The memories that had been obscured returned.
Scene after scene from the past echoed in their minds, appearing before everyone's eyes as they gradually came to understand everything.
Crashed sobs and wails rang out throughout the city, and even across the entire Shinobi World.
Why?
Everyone discovered the cruel truth.
They could not accept the cruel reality.
Why?
Her hands trembling violently, Pakura opened her eyes wide and stared at them.
Yes, I should have hated everything.
Hated Konoha. Hated it for destroying her homeland.
Why had she ignored something so important?
Because her emotions had been wantonly toyed with and manipulated by someone else.
It was the Insect. The Insects inside her body had controlled her thoughts.
I can't accept this! I can't accept this!! I can't accept this!!!
"Insect Princess!!!"
She roared, screamed, and sobbed hysterically, her face streaked with tears.
What have I been doing all these years?!
Her memories returned to her youth—to that scene among the ruins, amid the helpless crowds packed as far as the eye could see. That terrifying, detestable masked woman had stood before her and forcefully made her eat the carefully prepared candy.
Behind her, the children wore confused expressions as they accepted the gift of fate without knowing anything.
They did not know that every gift had long since been secretly assigned a price.
From this moment onward, I would no longer be myself.
I had become Konoha's loyal dog.
"A hero?"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
Laughing madly as she broke down, Pakura charged into the street with her weapon.
The instant the jutsu was dispelled, the entire Shinobi World had already descended into chaos.
In one house, a husband and wife looked at each other. After a moment, the wife rose, picked up a short knife from the kitchen, and pointed it