I am the most popular character in Naruto!

Only that last sentence, which even mentioned a Konoha ninja, truly enraged Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Konoha was his root, his everything.

Every citizen of Konoha, every ninja of Konoha, is as precious as Hiruzen Sarutobi's child.

No one can disrupt the peace of Konoha or let Konoha fall into turmoil!

Even if this person is his own disciple!

The Will of Fire burned fiercely in Hiruzen Sarutobi's chest. He couldn't understand why none of the three disciples he had trained possessed such a will.

Jiraiya and Tsunade are one thing, they're just lazy, but they still have a lot of passion for Konoha.

But what about Orochimaru?

He is cold-blooded and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He not only lost his Will of Fire, but also directly attacked the ninjas of Konoha!

Danzo looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and a smirk appeared on his lips. He knew that it was almost done.

"Sarutobi, if you don't believe me, would you like me to show you the evidence?"

His voice was full of sarcasm, "I just don't know if you, with your old bones, will faint on the spot when you see that scene."

“...Shut up, Shimura.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened up, took a deep breath, and looked directly at Danzo with a stern gaze, saying, "Have you already spread the word about Orochimaru?"

"Not yet, after all, this affects Konoha, doesn't it?"

Danzo narrowed his eyes, delivering a precise blow to Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi swayed, closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then said sharply, "Spread the word about Orochimaru."

"Oh?"

Danzo was slightly taken aback, but then met Hiruzen Sarutobi's fierce gaze.

"If this incident wasn't Orochimaru's fault, then you can expect to be punished."

Danzo's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the once-powerful ninja had returned. But so what?

Ultimately, the Hokage position will definitely be mine!

He gritted his teeth and snorted coldly, "I understand."

……

In no time, the news spread throughout Konoha.

Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, is actually conducting human experiments!

Not only the ninjas of Konoha, but even the merchants knew about this news.

In those days, traveling merchants were the best disseminators of information; their speed in spreading news was comparable to that of the aunties and grandmas in the neighborhood.

In no time, almost everyone knew the news.

However, since Hiruzen Sarutobi did not come forward to confirm or affirm it, the people only dared to spread the rumors in private.

boom!

The door to the Hokage's office was kicked open, and Jiraiya stormed in angrily, slamming his fist on the Hokage's desk.

"Old man! What's going on?!"

"What kind of nonsense rumors are Danzo and his gang spreading!"

"How could Orochimaru possibly conduct human experiments!"

"Resolve this for him quickly! What if he misunderstands when he comes back!"

Jiraiya believed in his comrades, but Hiruzen Sarutobi did not.

He stood by the window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the entire Hidden Leaf Village without saying a word.

Jiraiya panicked and rushed around the desk to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, shouting, "Old man! Are you getting senile?!"

"Do you trust Danzo more than Orochimaru!?"

However, as Jiraiya was speaking, he was stunned when he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's dejected expression.

For a moment, he felt that his teacher looked much older.

"Jiraiya."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly, then turned to Jiraiya and said, "Tell me, am I incapable of teaching disciples?"

"...Old man?"

A bad feeling welled up in Jiraiya's heart, and he clenched his fist.

"Otherwise, how come you've all ended up like this?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi kept his eyes tightly closed, with a hint of crimson in his eye sockets.

"I simply don't believe it!"

Jiraiya couldn't stand Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior, so he turned his head away and muttered, "This must be Danzo's conspiracy!"

"We can set off now, Sarutobi."

Just then, Danzo suddenly pushed the door open and walked in. He was stunned when he saw Jiraiya, and then sneered, "Jiraiya, you really have a good teammate."

"you!"

Jiraiya's brow twitched, and his anger towards Danzo surged.

An aura of Kage-level power exploded in the Hokage's office. Danzo's expression changed, and he felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on him, making him want to kneel down.

"Enough! Jiraiya!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi roared, and another aura no less than that of a Kage-level expert surged into the sky, completely suppressing Jiraiya's aura.

However, Jiraiya's aura was extremely strong, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's aura seemed completely unable to suppress it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused slightly, while Jiraiya withdrew his aura with a grim expression. "Old man, are you going to find Orochimaru?"

"Take me with you."

"I won't believe it unless I see him conducting human experiments with my own eyes!"

Chapter 478 I'm afraid you can't accept it

Shedding his divine robes, which symbolized power and status, Hiruzen Sarutobi donned a black outfit he hadn't worn in a long time.

He took a deep breath, took off the Hokage hat from his head and put it aside, then casually grabbed a headscarf and wrapped it around his head.

For a moment, the figure of the once-powerful ninja hero overlapped with that of Hiruzen Sarutobi, leaving Danzo somewhat dazed.

"Sarutobi, I've already told you the exact location."

"Due to health reasons, I will not participate in the battle."

Danzo shook his head, discarding his preconceived notions of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and imprinted the image of the aging man before him into his mind, replacing the arrogant figure.

"Yes, I know."

Hiruzen Sarutobi responded firmly, his gaze fixed on Danzo.

The old man who once fought alongside him is now covered in bandages, looking completely incapable of fighting.

Unconsciously, Hiruzen Sarutobi began to feel some sympathy for him.

However, thinking that this old guy wasn't a good person behind the scenes, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

If Danzo could have devoted himself wholeheartedly to Konoha and put aside his personal desires, how wonderful that would have been!

The two brothers, who once fought side by side, were able to sweep across the world on another battlefield, instead of distrusting each other like they do now.

"Old man! Are you done yet!"

Jiraiya kicked open the door. He was ready for battle and was waiting to go with Hiruzen Sarutobi to Orochimaru's location to witness whether Orochimaru was indeed conducting human experiments.

His thoughts were exactly the same as Hiruzen Sarutobi's.

If Orochimaru truly exists, then Jiraiya will personally intervene to suppress him.

However, if Orochimaru didn't exist and it was all fabricated by Danzo, then sorry, his and Hiruzen Sarutobi's attacks will fall on Danzo.

Orochimaru is their comrade-in-arms and disciple; they will never allow anyone to insult him like this!

"lets go."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, setting aside his regret for Danzo, and pulled at his headscarf, his expression cold and stern.

He took the lead, rushing out of the Hokage's office and heading towards the place Danzo had provided.

Jiraiya gave Danzo a warning look, then followed Hiruzen Sarutobi and rushed towards their destination.

"Please...please don't think it's true..."

The two remained silent throughout the journey, followed by a large number of members of the Dark Guard and a significant portion of the Root organization.

To prevent the two from softening their stance, Danzo effectively blocked every possible path.

As soon as evidence against Orochimaru is discovered, the Root ninjas will immediately record it, report it, and spread it, thus confirming his guilt.

However, just as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya were halfway there, two figures blocked their path.

Her long pink hair fluttered in the wind as she gently pressed it down. The violets adorning her purple kimono reflected a soft light.

This kimono was made by Orochimaru; the stitches are meticulous, showing considerable care.

Standing next to the girl with long pink hair was a girl with short brown hair and a determined expression. She clenched her fists, feeling uneasy.

If the woman beside her insisted on stopping the two, the tea-haired girl would fight to the death.

Because in this world, she is everything to herself.

The brown-haired girl is willing to do anything for the girl beside her.

"A thousand autumns..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya stopped in their tracks, both looking at Chiaki with complicated expressions.

The surrounding Anbu members froze in place, while the Root ninjas all stepped forward, looking at Chiaki with wary eyes.