They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 223 Hiruzen Sarutobi: Let heroes investigate heroes, let good men investigate good men!

Why, why did everything turn out this way?

Kakashi Hatake knelt on the ground, ignoring the strange looks and whispers around him. Looking at the red and mixed pearls that rolled down in front of him, a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes.

Just half a month ago, the family was all together. He liked to complain to his father about everything he experienced on the mission and pestered him to teach him the Hatake-ryu sword technique. His mother would also gently prepare a meal at home and quietly wait for them to come back. But why, why did things develop like this in just half a month?

Kakashi looked up at his mother's corpse not far away, staring at the glaring crimson on her neck, and two tears slowly slid down his cheeks.

-

What's going on?

Minato Namikaze stood not far away, staring blankly at the scene before him, a look of absurdity flashing across his face.

Since returning from the Land of Wind, he has devoted himself to training in ninjutsu. Thanks to the fragmented memories of the "future," he has not only improved his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique and sealing techniques, but has also gained a preliminary understanding of Sage Mode.

As his own strength greatly improved, he couldn't help but think of the untimely death of "Future" Hatake Sakumo. He was troubled by not being able to reveal that he possessed the memories of the future, so Namikaze Minato only reminded Hatake Sakumo from the side.

After seeing Sakumo Hatake die like in the "future," he was still marveling at how real that future memory was. But all that confidence was shattered when he saw the scene before him.

"Why? Is it because the memories of the future are a mixture of truth and falsehood, or is it because this event actually happened in the 'future,' but was exposed for some reason?"

Minato Namikaze's gaze lingered between the corpses of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Nao Hatake, as he pondered various possibilities.

Although in his memory, Hiruzen Sarutobi handled his future child, Naruto Uzumaki, poorly, he still believed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's character.

Therefore, Minato Namikaze remained skeptical about whether he had truly defiled Nao Hatake.

However, one thing is certain: once this happens, Konoha will inevitably fall into turmoil.

"So... I still need to work hard to improve my strength and protect Michiko..."

Minato Namikaze shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions and focusing on the core of the current situation. He decided to hone his skills first in preparation for the upcoming upheaval and the Third Shinobi World War.

-

Pretty!

As Danzo Shimura watched this scene, seeing the blinding crimson, his blood seemed to be burning.

Upon seeing Nao Hatake's fallen body, Danzo Shimura knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage was doomed.

To be honest, before Nao Hatake actually took his own life, he was still uneasy.

He worried that Nao Hatake would ultimately choose Hiruzen Sarutobi, believing that Hiruzen could protect her and her child, so that in the end she would not only fail to follow the plan but also expose him.

Fortunately, his past reputation eventually came into play, and Nao Hatake ultimately succumbed to his threats.

"You are a leaf bathed in sunlight, while I am a root buried deep in darkness... Hiruzen, for so many years, the villagers have believed you are a leaf and I am a root, but while this identity has witnessed your success, hasn't it also been binding you tightly?"

As Shimura Danzo looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's powerless eyes not far in front of him, a sense of pleasure flashed through his chest.

-

Finished!

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes in anguish as he witnessed the scene unfolding before him.

If there was even the slightest hope before that he could prove his innocence, now that Nao Hatake is dead, he knows that the title of "the woman who defamed the widow of a hero" is forever stuck with him.

Since ancient times, suicide spies have been the most intractable method of sowing discord.

The fact that this kind of suicide mission was carried out in front of a large crowd, under a very special identity, can be said to be the most unsolvable of all.

Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly realized that he could not keep his position as Hokage.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking at the blood-stained kunai that had fallen onto the high platform, and staring silently at Kakashi below, who was staring blankly at Nao Hatake's body.

For a fleeting moment, a pity for Kakashi flashed through his mind.

He knew perfectly well that all the tragedies in the Hatake family, from the deaths of Hatake Sakumo to Hatake Nao, stemmed from himself.

In just half a month, Kakashi went from being a genius of Konoha to the son of a sinner, from a happy family to the death of both parents, from being cold on the outside but warm on the inside to being heartbroken. All of this stemmed from a single sentence he uttered earlier, from his desire to retain the position of Hokage.

However, this slight regret came and went quickly. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been the Hokage for decades and had been in charge of Konoha for many years. He quickly adjusted his mood and scanned the surrounding VIP audience seats with a sharp gaze, trying to find the enemy hidden among them.

Indeed, by now, Hiruzen Sarutobi has gradually come to his senses.

From the moment Jiraiya returned to the village, someone in the village was setting a trap for him.

Using Jiraiya's four-year absence as a pretext, combined with the defeat in the Second Shinobi World War, he stirred up the village's discontent with him.

They forced him to use methods to suppress Hatake Sakumo, the most popular candidate for the Fourth Hokage, and then forced him to commit suicide through the spread of public opinion. Finally, they used Kakashi to threaten Hatake Nao, making her commit suicide in front of so many people in this situation, so as to pour this dirty water on his head.

