At a critical moment, Ebizo added fuel to the fire, "I heard that this kid named Satoshi inherited the will of the Second Hokage, Tobirama."
At these words, A and Ōnoki gasped.
Tobirama!
This guy had left a huge psychological shadow on them. If it weren't for him dying a bit early, the Ninja World might not be in the situation it is now.
"Let's talk about cooperation..."
It doesn't matter if they can't cooperate in the end, but they must leave a way out for the village.
...
The highly anticipated final selection officially began amidst the thunderous cheers in the Konoha arena.
This time, the chief examiner was still Genma. After announcing the rules of the competition, the first test officially began.
In the arena, the ninjas fought in a chaotic mess.
Bang... Boom... Bang...
While Satoshi was enjoying the battle, a colleague from the Police Force came to deliver a message.
"The village's patrol squad found several bodies at the edge of the dense forest three kilometers northwest."
"I'll go take a look."
With a flash, Satoshi disappeared from the bustling arena. A moment later, he appeared at the edge of the dark dense forest outside the village.
Several bodies lay among the withered branches and fallen leaves, with clean and precise wounds, killed in a single blow.
He crouched down, his fingertips tracing a strange wound that was deep enough to expose bone.
"Orochimaru, you still came to your death."
—
On the high platform, several Kage were intently watching the fierce battle below, occasionally commenting.
Hiruzen said, "This Kirigakure ninja's Water Release is quite good."
Just then, a low, familiar voice unexpectedly entered his ears.
"How does that compare to sensei?"
Hiruzen naturally took over the conversation, "It certainly can't compare to sensei..."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly froze.
Wait, was this ninja talking about the same thing as him?
Hiruzen turned his head, only to see a masked face.
"Who are you?"
The person removed his black robe and mask, revealing a familiar face.
Konoha's rogue ninja, the deceased Hokage assistant, the dark leader of Root, Danzo.
Hiruzen's pupils constricted. "Danzo, aren't you dead?"
No!
He wasn't Danzo, or more accurately, not the living Danzo.
The subtle cracks on his skin, the ominous aura surrounding him.
A long-sealed forbidden jutsu name suddenly slammed into his mind.
Edo Tensei.
Hiruzen had personally witnessed his sensei, the Second Hokage Tobirama, secretly perform this forbidden jutsu that desecrated the dead once.
The Danzo before him was undoubtedly "resurrected" through this Ninjutsu.
As for who resurrected Danzo, it must be his once favorite student, Orochimaru.
They truly are two troublesome fellows.
Hiruzen sighed. "I didn't expect you to appear before me in this way."
Danzo sneered, "Stupid monkey, you thought I was dead, and by throwing all the blame on me, you would be clean."
Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose, "Danzo! You did so many things that harmed the village, your death was well deserved."
Danzo had long gone mad. He wanted to expose all of Konoha's darkness. He wanted to let everyone know what kind of person the Hokage they worshipped truly was.
He was the dirty root, that was true, but Hiruzen wasn't the clean leaf either.
Danzo said, "Don't forget, monkey, it was you who gave the order to conduct human experiments using First Hokage-sama's cells. How is it that all the fault ended up being mine?"
Hiruzen's face darkened. Such matters involved Konoha's highest secrets, could they be spoken of at this moment?
Moreover...
It was true that he ordered the Wood Release experiments, but it was you who suggested it in the first place.
He immediately stopped the experiments after seeing the huge losses. On the contrary, this old friend, with evil intentions, had been secretly continuing them. He even colluded with the rogue ninja Orochimaru.
Hiruzen said, "Absurd, I had long ordered the experiments to stop and all experimental data to be destroyed."
"And you, one of my best friends, Danzo, you betrayed my trust. You paid lip service while acting against me, causing the deaths of who knows how many innocent ninjas."
Danzo roared, "Everything I did was for Konoha!"
Hiruzen's anger was completely ignited, and decades of accumulated fury and disappointment erupted like a volcano.
"Was that for Konoha?! That was only for your own selfish desires, for the position of Hokage! You are a bastard!"
With words spoken to this extent, the two had completely fallen out.
One word from you, one word from me, each sentence stabbing at the other's core.
Hiruzen: Tobirama-sensei chose me as Hokage long ago, it has nothing to do with you, Danzo.
Danzo: Orochimaru was actually suitable to be Hokage, but you old monkey were greedy for power and insisted on promoting Minato, who had no foundation.
The purpose was to eventually sideline him. Minato would only have a nominal title, while you would still be the one in charge of the village.
Hiruzen: You sent people to assassinate me back then. The fact that I didn't kill you was already benevolent and righteous. What else do you want?
And Orochimaru's heart is so dark, he can't compare to Minato at all.
Danzo: Monkey, you are just a hypocritical old man. On the surface, you are very good to Naruto, giving him money every month. But in reality, you didn't even arrange a tutor for him. Does a little kid know how to spend money?
If he ran out of money, he had to pick mushrooms and fish. The blonde boy not being poisoned or drowning in the river was purely because he was lucky. His safe upbringing has nothing to do with you.
Hiruzen: Every day after you ate your fill, you started targeting the Uchiha, and later almost incited a coup. If I hadn't cleaned up your mess, Konoha would have been dead long ago.
Danzo: What the hell are you talking about? It was your subordinates who monitored the Uchiha, what does it have to do with me? Are you really going to pin everything on me?
You are the hypocrite who hides behind the scenes, wanting to use the Uchiha's power yet fearing their threat.
Hiruzen: You have always secretly accumulated power under the banner of being for Konoha.
Yet you massacred villagers who opposed you in the village. Is this how Tobirama-sensei taught you?
Danzo: Monkey, you have the nerve to mention sensei? Back then, during the Kumogakure envoy attack incident, who, for the sake of so-called overall stability and peace, groveled and did not hesitate to sacrifice ninja from the same village, forcing the innocent Hyuga clan head to a dead end.
Your weakness made Konoha lose their reputation in front of powerful enemies.
You are a coward, a weakling, a scoundrel. Sensei was strong his whole life, how did he raise such a failure like you?
...
The two cursed at each other for a long time, and Hiruzen was exhausted.
Danzo asked one last question. "Even now, do you still believe that everything is my fault?"
Hiruzen tacitly agreed.
Danzo sneered.
If that's the case, then let's do one last thing.
"Monkey, I'll send you to see sensei, and let him judge who is right and who is wrong between us."
Before he finished speaking, at the edge of the high platform, several ninjas dressed in black robes and masks simultaneously retreated, quickly forming hand signs.
Four Violet Flames Formation!
Blinding red light shot up into the sky. Four massive purple light walls appeared out of nowhere, converging above the high platform with lightning speed, forming an indestructible cube barrier.
Hiruzen said, "Those who have already died should not disturb the peace of the Ninja World anymore. I will naturally die in a few years, you don't need to rush."
On the high platform, Hiruzen and Danzo engaged in a fierce battle.
Outside the barrier, Konoha's ninjas were very anxious.
"We need to find a way to get in and help Hokage-sama."
"We can't break through this defense, and besides, we must believe in Hokage-sama."
"Do you trust Hokage-sama?"
"But he is an old man after all."