Only I can make Konoha Village great again.

Danzo Shimura felt guilty.

He'd been stubborn for half his life, and even when facing Hiruzen Sarutobi, he couldn't stop using his catchphrase.

"I did it all for Konoha!"

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"

"I'm protecting Konoha!"

But these words, which could leave the Konoha ninjas speechless and make the Third Hokage furious, were things that Danzo Shimura's teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, would not dare to utter a single word in front of.

Tobirama Senju is logically clear and decisive in his actions; he cannot be deceived by a few words, nor can he be suppressed by the status of an elder of Konoha.

But Shimura Danzo wasn't thinking about any of that right now; his mind was filled with the resentment of being deceived.

Because Tobirama Senju coldly replied, "Ah, isn't that only natural?"

Tobirama Senju's gaze swept across the battlefield, landing on the corpses of Kirigakure and Root ninjas floating on the water. His tone grew even colder: "Shimura Danzo, my judgment was correct. You have indeed become a scourge of Konoha."

"What is Hiruzen Sarutobi doing? Why is he allowing you to slaughter the village's heroes?"

Danzo was filled with resentment, but under Tobirama Senju's gaze, he couldn't muster any anger.

He suppressed his fear and forced a defense, saying, "Master, we had no choice but to surround and kill Orochimaru for the sake of Konoha Village."

Tobirama Senju pressed, "Why?"

Danzo directly stated the standard line: "Because Orochimaru's reputation is too high, he is obsessed with ninjutsu research, and his methods are cruel, he must have a rebellious heart."

"We had no choice but to eliminate him in order to protect the peace of Konoha Village."

When Tobirama Senju heard the words "obsessed with research" and "cruel in methods," his face twitched involuntarily. He stared at Danzo Shimura repeatedly before confirming that the bastard student wasn't cricketing at him.

Therefore, first impressions are really important.

When Orochimaru was suppressed and became a Konoha rogue ninja, and was resurrected as the Second Hokage under the guise of being the destroyer of Konoha, Tobirama Senju believed that Orochimaru deserved to die.

But Orochimaru is now a ninja of Konoha, a hero who defeated Kumogakure and Kirigakure.

Disobeying the Third Hokage's orders was indeed a problem, but compared to such a great victory, it was really a minor issue.

The Second Hokage firmly believed that the Hokage was not some supreme god, and that the Hokage's orders were only inviolable when he was right, or at least when he could not be proven wrong.

If Orochimaru's attack resulted in a great victory, then the Hokage's order to stop him was wrong.

Therefore, Tobirama Senju developed a good impression of Orochimaru, not only because Orochimaru had won, but also because Konoha finally had a Konoha ninja like himself.

I am not alone on this path!

A change in mindset can affect one's stance, and a stance can affect one's judgment.

Tobirama Senju questioned Danzo: "You're supposed to clean house and protect Konoha's peace, so what exactly did Orochimaru do to harm Konoha?"

"Don't give me platitudes to fool the lower-ranking ninjas, don't offer your speculations. I want concrete, verifiable facts—evidence of harm done to Konoha!"

Danzo Shimura opened his mouth with a cold smile, but Tobirama Senju waited for a long time without hearing a single word.

Danzo discovered that he couldn't say a single thing.

Did Orochimaru conduct human experiments?

Of course I did!

But it was Danzo who proposed it, and Hiruzen Sarutobi who approved it; Orochimaru was merely the executor.

Was Orochimaru's method cruel?

Of course it's cruel; that's something everyone in the ninja world knows.

The problem is that he hasn't been cruel to Konoha ninjas yet. No matter how brutal his methods are, they are all used on his enemies. How can that be wrong?

When Tobirama Senju received no reply, he sneered.

The next instant, Tobirama Senju flashed and appeared in front of Danzo, the tip of his kunai pressed against Danzo's throat.

"If you can't explain it, then you're framing me. You're not protecting the village; you're eliminating dissidents and fighting for power!"

He glanced at the corpses of Hidden Mist ninja scattered on the ground: "You even colluded with foreign enemies, you deserve to die..."

Danzo's face turned pale, and he hurriedly explained, "Master, you've misunderstood! It's Orochimaru..."

"Shut up!"

Tobirama Senju interrupted him sharply, his tone full of disappointment: "I gave you five minutes, and you couldn't utter a single word!"

"Now whatever you say, I can only take it as an excuse."

"I, Tobirama Senju, have seen countless people and have never misjudged anyone. I chose you as my student because you have talent and ability, as well as the determination to protect the village."

"However, I've also noticed that you're a bit muddled, unable to prioritize, and tend to start things but not finish them, giving up at the slightest setback."

"But that's not the most serious problem. Your biggest flaw is that you're too paranoid and ruthless, foolishly believing that you can do anything as long as you have absolute power."

"In order to obtain the absolute power you imagine, you disregard the interests of Konoha Village and the lives and deaths of Konoha ninja and villagers."

"Someone like you is not fit to lead Konoha Village."

"Therefore, when I was choosing my successor, I excluded you from the list and did not entrust Tsunade to your training."

Tobirama Senju's words were like a sharp knife, piercing Danzo's obsession and shattering his heart.

He looked up abruptly, his fear turning into rage: "Why?!"

"I've sacrificed so much for Konoha over the years. I gave up an eye, I gave up my reputation, and you say I don't deserve it?"

Tobirama Senju wasn't going to tolerate him and retorted directly: "For colluding with Kirigakure, murdering Konoha ninja, and for sacrificing Konoha's foundation for power!"

"Stop nagging and arguing like a woman. I, Tobirama Senju, only look at the facts!"

"Orochimaru won two wars and destroyed Konoha's enemies; he is Konoha's hero."

"By joining forces with the enemy to attack Orochimaru, a hero, without any evidence, you are a sinner against Konoha!"

"A sinner only proves that my judgment back then was correct, and also proves that it was a mistake for me to be soft-hearted and let you return to Konoha Village."

"I should have taken you with me to die in the Land of Lightning!"

Tobirama Senju truly lived up to his reputation as the Hokage who established the Konoha Village system. His logic was clear; he only spoke of evidence and facts, not sentiment or human feelings.

His words were like a dragon-slaying sword, directly slicing through all of Danzo Shimura's pretense and lies.

After his true colors were exposed, Danzo Shimura knew he was finished.

He was like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair, completely driven mad, suddenly tearing off the bandage covering his right eye, revealing a bright red Sharingan.

Tobirama Senju blurted out instinctively, "The inherently evil Uchiha bastard..."

"Damn you, Shimura Danzo, where did you get your Sharingan from?"