Naruto: Nawaki was already dead, how could you bring him back to life?

But just then, a dissenting voice rang out.

"Sarutobi-sensei, I don't agree with your point of view. Forgive my bluntness, but don't you think this is a good opportunity to benefit Konoha?"

"Oh?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face immediately darkened. He turned to look at Orochimaru beside him, giving him a dangerous look that signaled him to shut up.

Orochimaru, however, acted as if he hadn't seen Hiruzen Sarutobi's hint and continued to look around at everyone.

"I have already made contact with Kirigakure and Sunagakure. I believe we should join forces with Kumogakure to take down Iwagakure and divide up its profits."

"Enough, Orochimaru!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi flew into a rage, slamming his hand heavily on the table. His aura as a superior suddenly erupted, pressing down on Orochimaru.

He felt that his authority had been seriously challenged!

"Third Hokage, isn't the meeting room a place where we can speak freely? Orochimaru was merely expressing his opinion, so why are you so angry?"

At this moment, Chiba, who was standing to the side, spoke up unhurriedly, managing to match Hiruzen Sarutobi's imposing manner.

"You two...my disciples and grand-disciples, you are truly excellent!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced coldly at Orochimaru and Chiba, as if he understood something, and then praised the two of them through gritted teeth.

"I promoted you two and entrusted you with important responsibilities, and you two ungrateful bastards actually dared to join forces against me."

"Two idiots, thinking they can shake my position by openly challenging me in a meeting? How utterly foolish!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi saw through Chiba and the other's thoughts and thought coldly.

After this meeting, he will take back the power from these two ambitious bastards. Perhaps it's time to let Mizunoki take over.

“This is not a place where I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, can speak my mind. Everyone is free to express their opinions and speak frankly.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "Since there are differing opinions at the meeting, let's vote by raising our hands. Those who agree with my point of view, please raise your hands."

Faced with the rebellious actions of Chiba and Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi was absolutely confident in suppressing the two.

He has ruled Konoha for decades; how could he be shaken by two juniors with no foundation in just a few months?

Swish!

But the next moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's confident smile froze on his face.

The overwhelming passage of his resolution that he had envisioned did not occur. In the huge conference room, only the heads of the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans raised their hands.

The head of the Hyuga clan looked left and right, hesitated for a moment, and then actually lowered his raised hand!

"You! You...!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were bloodshot as he swept his gaze across the crowd. Those whose eyes met his either avoided eye contact or gave him cold stares, showing none of the respect they usually showed him.

"Xiaochun, Yan! Even the two of you...?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept around and landed on his two old friends, questioning them with an incredulous look on his face.

He had considered that Chiba and his companion might try to bribe a few people, but he never expected that his two childhood friends would betray him!

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado lowered their heads, remaining silent, unsure how to face Hiruzen Sarutobi's questioning.

Koharu Utatane's son wasn't a ninja; he ran a small business in the Land of Fire. Chiba generously allocated most of Konoha's procurement projects to her son for contracting.

After being dismissed from her post, Mito Monzuki had been unemployed at home and forgotten by Hiruzen Sarutobi. It was Chiba who, disregarding past grievances, reinstated her and placed her in an important position overseeing Root Medical.

You have to understand, these two have been by Hiruzen Sarutobi's side for decades, but Hiruzen Sarutobi has held onto his power tightly and has never given them or their families any benefit.

But Chiba is different. What they had followed Hiruzen Sarutobi for decades and had never received, Chiba gave them in just a few months of taking power.

"Third Hokage, you are getting old. Please entrust the future of Konoha to us."

Chiba smiled slightly, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who seemed to have aged decades in an instant.

"You, I..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi trembled all over, his lips quivering as he looked around, still clinging to a sliver of unrealistic hope. But still, no one raised their hand; the silence of the crowd was deafening.

They fought every battle that Hiruzen Sarutobi was supposed to fight, but they never got any of the benefits they were supposed to receive. Hiruzen Sarutobi generously "gave" them all to the defeated ninja villages.

Although they always "support" the Hokage's opinion, do you really think they have no dissatisfaction in their hearts?

The only problem was that no suitable person had yet appeared—someone capable of standing up to Hiruzen Sarutobi and uniting them together. But now, that person has appeared.

pat.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands trembled violently, and he dropped his pipe to the ground. He stood up and pointed angrily at the crowd.

"Fine, fine, let's see how you explain this to the Daimyo. Konoha is about to be destroyed by you!"

"No, Lord Third Generation, the Daimyo has already agreed."

Chiba shook his head and smiled at Hiruzen Sarutobi, saying, "The Daimyo also said that you are getting old, and perhaps Konoha should consider changing the Hokage. This is what Uncle Sakumo told me personally."

Bang!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was struck dumb, staggered and bumped into the chair behind him, then fell to the ground.

"I... my Hokage position..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a chill run down his spine as his own disciples and followers suddenly bared their fangs at him, taking away everything that belonged to him!

"Perhaps the Third Hokage—no, perhaps the Third Hokage is really old—maybe replacing him with a younger Hokage wouldn't be bad."

