Chapter 558: The Unworthy Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Chapter 558: The Unworthy Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Gentle and benevolent!
No matter who it was, they would never have guessed that this elderly man was the leader of Konoha, the head of one of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
But indeed, he was the Hokage, and he also held the title of 'Hero of Shinobi', though it was unclear who had bestowed it upon him. Now, it seemed to have evolved into the 'Bear of Shinobi'.
In any case, the Tower of Defense would surely distance themselves from any involvement.
"Hokage-sama!" 4
The group spoke first.
After all, he was the Hokage of Konoha, and in terms of status, he was even a step above Uchiha Meika. It was only right to show respect.
"Not bad. This time, Meika will send you to Konoha to let you understand the Will of Fire. In the future, you can come to me for anything!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's old face smiled like a chrysanthemum.
Uchiha Meika's letter had expressed her desire to send the new generation of the Tower of Defense to Konoha for an exchange, to be baptized in the Will of Fire.
How could this not make him happy?
He had absolute faith in the Will of Fire. He believed that as long as the Tower of Defense was bathed in its influence, they would surely be reintegrated into Konoha.
And once the Tower of Defense was absorbed, Konoha's strength would instantly surge, leaving the ever-pproaching Hidden Cloud Village far behind.
Indeed, the Will of Fire was quite effective.
When dealing with those who didn't share their own principles.
But the Tower of Defense had always promoted the 'Blazing Sun Will', so they weren't afraid of this.
While the Will of Fire sounded good, it didn't mean it was without flaws.
Actions speak louder than words!
Just presenting the data from several great wars and the usual casualty figures would reveal the double standards of the Hokage system.
The casualties were one thing, but the resources were monopolized by the Hokage system, which was simply unworthy of a leader.
Therefore, the Will of Fire was merely a tool for brainwashing civilians, painting a grand picture to exploit them.
Unlike the Tower of Defense, they genuinely offered benefits.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Izumi responded politely, her expression calm.
What an impressive performance!
Because she couldn't wait to tear the other person apart.
The night of the clan's destruction was not unrelated to them. Even if they didn't take action, they were the ones who pushed and encouraged, or the hidden hands behind the scenes—the Hokage system.
After all, if it weren't for their suppression and exclusion, the Uchiha wouldn't have fallen to such a state.
But Izumi could respond as if she knew nothing, making it hard to even say she had poor acting skills.
Of course, acting and disguise were essential skills for shinobi, and their levels were undoubtedly high.
Shinobi lived to perform.
On average, they were all Oscar-worthy, and it would be difficult to find one with poor acting skills.
Because if their acting was poor, their bodies might have been cold for who knows how long, and they wouldn't have survived.
Soon, the four of them left the Hokage's office.
Their apparent identity was merely a squad sent for an exchange, naturally not worthy of Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention, but the implied meaning was significant.
"The Uzumaki Clan..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself in the empty office.
During the exchange, his attention had been entirely focused on Kaguya Uzumaki.
He had seen the squad's information days ago, and only two people caught his interest.
One was Minoko!
Both the name and appearance were similar to Naruto, but the real person had a significant height and appearance difference and was a super beauty.
The other was Kaguya Uzumaki.
As for the remaining two, one named Sokuro and the other Izumi, even if they were handsome or beautiful, he didn't care about these commoners.
Unfortunately, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know that in films, anyone with outstanding looks would never be a mere background character.
Thus, he missed the real big fish.
Suddenly, a figure with an 'X' scar on their chin burst into the office.
"Hiruzen, assign the task of monitoring them to the Root. I guarantee I'll uncover their true intentions!"
Tsunade had arrived.
Although half of her body was wrapped in bandages, she looked much younger, almost like a much younger version of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Tsunade, I won't allow you to act recklessly. This squad is an exchange with the Tower of Defense, and I won't have you messing things up!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was anxious.
He was genuinely worried that Tsunade would capture the squad and then ask him to clean up the mess.
Only when both sides improve their relationship can he use the Will of Fire to 'enlighten' the Heavenly Castle.
"These guys must be spies sent by the Heavenly Castle. Let's capture them first, interrogate them, and then use Genjutsu to erase their memories. There won't be any problems!"
Tsunade still felt a bit reluctant.
His Root was secretly competing with the Heavenly Castle, and it was at a disadvantage, so he hadn't obtained much information. Now that the opportunity to obtain information was right in front of him, it was understandable that he didn't want to let it go.
"No!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen refused again.
Because a squad like this would not possibly possess much important information. If they did have crucial intelligence, they wouldn't be sent as an 'exchange squad'.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
Tsunade stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
"Tsunade, I am the Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively responded, then made a hand gesture.
Whoosh!
An Anbu member wearing a mask knelt before him.
"Go keep an eye on Root!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen issued the order.
Having Anbu monitor Root sounded like a joke, but in Konoha, it was a common occurrence.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The Anbu member acknowledged and withdrew.
Meanwhile!
Just as they exited the Hokage building, Izumi looked at Minoko, who subconsciously tensed her neck. Izumi could only helplessly warn her.
"Forget it, just be more careful from now on!"
Minoko had just failed to control her anger.
For a powerful person like Sarutobi Hiruzen, it was easy to sense any hostility or anger from others. Minoko almost slipped up.
As for the reason, it wasn't hard to guess.
Naruto!
Her situation was indeed pitiable.
Despite the villagers' rejection, the major ninja clans knew the truth.
That's why the students from those clans didn't ostracize or target Naruto. Otherwise, do you really think Kiba, Kiba, and the others would befriend a 'commoner' orphan like him?
Even outsiders felt this way, and Minoko, as a twin, had nothing but anger in her heart.
After all, her father had died to save Konoha. She didn't expect him to be treated as the true prince's protector, but she didn't think he would be treated like a stray dog.
It could only be said that Sarutobi Hiruzen truly didn't care about people.
In order to become the only person Naruto could rely on, he chose to tacitly approve of Tsunade's actions.
Otherwise, with his authority as the Hokage, wouldn't it be difficult to change Naruto's life and environment?
Not to mention the Anbu could provide various resources; even financially, there were issues.
The Fourth Hokage might not have had much money, but Uzumaki Kukunaka was a wealthy woman, and even the house she lived in was still under the village's control.
So, despite seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's concern for Naruto before the time travel, only by knowing the truth could one understand how hypocritical he was.
Minoko also understood this, which was why she was so angry with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"...I understand!"
But now, she could only nod in frustration and admit her mistake to Izumi. She knew that she had been in the wrong just now.
If they revealed any flaws, it might affect their plan.
Next, they were heading to their temporary residence.
This was not a concern at all.
The Heavenly Castle had established many businesses in Konoha.
Just as Konoha had businesses in the Heavenly Castle, and some of their ventures were profitable due to the help of the Heavenly Castle, bringing continuous profits to the village.
It could be said that even with the blockade on the Heavenly Castle, Konoha maintained its businesses under the names of the United Fruit Merchants and Honda Merchants, without any intention of targeting them.
If anyone tried to target these businesses, the Heavenly Castle would intervene.
Compared to the benefits they gained from the Heavenly Castle, what they obtained in Konoha might only be a fraction.
Their residence was in the First Ring District, not far from the Core Zone.
It was maintained by the ordinary people of the initial group of shinobi who had pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Castle, such as Yamanaka, Shinagawa, Peninsula, and Nagata.
This place was the Heavenly Castle's open stronghold.
It was constantly under Anbu surveillance.
Soon, the group settled in and prepared for the graduation examination at the Konoha Ninja Academy the next day.
(End of Chapter)
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