Chapter 73 (Patreon)

After the black cloth covering Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face was torn away, his appearance was immediately exposed to the civilians and shinobi gathered around the square.

For a moment, sharp gasps rose from every direction.

“Th… the Third…”

“It really is the Third Hokage…”

“So it was him after all…”

“What is he even doing here? No—more importantly, how does he still have the nerve to show his face?”

Some of the more hot-blooded shinobi could no longer hold back their anger.

“Show his face? Look at the way he came here. Does that look like a man who still has any shame left?”

“Exactly. If he had any shame, he wouldn’t have wrapped himself up in black cloth like that.”

More and more shinobi began to voice their resentment.

After all, some of Orochimaru’s victims had been their comrades.

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still struggling to break free from the genjutsu.

Only after being left there for five full minutes did he finally dispel it.

The instant he regained consciousness, his expression darkened.

The black cloth covering his face was gone.

And with it, the last of his dignity had been stripped away.

Boom!

It was as though thunder had exploded beside his ears.

Hiruzen did not dare look at the shinobi and villagers around him.

He knew very well what those stares meant.

Every gaze was like a blade.

His face grew even darker.

Slowly, he lifted his head and glared at the two Anbu who had removed his disguise and trapped him in genjutsu.

“Come on, Third. Don’t look at us like that.”

The Anbu wearing a black wolf mask clicked his tongue.

“What are you staring at?”

Without giving Hiruzen even a chance to speak, he continued lightly,

“Are you trying to remember our Anbu numbers?”

“Or are you wondering who we are?”

The Anbu in the black wolf mask gave a faint smile, then slowly raised his hand and removed his mask.

Beside him, the Anbu wearing a fox mask did the same.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at them.

The moment he saw the face beneath the fox mask, his pupils contracted sharply.

“Shisui!”

His gaze then snapped toward the other Anbu.

Yujiro slowly removed the black wolf mask and grinned at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

“Third Hokage. Long time no see.”

Then, with that same calm smile, he said,

“If you want revenge, come anytime.”

Hiruzen’s pupils trembled violently.

For an instant, he felt as if the blood in his body was flowing backward.

Rage surged through him until his vision nearly went black.

So that was it.

No wonder these two Anbu had dared to act so brazenly.

So it was them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face became terrifyingly grim.

Without saying another word, he turned and left the scene.

The gazes of the villagers.

The accusations of the shinobi.

Every word and every stare became a blade, stabbing into Sarutobi Hiruzen’s heart.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Then he turned and looked toward the Hokage Office building in the distance.

On the rooftop, Yujiro stood there, looking down at him.

A faint, mocking smile rested on his lips.

Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing.

With a dark expression, he vanished from everyone’s sight.

On the rooftop, Yujiro formed a seal.

“Wood Clone, release.”

The clone standing in the square immediately disappeared.

Yujiro narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Wood Clone Technique really was useful.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen had failed to notice it.

But that was enough.

Today’s objective had been achieved.

From this moment on, public opinion alone would be enough to tear Sarutobi Hiruzen apart.

Now Yujiro wanted to see whether the old man could still endure it.

Next, there were two major problems in Konoha that had to be dealt with.

First, the Nine-Tails incident was approaching.

The Nine-Tails itself was not the real problem.

The real issue was preventing Uchiha Obito from making his move.

Second, there was Danzo underground.

The last time Yujiro infiltrated Root, he had also obtained some information about Shimura Danzo from Orochimaru.

Danzo had already transplanted Hashirama cells into his body.

The Sharingan transplants had also been completed.

In other words, the current Shimura Danzo had eleven lives.

If Yujiro wanted to kill him, then he had to kill him properly.

But killing Danzo quietly would be far too wasteful.

Yujiro already had a plan.

He would use Shimura Danzo to clean out all of Konoha’s upper ranks.

The so-called Konoha leadership…

Yujiro had long wanted to cut them down.

After leaving the Hokage Office rooftop, Yujiro went to the Konoha Anbu base.

The moment he stepped inside, the Anbu elites all turned toward him.

Their eyes were filled with awe.

After yesterday’s mission, they had all understood one thing.

Everything had been part of Yujiro’s plan.

He had deliberately forced everyone to see Sarutobi Hiruzen for what he really was.

Yujiro looked across the hall and spoke in a clear voice.

“All Anbu assigned to the reconnaissance division, gather at Underground Square Three.”

With that, Yujiro turned and left at an unhurried pace.

The Konoha Anbu base had a massive dome-shaped structure above ground.

