Konoha: My peaceful life was betrayed by the system.

This can be considered lucky.

Chapter 128 You're the real Yama!

It is precisely because of this natural barrier that Takigakure Village has been able to survive in the gap between the four great powers.

This can be considered lucky.

The further you walk, the more humid the air becomes, and the denser the surrounding trees grow.

Various types of moss covered the tree trunks, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

We could already hear the sound of the waterfall, so it seemed we would be there soon.

"We're almost at Takigakure Village. Would you like to come in with me?"

Qu Feng shook his head, and then the four puppets transformed into a streak of light and entered the mark on Kakuzu's arm.

Kakuzu shook his arm. Although he didn't feel anything in his arm, the thought of having four people inside him made him feel a little uncomfortable.

But none of that mattered. He pushed through the bushes and peered around the waterfall, finding no ninjas guarding it.

Kakuzu had nothing to worry about anymore and strode towards the village entrance.

Arriving at the base of the waterfall, Kakuzu took a deep breath and leaped into the waterfall.

Kakuzu's clothes always get wet whenever he enters the village, which has always annoyed him.

He thought the reason the old folks in the village never left was probably because of the waterfall.

He could see the outside world through the mark, and after entering the waterfall, a village appeared before him.

It is much smaller than Konoha, and the houses are mostly made of wood and huge leaves.

To put it nicely, it's very close to nature; to put it bluntly, it's extremely backward.

It's nothing compared to Konoha Village.

There weren't many people on the street, but they were all dressed quite elegantly.

Kakuzu is considered a celebrity in the village, as everyone regards him as the hope of Takigakure.

As soon as they saw Kakuzu return, the villagers all came up to greet him.

"Mr. Kakuzu, you've returned from your mission? It must have been a complete success."

This man intended to flatter Kakuzu, but little did he know he had offended him.

Kakuzu, who was already in a bad mood, felt as if he were being mocked by this person's words.

Fortunately, he held back and didn't lose his temper.

Otherwise, there would be no need to fulfill any bet; just the fact that he harmed the villagers would be enough to send Kakuzu to prison.

He forced a not-so-pleasant smile while suppressing his anger: "Yes, it was completed smoothly."

The sentence, forced out through gritted teeth, made the villager realize the seriousness of the situation.

He hurriedly apologized to Kakuzu.

In order to avoid causing a greater disturbance, Kakuzu simply waved his hand and let the man leave.

The most urgent task is not to argue with them, but to deliver the mission.

If the task is not completed, punishment is inevitable; it remains to be seen what the elders will do.

Kakuzu believed that even if a task of this magnitude were given to the Kage of a major power, it would be impossible to succeed, and the elders probably wouldn't say anything.

The bet he made with Qu Feng was simply an extra layer of protection for himself.

The surrounding villagers gradually dispersed, and Kakuzu did not linger any longer, heading deeper into the village.

They stopped in front of a very large mansion.

There is no shadow in Takigakure Village, nor is there an office building; there is only the joint residence of the elders.

All task assignments and deliveries are completed here.

Important village meetings are also held here.

This mansion can be considered the center of power in Takigakure Village. Every elder, once elected, will move into the mansion with their family.

Once elected as an elder, one will generally remain in that position until death, making the position of elder a secure and stable job in Takigakure.

Every ninja's ultimate goal is to become an elder.

The elders divided the village's power, and they schemed against each other all day long to protect their own rights.

All sorts of dirty deeds were commonplace, and no one could truly lead the village to steady development.

They were all thinking about how to consolidate their own rights.

Kakuzu pushed open the gate of the mansion and went inside. In front of the central room, he saw five old men with different appearances sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed.

They give off a very unfathomable feeling, but according to Qu Feng's estimation, the strongest of these five old men should be at the level of a near-Kage, while the weaker ones are at the level of an elite Jonin.

They seem to have decent overall strength, but unfortunately, they lack unity.

The old man at the head of the group, after sensing Kakuzu's entry, spoke calmly: "Well, is the mission complete?"

His voice didn't sound hoarse like that of an elderly person; it even sounded quite robust, so he must be the strongest one.

As expected, in response to the man's question, Kakuzu bowed and said, "Reporting to the Grand Elder, the mission has failed. Hashirama Senju's strength is beyond my capabilities."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other four elders opened their eyes and stared intently at Kakuzu.