It is not hard to see from this series of schemes that the mastermind behind it was definitely someone who had been planning this for a long time and whose identity was definitely that of a high-ranking official in the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept back and forth among the people around him, but finally settled on Danzo Shimura and Homura Uchiha.

"Danzo, you..."

Before he could say anything, the shock of the crowd below from Nao Hatake's sudden suicide gradually dissipated.

"Could it be... that the Hokage really did that kind of thing to Mrs. Hatake?"

A soft voice rang out from the crowd.

Although the sound was very soft, it was deafening against the backdrop of the deathly silence of the scene.

Faced with this blood-soaked corpse, even those who had the strongest faith in Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but waver.

If it was possible that Nao Hatake used her innocence to slander Hiruzen Sarutobi before, how can this scene be explained?

She was the wife of a hero of Konoha, backed by the Hatake clan, and had a genius son named Kakashi Hatake whose fame resounded throughout Konoha. If she hadn't really been wronged and had been forced and humiliated by Hiruzen Sarutobi, why would she have given up such a good life and sought death at her deceased husband's funeral?

"Do you think it's possible that the person who humiliated Mrs. Hatake was impersonating the Hokage?"

The fans of Hiruzen Sarutobi could hardly believe what they were seeing and racked their brains trying to exonerate the Hokage.

"Are you an idiot? Mrs. Hatake was once an elite Chunin, how could she not recognize such a low-level ninjutsu as Transformation Technique?"

Dissenting voices immediately emerged, harshly mocking those people.

"The person is dead, so is the question of whether the event actually happened? It definitely happened! After all, you all know the Hokage's reputation. It's perfectly reasonable for such a lecherous person to do something under the influence of his forbidden identity when he encounters such a beautiful woman as Mrs. Hatake, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's mindset immediately changed.

Yes, the person is dead, what's the point of getting hung up on whether it's true or false?

On one side is the high and mighty Hokage, who has a reputation for being a womanizer and is living a good life; on the other side is Mrs. Hatake, who has just lost her husband and is proving her innocence by committing suicide at his funeral. Who is right and who is wrong? Is there even a need to think about it?

"I never imagined that the Hokage was this kind of person behind the scenes! I trusted him so much before!"

A villager who had turned against the party immediately shouted loudly upon seeing this scene.

"Still calling him Hokage? If someone like that can be Hokage, then I can be Hokage too! Anyway, we didn't win the previous two Shinobi World Wars, so what difference does it make who goes?"

Infected by the surrounding atmosphere, the hidden trolls began to show their power.

"Damn it! Even a hero like Sakumo Hatake couldn't protect his wife, let alone us? Over the years, countless innocent women in the village must have fallen victim to his cruelty, but they probably didn't dare to speak up because of his status as Hokage! He's a true beast!"

Some people have broadened their thinking, using the small incident to illustrate a larger point, starting with the Hatake Nao incident and expanding on the number of crimes committed by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"It's because the village has someone like him as Hokage that it has lost its former title as the strongest ninja village in the world! Come to think of it, it's also because this guy became Hokage that the village's development has been so bumpy. So, the reason for all of this is that bastard Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Some elderly people began to reminisce about the glory days of Konoha during the era of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, and began to indignantly criticize Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"It's a pity that Lord Tobirama Senju, so wise throughout his life, chose such a heartless and treacherous person as Hokage. It's truly lamentable that he ruined his reputation in his later years!"

……

The impact of Nao Hatake's death finally manifested itself at this moment, influencing the judgment of everyone present.

At this moment, it is difficult to determine how many people in this crowd are spies planted by Shimura Danzo, how many genuinely believe so, and how many have been swept up by the tide and lost their own judgment.

The commotion from the audience inevitably reached the stage and was heard by everyone present.

The elite ninjas sitting on the high platform were naturally incomparable to the ignorant masses below. With their knowledge and wisdom, they could naturally see the strangeness of Hatake Nao's accusations and suicide.

However, it was precisely because they had figured it out that they remained silent at this moment.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for a very long time, almost twenty years.

In the past twenty years, the Sarutobi clan has grown from a first-rate ninja clan in Konoha to surpass the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, and has now become the de facto number one ninja clan in Konoha. Many key departments in the village have been occupied by members of the Sarutobi clan, and everyone else has witnessed all of this.

In this situation, the clan leaders and elite ninjas were naturally extremely envious.

However, given Hiruzen Sarutobi's long-standing prestige and power, they naturally couldn't say anything and could only silently wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi to step down before discussing it further.

Although it is unknown who wants to harm Hiruzen Sarutobi, the current situation clearly shows that Hiruzen Sarutobi is bound to lose his position as Hokage.

With Hiruzen Sarutobi losing his position as Hokage, even if the Sarutobi clan doesn't disappear like the Senju clan did back then, they will inevitably lose all their interests.

Therefore, all the clan leaders of the ninja clans sitting on the platform at this moment showed a "shocked" look, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi with incredulous eyes, as if they believed Hiruzen Sarutobi's dirty and evil deeds because of Nao Hatake's death.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally felt the gazes of everyone present.

But even if he sensed it, what could he do?

Things have progressed to this point, and anything he says now will be of no use; his time as Hokage is over.

