I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire asked with some doubt, "But the ninjas who contacted me were all Jonin of the Sarutobi clan. I asked other Guardian Ninjas, and they were able to confirm that those Sarutobi Jonin were all members of your clan, Hiruzen."

After a pause, the Fire Country Daimyo looked at Tsunade and said, "Hiruzen, the Fifth Hokage's reforms are violating the agreement between the Senju and the Daimyo's government, which has greatly displeased the Sarutobi clan, Sunagakure, and Orochimaru."

"We still hope you can come back to serve as Hokage; everyone will be very satisfied."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage did not attack the Daimyo, but instead stared intently at the black-haired beauty in front of him. His intuition told him that this person was his student, Orochimaru.

Orochimaru removed his mask and said in a voice that was neither male nor female, "It's been a long time, old man. This time we're on the same side. We both oppose Jiraiya becoming the Fifth Hokage. I hope we can cooperate well."

"Orochimaru, I don't recall ever having an alliance with you?"

The Third Hokage gritted his teeth and said that he never expected that Sunagakure and Orochimaru would actually approach the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, using the excuse of letting him restore his power to attack Konoha. Aren't they worried that the plan would fail?

Orochimaru looked at the Third Hokage, pointed to the street in the distance, and chuckled, "I admire your acting skills, teacher. Even when the Sarutobi clan launched an attack on the Hokage Building, you were still rehearsing."

The Third Hokage had excellent eyesight and quickly saw the Sarutobi clan ninja attacking the Hokage Building. His face turned extremely gloomy, and he immediately realized that a Jonin from his clan had betrayed him.

The reason for the betrayal was simple: after he lost his Hokage status, the Sarutobi clan also lost its former status.

But just as Jiraiya could launch a coup, the Sarutobi clan could also launch a coup to reclaim the Hokage position that belonged to the Sarutobi clan, since Jiraiya's succession was illegitimate.

The Third Hokage was trembling with anger, but he managed to suppress it. He then looked at Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, it seems that letting you go back then was a mistake. I will personally finish you off and stop you from ruining Konoha's plans!"

Chapter 239 Minato Namikaze's Helplessness

The Third Hokage was very strong. Even though his physical strength had declined due to his age, he still lived up to the title of "Professor of Ninjutsu." In just a few rounds, he suppressed Orochimaru and forced him to retreat dozens of meters.

The Fire Country Daimyo looked puzzled, wondering if he had been deceived by Orochimaru and Jonin Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage's attitude showed that he had no intention of launching a coup to reclaim the Hokage position. However, Jiraiya's reforms over the years had seriously threatened his base of support, and it was impossible to allow Jiraiya to continue in the Hokage position under any circumstances.

After being defeated by the Third Hokage, Orochimaru formed hand seals and summoned a coffin inscribed with the words "First Hokage" and "Second Hokage".

Under the solemn gaze of the Third Hokage, the First and Second Hokage slowly stepped out and stood beside Orochimaru, staring intently at the Third Hokage.

"This is the Impure World Reincarnation technique! Orochimaru, how dare you desecrate the dead!"

The Third Hokage was both shocked and furious. He pointed at Orochimaru and said that he could be sure of victory against an enemy like Orochimaru, but it was a different story when the First and Second Hokage were also involved.

Even if the first and second generations can only exert half of their abilities before birth, he will gradually fall into a disadvantageous position until he is defeated.

Orochimaru stared directly at the Third Hokage and said in a sinister tone, "Old man, if you hadn't been so stubborn back then and allowed us to continue human experimentation, Konoha wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War."

The Third Hokage summoned Enma, turning it into his magic staff, and coldly said, "If you hadn't attacked your fellow villagers, I wouldn't have expelled you from Konoha. As for the village, it's far from needing our help."

Orochimaru didn't respond. He wasn't one to preach, and he would only say a few words when he was in the mood. He preferred to prove everything with his actions.

The next moment, Orochimaru activated the reanimated First and Second Hokage to launch an attack on the Third Hokage.

……

The performances of the Third Hokage in his solo battle, as well as the First and Second Hokage and Orochimaru, were truly spectacular.

Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't see very clearly because of the Four Purple Sun Formation. When the First Hokage used the Advent of the Tree World, all vision was blocked, and he could only perceive it through Kagura's Mind's Eye.

Left with no other choice, Naruto could only watch the battle between the Konoha Anbu and the One-Tailed Shukaku, occasionally popping popcorn juice into his mouth and lazily stretching.

From a strength perspective, this group of Konoha Anbu members is clearly no match for Shukaku, and signs of their defeat are already very obvious.

Unless elite Jonin like Kakashi and Might Guy are dispatched to stop them, there is no hope of victory. Unfortunately, Kakashi and Might Guy are temporarily unable to appear here as the Sound Ninja are blocking the attack near Konoha City.