"The mission failed, and you still dare to come back to the village! If you bring trouble to the village, can you bear the responsibility?!"

Before Kakuzu could react, he was bombarded with a barrage of questions.

The four elders went on and on for more than ten minutes before the eldest elder finally stopped them.

Kakuzu wasn't a good-tempered person. It was an impossible mission to begin with, and not only did he get a beating from Hashirama, he also got a good scolding from the four old men when he got back.

Anyone would have found it unbearable, but Kakuzu endured it. A moment of forbearance brings peace, and taking a step back opens up a vast expanse.

Kakuzu thought the Grand Elder was a reasonable person and was about to speak up for him when he stopped the other four elders.

But what the Grand Elder said next completely stunned him.

"Kakuzu did fail in his mission this time, but there's no need to insult him like this."

“He is, after all, the future hope of our Takigakure Village. I propose that we put him in jail first, and then we can discuss the specific punishment measures later.”

???

Kakuzu was filled with questions. The other old men just cursed at me, saying, "You fucking sent me straight to jail."

So after all that, it turns out you, Old Deng, are the real devil! And you call yourself the future hope of Takigakure? Is this how you treat hope?

Kakuzu was completely shocked by the elder's outrageous actions, and he didn't even resist when the village ninjas grabbed him and dragged him to the prison.

He didn't come to his senses until Kakuzu was locked up in layers of locks.

Unfortunately, it was too late; they were already in prison.

"Am I coming in now?" He muttered to himself, seemingly to no one in particular.

But Qu Feng chimed in, "Yes, I'm in. I won the bet."

Silence was the Cambridge of tonight; Kakuzu leaned against the cold prison wall, remaining silent for a long time.

Chapter 129 Who exactly is sentencing this person?

But Qu Feng chimed in, "Yes, I'm in. I won the bet."

Silence was the Cambridge of tonight; Kakuzu leaned against the cold prison wall, remaining silent for a long time.

It's impossible not to feel heartbroken. After doing so much for the village, all I can do in the end is sigh in vain in this cold prison.

"So, do you admit I won?"

The sound of wind entered Kakuzu's mind.

Kakuzu still clung to a sliver of hope, so he said, "I'll consider you the winner once the elders decide to execute me!"

Kakuzu is already in prison, so in theory, Toruka has already won. However, judging from how stubborn he is, even if we get him out, he definitely won't give up.

So, Toki didn't mind Kakuzu's cheating this time: "Alright, we'll do as you say."

However, the two did not have to wait long. In the evening, they received the elders' final decision.

The ninja who was supposed to be a messenger for the elders came into the prison and read to Kakuzu the verdict that the five elders had reached after several hours of discussion.

"Kakuzu was seriously negligent in carrying out the mission to assassinate the Hokage of Konoha, but considering his many years of dedication to the village and his countless perfect execution of the missions assigned by the village."

"Therefore, the five elders have jointly decided to pardon Kakuzu's crimes and give him a lenient sentence."

Upon hearing this, not only Kakuzu but also Torifu was stunned. Had they picked up the wrong script? How could they have been forgiven?

Kakuzu immediately burst into laughter, knowing that no matter how muddle-headed the elder was, he wouldn't do anything to him!

What kind of lousy Konoha ninjas dare to bet with him? Who else knows those five old men better than him?

But then the messenger ninja added, "Don't rush, Mr. Kakuzu, the elders still have something to say."

Kakuzu's smile vanished instantly; for some reason, he had a bad feeling.

"But Kakuzu's actions still brought huge hidden dangers to the village. He returned to the village rashly without completing the assassination mission, completely disregarding the safety of the village and its villagers!"

"It has been decided that Kakuzu will be sentenced to death! Considering that the elders have pardoned Kakuzu's crimes, therefore..."

When he heard the elders say they wanted to sentence him to death, Kakuzu was completely stunned, his eyes wide open!

He couldn't believe that failing such an impossible mission would result in a death sentence.

Who the hell is making the judgment?!

However, when he heard that the elders had forgiven him, Kakuzu felt relieved. After all, they had already forgiven him, so what could be more severe punishment?

It's nothing more than a fine or solitary confinement, nothing serious.

"Therefore, the sentence was changed to hanging for Kakuzu, but his body was left intact."

"Damn it!" Kakuzu immediately cursed. "What the hell? In the end, he's still going to die anyway!"