166-170

*Chapter 166: Tarnishing Danzo's Reputation*

As Aizen spoke, a sly grin appeared on his face as he began to smear Danzo’s reputation. "But after your brother's death, this disciple of the Second Hokage, instead of learning anything of value, focused solely on suppression. The Konoha leadership, led by Sarutobi Hiruzen, resorted to every trick in the book."

"Among them, a certain individual named Shimura Danzo went to extreme lengths. He not only sought to annihilate the Uchiha clan but also aimed to eliminate the newly appointed Fourth Hokage to pave his own path to power. He waited for the moment when the Fourth Hokage’s wife, Uzumaki Kushina—the second Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails—was giving birth and launched his attack."

"He released the Nine-Tails, using the Sharingan to orchestrate the chaos of the Nine-Tails’ rampage. Konoha was nearly destroyed, and countless villagers and ninjas lost their lives. His goal? To frame the Uchiha clan."

"And our dear Third Hokage wasn’t much better. After losing the Third Ninja War, he was forced to step down as Hokage. Wanting to regain power, he turned a blind eye to Danzo’s actions. Worse yet, to avoid suspicion, he sent his own wife to help deliver the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki’s baby, only for her to be killed by Danzo."

“You bastard! You’re lying!” Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger exploded. He had always been the one to turn black into white, but now the tables were turned, and he was the one being falsely accused.

“How am I lying? I have evidence.” Aizen casually pulled out a photograph of Danzo and the Third Hokage celebrating together.

Upon seeing the photo, Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart sank.

He felt cold, utterly defeated.

“Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!”

Without hesitation, Sarutobi Hiruzen rapidly formed hand seals and unleashed the Dragon Flame Bullet.

A powerful surge of chakra built up in his throat, expanding his chest, before he unleashed it in a massive flame, splitting into three streams that charged toward Aizen from the front, left, and right.

"Water Style: Water Curtain!" Aizen smiled, murmured softly, and formed a symbolic hand seal.

In an instant, a towering water wall materialized between him and Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The wall split the massive Four Violet Flames Formation into two areas.

When the Dragon Flame Bullet collided with the water wall, a thick cloud of steam rose, but the water wall remained unmoved until the flames were extinguished.

“What? Are you so desperate to kill me to silence the truth? Before you do that, maybe you should reassess your strength. If the First Hokage or Second Hokage were here in their prime, I would stand no chance. But you, the so-called ‘strongest Hokage in history,’ are nothing but a grain of sand compared to me.”

“Bastard!” Sarutobi Hiruzen gritted his teeth, enraged. He was about to attack again when suddenly the voice of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, echoed in his ears, “Enough, Monkey. You’re no match for this boy. Let’s hear him out. The chakra within him surpasses even my own at my peak—second only to my brother’s.”

Tobirama's words shocked everyone, including Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the surrounding ninjas, and the now-conscious spectators.

Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and the reanimated First and Second Hokage were unaware that the audience had awakened from the genjutsu. They still believed the crowd was unconscious.

The Second Hokage cast a deep look at Sarutobi Hiruzen before turning to Aizen. “Young man, what evidence do you have? Danzo was my student, and while I know he had ambition, he didn’t have the ability. Even with a transplanted Sharingan, he couldn’t control the Nine-Tails.”

“What if he also had the cells of the God of Shinobi?” Aizen casually tossed over another photograph.

At that moment, Pakura, following a signal, dropped her disguise and pulled a scroll from her sleeve, tossing it into the air. The scroll unfurled, releasing a flurry of small black shadows that transformed into numerous photos, scattering throughout the stadium.

In the eyes of Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the two Hokage, the majority of the crowd still appeared to be asleep. Kakashi and others were still battling Sound ninjas.

But to the now-awakened audience, and the Konoha ninjas fighting the Sound ninjas, things looked very different.

They saw photos documenting the depravity of Konoha's top officials, including the infamous Konoha F4.

Suddenly, the entire arena erupted in chaos.

