Page 165

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar, then quickly fell into dead silence.

"Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu are all veterans who stood shoulder to shoulder with me in founding Konoha and protecting the village."

"Thinking of our past relationship and trusting their original intentions, I loosened my control and allowed them to wield great power and do whatever they wanted!"

His tone grew increasingly somber, and his face was filled with shame:

"Danzo restarted the Wood Release live human experiments without authorization, resulting in the tragic deaths of countless children and ninjas!"

"Mitomon Enoki and Tsutonomi Koharu, as consultants, wielded great power of approval and oversight, yet they abused their authority and suppressed dissidents!"

"...All this blood, tears, and injustice stems from me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the astonished and indignant faces below, his voice suddenly rising.

"As the Hokage, I bear inescapable responsibility for every evil deed and every blood debt committed by those three!"

"Starting today, I will thoroughly investigate and hold accountable all the crimes of Shimura Danzo, Tōsane Koharu, Mitokado Enoki, and other involved personnel!"

"In the name of the Hokage, I swear! Regardless of rank or seniority, I will show no leniency and punish all those who commit such acts severely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers gradually erupted from the silent crowd.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally felt relieved.

At least for now, he's preserved his reputation in his later years...

However, the current calm and reassurance are only temporary.

If not handled properly, making boastful claims at this point will only bring about a greater backlash.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze suddenly sharpened.

He turned around, and at that moment, Koharu Utahara and Homura Mitokado were both looking at him with disbelief.

"Hinzan! You clearly did those things too..."

When Xiaochun changed beds, her voice was shrill and her expression was hysterical.

"Shut up!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Hiruzen Sarutobi's right fist had already vanished into a blur.

After the punch landed, Xiaochun felt a sharp pain in her mouth as her teeth broke and blood splattered everywhere!

Mitokado Yan, who was about to utter a condemnation, suddenly trembled and dared not speak.

Seeing this, a fleeting smile crossed Shiranui Sho's eyes.

He knew what decision Hiruzen Sarutobi had made.

That speech and self-reproach were all attempts to salvage his reputation.

He knew that the Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, and others had already been captured by Shiranui Sho's subordinates, and unless he was willing to abandon his clansmen and fight to the death, there was no chance of turning the tide.

His main objective was to admit defeat and preserve his reputation as much as possible in his later years.

Since Hiruzen Sarutobi is so sensible, he is willing to give him face.

Moreover, this will make things much simpler afterwards.

"Let's go."

Shiranui Sho spoke calmly, then turned and walked towards the door to the rooftop without looking back.

The rest can be discussed in the office.

Feng Clay, imitating Shimura Danzo, quickly followed behind Shiranui Sho and left together.

Mr. 1, who was escorting Koharu and Mitokado Homura to their new room, kicked them hard, signaling them not to fall behind.

In the same spot, Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, his chest heaving violently.

After a long while, he opened his eyes again and followed with heavy steps.

……

The Hokage's Office.

The place was packed with people, and the atmosphere was a bit strange.

Shiranui Sho sat down with an air of authority in the seat that was usually reserved for the Hokage, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Behind him, a group of subordinates with different styles played the role of loyal guards.

Vivi crossed her arms in front of her, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shiranui Sou's profile, showing no trace of the imposing manner she had displayed when she was churning sandstorms.

Mr. 1 and the others turned their gazes to Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, their expressions playful yet their eyes unfriendly.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi sized up this group of complete strangers, his heart sank deeper and deeper.

Even though Shiranui Sho's actions in Konoha have always been under their surveillance, where did she find such a group of subordinates?

With the strength of these people, they were able to conquer the Shimura clan, the Utatane clan, and the Mitomon clan.

Ironically, despite being the Hokage and possessing considerable intelligence about the ninja world, he had never seen any information about these people!

They thought they knew Shiranui Sho, this Jonin and ANBU member, perfectly well...

Little did I expect that the other party was hiding their true intentions better than anyone else!

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had gloomy expressions, a voice suddenly caught their attention.

"Oh dear, my mission is finally complete. Having that grumpy face was really unpleasant!"

Wait, that sound...

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others turned around in surprise, their gazes falling on Danzo.

The next second, their pupils suddenly contracted to needle size.

At this moment, "Shimura Danzo" put down the emblem, put his hands on his hips, let out a long sigh, and had an exaggerated expression.

This person isn't Danzo!?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened suddenly.

Especially the other person's perfectly intact arms, which clearly showed him the truth!

Chapter 214 Third Generation, Abdicate!

The moment the cloak was completely torn off, the aged face belonging to Shimura Danzo instantly transformed with a gentle touch of Feng Clay's fingertips.

