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

"Silly child, don't forget that your clansmen still live in Wochao Village."

Upon hearing this, Sasuke gradually calmed down, but these truths were still etched into his mind. There were three key figures who caused the Uchiha Night to happen.

Itachi Uchiha, who personally slaughtered his clansmen; Danzo, who guided Itachi Uchiha; and the inactive Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage is already dead, and Danzo's whereabouts are currently unknown. The only one left to seek revenge against is Uchiha Itachi. The only way for him to take revenge on Uchiha Itachi is to quickly increase his strength.

After finishing his speech, Shisui quietly retreated behind Kakashi, waiting for Kakashi's performance.

Kakashi smiled and stepped forward, saying, "I'm sure everyone already knows the truth about the Uchiha Night, but the truth I'm about to tell you might be more familiar to you, since it happened just a few days ago. It's about Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha."

Upon hearing this, Jonin Sarutobi was terrified. Even Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but frown. Although he and his father had always been at odds, he didn't want to see his father's reputation tarnished.

"After all this time, I'm sure everyone knows that Orochimaru allied with the Sand Village, killed his ally, the Fourth Kazekage, on the way, and attacked the village during the Chunin Exams."

"But have you all considered why Orochimaru's invasion was so easy? Did no one really notice it? So many sensory ninjas and ANBU in the village, how could they not be fooled?"

Having said that, Kakashi glanced at the Jonin Sarutobi beside him, his meaning quite clear.

Enraged, Jonin Sarutobi could no longer restrain himself and lost his temper. He drew his kunai from his waist, used the Body Flicker Technique to appear on the stage, and intended to kill Kakashi, an elite Jonin.

Kakashi stood still, while Shisui transformed into a phantom and kicked away the Jonin Sarutobi.

Immediately, he switched his Sharingan to the three-tomoe form, activated his Sharingan genjutsu to control Jonin Sarutobi, and plunged a kunai directly into Jonin Sarutobi's thigh, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

The intense pain freed Jonin Sarutobi from the genjutsu, and he stared at Uchiha Shisui with a look of terror.

Although he was not as good as the heads of the major clans, he was still a Jonin. Shisui controlled him with just a glance. Is this the terrifying power of the Mangekyou Sharingan?

If Shisui knew what Jonin Sarutobi was thinking, he would probably smile knowingly.

That wasn't a Mangekyou Sharingan genjutsu at all; it was just a regular Sharingan genjutsu. It's just that the difference in strength between the two sides was too great.

"Get out of here. Next time I won't hold back. I'll stab you in the neck."

The Jonin Sarutobi looked terrified, and was subsequently scolded by Sarutobi Asuma before being imprisoned again by the Anbu.

After what Jonin Sarutobi did, almost all the ninjas knew who the ninja who colluded with Orochimaru was. No wonder so many ANBU appeared nearby when the Sarutobi clan was attending the clan leader's funeral.

At first, they thought they were just trying to appease the families, but they never expected that the Sarutobi clan would also betray Konoha.

At the same time, Shisui's revelation of the truth about the Uchiha Night was given a reasonable explanation: he was forced to leave the Uchiha clan by the Third Hokage and other high-ranking officials, and came to see the fate of the Sarutobi clan.

After all, although the Uchiha clan wanted to launch a coup, they did not formally launch one, nor did they collude with outsiders. The Sarutobi clan, on the other hand, colluded with Orochimaru, making their actions even more egregious than those of the Uchiha clan.

Currently, the only remaining question that needs to be verified is whether the Sarutobi clan has truly betrayed the village. Besides the Sarutobi clan, are there any other ninjas in the village who have betrayed the village and allied with external enemies?

At present, the only ones who can confirm this matter are Jiraiya and Tsunade, who hold military and political power.

Attentive ninjas also noticed that Jiraiya and Tsunade had remained silent ever since Kakashi took office, neither agreeing with nor opposing Kakashi's truth.

Under the watchful eyes of so many people, Jiraiya felt immense pressure, a pressure he had never experienced before.

Every word he says today will determine Konoha's defenses for the next ten years or even longer. Will they uphold the Will of Fire and handle this matter fairly, or will they, like the Third Hokage, favor their own people?

From an emotional perspective, the Third Hokage was his mentor, who raised him from an orphan to become one of the Three Legendary Sannin, and eventually the Fifth Hokage.

