Chapter 71 - Konoha's Pot King's Assist

In response to the village's perception of himself and the Uchiha clan, Hanma reflected that it was actually quite fair.

In a sense, it merely reiterated what the Uchiha clan had done.

Most of the Uchiha were indeed violent, cold, and distant, with an unusual obsession for power. Moreover, once the Sharingan is activated, the cold gaze from their crimson eyes naturally repels people.

But fundamentally, it was the combined efforts of the Uchiha and Senju clans that brought order to the chaos and laid the foundation of Konoha. The Uchiha were also founders of Konoha.

However, most Konoha ninjas who had enjoyed the peace brought by the Uchiha had forgotten this. To them, the Uchiha clan was synonymous with ruthlessness, coldness, and arrogance.

The Second Hokage summarized his study of the Uchiha with a single sentence:

"Uchiha, a clan born evil."

The Second Hokage, the architect of Konoha's political framework, thus defined the Uchiha, passing this belief to his students.

In Konoha's political sphere, the Uchiha had long been sentenced to death.

Although under Hanma's lead, the Uchiha had reclaimed some power on the battlefield, the fundamental issue remained unsolved.

The Police Force, a leash crafted by the Second Hokage for the Uchiha, was still firmly around their necks. The Uchiha, supposed to be predatory wolves emerging from war, had become Konoha's guard dogs.

The Uchiha's proud nature made it impossible for them to be gentle towards wrongdoers among ninjas or civilians. In reality, no clan would earn a good reputation while bearing the Police Force's duties, as no one would have a favorable view of those who punished them.

By creating internal peace, the Uchiha had also absorbed the ninjas' resentment and dissatisfaction, further driving a wedge between them and Konoha.

The Police Force's existence deprived many Uchiha of normal ninja duties, essentially assigning them all to security work. Appearances aside, this central institution was actually a time bomb set by the Second Hokage.

Orochimaru was dragged into this vortex by the Uchiha, but with Danzo's presence, it was only a matter of time. Danzo would not tolerate Konoha ninjas younger and more prestigious than him, and Orochimaru's gray area was the perfect weapon for Danzo to attack him.

Meanwhile, Danzo himself lurked within "Root," safely out of public scrutiny due to so-called high-level secrecy.

Hanma picked up pen and paper, analyzing the essence of the commotion with Orochimaru.

"These accusations are all on the edge of your gray area boundaries. They've only just surfaced."

"Accused of embezzling orphanage funds, it sounds absurd, but most of your funds come from Danzo, the financial backer of the orphanage. Logically, it checks out."

Konoha's orphanage wasn't a welfare institution, receiving minimal funding. Most orphans barely survived. Danzo exploited their vulnerability, giving funds to the orphanage, leading talented orphans into "Root" to support him.

The Wood Release experiments, hinted at by the Third Hokage and supervised by Danzo, claimed over a hundred Senju descendants and eager civilian ninjas, all becoming missing people in official records. Some volunteered, others were influenced by Orochimaru's team.

"The Rainy Battlefield incident – you know the casualty rate better than I do, almost half the troops lost. Someone must explain this disaster, and with your reputation already tarnished, there's no need for anyone else to take the fall."

Orochimaru silently absorbed Hanma's analysis, his gaze growing colder. At that moment, his feelings for Konoha extinguished. This transformation embodied the paradox of the Will of Fire.

The Will of Fire was indeed an advanced concept in the ninja world, significantly bolstering the cohesion among Konoha ninjas and cultivating many willing to sacrifice for Konoha. Yet, the ninja world had a severe issue: its geniuses often had extreme, obsessive personalities. Konoha's geniuses, embracing the Will of Fire and chasing promised ideals, found themselves in stark reality.

When youthful dreams turn into dirty and harsh truth, extreme emotions often arise in their hearts. Ninja geniuses, wielding immense violence, couldn't tolerate grievances.

At this moment, a storm of darkness brewed within Orochimaru, enough to engulf everything. From a civilian ninja to the Third Hokage's pupil, Orochimaru had grown up with the Will of Fire. But as he matured, he discovered the village's deep, real darkness.

Now, he had become a casualty of internal village strife.

This stark contrast made Orochimaru loathe, even slightly invalidate his twenty-year life. The Third Hokage might not want to remain Hokage forever, but Danzo, his counterpart, still coveted the Hokage position in his middle age. Danzo's actions twisted the Third Hokage's diligently promoted Will of Fire into a farce. The Third's persistent tolerance further accentuated this contrast.

To young ninjas, the Will of Fire; to village elites, a mere slap on the wrist.

In Orochimaru's mind, images of comrades who perished due to the Third's orders to attack the Rain Village emerged. Was their sacrifice meaningful?

Sighing deeply, Orochimaru abruptly said:

"The Will of Fire can't bring peace; at most, it sharpens the blade, hastening Konoha and other villages' self-destruction."

"Not just Konoha, the entire ninja world is a decaying windmill, still turning slowly but devoid of meaning, unworthy of my attention."

Orochimaru's eyes sharpened, becoming frenzy-filled, his serpentine pupils fixated on Hanma. He articulated each word clearly:

"Hanma-kun, I want to overthrow this ninja world."

"Would you join me?"