At this moment, the Konoha ninjas responsible for moving the unconscious audience members noticed Naruto and the others in the audience.

Naruto and his companions were ninjas from Uzushio Village. The ninjas were unsure whether Naruto and his group were friends or foes. The squad leader approached them and asked, "Guests from Uzushio Village, the arena is extremely dangerous right now. Wouldn't it be better if you and the spectators moved out of here first?"

Naruto waved his hand and said, "You guys go ahead with your business. I'm not planning to leave yet. It's rare to see Sunagakure and Orochimaru teaming up to attack Konoha. I want to watch a little longer."

"I need to watch a little longer..." The Konoha squad leader felt insulted and was about to say something when he noticed Karin and Haku beside him. These two genin who participated in the Chunin Exams were said to have reached the level of jonin.

However, the presence of these people from Wochao Village is ultimately a potential threat.

No one can guarantee that they are not allies of Sunagakure and Orochimaru.

Left with no other choice, the Konoha squad could only stay near Naruto, watching his every move, and dare not make any rash moves.

Besides the Konoha team, the Konoha 12, who were fighting the Sand Ninja, also noticed Naruto and his group.

In the chaotic arena, Naruto and his friends' leisurely demeanor seemed out of place, attracting a lot of attention.

Naruto didn't care about being watched by so many people, but Minato Namikaze was in great pain. He wanted to take action to deal with the raiding force that threatened Konoha's safety, but Naruto forcibly kept him in place and he couldn't make a move at all.

Kushina was conflicted upon seeing this scene. She supported Naruto's decision, but was also worried about Minato.

Naruto suddenly turned around, smiling, and said, "My shadow clone just obtained some interesting information. Would you like to hear it?"

"What information?" Kushina and Minato exchanged glances, somewhat puzzled by Naruto's intentions.

Naruto smiled mysteriously and then said, "The forces participating in the Konoha Collapse Plan this time, besides Sunagakure and Orochimaru, also involve the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and a certain clan within the village."

After saying that, before Kushina and Minato could guess, Naruto directly revealed the answer:

"The clan that colluded with Orochimaru was not the Hyuga clan, nor the Ino-Shika-Cho clan, but the Sarutobi clan, to which the Third Hokage belonged."

"The Sarutobi clan? This can't be..."

The news that the Sarutobi clan colluded with Orochimaru was even more explosive than Orochimaru's alliance with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. This was the family behind the Third Hokage, and there was no way they would betray Konoha.

“If nothing is impossible, I guess the Sarutobi clan never thought their actions betrayed Konoha. With the support of the Third Hokage and the Daimyo, they firmly believed that they were only after the Hokage position.”

"And Sunagakure and Orochimaru are just pawns they're using. As long as the Third Hokage can return to the position of Hokage, this will just be a simple internal struggle, just like the Uchiha Night."

Faced with Naruto's eloquent speech, Minato Namikaze frowned and asked, "Naruto, this is more than just a little bit of information. You know far too much."

The implication was that Minato Namikaze suspected Naruto was also involved in the operation.

Naruto nodded slightly and said dismissively, "I was the one who pushed Jiraiya to launch the coup, and the reforms that could help Konoha transform were also learned by Jiraiya from the Land of Whirlpools. From this perspective, I am indeed the culprit of this internal strife."

"What kind of culprit is this? It's just that some old folks are reluctant to give up their interests and are still nostalgic for the past."

Kushina couldn't help but say something, while Minato Namikaze stared blankly into the distance and sighed softly.

After the Sarutobi clan was involved, he couldn't find a reason to take action for a while. Just as Naruto said, this was just an internal strife, a civil war between the old and new forces.

If he were still alive, he could intervene using his status as the Fourth Hokage, but he is just a dead man.

Chapter 240 Youth Is Not Worth It

On the walls of Konoha, the Konoha Jonin team is defending against the combined forces of Sunagakure and Sound Ninja, protecting the Konoha city behind them.

Looking at the elite Sand Village troops and more than a dozen giant snakes taller than the city walls in the distance, Nara Shikaku and the others briefly exchanged battle plans before joining the fight to resist the invaders.

In times of war, these raiding parties of a few hundred men would be utterly incapable of posing a threat to Konoha.

However, since it is currently a time of peace, most of the Jonin and Chunin are on missions abroad, and there are actually not many elite ninja left in Konoha.

Fortunately, the Fifth Hokage, the Third Hokage, and Tsunade remained in the village.

They only need to hold out for a little while to achieve final victory and defeat all these invaders.

While the current head of the Ino-Shika-Cho clan was defending against the attack of a large summoning beast, Kakashi, Might Guy, and Asuma were fighting against the Sand Village Jonin who were fighting against the Maki Tailed Beast, including Kabuto Yakushi, who had removed his disguise.

