Sarutobi Hiruzen's Seven Deadly Sins

"We still haven't done enough. Sarutobi Hiruzen must pay for what he's done."

Senju Nawaki unconsciously rubbed his knee. It was cold to the touch, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

He seemed to be back at the moment when he'd once been on the brink of death: that pain, that silence, that despair.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had to pay for what he'd done.

The first step was to destroy the reputation he'd built up over the years.

That would be easy. Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions had always been controversial. As Hokage, he'd suppressed any information that reflected badly on him.

Now was the perfect time.

The Senju Clan had left, and dissenting voices were rising in Konoha.

The Ninja World was unstable, and other villages and nations were scrutinizing this unworthy Hokage, questioning whether he had the ability and prestige to shoulder such a responsibility.

The people in the meeting room felt a chill and stopped treating this like a show.

They were all victims of Sarutobi Hiruzen's rule. They should seek justice for themselves and for the Senju Clan.

Senju Tojian noticed Senju Nawaki's expression, and his eyes filled with sympathy.

"If Sarutobi Hiruzen likes using these tactics, then let him experience how rumors can wound."

Senju Nawaki realized he'd let his emotions show. His expression softened again, and he took out a stack of papers and handed them around.

Several large characters caught their eyes.

[Sarutobi Hiruzen's Seven Deadly Sins!]

[First sin: Illegitimate claim to power. He was supposed to be a Hokage's guard, assigned to protect Senju Tobirama while Tobirama negotiated with Kumogakure. In the end, the one who died was Senju Tobirama, master of the Flying Thunder God Technique. The so-called order appointing Hiruzen as Hokage was nothing but a scheme concocted by several guards to shirk responsibility...]

At its core, this denied the legitimacy of Sarutobi Hiruzen's claim to the title of Hokage.

It not only called Sarutobi Hiruzen into question but also the Council of Elders. During Konoha's alliance ceremony in its sixteenth year, Senju Tobirama had died in a plot by Kumogakure, while Sarutobi Hiruzen, one of his guards, and the current Council of Elders had survived.

And Senju Tobirama had wielded the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Those guards, who had been weak back then, had become Konoha's rulers and reaped the rewards. They had even forced the Senju Clan to leave Konoha.

[Second sin: He desecrated the body of the First, Senju Hashirama, by digging it out of his coffin to study the Senju Clan's unique Kekkei Genkai and conduct human experiments...]

He showed no respect for a hero, denied the founding of Konoha, and desecrated the body of one of its greatest heroes.

If those who sacrificed themselves for Konoha received no respect and couldn't rest in peace after death, how could anyone be expected to sacrifice themselves for the village?

[Third sin: He's all reputation and no substance. He built himself up as a professor of ninjutsu, yet every ninjutsu and forbidden technique he knows is recorded in the Scroll of Sealing.

His supposed vast knowledge is all a sham, nothing more than the legacy of Senju Tobirama.

Ordinary ninja and clan ninja must earn tremendous merit to exchange for a high-level ninjutsu or forbidden technique. But Hiruzen used the Scroll of Sealing to build his own reputation.]

What famous techniques did he have? What notable achievements?

None!

He'd made them all up.

They were all Senju Tobirama's achievements.

[Fourth sin: He puts personal interests above public duty. He treats everything in Konoha as his private property, using his authority to seize assets belonging to the village.]

From the Scroll of Sealing to Konoha's Ninja Academy, Anbu, and hospital, he had everything under his control.

[Fifth sin: He's jealous of the worthy. He controls Konoha's rankings and the assignment of ninja missions, disregarding the facts.

Ninja with formidable strength receive mismatched rewards because of the system he manipulates.

A large number of ninja who clearly have the strength of a Jōnin can only receive the basic pay of a Genin.]

[Sixth sin... lining his own pockets... He used the power entrusted to him by Konoha's people to have the Sarutobi Clan and Nara Clan take over the channels once held by the Senju Clan, making a fortune from the war.

They buy grain and medicine from the Land of Fields at several times the price. The Land of Fire's treasury and Konoha's people are left to bear the cost.]

[Seventh sin... repeated murder... unfair treatment of the Senju Clan's heir... They say Senju Nawaki is incompetent, but the resources he received were inferior to Tsunade's, and far inferior to Sarutobi Shinnosuke's.

Shameless Sarutobi Hiruzen even selected a Special Jōnin skilled in teaching the basics to tutor his own junior...

Unheard of! What a commitment to education. Is he planning to keep the Hokage's seat within the Sarutobi Clan, making Konoha the Sarutobi Family's private property for generations to come?!]

At first, nobody took it seriously.

Seeing the title, they'd felt a little amused, assuming Senju Nawaki was just looking for revenge.

The so-called seven deadly sins attacked Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal morality.

Over the years, even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had heard of Sarutobi Hiruzen's lechery.

Was that really something worth attacking him over?

But the more they read, the more shocked they became.

Every charge was detailed and backed by evidence.

His personal morality wasn't his only failing. His lechery didn't even make the list; he'd committed unforgivable sins against the village and the nation, too.

Half the accusations that stoked their anger had to do with the Senju Clan.

When they considered the Senju Clan's history, they realized Sarutobi Hiruzen had plotted its decline, and that the Sarutobi Clan had seized everything it lost.

The part about Senju Hashirama's body also reminded them of what had happened several years ago.

Large numbers of Senju Clan members had died under mysterious circumstances, turning into trees.

That peculiar manner of death was the result of Wood Release backfiring.

Konoha had been using members of the Senju Clan for Wood Release experiments.

The other half of the accusations were things they'd never been able to stomach.

The Senju Clan had given itself to Konoha, while the Sarutobi Clan, represented by Sarutobi Hiruzen, clung to the village and bled it dry, allowing the clan to prosper.

The two clans had acted in completely different ways and met with different fates.

The Senju Clan was on the verge of extinction, while the Sarutobi Clan flourished.

They couldn't believe it, understand it, or accept it.

Was this just how the world worked? The good died first, becoming stepping-stones for the wicked.

Every Senju Clan member wore a grim expression, realizing they'd been deceived and how foolish they'd been.

A bitter smile appeared on Senju Tojian's face. He hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to have hidden so much or done so many terrible things.

He exchanged a smile with Senju Zuoren. With Senju Nawaki leading them, they felt much more at ease.

The other Jōnin also calmed down. Some wore ashamed expressions. They'd been fooled badly, but at least it wouldn't happen again.

The anger in their hearts, however, didn't fade.

"Clan leader, this has been an eye-opener. But I still can't quite feel satisfied. He's committed so many crimes, and all we're going to do is condemn him and expose what he's done?

I want to take action myself."

Senju Tojian spoke earnestly.

The other Jōnin nodded in agreement, their trust in Senju Nawaki growing stronger.