Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

"They want you to obey, they belittle you to the extreme, they say this is the right thing to do, they say this is your fate..."

"You try to struggle, you try to resist, but they change their attitude, they yell at you, they cut off your hands and feet, they lock you in a cage."

"They hit you, scold you, advise you, beg you, they say it's wrong, they say they're right, they say they're doing this for your own good..."

Finally, Hizashi Hyuga thought of Hinata, and of the cowardly personality Hinata had developed under Hiashi's twisted fatherly love and controlling nature.

Yes.

That's right.

Hyuga Hizashi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze now filled with only a cold resolve.

Now that he has come to this point, he has lost everything, including his name, and even his soul has been given to the "devil." What was the purpose of all this?

Isn't it all to prevent Neji from going down the same old path, to free Neji from the shackles of the Hyuga clan, and to allow Neji to follow his own will?

Just as he said to Hiashi.

When it comes to dividing the family, right and wrong don't matter, life and death don't matter.

Being able to make your own decisions is the most important thing.

Hyuga Hizashi would never use the name of fatherly love to prevent Neji from doing what he wants to do.

Since Neji wants to do it, let him do it.

Regardless of the final outcome, whether it is good or bad, right or wrong, or even life or death.

No matter the cost, as a father, I will only choose to stand with Neji and bear it together.

Thinking of this, Hyuga Hizashi raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the elders, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

If anyone tries to stop Neji...

"Hizu-sama."

The sudden sound interrupted Hizashi's thoughts.

Turning around, a ninja from the main clan approached and whispered, "The Third Hokage has sent an ANBU to invite you and the elders to offer condolences."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Hizashi's face showed a look of surprise, and Hyuga Higo and several elders also frowned.

In the past, paying tribute to the heroes who died in the war was entirely voluntary. Why was someone sent to notify us this time?

------

Time: Dusk.

The tender green leaves on the trees trembled slightly in the wind, but could not dispel the sorrow that permeated the air.

The setting sun painted the sky a desolate orange-red, like blood, but it could not illuminate the heavy gloom over the memorial cemetery.

All the Konoha ninjas, regardless of rank, stood solemnly at this moment, dressed in dignified pure black mourning clothes, like a silent forest stretching out in the twilight.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the forefront, his gray hair trembling slightly in the wind, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, etched with the vicissitudes of time, now adding a layer of weariness.

"O soul, return... let the flames of war cease..."

"Inheriting your will...to protect our homeland..."

The officiant chanted a lengthy eulogy in a low voice, the sound echoing across the empty square, deep and slow, offering solace to the deceased.

As one name after another was read out and engraved on the memorial stone, barely audible sobs gradually rose from the crowd.

Hyuga Hizashi and Hyuga Higo stood in the crowd, wondering what Hiruzen Sarutobi was up to.

But when they saw the figure standing behind Hiruzen Sarutobi in the front row, their faces showed surprise in unison.

"Hyuga Kumikawa?"

Hyuga Higo first frowned, but soon he saw his daughter.

Right now, I'm standing right behind the guy I hate the most.

Yes, his daughter.

Not only did he not stand with his father, but he didn't even stand in the Hyuga clan's ranks; instead, he stood behind Hyuga Kumokawa.

creak!

Higo Hyuga's face twitched, and he couldn't help but clench his teeth together, grinding them forcefully, making a sound that made one's teeth ache.

Damn it! Hinata Kumokawa, that damn bastard!!

Chapter 118 Yun Chuan's Speech, Fervent Fighting Spirit

Why do humans value procreation and the continuation of their lineage?

One very important reason is to ensure that after death, someone will remember them and regard them as a continuation of their life.

In a person's life, true death is not the cessation of heartbeat and breathing, nor is it the burial of the body and people attending the funeral dressed in black.

Instead, it means that the last person in the world who remembers you forgets you, and the whole world is no longer related to you.

Therefore, Konoha's decision to erect a memorial monument was truly a wise one.

The mourning ended quickly.

Normally, at this time, it would be Hiruzen Sarutobi who would go up and summarize the event.

However, this time, it was beyond everyone's expectations.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the base of the memorial monument, facing the Konoha people below, and suddenly moved a step to the side, giving up the middle position.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Hinata Kumokawa slowly walked up to the base of the memorial monument.

The rosy glow of dusk pierced through the clouds and fell upon him, outlining his thin figure. His right arm, wrapped in heavy bandages, was fixed in front of him, suggesting a frail and sickly appearance.

But he still had a knife at his waist, and his gaze slowly swept across the faces below, each one showing weariness, sorrow, or tranquility.

An invisible, heavy pressure gradually spread out from him, causing the Konoha members who had been whispering to subconsciously quiet down.

Finally, when all was quiet except for the sound of the wind and breathing, Hinata Kumokawa spoke.

"Gentlemen, some of you may know me, and some may not."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears as he said softly, "You don't need to know my name. I'm just like you; I'm a ninja from Konoha."

"Like you, I walked through the long night with courage, passed over the remains of my comrades, climbed over thorns and war, and stand here to ignite the flame of life for them."

"But after the Third Generation Lord found me, before I stood here, I tried to find words, to pile up phrases, to use language to depict war and death."

"But I have found that no words can weigh the weight of war and life, and no words can express the efforts and sacrifices we have made for survival."

"War has taken so much from us..."

Hinata Kumokawa's voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a deep resonance, filled with the smoke and dust of the battlefield.

Although he said "there's no need to know my name," how could anyone present not know his name?