"Hiruzen, now that things have come to this point, the village must give everyone an explanation."

"You've seen the villagers' attitude now. Because of Nao Hatake's death, they are now convinced that you threatened Nao Hatake. Therefore, for the sake of the village's overall situation, I propose that you be temporarily stripped of your Hokage position and that we form an investigation team to investigate all of this."

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Shimura Danzo suppressed his excitement and stepped forward to suggest, for the sake of the bigger picture, that Hiruzen Sarutobi be temporarily stripped of his Hokage position until the special task force had investigated the matter thoroughly.

"We will not cover up for anyone. If Nao Hatake is making false accusations, we will clarify everything to the outside world. You are still the Third Hokage."

These words were just for show. After all, given the current public opinion, even if the village investigation found that Hatake Nao was framed and Sarutobi Hiruzen was innocent, the villagers would only think that the village leaders were covering up for him and that officials were protecting each other.

So no matter what, Hiruzen Sarutobi's time as the Third Hokage has come to an end.

Hiruzen Sarutobi himself knew this, Danzo Shimura knew it, and everyone present knew it.

However, at this moment, why did Shimura Danzo step forward so hastily? Does this mean that he is the mastermind behind it all?

Danzo Shimura was eager to become Hokage, and Hiruzen Sarutobi knew this, as they were longtime teammates.

However, once such a method is used, it will undoubtedly be a huge blow to the village's prestige.

Even if Shimura Danzo does become the Fourth Hokage as he wishes, the villagers' trust in the village will be gone forever.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not doubt Danzo Shimura's love for the village, which is why he tolerated the Root, such a deformed monster, being controlled by him, and punished him repeatedly for overstepping his bounds.

So, is Shimura Danzo stepping forward to reap the rewards of his successful scheme, or is he simply seizing an opportunity, driven by his own ambition, to strive for the Hokage position, even though it has nothing to do with him?

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at Danzo Shimura, trying to see through his old friend's thoughts.

Unfortunately, the long years of living among the roots had already eroded Shimura Danzo's heart.

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

"I agree."

As soon as Shimura Danzo finished speaking, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who were standing beside him, stood up and agreed to his suggestion.

For these consultants, the natural thought is how to minimize the impact of this matter in the shortest possible time.

Putting aside the matter of running for the Fourth Hokage, it's clear that Hiruzen Sarutobi will not be able to serve as Hokage for the time being.

Seeing the three advisors take the lead in agreeing, the many ninja clan leaders on the side naturally quickly expressed their agreement as well. After all, they were still thinking of taking advantage of the Sarutobi clan after they fell, so how could they possibly object at this time?

However, at that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi did something that surprised everyone present.

He turned around and, amidst the insults from the crowd below, resolutely walked to the edge of the platform, past the blood-stained kunai, and arrived at the loudspeaker.

"I am Hiruzen Sarutobi. I know that everyone here now thinks I am a complete villain, a beast in human form... But I want to say that I am innocent. I did not do the things that Nao Hatake said."

Standing on the high platform, facing the contemptuous gazes of the crowd, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke thus.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

"It seems you still don't want to face reality and want to keep struggling. But such rebuttals are so weak and powerless in front of Nao Hatake's corpse. They might only further provoke the villagers' anger... But it's fine. If you don't struggle, you won't know what despair is."

As expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words did not ease the tension; instead, the insults from the audience became even more intense.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not standing here to say these things.

"I know everyone is prejudiced against me right now and won't believe anything I say... However, although there's nothing between me and Nao Hatake, I do bear responsibility for her current situation, so I've decided to resign as the Third Hokage and step down!"

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy scene instantly fell silent, and the villagers below the stage all looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with astonishment.

After all, this was the first leader in the recorded history of the ninja world to abdicate because of such a thing, so they were naturally filled with shock.

Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued speaking:

"However, before I step down, I must issue one last order in my capacity as the Third Hokage!"

When Shimura Danzo heard these words, he felt a vague unease for some reason, but at this moment he could not interrupt Hiruzen Sarutobi's words under any circumstances, so he could only silently listen to Hiruzen Sarutobi's last order as Hokage.

"...That concerns the candidates for the Fourth Hokage. In my capacity as the Third Hokage, I propose Danzo Shimura and Fugaku Uchiha. As for the final selection of the Fourth Hokage, I suggest deciding it by investigating this case. Whoever can find an answer that satisfies the villagers will be the Fourth Hokage!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as he spoke, word by word.

Based on Hiruzen Sarutobi's experience and wisdom, the mastermind behind this must be either Danzo Shimura or Homura Uchiha, but he couldn't tell who it was.

Since that's the case, let's just not argue about it!

The reason you created this situation is that you want the Hokage position right under my nose, isn't it?

it is good!

Here you go!

But you two should fight each other first to decide who wins and who loses!

You treat me, Hiruzen Sarutobi, like a prisoner, and you want to be heroes, right?

it is good!

Let heroes check heroes, and good men check good men, so that everyone can see who is the real Li Kui and who is the imposter!

(End of this chapter)