“What... what is this?” The Second Hokage took a photo, and his pupils shrank in shock. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen with fury. “Monkey, what is the meaning of this?”

The First Hokage, seeing Danzo’s arm riddled with Sharingan and Senju cells, also frowned. “Monkey, you’ve fallen.”

“Lord First… Lord Second… I…” Sarutobi Hiruzen stammered, unable to defend himself as the damning evidence was undeniable.

Aizen, embodying his inner dramatist, struck a pose of sorrowful compassion. “You see, Hokage-samas, the man who attacked Konoha back then was a mysterious masked man. His left eye was hidden by the mask, but his right eye was a Sharingan.”

“I investigated for a long time and finally uncovered the truth. But many innocent Konoha civilians and ninjas lost their lives, all because of the selfish ambitions of the Second Hokage’s two disciples: Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen.”

“As you probably guessed, the Fourth Hokage and his wife died sealing the Nine-Tails. Sarutobi Hiruzen reclaimed the Hokage seat and immediately began suppressing and vilifying the Uchiha clan, falsely accusing them and forcing them into isolation.”

“The Uchiha were ostracized from the village’s center, eventually driven to the point of planning a coup. And our ‘strongest Hokage in history’ once again demonstrated his specialty: manipulation. He brainwashed the Uchiha clan head’s eldest son into joining forces with Danzo, who disguised himself as the masked man, to wipe out the Uchiha clan.”

“My best friend was among those slaughtered by them. At first, I sought revenge, but when I visited the Sarutobi clan, I was stunned.”

“Guess what I found? It turns out our ‘strongest Hokage’ wasn’t just power-hungry; he was lining his own pockets.”

“The Sarutobi clan had become a parasite, leeching off Konoha’s resources. While other clans weakened after the Third Ninja War, the Sarutobi clan thrived. Their number of ninjas surpassed 2,000—more than the Uchiha and Senju clans combined at their peak.”

“Not only that, but they never took on any dangerous missions. Even during the Nine-Tails incident, they, like Danzo’s Root, stayed hidden. While others lost everything, the Sarutobi clan remained safe, growing stronger in the shadows.”

“At this rate, it won’t be long before Konoha is renamed ‘Sarutobi Village.’”

*Chapter 167: The Old Monkey Faces the Public's Condemnation*

Aizen continued, "Why don't I just go all the way and wipe out the clans of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo? At least it would bring some peace to the souls who died during the Nine-Tails' rampage."

"This time, what really caught me off guard is how, in order to preserve his own legacy, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned a blind eye to his disciple's ridiculous Konoha Destruction Plan. It's truly pathetic."

At this point, Aizen pointed at Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Take a good look. This is your Third Hokage. Look closely at this rotten old man and see what kind of person he really is."

After hearing Aizen's words, the First Hokage sighed helplessly and looked at the Third Hokage, his eyes full of disappointment. "Monkey, is all of this true?"

"Lord First, let me explain..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes flashed with guilt as he tried to argue, but his words sounded weak and unconvincing.

Even though Aizen had revealed that the story about Danzo releasing the Nine-Tails was fake, it was still true that the Sarutobi clan had become a parasite within Konoha.

Seeing the Third Hokage’s guilty expression, the First Hokage felt even more disheartened. He turned his head towards the Second Hokage and sighed, "Tobirama, you misjudged him."

"Brother, that kid is a rogue ninja, don't believe him." The Second Hokage tried to defend the Third Hokage, though he himself had lost faith in him. But no matter what, the Third Hokage was still Konoha's leader, and as the symbol of the village, even if these accusations were true, Tobirama felt obligated to protect him.

"Then how do you explain Danzo? The Sharingan in his arm and my cells aren't fake! Tobirama, how many times have I told you not to underestimate the Uchiha?" The First Hokage thundered, his usually bold and righteous personality showing.

"Alright, brother, this isn't the time for that."

