Ch 78 : Dilemma
A few kilometers outside of Amegakure.
Hanzo of the Salamander, along with his subordinates, was waiting here for the Akatsuki's arrival.
He had received word that Danzo from the Konohagakure would not be coming due to certain matters, but he had sent ninjas from the Root division to assist.
"Lord Hanzo!"
At this moment, two Ame-nin suddenly escorted a person to him.
Hanzo glanced at the person being escorted, his eyes slightly moving.
One of his subordinates reported, "While we were tracking the Akatsuki ninjas, we also captured this person. It seems he was involved in secret communications with the Akatsuki."
This person did not appear to be one of the Akatsuki members, and his attire was not that of a ninja from their own country.
Hanzo gestured for one of his subordinates to search the person.
After a short while, they found a Konoha headband and a letter.
Hanzo's brow furrowed instantly when he saw the Konoha headband.
He took the letter and read it carefully, his expression darkening even further.
"To Mr. Yahiko, our village's ninja has gained Hanzo of the Salamander's trust. The overthrow of Amegakure and the control of the Land of Rain is imminent. Please proceed with the plan—Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru."
His fingers gently traced over the Hokage seal on the letter, then he crumpled the paper into a ball.
Hanzo stepped forward and ripped open the black mouth-covering bag of the person, asking, "So you think so highly of Yahiko's Akatsuki?"
The person only sneered and remained silent.
"How long until the Root ninjas arrive?" Hanzo asked his subordinate.
The subordinate looked at the sky and replied, "It's almost the agreed time."
Hanzo rubbed the crumpled paper in his hand, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
The conspiracy with Danzo from Konoha—only a few trusted individuals knew about it, besides him.
This letter wasn't fake.
Hanzo glanced at Konoha ninja lying on the ground, and said indifferently,
"Take him back to the village, lock him up, and interrogate him thoroughly when we return."
His gaze swept across his own ninjas, and after a brief moment of thought, he made a quick decision: "Akiyama."
"Lord Hanzo!" someone immediately responded.
"Take a team and leave no one alive. Kill all Konoha ninjas on their way here!"
"Understood!"
Shimura Danzo, I've underestimated you!
.......
The night before the Chunin Exams.
Many of the royal officials from the Land of Fire had arrived.
Displeased with the lack of entertainment in the Konohagakure, they had stationed themselves ten kilometers away on Adofuku Street, without entering the village itself.
For these officials of the Land of Fire, attending the Chunin Exams in the Konoha was essentially a government-funded trip, so naturally, they intended to relax and enjoy themselves.
They were personally hosted by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and when spending time with these officials, there was nothing else to do but drink, revel, and enjoy songs and dances.
On the bustling streets, a group of elegantly dressed individuals emerged from a luxurious banquet hall, all of them drunk and being supported by their retainers and servants.
Hiruzen was among them, and the group swayed as they spoke, making plans to meet again tomorrow and insisting that the Third Hokage must come.
Hiruzen smiled and agreed, watching their carriages depart.
He then returned to his lodging with the accompanying ninjas.
It was already late, and he had drunk quite a bit.
Returning to the village at this hour would be too troublesome, so he decided to stay here for the night.
"Lord Third, you should rest early."
Hiruzen entered his bedroom, letting out a long sigh, feeling extremely fatigued.
Though his body didn't feel cold after drinking, there was a cup of tea on the desk.
He picked it up and drank it in one go.
When he set the cup down, he noticed an envelope hidden underneath it.
Who left this for me...?
Hiruzen paused, his heart filled with suspicion as he opened the envelope.
As soon as he glanced at the contents, the effects of the alcohol faded almost entirely, replaced by a cold sweat.
The letter contained a series of crimes committed by Danzo, and any one of these revelations, if made public, would stir up a huge uproar in the Konohagakure.
Danzo would no longer be able to remain in the village!
Most importantly, every single point in the letter was something he knew about and had tacitly approved.
Hiruzen leapt to his feet, suddenly overwhelmed by dizziness—whether from the alcohol or something else, he couldn't tell.
His hand, gripping the letter, was trembling with visible veins bulging.
Someone is targeting Danzo...
Orochimaru?!
Why so ruthless? This is an attempt to completely eliminate him!
A chill ran down Hiruzen's spine.
But how could these matters have been leaked? Who did this?
There were few who knew about these things, mainly Danzo's subordinates and his own trusted aides.
But Danzo's Root ninjas had the Tounge Curse Seal to prevent leaks, so it shouldn't have been possible.
Could it be that there was a problem on his side...?
Hiruzen's mind raced with countless thoughts in an instant, yet his head felt like a chaotic mess.
Every single incident mentioned in the letter, if investigated, could implicate him.
If Danzo were to fall because of this, he wouldn't be able to escape unscathed either.
But why send this to me?
If this was really Orochimaru's doing, was it a veiled message to me?
Steadying his thoughts, Hiruzen sat at the desk, his brow furrowed as he deliberated.
His expression shifted unpredictably, alternating between clarity and uncertainty.
After an indeterminate amount of time, he placed the letter over the candle flame, burning it to ashes.
The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on his aged face.
Hiruzen stepped out of the room, and his personal guard immediately appeared at his side in a flash.
"Lord Third, do you have any orders?"
"Return to the village," Hiruzen said calmly.
"It's so late, you…" The ninja hesitated, concerned that Hiruzen had consumed so much alcohol.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and didn't bother with unnecessary words.
"Return to the village!"
...
It was already 10 p.m.
At this moment, Makoto was still in the Hokage's office.
The paperwork on his desk had long been completed.
With nothing else to do, he simply sat in his chair, gazing at the ceiling in a daze.
He was waiting for something.
The ticking of the clock on the wall echoed in the room, and even Guy, standing guard outside the door, was beginning to feel fatigued.
Suddenly, a figure appeared with a flash step, holding a ledger in their hands.
"Lord Third has returned."
Makoto took the ledger and glanced at it.
It detailed the individuals who had visited Sarutobi Hiruzen's home shortly after his return.
Among the names listed, some were familiar to him, while others were strangers.
But there was no doubt that all the individuals listed were the core figures of Sarutobi Hiruzen's faction.
Makoto carefully reviewed the names on the ledger multiple times before putting it away.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hakumen."
"Serving Lord Makoto is never a hardship."
Makoto stepped out of the office.
Kakashi, who was standing guard outside, immediately nudged Guy with his foot when he heard the door open.
A drowsy Guy snapped awake instantly.
"Alright, you can head back now," Makoto said to the two of them.
Kakashi bowed slightly and replied, "Understood."
Guy imitated the gesture with exaggerated seriousness and a slight bow. Watching Makoto's departing figure, he stretched and yawned.
"Working so late, Makoto is really overdoing it," he remarked to Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't respond, but he shared a similar sentiment internally.
Compared to Makoto, Orochimaru, who was officially the Hokage, seemed utterly negligent in his duties, constantly preoccupied with strange and incomprehensible experiments.
It almost felt as if Makoto were the real Hokage.
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