https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-342-The-Alliance-of-Danzo-and-New-Tailed-Monkey-/12932718/
Chapter 343: Sarutobi Hiruzen: It Hurts, It Hurts So Much!
Chapter 343: Sarutobi Hiruzen: It Hurts, It Hurts So Much!
"Orochimaru..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen surveyed the mansion before him, having long forgotten how long it had been since his last visit.
Among his three disciples, he had dedicated himself to this one the most, as he was the one who most resembled himself.
Tsunade, being from the Senju Clan, had inherited her family's techniques, and Jiraiya, despite his strong-willed character, lacked exceptional ninja talent.
Only Orochimaru had completely inherited all of Hiruzen's ninjutsu.
If it weren't for the fact that Orochimaru lacked the 'Will of Fire,' he would have been the ideal Hokage.
But how did things end up like this?
"Hokage-sama?"
An ANBU member cautiously spoke up.
They had been standing there for a while, and if they delayed any longer, who knew what unexpected events might occur.
Snapping out of his reminiscence, Hiruzen led the way into the mansion.
The ANBU members behind him exchanged glances before following suit.
Regardless, they needed to find out if the missing villagers were connected to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was a pillar of the village, and his strength and methods had earned their utmost respect. If he was involved in this matter, the consequences would be dire.
Danzo and Sarutobi Asuma's eyes met briefly before quickly looking away.
Was there a problem?
Hyuga Cangyue had an extremely keen sense of observation and naturally noticed this, but before she could ponder further, Douhei gently tapped her shoulder, signaling her to look away.
So that was it!
With this hint, she instantly understood that today's matter was undoubtedly related to the two of them.
The reason wasn't hard to guess.
Hokage!
This position was something these two had always dreamed of, and Orochimaru was the top candidate. It made perfect sense for them to join forces to deal with him.
Although Hyuga Cangyue didn't appear very smart, she was actually extremely perceptive. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to disguise herself from a young age and survive.
It was only after that incident in the small forest, where she encountered a group of 'unscrupulous' brats, that she managed to avoid becoming a terrifying existence like the White Eye Wolf and the Great Filial Son.
After realizing this, Hyuga Cangyue naturally wouldn't alert the others; instead, she secretly hoped that the two would make a bigger scene.
Fight, fight!
She relished the prospect of a spectacle, regardless of the consequences.
However, she never could have imagined how much this event would surpass her expectations.
Until now, even after seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen don in his combat gear, everyone assumed it was merely the Third Hokage's way of showing his concern for the missing villagers, not an actual preparation for a fight with Orochimaru.
After all, even if he were responsible for the disappearances, given his status and position, the worst punishment he could receive would be a temporary confinement. It was unthinkable to actually kill him.
Step, step!
Sarutobi Hiruzen led the way, and the ANBU members followed discreetly, without the slightest intention of overstepping.
If it were any other time, they would have shown off a bit.
But with Orochimaru as the target, the Third Hokage's favorite disciple, if they appeared too eager, who knew what consequences they might face after the fact, perhaps being dismissed for reasons like 'entering ANBU with the left foot first.'
Even if the Third Hokage wouldn't do such a thing, there were still bad apples among the crowd, and there was no shortage of those seeking to curry favor with the Hokage.
Along the way, they encountered no traps or mechanisms, and the doors were even left open, allowing them to proceed without hindrance.
Soon, upon reaching the basement, they came to a halt.
"Orochimaru!!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen roared.
Pain!
It hurt so much!
His voice carried anger and disappointment.
In this basement, villagers and even Leaf Village ninjas were imprisoned.
Overwhelming evidence!
These people were the best proof.
In other words, Orochimaru was responsible for the recent disappearances.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Clan Leader, save me! Orochimaru has gone mad!"
"Great, we're saved!"
...
The people locked in the basement cells, upon seeing them, wept with joy.
They knew all too well the fate of those taken for experiments—
They had all died.
So, naturally, they were overjoyed to see their rescuers.
Hari was furious at this moment.
Orochimaru had dared to harm the villagers, completely betraying his expectations.
"Hokage-sama, there's a secret passage here!"
An ANBU member suddenly spoke up, startling Hari.
Indeed, now was not the time for anger; it was time to capture the culprit.
Whoosh! Hari rushed into the opened secret passage.
Seeing this, several ANBU ninjas quickly followed.
Even if they didn't expect any trouble, protecting the Hokage was their duty, and they couldn't afford to be negligent.
As for the clan leaders, they naturally remained in the basement, not joining the pursuit.
Now that the truth was known, they didn't want to witness the 'love-hate' relationship between the two. They didn't want Hari to think of them whenever he thought of his disciple, which would be troublesome.
Even the remaining three of the F4 decided to give the two some private time together.
It could be said that everyone was smart.
However, their decision not to follow didn't mean no one else would dare to.
Whoosh! Dong Ping rushed into the passage, leaving behind a sentence.
"I'm going to protect the Hokage!"
This excuse was perfect; no one could fault him for following.
As for Hyuga Cangyue, who followed like an invisible presence, no one paid him any mind.
Following this several-meter-high passage, Dong Ping quickly advanced.
Slippery and cold! The passage felt completely unsuitable for humans, as if it were designed for snakes.
It seemed that Orochimaru had already started to 'dehumanize' himself.
His habits and characteristics were becoming more and more snake-like.
The passage was extremely long!
About a kilometer in length, it should be beneath the Forest of Death.
At this moment, Hari had reached the end of the passage and saw the light from the laboratory ahead.
Deep underground, the laboratory was dimly lit, with only the operating table brightly illuminated, while the rest of the room was shrouded in darkness, instilling fear in those who saw it.
Only Orochimaru would enjoy such an experimental environment.
On the operating table, a body was being dissected by Orochimaru, who stared at the corpse with fervent eyes, as if it were something pleasurable rather than a mere corpse.
"Orochimaru, you dare to use the village's people for experiments!"
Looking at the body of the Leaf Village ninja on the experiment table, Hari's blood pressure rose.
Orochimaru conducting human experiments was not something he was unaware of.
Even in the ninja world, this was forbidden by everyone, but secretly, who knew how many were indulging in it.
So, at most, Hari would scold Orochimaru on the surface, but in reality, he had never punished Orochimaru for this.
However, he never expected that Orochimaru would use their fellow villagers for experiments.
This crossed the line.
"Hari-sensei, isn't this what you wanted to see?"
Orochimaru put down the scalpel in his hand, took off his gloves, and turned around, answering calmly.
It was his idea to have him join Root.
And Orochimaru was well aware of Root's style, so it meant that his current situation was entirely his teacher's doing.
"..."
Hari's eyes were filled with complexity.
Because he knew that this was indeed his fault.
Despite knowing how dark Root was, he still allowed his disciple to join. Orochimaru's current mistake was entirely his teacher's doing.
He bit his index finger.
"Summoning Technique!"
He directly summoned his summoning beast.
The Monkey King was a formidable force, and with their combined strength, Orochimaru was no match for them at this stage.
"Hari, what are you doing...?"
After the Monkey King appeared, he scanned the surroundings but found no enemies.
"Monkey King, I need to clear the gate!"
Hari painfully gave the order.
"Hmph, I've always said that Orochimaru's heart is too dark. The situation he's in today is entirely your fault!"
The Monkey King was incredibly wise and had long seen the danger in Orochimaru, even advising the Third Hokage, but the latter ignored his advice due to his affection for his disciple. Today's situation was entirely self-inflicted.
"I know, so now I must correct my mistake!"
Hari held the rod-shaped summoning beast in his hand, ready for battle.
(End of Chapter)
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