Only I can make Konoha Village great again.

Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly dealt with the crisis.

He imprisoned Danzo, apologized to Hyuga Hiashi, and dispatched ANBU to control the Kumogakure ninja.

Most importantly, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his capacity as the Third Hokage, declared that he would never accept any peace agreement that was not a victory.

The foolish villagers of Konoha believed them and shouted "Long live the Third Hokage!"

The Konoha ninjas were awkwardly left out, missing the chance to question the Third Hokage about the Root rumors and to make things easier for Sakumo Hatake.

Even the fact that he didn't apologize to Hyuga Hizashi was quietly covered up by Hiruzen Sarutobi amidst the cheers of the villagers.

But Hiashi Hyuga did not cause any more trouble.

He recalled all his clansmen and cleaned up all the posters, demonstrating a strong degree of obedience.

Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Hokage's authority and his own prestige accumulated over twenty years to get through this crisis.

But when the news reached Orochimaru in the Land of Lightning, he and Yamanaka Hatsukyu looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Orochimaru's laughter contained little joy, but rather a bitter taste, revealing an almost numb disappointment.

He's completely given up.

Orochimaru sighed, "My teacher Sarutobi has really gotten old. Faced with a crisis that was right in front of him, he chose to compromise with the villagers and use public opinion to delay the crisis, instead of solving the problem and eliminating it completely."

"Such a perfunctory approach will only postpone the crisis and allow it to fester until it explodes into an unprecedented crisis."

"Chu Jiu, you're right, our teacher really isn't suited to be Hokage."

Yamanaka Chujiu laughed: "Orochimaru-sensei, you still have a soft spot for Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Orochimaru was taken aback: "Why do you say that?"

Yamanaka Chuji asked, "Teacher, think carefully. In the twenty years since he became Hokage, what problems has Hiruzen Sarutobi solved?"

"The external problem that triggered the Three Shinobi World Wars was the imbalance of interests among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Did Hiruzen Sarutobi resolve this?"

"The internal problems that triggered the conflict in Konoha were a struggle for interests between ninja clans and between ninja clans and civilians. Did Hiruzen Sarutobi resolve that?"

Orochimaru was taken aback at first, but quickly hissed and gasped, "Chu Jiu, you see all problems as interests. That's a very unique perspective."

"That's right, that's right. In the end, all problems can be boiled down to the struggle for interests."

"Oh hahaha, I suddenly feel like my eyes have brightened. The problem that has troubled me for years is actually about fighting for interests."

"Chu Jiu, you're right. Sarutobi-sensei never solved even one problem. He only learned the Second Hokage's overwhelming power suppression."

Yamanaka Chujiu spoke softly, "Sarutobi Hiruzen has gone astray, turning the Second Hokage's deceptively realistic threat into a real one."

"He has dealt with quite a few of Konoha's ninjas, clans, and allies using various methods..."

Orochimaru frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to defend his teacher.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

The Uzumaki clan of Uzumaki Village, the Senju, Kato, Hatake, Uchiha, Kurama...

There are too many examples, far too many, leaving no room for sophistry. How can he possibly explain this?

Yamanaka Chukyu said with a smile, "The reason why Hiruzen Sarutobi looked so disheveled after his restoration was because he had squandered almost all the wealth accumulated by the First and Second Hokage."

"Konoha Village has indeed become weaker, and its internal conflicts have become extremely sharp, which is why you and I, master and disciple, were able to ignite it so easily."

"If it weren't for the two of us working together, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had been able to wreak havoc for a few more years, Konoha would have developed a huge vulnerability that would have to be filled by a giant clan."

"Which one do you think is the most suitable?"

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his cheek, then uttered the name without hesitation:

"The Uchiha clan."

"Sigh, let's solve the problem of Kumogakure first, and then get Sarutobi-sensei out of office as soon as possible, at least, at least let him retire alive."

Yamazaku shook his head: "I'm not that optimistic."

If Hiruzen Sarutobi had not made a comeback and instead elected the Fifth Hokage, his retirement and reputation could have been maintained; at most, he would have lost the Hokage power that no longer belonged to him.

But he restored the monarchy.

The restored Third Hokage was no longer just Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the collective will of everyone who paid the price and made the effort during the restoration process.

Hiruzen Sarutobi may not be sidelined like the Fourth Hokage, but after this major crisis in Konoha, he will definitely realize that he can no longer back down.

The fact that he could use such drastic measures to forcefully quell the crisis in Konoha is the best proof of this.

In the original history, Orochimaru sacrificed his own reputation to build the village from scratch, thus filling the hole left by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Because he was worried that his own wealth wasn't enough, he thoughtfully brought in the Fourth Kazekage, and together they were plunged into that enormous, bottomless abyss.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gained everything: the future of Konoha, the safety of the Sarutobi clan, the future Hokage of Sarutobi, and even his reputation was preserved.

But he still felt it wasn't enough, so he deliberately severed Orochimaru's hands to make his record look a little better.

After Orochimaru resurrected the four Hokage using the Impure World Reincarnation technique, Hiruzen Sarutobi kept talking nonsense, but in reality, he immediately did whatever Orochimaru said, and his main tactic was obedience.

Yamanaka Chuji chuckled to himself: "But history doesn't repeat itself. Orochimaru is my teacher, which is why I won't let him fill the gaps left by Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Would the Third Hokage really swallow his pride and mobilize the power of the Sarutobi clan, completely igniting the conflicts within Konoha and personally starting the civil war he's been so eager to avoid?"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, I look forward to your choice."

A few hours later, Orochimaru relayed a message from the front of the group: "I can see Kumogakure."

"I also saw many ninjas from Kumogakure, but they didn't seem very strong."

Shan Zhongchujiu remained silent.

Because he had already seen the enemy in the Heart Severance Realm and had given the order to deploy the battle formation.

It was also because, in the Heartbreak Realm, the emotions he sensed from the Cloud Village ninjas were grief, resentment, fear, helplessness, and despair.

This emotion feels both familiar and strange.

Over the years, I have often felt similar emotions among the Konoha ninjas, but I have never felt them among the Kumogakure ninjas.

In Yamanaka Hatsukyu's mind, the stereotype of the Cloud Village ninjas was that they were arrogant, proud, greedy, and confident.

"So, you guys can feel fear and frustration too."

His emotions resonated with those of the Konoha ninjas, and he joyfully arrived at the front of the group.

The Hidden Cloud Village is located on a mountain peak not far ahead, shrouded in clouds and mist, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is the ultimate target of this war.

But for the Konoha army, what could stop them was not the terrain, but the Kumogakure ninjas standing in front of the village.

Even though most of the Cloud Village ninjas are old, young, or disabled, they are still more threatening than the terrain and must be eliminated.