bioinnovel Chapter 553 Judgment Day... Big Reveal
Chapter 553 Judgment Day... Big Reveal
In the central square of Konoha Village, the cold wind swirled the withered yellow leaves, making a soft "rustling" sound.
The plaza was crowded with Konoha ninjas and villagers, all with solemn expressions, whispering and discussing something among themselves.
Beneath the high platform in the center of the square, three thick shackles burst forth from the ground, like ferocious vines, tightly gripping the wrists and ankles of Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura.
Xiaochun, who was turning over, was as pale as a sheet. Her fingers were curled up and her eyes were filled with unconcealed fear. Her eyes kept glancing at the high platform and then quickly looking down. She didn't even have the courage to look up.
Mitomon Yan tried to remain calm, but his eyes kept darting around, scanning the angry faces in the crowd before quickly looking away.
Danzo Shimura's eyes were closed and his head drooped limply, seemingly already in a coma.
On the high platform, Uchiha Sanfeng stood tall and straight, his face serious and cold.
He lowered his eyes slightly, and his scarlet Sharingan slowly rotated in his eye sockets, the three-tomoe patterns clearly visible.
With a forceful press from the two Jonin, the three were forced to kneel on the open ground below the platform, their knees hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Uchiha Mitsunaga remained motionless, only slowly raising his right hand, precisely aiming it at Koharu Utatane, whose expression was the most flustered and whose mind was the least steadfast.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan"
The moment the words fell, Uchiha Mitsunori's Sharingan suddenly lit up, the scarlet light dazzling and blinding. An invisible eye power instantly wrapped around Koharu Utatane's consciousness, invading her mind through her brow.
Koharu Utatane suddenly stiffened, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes became vacant and lifeless, her pupils dilated, and her lips twitched slightly. She was like a puppet whose soul had been ripped from its strings, trapped under the Sharingan's genjutsu control...
She could clearly feel that her thoughts were being pulled by an irresistible force, and all the secrets in her heart were exposed like wounds being torn open, leaving her no choice but to obediently respond to the other party's interrogation.
Uchiha Mitsunori looked down at Koharu Utatane kneeling on the ground, his tone icy and questioning: "Sarutobi, Shimura, Utatane, and Mito clans, as the core ninja clans of Konoha, why did you hide in the rear and enjoy peace when this Shinobi World War broke out?"
Without hesitation, Koharu Utatane, who was under the control of the genjutsu, slowly revealed the secret that had been buried in her heart for many years: "Because...because Hiruzen had already analyzed that the real instigator behind this war that caused the deaths of countless ninjas was the daimyo of various countries."
Her body trembled slightly, her shoulders tense, as if she were deeply shrouded in the fear brought about by this secret.
"The reason they started the war is actually very simple... In recent years, the number of ninjas in various ninja villages has been increasing, gradually threatening the rule of the daimyo and making them feel apprehensive. So the daimyo secretly colluded and reached a tacit agreement to deliberately provoke conflicts in the ninja world, using the ninjas of enemy countries to weaken the strength of the various ninja villages, in order to consolidate their own rule."
"What... the mastermind is Daimyo?"
Upon hearing this, the Konoha ninjas watching below erupted in uproar, and almost everyone gasped in shock.
Their faces were filled with shock and disbelief. Many people gaped, muttering to themselves, "Impossible! Isn't the Daimyo our supporter of Konoha? We ninjas carry out missions and protect the village for the Daimyo and the civilians. How could they be the masterminds behind this war?"
Some ninjas, scarred from years of battle, wore expressions of grief and indignation...
They fought bloody battles on the battlefield, risking their lives and watching their comrades fall one by one. In the end, they were just pawns for the daimyo to consolidate their power, and victims of their mutual scheming.
The sounds of discussion, questioning, grief, and cursing mingled together, instantly breaking the deathly silence of the square. However, they were all suppressed by the powerful pressure emanating from the three Uchiha peaks on the high platform. No one dared to be too presumptuous and could only lower their voices, their anger and resentment having nowhere to be vented.
Uchiha Mitsunori ignored the commotion below, his crimson Sharingan still fixed on Utatane Koharu, his questioning tone growing increasingly cold: "How did Hiruzen Sarutobi conclude that the Daimyo was the mastermind behind the war... Give me your reasons!"
Koharu Utatane's eyes remained vacant as she mechanically continued speaking, as if repeating Hiruzen Sarutobi's analysis from years ago.
"The only way for ninjas to survive is to earn money by carrying out missions; this is an unchanging rule in the ninja world. Konoha has sent more than 20,000 ninjas to participate in the war. The monthly salaries of these ninjas alone would cost more than 5 billion ryo, and that's just the most basic expenses."
"In addition, the battlefield requires a large number of ninja tools such as explosive tags, kunai, and shuriken, as well as medical supplies, medicines, and bandages needed to treat the wounded. These consume more than 40 billion ryo per month. If we add the compensation for ninjas killed or injured on the battlefield, the pensions for their families, and the cost of post-war reconstruction, the minimum monthly consumption is more than 100 billion ryo, which is an astronomical figure."
She paused, as if recalling Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression at the time, her voice still mechanical: "If it weren't for the covert support of the various daimyo, and if Konoha had launched this war on its own, with Konoha's financial resources at the time, it wouldn't have been able to sustain it for even a month. Konoha would have gone bankrupt and fallen apart."
"It was precisely through precise calculations of the various costs of this war, combined with the wealth and ambitions of the various daimyo, that Hiruzen deduced that the daimyo must be behind this war. Only they had enough financial resources to support such a conflict that swept across the entire ninja world and lasted for several years."
"That's enough!"
Mitokado Homura, unable to contain himself any longer, abruptly raised his head, using all his strength to break free from the Jonin's grip. He shoved his shoulder away and spoke excitedly, "Actually, Hiruzen didn't want to participate in this war either! Do you think he wanted to watch Konoha ninja die one by one on the battlefield? He didn't want that!"
"He knew better than anyone that the ninjas of Konoha were the foundation of the village. The more ninjas died in the village, the more discontent the people would become, and the lower the Hokage's influence would be, even to the point of collapse!"
His voice grew louder and louder, tinged with hysterical madness, his chest heaving violently: "But this is the Daimyo's order! It's an order jointly issued by the Daimyo of various countries! If he doesn't carry it out, the Daimyo and those high-ranking nobles will not only stop issuing any missions in Konoha, cutting off Konoha's financial resources and making it impossible for all of us ninjas to survive, but they might even secretly hire enemy ninja villages and unite to directly besiege Konoha!"
"At that time, Konoha will face annihilation, and everyone will die without a burial place! So we have no choice but to compromise and follow the Daimyo's orders. It's not our fault; we have no choice!"
Mitokado Homura's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing the Konoha villagers and ninjas below to start arguing fiercely, making the scene increasingly chaotic.
Some people looked on with sympathy at the three kneeling on the ground, feeling that they were indeed helpless, after all, the power of the daimyo was supreme and no one dared to resist.
The other group, their faces contorted with rage, pointed at Mitokado Homura and vehemently accused them of cowardice and compromise, of caring only for their own ninja clan's interests and disregarding the lives of ordinary ninjas, of watching countless ninjas die on the battlefield while remaining aloof themselves.
Some members of the ninja clans looked at the four people below the platform with complicated expressions... Why send other ninjas to their deaths while their clansmen can stay safely in the village without any harm?