On this day, when the Third Hokage's body is still warm, before the teacher's coffin.

If he were to admit that the Sarutobi clan had betrayed the village, the Third Hokage would likely not find peace even in the Pure Land. Moreover, the Third Hokage was fighting Orochimaru and protecting Konoha in his final moments.

However, if the Sarutobi clan's betrayal is denied, the already dubious Will of Fire will become even more precarious, and might even be extinguished, which would further contradict his ideals.

His body's instincts prevented him from making a decision and made him avoid making choices.

For a fleeting moment, he considered resigning as Hokage, returning to being one of the Legendary Sannin who only needed to carry out missions, and then going on a journey around the world to find the Child of Prophecy and save the world.

But at that moment, Jiraiya saw Naruto, and he saw Minato Namikaze in his Edo Tensei state.

Over the years, the prophets he has found have all been watching him, their faces solemn as they await his decision.

After taking a deep breath, Jiraiya addressed the crowd, saying, "Kakashi is right. According to the Anbu's investigation and the intelligence we have gathered so far, the Sarutobi clan did indeed collude with Orochimaru and betray the village."

Chapter 253 Have you misunderstood something?

Jiraiya's words caused a huge uproar among the crowd.

Unlike Kakashi and Shisui, who had special status, Jiraiya was the Third Hokage's disciple and the current Fifth Hokage. His words, in a sense, represented the attitude of Konoha's higher-ups.

After taking a deep breath, Jiraiya continued to ponder, "I originally planned to deal with the Sarutobi clan's rebellion after some time, but I didn't expect Kakashi and Shisui to reveal it. I didn't think this through."

"But the Third Hokage died for Konoha, that's beyond doubt."

Jiraiya's voice was loud enough to carry throughout the entire Heroes' Cemetery, but no one knew how many people could truly believe him.

Moreover, it was one thing for the Third Hokage to be inactive when he was Hokage, but he was old, so everyone could understand.

But after retiring to become a senior advisor, he couldn't even manage the small Sarutobi clan. This was not inaction, but indulgence. Who can guarantee that the Third Hokage didn't have thoughts of restoration?

After all, after the Nine-Tails' attack, the Third Hokage became the acting Hokage without being elected.

The actions of the Sarutobi clan were far more serious than those of the Uchiha clan. If everyone were to follow suit, wouldn't the rules of Konoha become a joke?

When everyone looked at him with suspicion, Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they are difficult to remove.

Just as Jiraiya was about to explain further and prepare to postpone the Sarutobi clan's funeral until after the ceremony, another figure appeared in front of the coffin.

Upon seeing Naruto, who was wearing the Uzushio Village uniform and a black fox mask, Shisui quickly exclaimed, "Menma-sama, what brings you here too?"

"Lord Menma..." All the ninjas present looked towards where Naruto was.

The ninjas who recognized Naruto wore faint smiles, anticipating his next reaction, while many others were shocked by the name "Zhishui."

Shisui was no ordinary ninja; he displayed his formidable reputation during the last Shinobi World War.

Known as Shisui of the Body Flicker, his return to Konoha this time has shown him the ability to instantly kill Jonin and fight Tailed Beasts one-on-one, making him a ninja of the Five Kage level.

Such a powerful ninja actually addressed the Black Fox Ninja as "sir" upon encountering him, and this address came from the bottom of his heart, making them begin to speculate about the Black Fox Ninja's true identity.

The only thing that can be confirmed now is that the Black Fox Ninja is likely the leader of Uzushio Village.

Naruto nodded slightly, then looked at Jiraiya: "Hokage-sama, haven't you overlooked something? Besides the Sarutobi clan, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was also involved in the Konoha Collapse Plan."

"Even the Daimyo participated in the Konoha Collapse Plan, but isn't the Land of Fire the superior of the village?"

"What do you know? Konoha and the Land of Fire are equals; neither can be superior to the other. But isn't the Daimyo related to Tsunade? Why would he join the Konoha Collapse Plan?"

"I don't know, it might be because of the Fifth Generation's recent reforms. I don't know much about it either."

"..."

The discussion among the onlookers made Jiraiya's face grow increasingly dark. Naruto's appearance had completely disrupted his plans. Was it something to be said so casually about the rift between Konoha and the Land of Fire?

Once the other ninjas find out about this, they will definitely take the opportunity to harass the border.

Soon, the onlookers noticed Jiraiya. Silence often implies acquiescence, meaning that Jiraiya did not object to this statement.

At this moment, Sarutobi Asuma stared at Naruto and said calmly, "I will make the Sarutobi clan receive the punishment they deserve. However, you should be a rogue ninja like Uchiha Shisui, right? Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

After experiencing so much, Sarutobi Asuma guessed Naruto's true identity and took the initiative to expose him.

"It was discovered by you..."

Naruto placed his hand on the mask, slowly removed it, revealing a youthful and handsome face, and said with a light laugh, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but I prefer the name Menma, which helps me forget some unpleasant memories."

Golden hair, whiskers like a cat around his mouth, and a cold smile.

This reminded many residents of the demon fox that was active in the village six or seven years ago. Back then, Naruto also had this cold expression and rarely showed a real smile.

However, after listening to Kakashi recount the truth about the Nine-Tails Night and the Nine-Tails, they suddenly realized that Naruto and the Fourth Hokage on the Shadow Rock looked eight or nine parts alike, as if they were carved from the same mold.

Kakashi wasn't lying after all; Naruto Uzumaki really is the Fourth Hokage's son, a descendant of a hero.

The villagers blame the deceased Third Hokage for the presence of the hero's descendants in the village's ranks. They believe that the Third Hokage's inaction led to the hero's descendants leaving Konoha and returning to the Hokage's wife's hometown, Uzushio Village.

Upon seeing this, Sarutobi Asuma frowned.

He revealed Naruto's identity because he was furious that Naruto and the others had slandered his father and sowed discord between Konoha and the Land of Fire. However, things didn't go as he expected.

The Sarutobi clan seemed to have been abandoned, and all the attention was on Naruto.

The ninjas and villagers looked at Naruto with humble smiles, bowed their heads in apology, and began preparing gifts to express their sincerity.

On one hand, he felt guilty for bullying the fourth generation's son.

On the other hand, it was to curry favor with Naruto in the present day. Judging from Shisui's address and Jiraiya's level of respect, Naruto is at least a Kage-level ninja.

If they insist on causing trouble for them, they won't even have a way to deal with it.

Even more extreme speculation has emerged, suggesting that Naruto and the others might be participating in the Chunin Exams with the intention of returning to Konoha, if they were to actually do so.

The crisis facing the village will not only be swept away, but the village can even expand outwards and strive for greater benefits. If this is the case, then Naruto will undoubtedly be the next Hokage.

Although Naruto defected, can the defection of the Hokage's son be called defection?

At most, he just left home, established a ninja village outside to play around, and left in order to reclaim the Uchiha clan.

Similar discussions arose among the crowd, who seemed to see a bright future ahead.

Sensing the malice emanating from the ninjas and villagers, Naruto didn't get angry but instead laughed and coldly snorted:

"Aren't you all misunderstanding something? Uzushio Village didn't come here to join Konoha, and I didn't come here to become Hokage. Put away your unrealistic fantasies. We're here to take back what's rightfully ours."

Chapter 254 Madara Uchiha's Corpse

"Take back what belongs to you?"

Many Konoha villagers were stunned for a moment, but soon a ninja next to them reminded them: "Naruto is probably referring to the Uchiha clan's land and the seized property, as well as the relics left behind by the Fourth Hokage."

"However, does Naruto really not want to stay in Konoha? Isn't becoming Hokage better than being the leader of Uzushio Village?"

"Perhaps he was heartbroken by the Hokage, so he was unwilling to become Hokage. It was all the Third Hokage's fault. If the Third Hokage had done that... the Third Hokage shouldn't have done that."

"Taking these things back is not important, but what about Konoha's reputation?"

"At a time like this, let's not think about saving face. Without Naruto and Shisui, Orochimaru's plan might have succeeded. Do you think we should target the Sarutobi clan and try to curry favor with Lord Naruto?"

The crowd spoke softly, but the Konoha Jonin heard it very clearly.

Sarutobi Asuma's face had turned ashen, but he couldn't let his clansmen capture the villagers, so he could only stand there in a helpless rage.

Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions also turned very ugly, but they saw the spiral wheel between Naruto's fingers.