Jonin Maki's strength is not outstanding; he can easily kill special Jonin.

However, facing the combined attack of Might Guy and Asuma, they were quickly defeated. Kabuto Yakushi, on the other hand, fought with Kakashi for a long time. After finding an opening, Kabuto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport behind Kabuto and stab him with a kunai.

Unfortunately, Kabuto's body was swallowed by a giant serpent from who-knows-where, leaving only the important prisoner, Kumamoto.

"Sharingan: Genjutsu!"

After being controlled by the Sharingan, Maki was about to reveal the information when he was stopped by the restrictions within his body.

Left with no other option, Asuma captured the other prisoners, and after some interrogation, they finally learned some of Sunagakure's plans.

Sunagakure received an invitation from Orochimaru and a mysterious force, which is why they launched a surprise attack on Konoha during the Chunin Exams.

Currently, Sunagakure has released Shukaku to attack Konoha, while Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage are eyeing the Third and Fifth Hokage near the arena. In addition, a key squad has launched a surprise attack on the Hokage Building.

"A surprise attack on the Hokage Building?"

Sarutobi Asuma's expression suddenly changed, and Might Guy also frowned, asking Kakashi, "Kakashi, should we go to support the Third and Fifth Hokage now, or go back to defend the Hokage Building?"

Kakashi glanced at the arena in the distance, narrowed his eyes, and said, "The Third and Fifth Hokage don't need our support. They can definitely defeat the Kazekage and Orochimaru. Let's go support the Hokage Building instead."

Might Guy was taken aback at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it made some sense. The Hokage was the strongest ninja in the village.

Not long after, Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma, and the others arrived at the neighborhood near the Hokage Building. Surprisingly, there was no battle taking place near the Hokage Building; instead, there were two teams of Konoha ninja facing off in front of it.

Might Guy was a little confused and asked, puzzled, "Kakashi, was the information about that Sand Ninja just now false?"

Kakashi's gaze turned playful, and he then looked at Sarutobi Asuma beside him: "The Sand Village's intelligence is correct, but I already know which clan the mysterious force the Sand Village mentioned comes from. Don't you think so, Asuma?"

"Kakashi, do you mean there are ninjas in the village who have colluded with Orochimaru and Sunagakure?"

Might Guy gradually realized what was going on, but what did this have to do with Asuma? Asuma was a classmate of Kakashi's since childhood, and his father was the Third Hokage. It was impossible for him to be colluding with the invaders.

"I don't know what happened either... but there must be some misunderstanding."

Sarutobi Asuma's face was extremely grim, but the group of ninjas confronting the guards of the Hokage Building were none other than ninjas from his Sarutobi clan. Had the old man really colluded with Orochimaru?

Unable to remain calm any longer, Asuma used his Body Flicker Technique to appear between the two groups, looked at the Sarutobi clan ninja, and demanded, "What's going on with you? The village is under attack, why aren't you going to help?"

The Jonin Sarutobi glanced at Asuma and said calmly, "Young Master Asuma, we are fighting for the interests that rightfully belong to the Sarutobi clan. Do you want to join us?"

"The interests of the Sarutobi clan? Do you know what you're doing?"

Asuma was furious. He raised his chakra blade and lunged at Jonin Sarutobi, shouting, "Does the old man know about your collusion with outsiders to stage a coup?"

Jonin Sarutobi distanced himself and said calmly, "At least Lord Hiruzen didn't stop us. Not stopping us is supporting us. It's been like this for a long time. Besides, there's also Lord Daimyo who's dissatisfied with Jiraiya."

"We are simply setting things right and restoring Lord Hiruzen to the position of Hokage."

The argument between Asuma and the Jonin Sarutobi shocked the guards at the Hokage Building. They had originally thought that the coup was orchestrated by the Third Hokage, which was why they hadn't clashed with the Sarutobi ninja.

But even the third generation didn't know about this. After the third generation retired, he couldn't even control his own family.

Might Guy was unsure whether he should intervene, so he looked at Kakashi beside him. Kakashi looked helpless and said, "Guy, let's go somewhere else to maintain order. This has nothing to do with us."

Might Guy wholeheartedly agreed and followed behind Kakashi, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up within him.

From childhood, he was taught the Will of Fire, such as protecting his comrades in the village. His father, Might Guy, even gave him a final lesson with his life, telling him that the value of a ninja is to protect those who are important to him.

He had long ago made the decision to protect his companions with his life, until he burned out the last of his youth.

But now... he has to deal with enemies not only outside of Konoha, but also enemies within the village, involving the power struggle between two generations of Hokage, and even the game between the ninja village and the daimyo.