Senju Tobirama cut off Hashirama's words and turned his gaze back to Aizen, his eyes filled with open killing intent. "Kid, I don't care what your reasons are, but as a Konoha ninja, you defected from the village. Are you telling us all this just to justify your betrayal?"

"No, I never intended to justify myself. I just wanted to give everyone the truth." Aizen smiled, gripping his sword, Kyōka Suigetsu, and softly whispered, "Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."

Suddenly, the scene in Sarutobi Hiruzen's, the First Hokage's, and the Second Hokage's eyes shattered like a mirror. Kakashi, Might Guy, and the countless ninjas surrounding the Four Violet Flames Formation also saw this change.

Beyond the dome where the Four Violet Flames Formation was located, a large crowd of Konoha citizens had gathered.

These people had come specifically to watch the Chūnin Exams. Nearly everyone was holding a photograph showing Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo celebrating.

The relatives of those who had died in the Nine-Tails' rampage were furious, many of them shouting uncontrollably in their rage. "Lord First! Lord Second! Kill Sarutobi Hiruzen, that demon, and avenge our families! And don’t spare Shimura Danzo either!"

Once one person started shouting, others quickly joined in.

The crowd, which once idolized the Third Hokage, was now overwhelmingly condemning him.

In an instant, the entire scene was filled with curses.

Hearing these accusations, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had always cared deeply about his reputation, felt as if the sky had fallen.

A loud crash echoed, like a thunderbolt striking him.

His steps faltered, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Were these the same Konoha citizens who had once adored and admired him? Now, they looked more like vengeful demons coming to take his life.

"Alright, Lord First, Lord Second, I'll leave the rest of the battle to you. Orochimaru, I've said what I needed to. It's time for you to start your grand battle." Aizen turned to Orochimaru.

At this moment, only Orochimaru was still under the control of Kyōka Suigetsu, so he was unaware that the Four Violet Flames Formation and the area surrounding it were packed with people.

In Orochimaru's mind, only five people, including himself and his Four Sound Ninja, were present to hear Aizen's conversation with the three Hokage.

Hearing Aizen's words, Orochimaru stuck out his long snake-like tongue and licked his lips, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "Aizen-kun, you really do have a twisted sense of humor. That old man is about to die, and yet you still take pleasure in exposing him. Well then, let's begin."

As he spoke, Orochimaru pulled out two kunai engraved with sealing tags from his waist and stabbed them into the back of the two Hokage, immediately erasing their consciousness as the reanimated dead.

"Well then, I’ll be going now," Aizen said with a faint smile, summoning a crow and releasing Kyōka Suigetsu in front of everyone once again.

"You bastard! You think you can escape? For the sake of Konoha, I will make sure you stay here forever!"

Seeing Aizen about to leave, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had now lost everything and had nothing left to lose, quickly formed hand signs.

Without hesitation, he unleashed the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

Unlike in the original story, where he had fought hard against the First and Second Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was now in his prime, both physically and in terms of chakra reserves.

As Sarutobi finished forming the hand signs and clasped his hands together, a gigantic spectral figure of the Shinigami suddenly appeared behind him.

"Seal!"

With a furious shout, Sarutobi commanded the Shinigami's claws to extend from its hands, piercing through his back and emerging from his chest. Using his body as a medium, the Shinigami reached out to grab Aizen.

Only the caster and the target could see the Shinigami's form.

In the stunned eyes of Orochimaru and the others present, the once-powerful "Aizen" fell to the ground, his eyes dimming as life drained from his body.

"Is this the deadly technique Aizen-sama mentioned? How dangerous." Seeing "Aizen" fall, Pakura didn’t show any signs of worry but only slightly furrowed her brows.

She knew that her lord Aizen wouldn’t die from something like this.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen, seeing that he had successfully sealed Aizen's soul, finally revealed a savage smile on his wrinkled face, laughing maniacally, "Haha! He's dead! That damn traitor is finally dead, and he died at my hands!"

"What just happened? What did the old man do to kill Aizen?" Orochimaru wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead.

Remembering Aizen's illusion techniques, Orochimaru forced a smile, trying to calm himself. "Aizen-kun is just playing dead again, right?"

"There's no need to shout, Orochimaru. No matter how powerful this brat’s illusions are, he's dead. His soul is sealed."

Before Orochimaru could finish speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out again.

"What does that mean?" Orochimaru was shocked. He had never heard of a jutsu that could seal a soul.

*Chapter 168: A Final Outcome, the Old Monkey Dies with Eyes Unclosed*

“What do I mean? It’s exactly what it sounds like. Orochimaru, you’ve toyed with the dead and insulted the previous Hokage. Now, it’s time for me to clean house.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen, hands still forming seals, dashed toward Orochimaru and the two Hokage with blinding speed.

At this moment, Sarutobi felt like he had returned to his younger days, when he was still full of energy and not yet worn out.

He was still the Sarutobi Hiruzen who would willingly sacrifice his life for the sake of the Leaf Village.

Outside the arena, the citizens of Konoha—those who had been cursing, ridiculing, and mocking him—seemed to pause as if moved by his determination, and began cheering him on as their Hokage.

Of course, this was just a fantasy in his mind.

Because the truth of the Nine-Tails incident, the deaths of their loved ones, and their own interests were too personal. No one could be as forgiving as Naruto, who was willing to pardon those responsible for his greatest pain.

For most of those watching, especially those who had lost family members during the Nine-Tails rampage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was simply silencing witnesses.

On the contrary, the crowd, seemingly overcoming their fear of Orochimaru, started cheering for the First and Second Hokage, who were now under Orochimaru's control.

“No, don’t come any closer! Stop him!” Orochimaru finally felt fear as the Third Hokage rushed toward him. He realized that Hiruzen wasn’t just putting on a show—bodies could be faked, but not souls.

If Hiruzen was telling the truth, then Aizen’s soul might really be in danger of being sealed.

Following Orochimaru’s command, the fully controlled First and Second Hokage launched themselves toward Hiruzen without hesitation.

And so, a battle between the “weakest” Hokage began.

---

Meanwhile, outside the village…

Sasuke and the gradually out-of-control Gaara had already started their fight.

Sakura, Shino Aburame, and the ninja dog Pakkun, who were chasing after Sasuke, encountered Jiraiya, Tsunade, Naruto, and Hayate Gekko, who had returned riding on the Great Toad.

Neji Hyuga and Shikamaru Nara stayed behind to hold off the pursuing Sound ninja.

“Naruto, come with us to find Sasuke! If this goes on… if this goes on, Sasuke will die!” Sakura cried as soon as she saw Naruto, clinging to him like a lifeline, completely forgetting about Shikamaru and Neji, who were fighting to protect them.

“What happened to Sasuke?” Naruto asked, confused.

Jiraiya interjected, “What’s the current situation in the village?”

Pakkun explained, “Orochimaru disguised himself as the Fourth Kazekage and launched a surprise attack with the Sand ninja. Fortunately, Kakashi saw through it, and the Sand ninja abandoned their invasion.”

“But Sasuke is still chasing that red-haired Sand kid. Kakashi said that the Sand ninja is likely a jinchuriki and could go berserk at any moment, so we need to bring Sasuke back immediately.”

“Oh, by the way, Neji and Shikamaru are fighting off a dozen Sound ninja to buy us time. They’re in serious danger and need reinforcements. Woof.”

“That snake, Orochimaru…” Jiraiya clicked his tongue in frustration. Tsunade asked, “What about Chi… what about Fujiwara Aizen? Has he shown up?”

At Tsunade’s words, Karin and her daughter, along with Shizune and Chinatsu, all looked worried.

Pakkun shook his head. “We didn’t see Fujiwara Aizen when we left the village.”

Hearing this, Tsunade and the others let out a sigh of relief.

Jiraiya felt the same. As Aizen had said, he understood Orochimaru’s motives and Sarutobi’s mindset. As long as Aizen didn’t interfere, Jiraiya had no intention of getting involved in Orochimaru and Hiruzen’s deadly duel.

“There’s no time to waste! Tsunade, you’re the future Fifth Hokage. Go with Shizune and the others to take control of the situation at the Chunin Exams arena. I’ll go rescue those two kids, Neji and Shikamaru. Naruto, follow Pakkun to catch up with Sasuke.”

Jiraiya quickly organized the group.

They split into three teams, each heading toward their respective destinations.

By the time Tsunade and her group arrived at the Chunin Exams arena, the battle inside the Four Violet Flames Formation was already nearing its end.

Just like in the original story, Sarutobi Hiruzen was using two shadow clones to seal away the First and Second Hokage.

Meanwhile, his real body was attempting to seal Orochimaru, but during the process, Orochimaru’s Kusanagi sword had pierced Hiruzen’s back, weakening him and preventing him from fully extracting Orochimaru’s soul.

The two were locked in a desperate tug-of-war.

Because of Kyouka Suigetsu's illusion, most of those watching didn’t realize how tragic Hiruzen’s battle truly was. Many still cheered for the First and Second Hokage.

It wasn’t until Tsunade’s arrival that the strange atmosphere was broken. She shouted, “Grandfather! Second Grandfather!”

At this point, the souls of the two Hokage were about to be pulled out, and they finally regained their consciousness.

Their reanimated bodies began to crumble as dust and ash fell away. The First Hokage let out an “Oh,” and with a smile of relief on his cracked and dusty face, he said, “So it’s little Tsuna. You’ve grown up. I never thought I’d see you again before passing on.”

The Second Hokage also smiled faintly. “Well then, I leave Konoha in your hands.”

With that, their souls were pulled out and sealed inside the stomach of the Shinigami.

“Grandfather… Second Grandfather… Don’t worry, I’ll protect the Leaf Village,” Tsunade said, wiping away her tears. Looking around, she noticed several disturbing photos of Konoha’s old guard scattered on the ground and asked loudly, “Can someone tell me what’s going on here?”

Kakashi stepped forward in response.

“Lady Tsunade, here’s what happened…” he began explaining, recounting the evidence Aizen had given him about the Kazekage’s assassination and the sealing of the two Hokage.

While they were talking, Sarutobi Hiruzen could no longer hold on.

He glared at Orochimaru and said, “Orochimaru… it seems I won’t be able to take you down today. But you, who pride yourself on your mastery of ninjutsu, this is the perfect punishment. I will take away all your techniques.”

“What did you say?!” Orochimaru’s eyes widened in shock, his elongated golden pupils dilating. “No, don’t—”

In his horror, Sarutobi, using the Reaper Death Seal, had the Shinigami sever the soul of Orochimaru’s arms.

At that moment, Fujiwara Aizen suddenly stood up. “Well, well, how touching. The bond between teacher and student, willing to go this far to kill each other.”

Just as Sarutobi was about to give one final lesson to his wayward student, Orochimaru, his eyes widened in disbelief, his pupils dulling as he fell lifeless to the ground, dying with his eyes open, filled with regret.

---

Chapter 169: Orochimaru’s Daily Extortion

On the dome above.

At this moment, the interior of the Four Violet Flames Formation had already been covered by a dense forest created by the First Hokage’s Wood Release.

It was impossible to see what was happening inside.

In the middle of the forest.

With a sudden sound, the Third Hokage spat out a large mouthful of blood.

As Orochimaru’s hands had their souls severed, the Reaper gradually devoured the souls of both him and Orochimaru’s hands. Sarutobi Hiruzen’s vision began to blur. Struggling to keep himself conscious, he looked towards Aizen and managed to ask, “Why… I clearly sealed your soul… How are you still alive?”