Instead, we have Mr.2 von Clay's distinctive face, with its vibrant colors and comical lines.

Its vibrant, lively, and flamboyant aura is the complete opposite of Danzo Shimura's somber temperament.

The two extreme contrasts caused the entire audience to fall silent for a moment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's body stiffened slightly, and his fingers suddenly clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

His pupils trembled violently, and his emotions, which had sunk to the bottom, were now completely overwhelmed with turmoil.

Why is Danzo wearing a cloak today, completely covering his arms and body?

Why did he confess to his crimes of murdering Shiranui Sho and restarting the Wood Release experiment, which harmed countless people, on the rooftop?

Why did Koharu, Mitokado, and others voluntarily testify that they had committed numerous crimes?

Everything is explained!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was completely unaware that Danzo was actually someone else impersonating him using a transformation technique.

Therefore, he assumed that Shiranui Sho had controlled Danzo through some unknown means, or that Danzo had fallen under the genjutsu of Uchiha Hikaru's Mangekyou Sharingan...

Unexpectedly, Danzo Shimura had already been replaced.

"H-How is this possible..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's throat was dry, and he murmured softly, his tone filled with disbelief and bewilderment.

What kind of transformation technique could have fooled him?

Mitokado Homura and Utahara Koharu, standing to the side, were ashen-faced, their bodies leaning forward uncontrollably, their eyes fixed on Von Clay, a chill running through them.

Although they now hold civilian positions, they were once battle-hardened ninjas.

It's just a simple transformation; it's easy to spot.

When Danzo Shimura made his startling statement, they subconsciously suspected that the Danzo in front of them was an imposter, so they began to investigate.

However, the results of their investigation clearly told them that this was Shimura Danzo himself.

But now...

Seeing the three men's shocked and stunned expressions, von Clay tilted his head slightly, his tone mocking and arrogant:

"Hehehe~ My esteemed figures of Konoha, you've been played by me for so long, aren't you quite resentful?"

He raised his hand and gently stroked his cheek, his posture both alluring and comical:

"Honestly, that gloomy old face, all that scheming and plotting, it's driving me crazy!"

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was speechless for a moment.

He didn't have the concept of "ladyboy" in his vocabulary and didn't know how to describe von Clay, so he simply looked away.

Looking at the composed and calm Shiranui Sho, seated in the Hokage's seat, and then at the unrestrained and mocking Feng Clay in front of him, he felt a sense of utter powerlessness.

Shiranui Sho smiled faintly, "Thank you for your hard work, Feng Clay."

In this project, von Clay was indeed a key figure and made outstanding contributions.

Upon hearing Shiranui Sho's praise, von Clay nodded in acknowledgment, then composed himself, abandoning his previous flamboyant and boastful demeanor, and retreated to the pungent, mushy bathtub.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was strained, "Danzo... "

"Let me think, maybe..."

Shiranui Sho stroked her chin, roughly estimating the time, "I killed him about an hour ago."

The real Danzo has already appeared!?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils suddenly contracted, and Koharu Tsunematsu and Homura Mitokado also turned pale.

Although they knew that Shiranui Sho was decisive, hearing the news of Shimura Danzo's death still chilled them to the bone!

Shiranui Sho took in the expressions of the three people and lightly tapped her fingertip on the Hokage's desk.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi standing frozen in front of his desk, his eyes flickered slightly.

Countless times, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in this spot, while he stood in Hiruzen Sarutobi's spot to receive missions.

At the time, his impression of Hiruzen Sarutobi was rather complicated.

As the Hokage and the teacher of my teacher, I naturally have to respect him.

However, considering some clues in the original work, it is difficult to truly equate him with his kind and benevolent appearance.

In this life, detached from the manga and viewed in reality, he also gained insight into the duality of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

On one hand, he was truly devoted to Konoha; on the other hand, he also had his own selfish motives.

He turned a blind eye to his former colleagues who held high positions and abused their power.

After all, they had rendered meritorious service to him and shed blood for him.

The younger generation of the family wanted to pass the imperial examination, but they were forced to do so.

After all, he relied on the support of the Sarutobi clan to secure his position as Hokage, so he naturally had to give back to the clan.

These things... Shiranui Sho can understand, it's only human nature.

Strictly speaking, what kind of behavior hasn't occurred among the high-ranking officials in any village?

Therefore, when he wielded the butcher's knife, rectifying the situation was merely incidental.

The main reason has never changed from the beginning... an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

At first, only Danzo Shimura wanted to kill him, so he is now dead!

Later, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado also joined Danzo in his evil ways, and they should pay the price!

Shiranui Sho raised her eyes to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, her tone indifferent: