Haku, Your Lie Is Too Fake

"Unfortunately, my mother possessed the very Kekkei Genkai they hated—Ice Release!"

"Our lives should have gone on peacefully. Mother had hidden it for many years without being discovered, but unfortunately, I inherited her Kekkei Genkai. That was when the tragedy began. Father discovered by accident that I possessed a Kekkei Genkai, and without hesitation, he led a group of villagers to kill Mother and me."

"Mother died beneath the villagers' and Father's blades, while my fear completely awakened my Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."

"They died. Every single villager died in my mindless rage. I pierced them all with ice spikes, including my father..."

"I became an orphan after that. I hated the Kekkei Genkai within me. If I could, I would rather have been an ordinary person!"

Speaking of that history again, Haku's heart still ached terribly.

If not for himself, if not for this so-called Kekkei Genkai, shouldn't he still be living a peaceful, wonderful, happy life with his parents in that village where snow fell year-round?

Yet not only Kakashi, even Obito looked skeptical.

"The story is sad, but unfortunately, it's far too fake!"

"First, you said the villagers feared war and hated Kekkei Genkai. Why? Why didn't they hate the shinobi who brought war, or war itself? Why did they only hate Kekkei Genkai? Did they dare attack shinobi with Kekkei Genkai but not ordinary shinobi?"

"Second, you said your mother had possessed a Kekkei Genkai and hidden it for many years. Since she'd had it for so long, even if she couldn't bear to fight your father and the villagers, she should have had more than enough ability to protect herself, right? After all, you had just awakened yours and could easily kill every villager."

"Third, would your father really try to kill you and your mother just because you had a Kekkei Genkai? Was that possible? Would a father attack his own wife and child over such a baseless reason? Was that possible?"

Obito asked "Was that possible?" twice in a row, his gaze fixed firmly on Haku.

He tried to find even the slightest hint of panic in the other boy's eyes.

Unfortunately, there was none.

Hopeless!

At such a young age, this kid could lie without even drafting a script and still act so self-righteous. Though it was to save his life, fabricating such an easily dismantled lie was practically an insult to their intelligence!

Kakashi looked shocked.

Not bad, Obito! You actually learned to think with that smooth koala brain of yours!

He had assumed someone had acted out of jealousy over their power, but according to Haku's story, this was just too absurd!

"Huh? This..."

Haku was also left somewhat at a loss by Obito's three counterquestions.

It seemed... that was true!

Disasters and wars were brought about by shinobi. What did that have to do with people like them who possessed Kekkei Genkai?

You didn't hate shinobi. You even treated the shinobi who came to the village like gods. So why did you have absolutely no tolerance for people like us with Kekkei Genkai?

It was as absurd as someone whose family had been destroyed by war hating Kunai and Shuriken instead of the shinobi who started the war.

Shinobi were the ones who killed people. Shuriken and Kunai were merely tools. In the end, just like Kekkei Genkai, why didn't you hate war or shinobi? Why did you hate these things?

And Mother too—she possessed the power of Ice Release, so she could have fought back, couldn't she?

If Father was there and she couldn't bring herself to resist, then she could at least have protected herself, right?

Even if not for herself, she should have done it for me!

But why...

And Father too... Father had always loved and cared for me, his eldest son, in his memories. Would he really call outsiders over to hack me to death just because of a Kekkei Genkai? Was I really his biological son?

If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author. It may have simply been renamed!

Obito shook his head regretfully.

"Kakashi, kill them all. There's no use keeping someone whose mouth doesn't contain a single word of truth, even if he has a Kekkei Genkai."

The regret in Obito's voice was undisguised.

Watching Kakashi draw his short blade and walk toward Zabuza, Haku's expression changed.

"Wait! It's okay!"

Seeing Kakashi approach with his blade ready to strike, Zabuza struggled to sit up as well.

Although the Chakra in his body had been sealed, he could still move freely.

"I... I can prove that what Haku said is true!"

"Wait."

Kakashi and Obito exchanged a glance, signaling Zabuza to continue.

However, the meaning between them was clear: if Zabuza didn't explain himself properly, they would cut both of them down.

With death before him and his grand ambitions still unrealized, Zabuza did not hesitate in the slightest to sell out the Hidden Mist Village.

"Under the Fourth Mizukage's leadership, the Land of Water has become increasingly twisted, increasingly incomprehensible."

"Though Haku's story sounds absurd, he is absolutely not the only one, nor is he the end."

"Under the influence of the Hidden Mist Village's Mizukage, practically everyone in the Land of Water hates those who possess Kekkei Genkai. Haku and his mother are merely two among countless victims."

As Zabuza spoke, his words gradually filled with overwhelming hatred.

Was he someone who did not love his country, did not love his village, and had no Will of Water?

On the contrary, he had loved his country deeply. But however much he had loved it back then, that was how deeply disappointed he was now.

This overwhelming hatred was not directed at the two people before him, but at the Land of Water! The Hidden Mist Village! The Fourth Mizukage!

"For example, me... you may have heard about my past..."

Zabuza's gaze settled on Kakashi.

Kakashi glanced at Kakashi, then shook his head.

"Sorry, I really haven't."

Seeing that the two wanted him to continue, Zabuza spoke. "I grew up in the Hidden Mist, and I was one of the ninjas raised by the Hidden Mist Village."

"To select the finest ninjas, the Hidden Mist Village made students at our Ninja Academy slaughter one another from childhood, using it to improve our strength before choosing the strongest!"

"The most ridiculous thing about this twisted system was that it had the approval of so many people. I couldn't understand what those at the top were thinking, so on graduation day, I killed every one of my classmates with my own hands!"

"I wanted to use that act to wake them up. I wanted them to know that a Hidden Mist Village that fished its waters dry would have no future!"

"But I overestimated the Fourth Mizukage. I also overestimated his supporters..."

"They did not punish me in any way. On the contrary, they thought I had performed exceptionally and gave me many rewards! You heard that right! I killed every companion in my class, and they still gave me generous rewards!"

"Hahaha, isn't that laughable?"

"And my reason for betraying the village was simple. I believed the Hidden Mist Village had no hope if it continued like this. After failing to assassinate the Mizukage, I had no choice but to flee the village. I hoped to find like-minded people to overthrow the Mizukage's rule. To that end, I desperately took on missions, earning money and more money, all to build a force capable of bringing down the Mizukage..."