Naruto's Tragic Childhood: Opening the Gate of the Underworld, Konoha's Destruction Countdown—Feel Pain

"How could this happen? How could they do such a thing?" Rin Nohara could not believe that the kind and gentle Third Elder she had always known was this sort of person, willing to pay any price and wipe out fellow villagers for so-called power.

"Konoha's higher-ups had been plotting this for a long time. They slandered the Uchiha Clan as an evil clan and deliberately ostracized them. On fabricated charges, they drove the Uchiha Clan to the outermost edge of the village, building countless watchtowers around them to monitor every aspect of the clan members' daily lives. Under that kind of surveillance, no one could endure it for long, let alone the proud Uchiha. If your clan gathered normally, they would say you were conspiring to rebel. They spread rumors everywhere until everyone believed the Uchiha Clan wanted to revolt. Then they had an excuse to exterminate the Uchiha Clan."

"Think about it. Konoha was a village jointly founded by the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan."

"Does the Senju Clan name even exist in Konoha anymore? To hold onto power, they truly carried out the First Hokage's policy of integrating the Senju Clan into the village to the bitter end; so much so that not a single person with the surname Senju remains. For the sake of the so-called Wood Release power, they even dug up the First Hokage's grave. You tell me, is that something a human would do?"

Snake Lady: I know you're talking about me. So I'm not human, huh?!

"And now, for the Sharingan's ocular power, they carried out a clan extermination plan against the Uchiha Clan. These people are far too dark, so I will take revenge on them and avenge the Uchiha Clan."

"Rin, would you be unable to bear it and try to stop me?" Uchiha Shadian asked calmly as he looked at Rin Nohara.

"Brother Shadian, I don't know what to do." Rin Nohara lowered her head. What she had learned today had dealt an enormous blow to her kind heart.

"Do you know Naruto Uzumaki?" Uchiha Shadian asked.

Rin Nohara shook her head. Naruto Uzumaki had not even been born when she died.

"Naruto Uzumaki is the son of your teacher, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki. He was born not long after your death."

"His birth was also what caused Kushina Uzumaki to enter a weakened state, giving an enemy the chance to break the Nine-Tails' seal and launch an attack on Konoha. To seal the Nine-Tails, both Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki died in battle, leaving Naruto Uzumaki an orphan in Hiruzen Sarutobi's care."

"Naruto Uzumaki was the descendant of heroes. His father was the great Fourth Naruto, who sacrificed himself to save the village. His mother had also made enormous contributions and sacrifices for Konoha by serving as the vessel that sealed the Nine-Tails."

"His parents gave everything to Konoha, including their lives. Naruto should have entered this world bearing honor. He should have received the village's boundless love. But do you know what he went through in his childhood?"

Uchiha Shadian's Sharingan slowly spun. In an instant, Rin Nohara's consciousness entered an illusionary world.

A young figure appeared before Rin Nohara.

"He is Naruto Uzumaki." Uchiha Shadian's voice rang beside Rin Nohara's ear.

At that moment, on Konoha's streets, Naruto Uzumaki wanted to run over and play with a group of children. The moment he approached, the children immediately picked up stones from the ground and threw them at him, shouting insults such as, "Die, demon fox! Get lost!" and "Beat that demon fox to death!"

Kind-hearted Rin Nohara stepped forward, wanting to stop them, but her hand passed straight through Naruto Uzumaki's body.

Uchiha Shadian's voice sounded. "What you are seeing now is a scene from Naruto Uzumaki's childhood recorded by my Sharingan. It is like footage in a recording. You can only watch it, not touch it."

The scene continued.

Little Naruto was cursed at and pelted with stones. All he could do was cover his injured forehead in distress and flee, leaving sorrowful tears behind as he ran.

"How could this be? Why would the children in the village treat little Naruto like this?" Rin Nohara asked in confusion.

Uchiha Shadian replied flatly, "Didn't you hear them calling him a demon fox? Someone deliberately spread rumors throughout the village that he was the demon fox responsible for attacking Konoha, the one who killed countless people and their beloved Fourth Naruto."

The scene continued.

Outside the school gates after class, everyone kept their distance from Naruto Uzumaki. Whether adults or children, their eyes were filled with endless coldness and mockery.

"Die, demon fox. Why don't you just die already?"

"I really don't know what the Third Naruto was thinking, letting a demon fox attend the ninja academy."

"Little treasure, you must stay far away from that damned demon fox when you're at school; don't let his bad luck rub off on you."

... Countless cruel remarks shattered Rin Nohara's understanding of the world. She could not understand why the Third Naruto did nothing. Naruto was the son of her teacher, the Fourth Naruto of Konoha! Why was he allowed to suffer so many cold stares, taunts, and curses?

Rin Nohara could not believe something like this could happen to the descendant of a Konoha Naruto. The villagers she had once thought kind and friendly could show such overwhelming malice toward a child not even seven years old.

Uchiha Shadian sighed. "Your teacher and Kushina died to save these ungrateful wretches. They truly must be unable to rest in peace."

Rin Nohara was deeply confused. "Why didn't the Third Elder explain things clearly to them? Little Naruto is my teacher's son, the son of Konoha's Fourth Naruto!"

"Who knows?" Uchiha Shadian did not answer directly.

The scene continued.

Everything Naruto Uzumaki had suffered in Konoha unfolded before Rin Nohara's eyes, one scene after another.

"My teacher's son is so pitiful!" Rin Nohara wept as she watched. "Brother Shadian, where is Naruto now? I want to see her."

"He is somewhere safe right now. Climb on. I'll take you there." As Uchiha Shadian finished speaking, Rin Nohara's consciousness returned to reality.

Once her consciousness returned, Rin Nohara saw two Uchiha Shadians, one standing and one half-crouched.

The standing Uchiha Shadian said, "Rin, climb onto this Shadow Clone's back. He will carry you and use the Flying Thunder God Technique to take you to where little Naruto is."

"Brother Shadian, isn't your original body coming too?" Rin Nohara asked, blushing slightly as she climbed onto the Shadow Clone's back.

"I still have things to do."

"Once I'm finished, I'll meet up with you." Uchiha Shadian patted Rin Nohara's head, nodded to the Shadow Clone, and then, with a whoosh, the Shadow Clone vanished from the spot with Rin Nohara on his back.

"The Konoha destruction plan officially begins. Feel pain, Konoha!"

Uchiha Shadian drove the evil Cloud-Cluster Fang in his hand fiercely into the ground. "Open—Gate of the Underworld!"

As Uchiha Shadian's voice fell, an evil power burst from Cloud-Cluster Fang and pierced straight through the earth.

Rumble! The ground shook and split apart.

A dark passageway of unknown length opened up.

A devouring force immediately spread out, swallowing everything nearby into the chasm.

Deep within the chasm, countless undead howled as they scrambled toward the surface.