“What’s wrong? Want to die knowing the truth?” Aizen smiled faintly and casually tossed out a crow’s corpse. “Alright, I’ll let you die with an explanation.”

“You used the Uzumaki Clan’s extremely powerful sealing jutsu, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, right? It can summon the Reaper, who cuts off the target’s soul with a sword and devours it, sealing the soul in its stomach. The size of the sealed soul depends on the caster, and the target captured by the Reaper cannot use any jutsu.”

“The Fourth Hokage used this very technique to seal half of the Nine-Tails. In fact, I had already prepared for this long ago.”

“Don’t forget, the title of ‘Illusion God’ was given to me by you when you were using me. Since I’m called the Illusion God, using genjutsu to alter your vision and make you mistake a crow for me was child’s play. What you sealed was nothing more than a crow.”

“Did you really think with your power, it would be that easy to seal me?”

There was one thing Aizen didn’t say: even if he had faced the Reaper directly, he could have used his Zanpakutō to kill it.

“D-damn…” Sarutobi Hiruzen, hearing this, deflated like a punctured balloon. His gaze dimmed as he looked deeply at Aizen one last time, then turned to Orochimaru, filled with unwillingness, shame, and a trace of lingering teacher-student affection. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell.

At the same time, Orochimaru’s eyes filled with bloodshot rage. He hissed in venomous tones, “You old bastard… give me back my hands! Damn it, give them back!”

Just like Danzo, whose arm was cut off by Aizen, Orochimaru’s hands, though not severed, began to wither at a visible speed, turning into charred stumps.

Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen truly dead, Orochimaru, in a panic, yelled toward Aizen, “Aizen-kun! Quick, I know you have a jutsu that can sever souls! Help me get my hands back! I’ll give you anything you want!”

“Oh-ho! I didn’t expect you to even know that. Did Danzo tell you?” Aizen smiled playfully. “But sorry, your hands have already been devoured by the Reaper.”

“Unless someone is willing to sacrifice themselves to summon the Reaper, there’s no way I can get your hands’ souls back.”

“And even if someone did sacrifice themselves, there’s no guarantee that the Reaper summoned would be the same one that sealed your hands.”

“I can’t do anything about it.”

Hearing this, despair flickered in Orochimaru’s eyes. He could only scream helplessly as his hands burned painfully, cold sweat streaming down his face. “Ah! My arms, they feel like they’re burning… that damn old man!”

“Enough complaining. Our deal is done. With Sarutobi Hiruzen dead, the Konoha Crush plan is over. Now, hand over what I asked for.” Aizen beckoned to Orochimaru.

“You…” Hearing Aizen demand the Flying Thunder God technique, Orochimaru, already furious over the loss of his arms, was on the verge of exploding. His pale face turned blue and purple with rage.

He had seen shameless people before, but never anyone as shameless as this.

From the conversation between Sarutobi and Aizen earlier, Orochimaru had figured out that Aizen must have known about the Dead Demon Consuming Seal long ago and prepared for it.

But he hadn’t told him anything.

He had watched his hands get sealed right in front of him.

This guy had planned it all along.

And now, Aizen had the nerve to demand the Flying Thunder God technique.

This was outrageous!

“What’s wrong? Thinking about going back on your word? That could be… troublesome.” Aizen’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his smile faded. “You’ve already lost your hands. What do you think would happen if I severed your legs’ souls as well?”

As he spoke, Aizen drew his Zanpakutō, his face shadowed ominously like a reaper, and slowly advanced towards Orochimaru.

Watching Aizen approach, Orochimaru felt a chill run down his spine. His hands were already useless; if his legs were crippled too, that would be the end of him.

With no other choice, Orochimaru swallowed his pride and gritted his teeth, “Fine, I’ll give it to you.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Aizen smiled warmly again and sheathed his sword.

Meanwhile, outside the dome.

Kakashi knelt on one knee before Tsunade, reporting the current situation.

