Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

Of course, he wasn't entirely indifferent to the villagers; it was just that his thoughts were tangled up in this complicated situation.

Although Asuma did not consider himself a person well-versed in political intrigue, he had been exposed to it for many years in Konoha.

He was not entirely unaware of the implications of the situation, but at that moment he was filled with resentment and could not sort out his thoughts.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly shook his head, a resolute look in his eyes.

He said in a low, slow voice, "The name of the Fire Temple may soon disappear from the map of the Land of Fire."

“Those monks who should be pure of heart and free from desires, meditating and chanting Buddha’s name, have already become impure of the six senses and have been tempted by worldly thoughts. Then let them go to see the real Buddha.”

He paused, a faint, bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "I didn't say that; it was something Hiruko and Orochimaru said in casual conversation."

As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi gently picked up his pipe, tapped it lightly on the corner of the table to shake off the ash, and then let out a long sigh.

His gaze returned to Asuma, and his tone suddenly became stern and cruel: "Asuma, it's time for you to grow up."

He was well aware of the bond between his son and Jiriku, the future heir of the Fire Temple.

Just like he and Danzo and the others back then, they shared a pure and sincere bond from their youth.

But what can we do about it?

If Konoha really comes to that point, for the sake of the village's future and to stand out in the complex situation among the five great nations...

To lead Konoha to a brighter future, all forces that hinder the village's progress must be completely eradicated.

Faced with the grand journey of the village's rise, any personal emotions and attachments seem insignificant and cannot stop the village's progress.

Rather than letting Asuma harbor resentment after learning these cruel truths later, it's better to let him do it himself now.

In this way, even if he learns the truth in the future, he will only hate his father for his ruthless methods.

If they harbor resentment towards Minato or Hiruko, they'd probably be tormented to death by those two.

Indeed, Hiruzen Sarutobi has made up his mind to completely wipe the Twelve Guardian Ninjas from this world, or at least to make the organization cease to exist.

In fact, the Hokage leadership has not yet officially issued any orders for action.

After all, Watergate was still mired in the war a few days ago, so how could it have the energy to arrange for its confidants to do such dirty work?

The only force truly capable of carrying out this mission is the power secretly controlled by Hiruzen Sarutobi, namely the elite ANBU forces of the Sarutobi clan.

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi also understood that not all of the Twelve Guardian Ninja deserved to die.

Some of them could be imprisoned and gradually reformed, making them useful to Konoha.

The temple of fire is not all filled with adult monks; there are also quite a few naive and ignorant young novices.

If an outsider were to carry out the deed, these children would likely perish, and the Fire Temple would be completely extinct.

However, if the Sarutobi clan were to step in, perhaps some of them could be saved and the Fire Temple's legacy could continue in another way.

This was the only thing he, as a father, could protect for Asma.

"What did you say?" Asuma's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this, and a strong sense of unease welled up within him.

He vaguely realized that things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

But when he thought about how freedom couldn't compare to his friends, he didn't have time to think and turned to run wildly out the door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm and composed, saying, "Bring him back and lock him in the old house for now."

"We'll release him when he's truly figured things out."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure darted out from the shadows like a ghost.

Immediately afterwards, fifty black-clad, cold-faced ANBU ninjas appeared, all bowing respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The group of ninjas then acted swiftly, pursuing Asuma in the direction he had fled.

They are all elite members of the Sarutobi clan.

The Sarutobi clan, to which Hiruzen Sarutobi belonged, was a renowned and powerful clan during the Warring States period, and was also one of the founding families of Konoha Village.

Ordinary clan members possess strength far exceeding that of ordinary people. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, these clan members were able to quickly assemble into an unstoppable elite force.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi has now stepped down as Hokage and can no longer directly command the Anbu, as the head of the Sarutobi clan, he still manages to command his clan's ninjas with ease.

With the strength of these clansmen, dealing with Asuma, whose strength is only at the Chunin level, is more than enough.

The lush foliage of trees needs to stretch freely in the sunlight, while the roots hidden in the darkness need to be silently nourished in places where no one sees the sun.

Danzo, although we are on different sides, have we gotten a little closer to our shared goal of protecting Konoha?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was deep, his thoughts drifting far away.

He and Danzo were both close friends and rivals throughout their lives, and he was very familiar with Danzo's style of doing things.

At this moment, in a secluded place of confinement, Hiruko stood outside the cell, coldly observing the person inside.

In the cell, the imprisoned Yugito Futani's hands and feet were tightly bound by heavy chains, her clothes were tattered, and her hair was disheveled and scattered on her shoulders.

He looked extremely haggard, his eyes were empty and lifeless, as if his soul had been ripped out.

What a beautiful image of a broken beauty, only to be shattered in the next second.

Chapter 110 - Please subscribe!

Hearing footsteps, Yugito Nibi didn't even raise her head. She just knelt quietly in the corner, staring straight at the ground, as if everything outside was irrelevant to her.