Even the clan leaders of the Inuzuka, Hyuga, and Aburame clans, who had initially supported Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't help but have this thought when they saw the deeply affected Hiruzen Sarutobi and the confident and triumphant Chiba.

Konoha is about to change.

"Sarutobi-sensei, it has been a long time since you have been on the battlefield. We would like to invite you to the battlefield in Iwagakure this time. Perhaps you can still earn a good reputation before you retire."

Orochimaru glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was still sitting on the ground looking lost and dejected, and couldn't help but shake his head.

Back then, the ninja heroes who galloped across the battlefield were so valiant. When Konoha was beset by internal and external troubles, they took up the banner and made countless enemies tremble with fear. But how did they end up like this?

"Alright, let's continue the meeting. I'll tell you about my plans for Konoha next."

Chiba stood up, strode past Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in the main seat, and smiled as he looked around at everyone.

"Everyone, do you have any objections?"

"No, Brother Chiba, let's get started already! We can't wait!"

Fugaku Uchiha urged with a fervent expression. He and the Uchiha clan behind him were eager to follow Chiba into the new era!

"No."

"Please begin."

Looking at Chiba, who sat calmly and confidently in the main seat, Orochimaru's eyes revealed an unusual glint.

"Ah, this is the kind of Chiba-kun who deserves to be in Konoha."

In fact, Orochimaru had long foreseen that Konoha was gradually decaying under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership. He even considered starting a war against Konoha himself, a plan to destroy Konoha and rebuild it.

But now it seems that's no longer necessary, because Konoha is about to welcome a new Hokage.

Chapter 117 Attacking Iwagakure and Denunciation of Onoki

After Chiba took power, Konoha's massive war machine started running again, with armies crossing the Land of Grass and reaching Iwagakure with astonishing efficiency.

Sunagakure and Kirigakure also sent troops, and the armies of the three major ninja villages surrounded Iwagakure in a pincer movement, cutting off Iwagakure's army fighting against Kumogakure on the front lines.

Iwagakure became the first village in the history of the ninja world to be targeted by the combined forces of the four great ninja villages.

The country of earth, the village of Iwagakure.

Outside the high mountains surrounding Iwagakure, the allied forces of the three countries had completely surrounded the area. As far as the eye could see, there were ninjas in full armor and weapons, their numbers at least five times that of the ninjas left behind in Iwagakure.

Not to mention that all the strongmen from the three villages arrived, including the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the Star of Platinum from Konoha, and the Kazekage and Kage from Sunagakure...

"Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do now?!"

In the Iwagakure conference room, a group of Iwagakure high-ranking officials with grim expressions gathered together. A young Iwagakure official asked in a trembling voice.

Iwagakure's main force was tied up at the front line by Kumogakure. In Iwagakure's current state, it was simply no match for the elite forces of the three great ninja villages, who were as fierce as wolves and tigers.

Once the enemy launches an attack, it will likely be the day Iwagakure is destroyed!

"Don't panic. They're just a bunch of rabble who've temporarily banded together because they saw an opportunity to make money."

After all, Onoki was a man who had experienced many storms. He calmly waved his hand and stabilized the situation with a few words.

"As long as we give them some benefits to fight over, and then act tough and let them know that it would be a losing proposition to confront Iwagakure head-on, their alliance will collapse on its own."

After hearing Onoki's words, the expressions of the Iwagakure high-ranking officials improved considerably, and they all echoed his words.

"Are you referring to the two peaches that killed three warriors? As expected of the Tsuchikage, we are far inferior to you in terms of decisiveness."

"Yes, Tsuchikage is right. For now, we have no choice but to sacrifice some interests and dismantle their alliance from within, otherwise our Iwagakure will be in grave danger."

"Hmph, a bunch of opportunistic bandits. Once Iwagakure gets through this crisis, we'll make them pay the price one by one!"

Just as the Iwagakure high-ranking officials were indignantly discussing countermeasures, a voice spreading with chakra resounded throughout the entire Iwagakure village.

"My patience is limited. Hand over Onoki, and I might spare your lives."

"Otherwise, in a quarter of an hour I will flatten your Rock Village, shake the eggs until the yolks are broken, slice the earthworms in half vertically, and scald the anthills five times!"

Upon hearing this arrogant declaration, the expressions of the Iwagakure high-ranking officials present changed slightly, and their gazes toward Onoki became subtle.

Onoki did not react. His eyes were glazed over, and upon hearing those familiar words, his thoughts drifted back to that rainy night.

"My patience is limited. Hand over the culprit who murdered my nephew, and I might spare your lives."

"He was just an insignificant nobody who could be crushed with a flick of his wrist back then, so why...?"

Swish!

Onoki's figure vanished into the air, flying directly out of the window, sweeping past countless terrified Iwagakure villagers, heading straight for the Allied Forces outside Iwagakure.

"Quickly, send someone to inform the entire army to prepare for battle and protect Lord Tsuchikage!"

"Yes!"

After Ōnoki arrived outside Iwagakure, several figures suspended in the air immediately came into view.

One of them was Chiba, who had just made those arrogant remarks that made Onoki grit his teeth day and night.