Chapter 194: The Outbreak of Public Opinion

"Knock, knock, knock~"

It was just dawn when a hurried knock sounded outside Hiruzen Sarutobi's house.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had only fallen asleep in the middle of the night, was startled awake. By his side, Biwa was still fast asleep.

He threw on a robe and got up to open the door.

A masked ninja appeared before him.

"What's the matter?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked tired and a bit annoyed.

He was already in a bad mood. After a short sleep, he was woken up, and it was a sign of self - control that he didn't start swearing.

"Hokage-sama, something's wrong."

"A large number of villagers have gathered at the entrance of the Hokage Building. They're saying they want an explanation from you."

"More and more villagers are still on their way here."

"You'd better go and have a look right away."

The Anbu ninja quickly informed Hiruzen Sarutobi of the news.

At first, they didn't take it seriously, but now they couldn't control the situation anymore.

"What explanation?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi instantly woke up. This was definitely not good news.

"It's still about that rumor from a while ago, saying that it was because you didn't go to the battlefield that so many people sacrificed."

"This time there are so many of them. They just want a reasonable explanation for why you didn't go to the battlefield."

Fortunately, the Anbu ninja explained the whole thing clearly, otherwise Hiruzen Sarutobi might have lost his temper.

"Don't use force. Notify Advisor Yan."

"I'll be there right away."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't crazy enough to suppress them with force. He turned around and went to the bedroom to change his clothes.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Anbu ninja closed the door and disappeared outside Hiruzen Sarutobi's house.

Not long after, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked out in his Hokage robe and headed towards the Hokage Building.

Even before he got there, he could hear the shouts like a mountain - roar.

"Give us an explanation."

"Give us an explanation."

...

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea how things had escalated to this point. He had clearly sent people to calm the situation down, but it seemed to have no effect.

Looking at the many banners, his mind was in a mess.

He felt as if an invisible net had tightly wrapped around him. Was this Kawaki Hatake's scheme?

"Hokage-sama, how about disguising yourself?"

An Anbu ninja appeared beside him and tentatively asked.

"Alright."

Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Transformation Jutsu[b]Transformation Jutsu[/b] and changed into the appearance of another person.

He squeezed through the crowd and entered the Hokage Building.

Homura Mitokado was already waiting in the office.

"Hiruzen, how did things get to this point?"

"Didn't you send people to handle it?"

As soon as Homura Mitokado saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, he quickly asked. This matter had seriously affected Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down, Homura Mitokado would also have a hard time.

Not to mention being an advisor, a peaceful retirement might become a luxury.

"It must be Kawaki Hatake's doing."

"There's still time. I can handle it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had come up with a countermeasure on the way here.

As long as he admitted his mistake and immediately distributed the pensions,

he thought he could quell most of the unrest.

The remaining few people wouldn't pose any threat to him.

"Kawaki Hatake?"

"Sure enough, silent dogs are the ones that bite hardest."

Homura Mitokado cursed angrily.

"Go and make preparations. I'm going to give a speech on stage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi told Homura Mitokado to make the arrangements. He didn't trust anyone else at the moment.

"Sure."

As a loyal lackey of Hiruzen, Homura Mitokado immediately agreed.

Watching Homura Mitokado leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi then sat down in his seat.

He closed his eyes and mentally rehearsed what he was going to say later.

The sun slowly rose, and the whole Konoha came to life.

More and more villagers gathered in front of the Hokage Building, and there were countless onlookers.

Anbu ninjas were on guard nearby, trying to find out who was inciting the crowd.

Catching these people would be a great achievement.

"Good job, Ao."

In the shadows far from the Hokage Building, Fugaku was talking to Ao beside him.

There was a smile on his face, and he was quite satisfied with the current situation.

"The show is just getting started."

A smile also appeared on Ao's usually serious face.

The two had come early in the morning to watch the drama and see how Hiruzen Sarutobi would handle the situation.

"Lord Kawaki doesn't even have the interest to come and take a look."

Fugaku shook his head, thinking that he still lacked in terms of spiritual realm.

Little did he know that Kawaki was still in bed, sleeping soundly with Tsunade.

This incident was just an appetizer he had prepared for Hiruzen Sarutobi. Knowing the result was enough; there was no need to know the process.

Ao didn't respond to Fugaku's words. He could make some sarcastic remarks about Kawaki, but he didn't have the full right to do so.

"Here he comes."

Fugaku saw a platform being set up in front of the Hokage Building, and Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked up to it.

When the villagers below saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, their emotions became even more excited.

Especially those who had lost family members in the war, and cries rang out for a moment.

The shadow of the war wasn't going to fade away easily.

"Everyone, be quiet."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi got on the stage, his first task was to calm the villagers down.

Otherwise, it would be a complete mess, and no one would be able to hear what he was saying.

Whether it was because of his usual prestige or the villagers' eagerness to hear his excuse,

soon, the crowd below basically quieted down, with only a few people whispering to each other.

However, it wouldn't affect Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech anymore.

"I know you're dissatisfied."

"I'm also deeply saddened by those who sacrificed on the front line."

"As the Hokage, this is my dereliction of duty."

"I'm here to apologize to you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took off his hat and bowed solemnly to the villagers below.

He put on a good show. Coupled with his sorrowful expression, quite a few people were deceived.

"What a crafty old fox. He's so good at putting on an act."

"We were risking our lives on the front line while he was enjoying himself in the village."

Fugaku spat disgustedly, showing his disdain for Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech.

"Having worn the mask for too long, he's forgotten his true self."

Ao actually said something quite reasonable.

"Let's see what other tricks he has up his sleeve."

Fugaku continued to watch Hiruzen Sarutobi's performance.

"Hokage-sama, why didn't you go to the front line?"

"As far as I know, the Kages of other villages all went to the front line."

"If you had gone to the battlefield, maybe my son wouldn't have died."

A tear was still hanging on the corner of an old woman's eye. Her son had died in the war against Iwagakure Ninjas.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Why?"

"Give us an explanation."

...

The villagers' emotions were stirred up again. Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened his back. Things were still within his expectation.

As long as he got through the following part, this matter would almost be over.

The Anbu Ninjas targeted the old woman after she asked the question. There were signs that she was inciting the villagers' emotions.

After a careful investigation, they found that she was really just an ordinary villager. They felt quite helpless.

One of the Anbu couldn't hold back his doubts anymore.

"Captain, why didn't Hokage-sama go to the front line?"

A good friend of his had also died at the hands of the Iwagakure Ninjas.

He still remembered crying his eyes out in front of the Memorial Stone.

"Does Hokage-sama need to report his plans to us? That's nonsense!"

The Anbu Commander scolded him sharply. Yet, he himself couldn't find the answer.

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>