Hiruko's voice rang out in the cell, tinged with impatience: "Haven't you thought it through yet?"

Yugito the Two-Tailed remained silent, like a lifeless statue, showing no reaction to Hiruko's words.

Then Nohara Rin led the two girls into the dark and damp cell.

One of the girls had dazzling blonde shoulder-length hair. Her once neat bangs had become messy and fell over her forehead because they hadn't been trimmed for months.

Although her clothes were worn and tattered, they could not conceal the aloof and elegant aura she exuded, like a wild lily stubbornly blooming in the wind and rain.

The other girl had dark skin and long, silver-gray hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall.

Her expression was timid, her eyes filled with fear and unease, like a frightened fawn who had just experienced the most terrible nightmare in the world.

Hiruko waved impatiently, signaling his men to open the prison door, and then roughly shoved the two girls into the cell as if they were discarding objects.

"Lord Yugito!" The blonde girl, Mabui, exclaimed upon seeing Yugito in the corner of the cell.

Her previously dull eyes lit up instantly, and her voice trembled with surprise as she timidly called out.

Hearing her friend's call, Yugito slowly raised her head, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in her previously empty and lifeless eyes.

She looked closely and exclaimed in surprise, "Mabuyi, Samui, it's you!"

Mabui could no longer suppress her grievances. She rushed forward and hugged Yugito tightly, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in anguish.

For these girls, who were only teenagers, every minute and every second of their captivity was torture.

On the battlefield, they were captured alive by the enemy. The unknown fear followed them like a shadow, and they were constantly worried that they would be brutally killed. Their spirits were already on the verge of collapse.

Mabu-i's grief also affected Sam-i and Yu-mu-ren.

Although Samui did not burst into tears like Mabuyi, his eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up in them.

Yugi gently patted Mabui's back, trying to calm her agitated emotions, and then asked with concern, "Mabui, what...did they do to you?"

Mabu-i raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, looking at Yukito. Her lips trembled slightly, but she hesitated to speak.

Samui stood by silently weeping, without uttering a word.

They all knew in their hearts that as prisoners of war from an enemy country, they would inevitably be subjected to severe torture and interrogation.

The enemy has only one objective: to extract valuable intelligence from them.

However, with that lecherous scoundrel Hiruko around, no one else would be allowed to touch these two beauties.

Mabui took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her voice trembled slightly as she slowly said, "Yukito, they... they also captured my father... Uncle Molloy, he..."

At this point, Mabuya's tears flowed again, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Yu Muren's heart sank suddenly, and he instantly understood the sinister intentions of Beiliuhu in bringing Samui and Mabuyi here.

She suddenly raised her head, glaring angrily at Biruko, her eyes seemingly spitting fire, and roared hoarsely, "You beast! Even if it costs me my life, I will kill you!"

As she spoke, she recklessly lunged at the prison bars, gripping them tightly with both hands, trying to break free and fight Birukhu to the death.

Beirukho, however, remained calm, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips, as he slowly approached the railing.

Seeing this, Yukito reached out to grab him, but the next second, a strong electric current suddenly erupted from the special collar around her neck.

The electric current, like countless sharp steel needles, instantly pierced her body, causing the wooden figure to tremble violently. She collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

Suddenly, the frogs started spraying.

Hiruko crouched down, meeting Yugito's gaze across the railing with a menacing look in her eyes, and slowly said, "Yugito, you don't want to watch your friend die in front of you like this, do you?"

"I've stated the conditions many times: as long as you tell me the method to control the Tailed Beasts and make them perfect Jinchuriki, I guarantee their safety."

"As the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails and an expert in the Hidden Cloud Village with extensive knowledge of tailed beasts, you would surely speak up for your comrades!"

This secret was hidden in Yugito's mind. Hiruko couldn't bear to kill him, so he could only try to get Yugito to talk about it himself.

“We’ve tried everything, but you’re much tougher than I thought. No matter how much we torture you, you just won’t give in.”

Hiruko stood up and dusted himself off.

Looking at Yugito, whose face was contorted with pain, he continued, "The three of you can talk to each other alone. I'll come back in an hour."

"Think it over carefully: do you want to save your own life and your friends' lives, or do you want to keep that secret and make them pay with their lives?"

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving only a chilling laugh echoing in the cell.

Under Nohara Rin's arrangement, Yugito, Samui, and Azabui were taken away to change into clean clothes.

Along the way, Mabui looked at Yugito with a face full of guilt and said in a tearful voice, "Lady Yugito, it's all my fault... I've dragged you into this."

“If we hadn’t been captured, you wouldn’t have been threatened by that bastard, Beiruhu…”

"Alright, it's not your fault," Yugito said calmly.

If anyone is to blame, it's her own actions.

If she had fought alongside the Raikage and Killer Bee, Konoha might not have won the war, and they wouldn't have suffered so much.

Led by Nohara Rin, the three arrived at a rest room located at the back of the base.