“Lady Tsunade… no, Fifth Hokage, the situation is like this. The Sand Shinobi have retreated from the village, and apart from Kabuto, all the invading Sound Shinobi have been dealt with. Fortunately, the losses were minimal.”

As he said this, Kakashi’s gaze drifted towards the dense forest inside the Four Violet Flames Formation. “The First and Second Hokages have been sealed. Only the battle between the Third and Orochimaru remains unresolved.”

“And Aizen? How is Fujiwara Aizen?” Tsunade asked anxiously.

“He…” Kakashi paused, surprised by the new Hokage’s concern for a missing-nin like Aizen.

Before Kakashi could respond, Kurenai Yuhi walked over, her eyes red and unfocused. “Aizen… he revealed the secrets of the Third Hokage and Danzo. At the start of the battle, the Third ambushed him with a special sealing jutsu and sealed his soul.”

“No…” Tsunade gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Her pupils shrank as memories of her brother Nawaki’s death flooded back. The blood-phobia she had once overcome due to her daughter Chika’s birth returned, and her hands began to tremble.

Once again… was she about to watch another person she cherished die in front of her?

As the two women were consumed by grief, the Four Violet Flames Formation above suddenly dissipated.

Immediately after, Orochimaru, escorted by the Sound Four, dashed out of the forest.

“Stop right there!” The Third Hokage’s loyal Anbu, who had been pushed back by Aizen’s chakra earlier, rushed to intercept Orochimaru and his followers but were stopped by Kidomaru’s chakra webs.

*Chapter 170: Kakashi's Doubts, Sasuke's Unwillingness*

“Hokage-sama, should we go after him?” Kakashi glanced at Orochimaru in the distance, then at Tsunade, who was clearly unsettled, and hesitated before asking.

Tsunade didn’t respond. She just stood there trembling.

At the moment when she was on the verge of breaking down, a voice echoed from above, belonging to Aizen, “Yo, everyone from Konoha, your beloved Third Hokage has just died at the hands of his favorite student. Now, you can go pay your respects to this ‘hero’ who sacrificed himself to protect Konoha.”

Kurenai Yuhi looked up at the source of the voice and saw Aizen standing at the edge of the rooftop. Her crimson eyes sparkled, “Aizen…”

Meanwhile, Tsunade lowered her head slightly, her fists clenched tightly, and her hair fell down, covering her eyes in shadow. Her knuckles creaked from the pressure she applied.

At the same time, Pakura, as planned by Aizen, spoke up, “Hiruzen Sarutobi was never our Hokage. He and Danzo, for their own selfish reasons, caused the death of Konoha’s White Fang, the Fourth Hokage, and sparked the Nine-Tails attack, killing our families. Now, once again, for the sake of his own reputation, he has plunged Konoha back into the fires of war. We don’t recognize him as our Hokage.”

The surrounding Konoha civilians were momentarily stunned.

As the saying goes, when the wall falls, everyone pushes. One civilian, who had lost family during the Nine-Tails incident, hesitated for a moment before gathering his courage and raising his right hand, shouting, “Hiruzen Sarutobi is not our Hokage!”

Humans are social creatures, and they tend to follow the crowd.

Once the first person spoke up, the second naturally followed, and soon the entire crowd was chanting, “Hiruzen Sarutobi is not our Hokage!”

Pakura shouted again, “Our Hokage is the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade!”

The crowd followed, “Our Hokage is the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade!”

“Down with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura!” ×2

“Long live the people of Konoha!” ×2

“Down with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura!” ×2

“Long live the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade!” ×2

Pakura led the chant, and the Konoha civilians echoed her words. Even the uncertain Konoha shinobi eventually joined in.

Kakashi, watching the increasingly passionate crowd of civilians and shinobi, felt both a sense of relief for his father’s vindication and a headache, “This is going to be a problem…”

As the people of Konoha grew more excited, Tsunade, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stepped forward and stomped the ground hard. The earth trembled, and her angry voice boomed, “Everyone, shut up!”

