What does a true war in the ninja world look like?
Except for those lucky survivors of the Third Great Ninja War who still hold onto fading memories, most of the new generation had long since forgotten the horror of true conflict.
This made it all the more devastating when the large-scale invasion struck; the entirety of Konoha instantly descended into chaos. To make matters worse, Danzo had gathered every member of the Root organization and retreated into their pitch-black, underground secret base. This sudden withdrawal caused defenses in numerous sectors to collapse immediately. Many young shinobi didn't even have time to process what was happening before they collapsed into pools of blood, becoming nothing more than cold corpses.
At the Chunin Exam stadium, the situation was even more dire.
Gaara, the Jinchuriki of the One-Tail, had entered a state of indiscriminate, bloodthirsty slaughter. In the blink of an eye, he used his sand to crush the Land of Fire nobles and samurai in the spectator stands into a gory pulp. Meanwhile, the Jonin Baki led his subordinates into a fierce melee against the Jonin of Konoha.
Watching everything he had worked so hard to build crumble into ruins, the Third Hokage's aged face contorted with immense fury. He demanded harshly, "Did you orchestrate all of this? Why? Why would you do this? Is it because of that deal with the Stone Shinobi? Or is this all part of Danzo's conspiracy?"
"Hmm... how should I put it?" Allen explained with a calm smile. "Half of it is indeed the plotting of Danzo and Orochimaru. The other half is simply that I've grown bored of this tedious game of ninjas.
"The Hidden Villages, the shinobi, the Daimyo, the nobles, this world is held in a death grip by these groups representing nothing but stale, decaying interests. It's time for the Power of Change to emerge. And I shall watch it all unfold from a higher vantage point. I will watch as the profession of the 'shinobi,' which knows only how to kill, destroy, and breed hatred, is phased out by history. I will watch the Five Great Nations, including Konoha, vanish entirely. Of course, the Hidden Stone might go a bit faster; they did happen to annoy me, after all."
"What?!"
The Third Hokage thought his ears were failing him. He looked at Allen as if he were staring at a delusional madman.
Allen, however, didn't care. He continued to himself: "Look at this world! Power is carved up by nobles, Daimyos, and samurai factions. Military force is monopolized by you shinobi, who hoard Chakra and Ninjutsu! For your own selfish interests, you fight endless battles day after day, forcing countless civilians to live in misery. They have no choice but to endure.
"But now, I am here. I will grant them the power to stand against the shinobi. From this day forward, civilians will no longer be the sheep waiting for slaughter in your eyes. They will be young beasts slowly growing their teeth and claws. When that time comes, they will erupt with unimaginable power. And you, the remnants of the old era, will be ground down and consumed, bit by bit, by the tides of the new age."
"Power to stand against the shinobi?"
The Third Hokage keenly caught the key phrase.
"Exactly!" Allen nodded, smiling.
"Remember the 'Aura' I mentioned to you before? Its true name is Nen, a power system involving the extraction and manipulation of life energy from within one's own body. Unlike Chakra, anyone can master this power through training. This means that even a commoner can learn it, provided they invest the time and effort. Furthermore, Nen can be strengthened through sheer willpower!
"Imagine if millions or even tens of millions of civilians in this world became Nen users and turned their sights on the shinobi and nobles for revenge. How long could you possibly hold out? Even if you could survive, what about your families? Your friends? Your children?
"Moreover, I won't just teach these civilians Nen; I will teach them Ninjutsu. From the lowest C-rank techniques to the highest S-rank Forbidden Jutsu, I will print thousands upon thousands of copies, ensuring the secrets you guard so jealously are spread to every corner of the world. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I've already copied the entire contents of Konoha's Scroll of Seals, so..."
"Are you serious?" Kakashi appeared at the Third Hokage's side at some point, his voice laced with uncharacteristic severity.
Allen merely shrugged with indifference. "Of course! I am always very serious. Don't you think the very existence of 'Hidden Villages' is an irony? How much darkness exists even within the 'glorious' Leaf? How many filthy exchanges of interest?
"Did you know the Uchiha clan massacre was actually caused by Danzo's personal greed? Did you know that the Mangekyo awakened by Shisui Uchiha could actually change a person's will, which could have ended the crisis without any bloodshed? But all of that was lost because Danzo coveted those eyes, and because of the prejudice against the Uchiha that started with the Second Hokage. Everything ended in tragedy.
"I could even go so far as to say that the root cause of the Uchiha massacre was facilitated by the Third Hokage himself. Without his silent approval and indulgence, Danzo and Root would never have been so bold, and there wouldn't be so many tragedies hidden in the dark. As for Itachi, he was just a fool brainwashed by the so-called 'Will of Fire.' He didn't understand that a distorted, pathological entity like a Hidden Village has no value in existing. He even killed his own parents with his own hands for it, bearing all the infamy alone."
"Is... is everything you're saying true?"
Sasuke, having overheard these revelations, spoke with a voice that trembled.
"Do you think I have any reason to lie to you?"
Allen instantly activated his own Mangekyo Sharingan, staring down at the poor boy who had been played like a puppet from the very beginning.
"Mangekyo?! You... you have the blood of the Uchiha as well?" Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, and his own Sharingan unconsciously activated.
"No, you're mistaken. The so-called Sharingan is merely the product of Yin Release Chakra combining with the optic nerve. I simply extracted a bit of the Uchiha Sharingan's DNA. So, now that you know the truth, do you still intend to stay in this place, the place that caused the deaths of your parents and your entire clan?" Allen asked meaningfully.
"Just the opposite! I'm going to kill the Third Hokage! I will utterly destroy this Konoha Village, filled with its filth and darkness!"
Driven by intense emotional fluctuations, Sasuke's Sharingan instantly evolved from two tomoe to three. Simultaneously, the Cursed Seal of Heaven began rapidly absorbing natural energy from the environment, slowly transforming into a pair of massive, fleshy wings.
Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed his strongest known Ninjutsu—Chidori. He lunged toward the old man in the red hat and white robes with lightning speed.
Unfortunately, before he could reach his target, Kakashi intercepted him. The teacher and student collided without a single word of waste. Everyone knew that at this point, words were meaningless.
The grudge of one's parents is as vast as the heavens. After learning the truth behind the massacre of his clan, there was no way Sasuke Uchiha would ever remain a part of the Hidden Leaf.