The Titan Curse: A Shinobi’s Reign

Chapter 19 – Breaking Point

Tsunade stood at the edge of the ruined hideout, the weight of her newfound knowledge pressing against her chest. The truth about Kurozan—the truth about what Konoha had done—burned in her mind like a wildfire she could no longer contain.

Kaizen stood behind her, silent, waiting. He had given her what she sought. Now, it was her move.

A cold wind swept through the desolate remains of the hideout, carrying the scent of damp earth and old blood.

Tsunade turned, her golden eyes hard. "You were part of this," she said. "You knew what they were doing, yet you stayed silent until now. Why?"

Kaizen met her gaze without hesitation. "Because back then, I believed in the mission. I believed that Danzo's way was the only way to protect the village." His voice was steady, but there was something behind it—regret.

"And now?"

"I know the truth."

Tsunade exhaled, shaking her head. "The truth is that Konoha has been rotting from the inside for decades." She clenched her fists. "And my family was at the center of their experiments."

Kaizen remained silent. There was nothing to say.

Tsunade had seen corruption before. She had seen how the village sacrificed its own for the sake of maintaining peace. But this? This was beyond anything she had imagined.

Kurozan wasn't just another enemy.

He was a consequence.

Her grandfather's cells, twisted into something unnatural. A weapon designed not to protect Konoha, but to destroy it if it ever became weak.

She turned back toward Kaizen. "You said he didn't know at first. When did he find out?"

Kaizen hesitated. "A few years ago. He found what remained of the project's archives. The truth shattered him."

Tsunade scoffed bitterly. "I'm not surprised."

She had spent years running from her past, trying to forget Konoha's sins. But they had always found her, one way or another.

And now, she was staring at the fallout of those sins.

She needed to see Kurozan again.

But this time, not as an enemy.

---

Elsewhere, Kurozan stood on the battlefield of his making.

The latest raid had been swift—brutal. A smaller Konoha outpost had fallen in less than an hour, its defenders torn apart by his forces.

The survivors were kneeling before him now, their bodies trembling with fear.

Kurozan stepped forward, his crimson cloak billowing behind him. He studied the terrified shinobi, his cold gaze piercing through them.

"I will offer you one chance," he said, his voice smooth yet commanding. "Serve me—or die."

Some hesitated. Others bowed their heads, choosing survival over loyalty to their village.

One fool, however, chose neither.

"I'll never betray Konoha," the man spat. "Do your worst."

Kurozan didn't blink.

In an instant, he reached out, his hand closing around the man's throat. Dark energy surged from his fingertips, spreading like wildfire through the man's body.

The shinobi's screams echoed across the ruined outpost as his form began to change.

Muscles twisted. Bones cracked. His body expanded, flesh stretching as his mind shattered under the overwhelming force of transformation.

The others watched in horror as the man was no longer a man—he was now a mindless Titan, towering over them, eyes empty of reason.

A beast.

A weapon.

Kurozan let go, stepping back as his creation stood before him.

"This," he said, voice calm, "is the fate of those who stand against me."

The remaining shinobi immediately swore loyalty.

Kurozan smirked. Good.

His forces were growing. His enemies were weakening.

Soon, Konoha itself would fall.

---

Back to Tsunade.

She rode through the dense forests, her thoughts racing.

She had to find him.

Not to fight. Not to negotiate.

But to understand.

She had spent her life carrying the weight of her clan's legacy. But Kurozan—he was the living embodiment of that legacy's corruption.

What had been done to him…

It was unforgivable.

She wasn't certain where she stood anymore.

But she knew one thing for sure.

She needed answers.

And she would get them—no matter what.

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