The crowd fell silent instantly. In the next moment, Tsunade launched herself like a cannonball toward Aizen, who stood on the rooftop, tears brimming in her eyes. She swung her powerful fist, “Aizen, you bastard!”

“Is it because I pretended to be dead without telling her? I guess I’ll let her blow off some steam,” Aizen smiled as Tsunade’s punch neared him. He made no attempt to dodge, instead coating the spot where her fist would land with a layer of protective energy.

He let her punch land.

Boom! Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Aizen flew through the air like a kite with a broken string, smashing through a nearby rooftop and crashing into the forest.

Aizen ‘struggled’ to his feet and weakly said, “As expected of the future Fifth Hokage, able to break free from my genjutsu and find my true body. I, Aizen, declare you the strongest Hokage since the First. Until we meet again.”

With that, Aizen tossed a smoke bomb. When the smoke cleared, he was nowhere to be seen.

Tsunade, standing on the rooftop, looked at where Aizen had disappeared after being punched by her, feeling a strange sense of disbelief. Did she really manage to hit Aizen and send him flying?

Below, the crowd suddenly erupted with cheers, “Wow, is this our future Hokage? So strong! Even a powerful rogue ninja who the Second Hokage admitted he couldn’t defeat was sent flying with one punch!”

Might Guy was just as excited, clapping Kakashi on the shoulder and exclaiming, “Kakashi, look! Lady Tsunade managed to break Aizen’s genjutsu. As expected of one of the legendary Sannin!”

“Uh…” Kakashi’s mouth twitched under his mask. “I don’t think that’s the case at all, but…”

His expression suddenly turned serious as he looked over at the man who had first led the chant against Hiruzen. He saw the man form a hand sign, and with a puff of smoke, the man vanished.

“So I was right? It looks like that person was working with Aizen, and it’s very likely that she’s the female ninja we encountered back in the Land of Waves. But what is Lady Tsunade’s connection to Aizen?”

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Kakashi looked toward Tsunade, who stood on the rooftop, revered by thousands, while Guy looked on in confusion and asked, “Kakashi, what did you just say?”

“Nothing,” Kakashi shook his head. “I hope this turns out to be a blessing in disguise.”

Meanwhile, outside the village…

Naruto had just finished his fight with the rampaging Gaara.

Even though the Sand Shinobi had retreated from the Konoha Crush plan, Sasuke, eager to test his newly acquired Chidori and overconfident like in the original story, recklessly confronted Gaara and his team.

The result? Sasuke was brutally beaten by Gaara in his tailed-beast form.

In the end, Naruto and Sakura arrived in time, with Sakura once again playing the role of a burden, pinned to a tree by Gaara’s sand claws.

Naruto, in a fierce battle to save Sakura and Sasuke, unleashed the Rasengan and managed to temporarily suppress Gaara in his tailed-beast form.

Finally, Gaara resorted to using the fake sleep technique to fully transform into his tailed beast but was still defeated by Naruto, who summoned Gamabunta.

“Why… why do you go so far for others?” Gaara asked, memories of his childhood flooding his mind as he lay on the ground, watching Naruto crawl toward him.

“Because… because we’re the same. That feeling of being alone… it hurts, doesn’t it?” Naruto, tears in his eyes, recalled his own childhood and began his heartfelt speech.

This time, Naruto’s words reached Gaara. During their first encounter in the Forest of Death, when Naruto had used his words against Aizen, Gaara had already been somewhat affected.

After this battle, Gaara finally understood himself.

With Kankuro and Temari’s help, he began his journey back to the Hidden Sand Village.

At that moment, Sasuke approached, having made sure Sakura was safe.

As he looked at the unconscious Naruto, drained of chakra from the fight, memories of Naruto’s battle flashed through Sasuke’s mind. The stark contrast between their abilities made him clench his fists unconsciously.

Grinding his teeth, Sasuke thought to himself, “Naruto, just how strong are you?”