Below ground, however, it contained ten large underground squares, along with countless secret rooms and hidden passages.

Before long, Underground Square Three was filled with more than two hundred Anbu.

Yujiro stood before them and looked over the gathered shinobi.

“You are the best trackers and intelligence specialists in the Anbu.”

Among the group, nearly half belonged to the Hyuga clan.

The rest were mostly from the Aburame and Inuzuka clans.

There were also a few Uchiha among them.

Yujiro’s gaze swept across them.

“Next, I’m giving you an S-rank mission.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“The Orochimaru incident is not over.”

“Orochimaru alone could not have gathered that many resources in such a short period of time.”

“According to my investigation, the leader of Root, Shimura Danzo, has been in close contact with Orochimaru.”

A heavy silence fell over the square.

Yujiro continued.

“Your next objective is to uncover the transactions between Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo before October.”

“This mission cannot fail.”

“You are Anbu elites. The first mission already ended in failure.”

His voice lowered.

“I don’t want to see a second failure.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The two hundred Anbu in the square responded at once.

Yujiro’s tone remained calm.

“This is a top-secret mission. There is only one requirement.”

He looked at them sharply.

“Bring the information back alive.”

“Yes!”

After issuing the mission, Yujiro left the Anbu base.

Danzo alone was not difficult to kill.

If Yujiro wanted to, he could end him directly.

But that would be too simple.

If Danzo was going to die, then he would die in public.

Just like Sarutobi Hiruzen had been destroyed in public.

It was now August.

Yujiro had already spoken with Kurenai Yuhi and arranged for his family to move into the Konoha Anbu compound.

After all, no one could guarantee whether Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzo would be driven into desperation.

Yujiro had never trusted their character.

Night fell.

Yujiro returned home.

The moment he entered, he saw the table covered with a plentiful dinner.

Kurenai Yuhi and Uzuki Yugao were waiting for him to come back.

Yujiro smiled faintly.

He liked this feeling.

And because he wanted to protect this feeling, he had to become stronger.

Strong enough to make others afraid.

Strong enough that no one would dare threaten what belonged to him.

Several dozen meters underground in Konoha.

“Sarutobi, look at yourself.”

Shimura Danzo looked at his old friend with a trace of mockery hidden behind his regretful expression.

“You’ve become a rat scurrying through the street.”

In barely ten days, Sarutobi Hiruzen had fallen from the exalted Third Hokage to a man everyone despised.

He could no longer even move openly through the village.

At this time, Hiruzen was still wearing the haori of the Third Hokage.

But his face looked far older than before.

His complexion was terrible, and the weight of defeat hung heavily over him.

“Yujiro…”

When Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke that name, killing intent flashed in his eyes.

“Who would have thought a brat that young could be so cunning?”

If he had not feared that he could not defeat Yujiro, he would have attacked long ago.

But now, he did not even dare appear before the people of Konoha.

Even if the villagers did not curse him to his face, Hiruzen knew the truth.

The moment he turned his back, the whispers would begin.

Danzo lowered his eyes slightly.

“So, what do you plan to do?”

He wanted to see what choice his old friend would make after being cornered this far.

“I…”

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face twisted painfully.

“I have no plan. There is nothing I can do.”

“I have a way.”

Danzo’s voice remained flat.

“If it succeeds, then taking back the position of Hokage may not be impossible.”

“What way?!”

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly looked at him, almost hysterical.

Danzo half-closed his eyes.

“Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“This method cannot be brought into the light.”

“Say it.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath.

“Do you think I still have any light left to stand in?”

Danzo nodded slowly.

“Very well.”

“Half a year ago, I made contact with a mysterious man.”

“That man called himself Uchiha Madara.”

“What?!”

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze, horror spreading across his face.

“Uchiha Madara? Isn’t he already dead?”

“Yes. That man is not Uchiha Madara.”

Danzo’s expression did not change.

“But I have no information on his true identity.”

“His goal is the Nine-Tails.”

“So I had him capture several members of the Uchiha clan and exchange information with me.”

“What?!”

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned again.

He had never known that Danzo had made such a deal behind his back.

Danzo continued coldly.

“I also told him Uzumaki Kushina’s expected delivery date.”

“In less than a month, Kushina will give birth.”

“At that time, the seal holding the Nine-Tails will be at its weakest.”

“That man intends to use that opening to control the Nine-Tails.”

“And then…”

Danzo looked quietly at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

“Launch the Nine-Tails incident.”

After saying that, Danzo watched him in silence.

Now, Sarutobi.

What will you choose?

Will you join me?

Or will you turn away?