"Did your family run away during the massacre?" Kakashi, who had been silent, asked her directly.
"I don't know. My mom said that we once belonged to a very powerful clan. And we were attacked." Karin sheepishly said. Naruto and the others were confused. They didn't know anything about any massacre of the Uzumaki family.
It was sothing that wasn't in the history books for so reason.
"The Uzumaki clan was once a powerful clan, and they were feared across nations, thus 4 villages, excluding Konoha, attacked one day and massacred the whole village." Kakashi replied, his voice going down octaves as he said the last part.
This made everyone stunned. Even Naruto, who never thought much about his parents, froze and just looked at Kakashi. Of course, Rei acted stunned. Karin had a general idea that their clan was massacred but didn't know that her clan was so feared that it took 4 villages coming together to do the job.
Sasuke clenched his fist while Naruto was speechless as he didn't know what to say. Naruto didn't even know how to feel about it. He had never known his parents and now he ca to know that his clan was massacred.
What should he do with that information?
"Naruto. You need to take revenge for what they did to your parents." Sasuke declared. He had his own vengeance against his brother, and now Naruto was just like him. He finally felt that he found soone who would truly understand him.
"I.." Naruto was about to reply but Rei put his nose inside the business.
"Oh.. Revenge against what? The 4 villages? You think you can do that, Sasuke?" Rei asked Sasuke instead of asking Naruto.
"I don't know but none of them should be left alive.." Sasuke roared, not realizing that his own anger towards his brother had made him blind.
"Then what?" Rei asked. Kakashi didn't intervene but he was interested in how Rei was going to handle Sasuke. He had never interfered with his hatred towards his brother, which was valid, but he was increasingly seeing that Sasuke was obsessed with that idea.
"Then what? Then Naruto will get his revenge and will be at peace. They were responsible for the death of his parents." Sasuke had a misconception here as he thought that Naruto's parents were massacred by the 4 villages and he was so kind of orphan refugee. Both Kakashi and Rei noticed and neither of them tried to correct him as that wasn't the point of contention here.
It was the topic of revenge.
"Oh. You think so. Suppose Konoha too was responsible for the massacre, maybe indirectly. Then what should Naruto do? Kill everyone in Konoha? Kill you too?" Rei asked with a deadpan face.
The words suddenly made Sasuke stop in his replies. He wanted to say yes, but that would be hypocritical and go against just what he said.
"I ant .. Naruto should kill the ones responsible for the death of his parents." Sasuke changed his words and said.
"Sure, why not. They must be pretty old by now and thus most of them would have borne children. So when Naruto kills them, the children should co back for revenge right? Then Naruto should die.. Right? Since it's pure revenge, it is deserved.. Or do you want the innocent children to be killed too?" Rei said.
"Hey I never said I will kill anyone whom I don't know.." Naruto barged in only to have a finger put on his mouth by Rei.
"Adults are talking. You shut up now." Rei said. Naruto wanted to protest only to be stopped by Sakura. She was also terrified by the amount of hatred Sasuke was spewing a bit now and for the first ti was glad that Rei was here.
He seed to look beyond everything. Kakashi was impressed.
"Sensei.. I never saw you being buddy-buddy with anyone except Guy sensei, but from the looks of it you both weren't on the sa team right?" Rei asked while turning to Kakashi.
"Uh.. Yes.. We belonged to different teams. He was mostly with his father." Kakashi said.
"Got it. And since you aren't best friends with anyone and not even any old man or woman, I will presu that your team, including your sensei, are no more in this world. Right?"
Kakashi didn't know where Rei was going with this but nodded his head.
"And since you are the hero of the 3rd Ninja War, I will presu you lost them in the war." Rei said.
"Sothing like that.." Kakashi couldn't speak about the 4th Hokage so he could only vaguely say that.
"And so he should take revenge on those people who did this right? The other nations started the war, so Kakashi sensei here should kill the ones responsible for starting the war and thus kill the higher-ups of several villages. In fact he should kill the higher-ups of Konoha too since they were also responsible for the war. War is always on two fronts so in a way Konoha is also responsible. Right? That's what Kakashi sensei should do. Since he is powerful I am sure he can take down many of them."
The words of Rei were so jarring that even Karin, who didn't know any of it, could feel the quiet anger of Rei. Rei seed to be transford into sothing nobody could debate against as none of them seed to have words to refute and counter.
"So what should Naruto do? Leave the ones responsible for the death of his parents?" Sasuke asked. Since he didn't know how to answer, and Rei seed to be so intelligent, then he should have the answer right?
"I never said that." Rei replied.
"Then what? Naruto should just forgive them for having given him a terrible childhood? I also should forgive him for killing my own parents and massacring my clansn?" Sasuke finally asked and the rest, especially Karin, Sakura and Naruto, understood where the anger of Sasuke was coming from.
It was about his parents. The love he lost. The pain, the suffering. There was a small silence before Rei finally spoke, making his voice low.
"Sasuke.. I never said that you should forget about revenge but I want you to understand that revenge isn't the only thing in life. Life has many things, many emotions, much love to offer than just revenge. You won't be living a second ti after you die. Do you want to die with the feeling of hatred in your heart? Or do you want to feel loved and accomplished when you are on your deathbed? I never said to give up your pursuit but what I will ask is for you to be sensible, to understand why what happened had happened and cut the hatred. To make sure whatever had happened shouldn't happen again." Rei said.
"This world is never perfect. It wasn't perfect before, it won't be perfect in the future either, so if you are expecting that revenge will make things all sunshine and rainbows then you are wrong. So think twice before you go charging for revenge. Use your brain and your heart. Your battle isn't just yours. It's ours too. I never said to forgive. We aren't gods. Who are we to forgive? But what I do ask you to do is cut this cycle of hatred. Because this world has seen enough bloodshed and deaths as it is."
Sasuke just looked at Rei for a few seconds and then walked away slowly. He needed to truly understand what Rei had ant in that long monologue and even Naruto, who by now should have been shouting, went silent. He didn't know what to say, nor did the others.
Even Kakashi was speechless. Because he had never seen anyone understand the essence of the world so deeply the way Rei had just described. It was as if Rei was a very old guy and had seen all things in life. Even he couldn't explain such deep things of the world the way Rei did.
Naruto too walked away. He ca to know a lot of things today. His parents were killed in a probable massacre and that Sasuke carried so much deep hatred. Daniel and Laura had been at the doorway of the big living room and got to hear the whole debate.
They for the first ti realized why Rei was so good at stories. It was because he was much wiser than the rest of them. He had a unique view on life that was rarely seen. Their world must have been really crazy for soone like him to be this knowledgeable.
"Karin, I am sorry for all that. I spoke a bit too much." Rei said as he saw Karin was all silent now. This was supposed to be an introduction session and a ti to relax. But now, the atmosphere was so heavy that nobody knew what to say.
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Read 18 chapters on my [email protected]/thelightedghost
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