted his every waking moment. The blood. The screams. The corpses of his family.
Neji's expression darkened as he recalled his father's sacrifice, but more than sorrow, what burned within him now was anger
Souta let the silence linger before he pressed on.
"The Senju Clan, once as strong as the Uchiha, has faded into obscurity. The two great clans that built this village… gone." Souta exhaled sharply. "Does this seem like the same Konoha we read about in history books?!"
No one answered, but they didn't need to. The weight of his words had settled in their hearts.
"And what do we have left? A Konoha that pays its enemies to keep the peace?"
Kiba's head snapped up. "What the hell do you mean pays?"
Souta's voice was edged with barely restrained fury. "I mean that whenever a foreign village wants money, all they have to do is create some 'diplomatic friction,' and Konoha bends over backwards to hand over millions in compensation." His fingers curled into a fist. "Instead of standing strong, we pay them off like cowards."
Kiba shot up from his seat. "That's bullshit! What kind of village just hands over money to its enemies?!"
Souta's eyes were burning now. "And if it's money today, what's next? Land?Marriages? Are we going to sell off our sisters to enemy nations for the sake of 'peace'?"
The very idea sent a violent shudder through the group.
Neji's gaze flickered toward Hinata and Hanabi. His mind raced. If the village deemed a noble Hyuga heiress a worthy bargaining chip… could such a thing truly happen?
His jaw clenched. No.
"That will never happen," Neji said, his voice cold as steel. "Not while I'm still alive."
Naruto slammed his fist against his chest. "If they try something like that, I'll fight them all!!! I don't care if it's the Hokage himself!"
Kiba growled, his canines bared. "Damn right! There's no way in hell I'd let that happen to my clan either!"
Even Shikamaru, usually the one to avoid confrontation, remained silent. Because this time… this time, he couldn't ignore it.