As a hero who killed hundreds or thousands of enemies on the battlefield but was forced to retreat from the front lines due to serious injuries, he undoubtedly deserved to stand in that place.

No one was qualified to voice any objections, not even Higo Hyuga standing below, who dared not step forward to argue with a dark expression.

"Gentlemen, this is war..."

Hinata Kumokawa's hand gripped the sword at his waist, subtly evoking memories of the battlefield for everyone present. Countless bloody and mangled images of the battlefield made everyone's breathing become deep.

But just as he was trying to use the power of "greed" to continue stirring up everyone's emotions.

"Lord Third Generation! Urgent report!"

A masked ANBU ninja suddenly appeared, his chest heaving violently as he teleported to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, kneeling on one knee and pulling a scroll from his ninja tool pouch.

His appearance was like a drop of water falling into seemingly calm hot oil; an ominous premonition instantly gripped the hearts of everyone present.

Hyuga Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly, while Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and did not choose to take the scroll. Instead, he said, "Read it."

Whether it's good news or bad news, it can't be hidden under public scrutiny.

He now has no choice but to trust Hinata Kumokawa.

"Yes."

The ANBU ninja nervously unrolled the scroll, and every word he uttered next felt like a red-hot iron branding the hearts of everyone present.

"Sunagakure deployed the One-Tailed Jinchuriki, luring him to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. The One-Tail broke free of its seal, resulting in the complete annihilation of the border guards!"

"A large number of ninja from Sunagakure have begun to invade the borders of my Land of Fire via the Land of Rain..."

"The defenses are under siege... We request urgent reinforcements..."

The ANBU ninja's voice trembled more and more, and the volume became softer and softer, but everyone present fell into a deathly silence, and they heard it clearly.

Immediately after a brief silence, an indescribable shock and panic exploded in the crowd!

"Tailed Beasts? How dare the Sand Village!?"

"The border guards...are all dead?"

"Passing through Amegakure, wouldn't that be the rear of the Land of the Moon's forces?!"

"What do we do? War, tailed beasts, it's happening again!"

Angry roars, panicked inquiries, and incredulous exclamations intertwined into a chaotic wave.

The heavy sorrow that Hyuga Kumokawa had just gathered was instantly torn to shreds by this devastating news. Fear, like an invisible giant hand, seized every heart present!

But just as the chaos reached its peak, and panic was about to spread out of control...

"quiet!"

A voice suddenly silenced all the noise; it wasn't loud, but it made everyone's panic abruptly stop.

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to the figure on the base of the memorial tablet.

"Gentlemen, this is war! This is reality! Those hungry wolves who covet us will not give us time to catch our breath! They will not give us time to mourn!"

Hinata Kumokawa's voice suddenly rose, sharp as if tearing eardrums, and he said in a deep voice: "Decades, generation after generation, time and time again!"

"During the First Shinobi World War, our Second Hokage, Tobirama, went to negotiate with sincerity, hoping to exchange his efforts for peace! And then what did the Hidden Cloud Village do?"

"They had barely set foot on their land when they revealed their poisoned fangs and ambitions, using despicable means to assassinate our Second Hokage!"

"The wounds of the First Shinobi World War have not yet healed, and the flames of the Second Shinobi World War have been reignited! And who is it this time?!"

Hyuga Kumokawa suddenly pointed his left hand towards the Land of Wind and sneered, "Sunagakure! They say the Land of Fire is too rich, and Sunagakure can't survive here!"

"So they used the absurd excuse of unfair resource allocation to launch the Second Shinobi World War against us!"

"During the Third Shinobi World War, the Third Kazekage disappeared, and they actually blamed us for it, using the shameless excuse of bandits to launch another invasion!"

"They crossed the border, tore our comrades apart with puppets, buried our wheat fields with sandstorms, and poisoned the lives of our people!"

"Use the blood, sweat, and lives of our Fire Nation to fill the thirsty cracks in their barren land—that's the 'rational allocation of resources' they want!"

"This is Sunagakure! This is Kumogakure!"

His gaze swept coldly over the crowd below: "And not long ago, they sent messengers, but they held knives to children's necks!"

"After their conspiracy failed, those beasts used flimsy excuses to pressure Konoha into handing over the 'murderer' who acted to protect his family!"

"They said they wanted an 'explanation'!"

"Explain?" Hinata Kumokawa's voice turned into a mocking whisper. "They dare to mention 'explain'!"

"Then who should give Konoha an explanation? An explanation to the families who lost their pillars in the war? An explanation to the villages that were trampled? An explanation to all of us?!"

As panic gradually subsided among the crowd, anger silently brewed, like magma beneath the earth, yearning for an outlet.

"Assassination! Robbery! Kidnapping! Frame-up! Extortion!"

"This is Kumogakure! This is Sunagakure!"

Hyuga Kumokawa's gaze swept over the crowd, and he gripped the sword at his waist, coldly saying, "Their greedy eyes have never strayed from the land of Konoha, and have never ceased their covetousness towards us!"

"And now, they're back!"

"They didn't even wait for us to wipe away the tears we shed for the dead! They couldn't wait to bare their teeth and tear us, the entire Land of Fire, to shreds!"

"They're saying: 'Konoha? Without a strong figure like the First Hokage, all that's left are sick cats with broken spines! We can trample on them as we please, tear off pieces of flesh as we please!'"

"So, what is your answer now?"

He took a sudden step forward, his body almost leaning over the edge of the stage, his injured right arm stained red with blood, but he paid no heed and demanded, "Tell me, have you had enough?"