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Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even figure out what was going on, he saw Tobirama Senju looking down at him with indifferent eyes, "Monkey, are you feeling a bit more awake now?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly stood up, "Teacher... Teacher!!"

"Do you realize your mistake now?" Tobirama Senju's tone turned cold.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked somewhat bewildered. "This disciple is dull-witted; please enlighten me, Master."

Upon hearing this, Tobirama Senju immediately scolded him with exasperation, "You monkey, how dare you say such a thing?"

"Danzo used illusion magic to control you! Don't you understand!?"

"He used the pupil technique of the Still Water Eye, a move that can manipulate other people's will and change their thoughts without them realizing it."

"Do you understand!?"

Chapter 142 Verbal and Written Criticism

Tobirama Senju's words jolted Hiruzen Sarutobi awake from his daze.

So all along, I've been controlled by Danzo's illusions... a puppet of his? And I was completely unaware...

Recalling what had happened, Hiruzen Sarutobi, realizing the mistake he had made, lowered his head and burst into tears. "This disciple knows his mistake. Please forgive me, Master."

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had regained consciousness, Tobirama Senju didn't hold back in questioning him: "Danzo stole Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan, and you, the Hokage, knew nothing about it. You monkey, how could you be Hokage?!"

"This disciple never imagined that Uchiha Shisui's death would be related to Danzo. It was all Danzo's wolfish ambition that led him to covet Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan. It has nothing to do with this disciple!" Seeing that Senju Tobirama was about to hold him accountable, Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to shift the blame onto Danzo.

And it really was Danzo who did it behind my back! It had nothing to do with me!!!

He was innocent! Hiruzen Sarutobi felt wronged.

"As the Hokage of the village, don't you know anything about how Shisui died?" Tobirama Senju asked coldly.

"This disciple only knows that Zhishui committed suicide in Nanchuanhe; this disciple knows nothing else!"

It would have been better if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't been mentioned, but mentioning Tobirama Senju only made me angrier.

"You're the Hokage, yet you knew absolutely nothing about Danzo killing Uchiha Shisui and stealing the Mangekyou Sharingan. What else do you know? Were you raised on shit? You know absolutely nothing?"

"Back in the day, I don't remember you being this stupid, you monkey!" Tobirama Senju, unusually losing his temper, lashed out at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He doesn't know this, he doesn't know that. How exactly did Hiruzen Sarutobi become Hokage?

He knows nothing! What use is he as Hokage?!

"This disciple truly did not know that Shisui's death was related to Danzo; it was all Danzo's doing. This disciple is innocent, and I beg you, Master, to investigate thoroughly." Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head, his expression more painful than tears.

"Fine, fine! Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, you're telling me you don't know such a big thing? What else do you know?"

"Disciple...disciple..." Faced with Tobirama Senju's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless.

"Huh? Answer me, you monkey! What do you even know?! You've seriously neglected your duties as Hokage, are you truly without remorse?"

"How dare you complain to me!" Tobirama Senju was almost laughing in exasperation at his good disciple.

If Hiruzen had known about this, Tobirama Senju wouldn't have been so furious.

If Hiruzen knew this, it would mean that he had inherited his will and was determined to suppress the Uchiha clan.

Tobirama Senju could understand why he wanted to eliminate Shisui Uchiha. This concern stemmed from the fact that Shisui's eye abilities were too extraordinary, capable of silently altering one's thoughts and will for his own purposes with just a glance.

What a terrifying ninjutsu! If it were used on high-ranking Hokage like Hiruzen Sarutobi, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even though Shisui is loyal to Konoha, having such abilities makes him a worry. After all, he's a member of the Uchiha clan; if he were to betray Konoha and the other high-ranking officials like Hiruzen Sarutobi, they'd be left with no recourse.

But then again, if Hiruzen really knew nothing about Uchiha Shisui's death, and only knew that he committed suicide.

What does that mean? It means that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, was an idiot! A complete fool!

You, Hiruzen Sarutobi, are the Hokage, and Danzo, as your subordinate, did this kind of thing, yet you knew nothing about it. What is this if not stupidity?

A person can be foolish, can be bad, but cannot be both. And Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, happened to be both.

Oh right! I almost forgot, Hiruzen is no longer the Hokage. That idiot gave up his Hokage position to Danzo.

"Knowing nothing about what was happening below, and being controlled by Danzo's genjutsu, he gave up the position of Hokage."

"What can I say about you, you monkey?" Tobirama Senju shook his head as he walked to the other side of the Hokage's desk.

"I am ashamed. I failed to discipline Danzo properly, allowing him to commit evil deeds. I have failed my teacher's trust." Seeing his teacher Tobirama Senju's anger, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately became trembling with fear.

Tobirama Senju actually understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's feelings for him.

In reality, Tobirama Senju didn't care whether Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzo Shimura became Hokage; he only cared about the safety of Konoha.

The village is the key; it always comes first, everything else is secondary. The higher-ups, including the Hokage, are all focused on making Konoha a better place.

As a cold political machine, Tobirama Senju possessed extraordinary political talent and was extremely adept at handling political affairs.

This also allowed him to identify problems more clearly and understand them better than ordinary people. The reason why Konoha has reached this point is not only because Danzo committed evil deeds, but also because Hiruzen Sarutobi gradually condoned Danzo and failed to stop him in time.

In handling matters concerning the Uchiha clan, Hiruzen Sarutobi's abilities were completely inadequate. This escalated the conflict between the village and the Uchiha, leading to the current bitter consequences.

It can be said that the current situation is inextricably linked to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage.

"You've been controlled by Danzo's genjutsu for so long, tell me, you monkey, how did you become Hokage? What can I say to you?" Tobirama Senju shook his head as he walked to the other side of the Hokage's desk.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head even further, "This disciple feels ashamed for failing to live up to Master's trust..."

Tobirama Senju looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was bowing his head and not getting up, and said calmly, "Monkey, raise your head. I have something to ask you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped away his tears, raised his head and said earnestly, "Please speak frankly, Master, I will tell you everything I have to say."

Tobirama Senju looked down at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his sharp gaze, "Monkey, let me ask you, why didn't you lend a helping hand to the Uzumaki clan when they were besieged by various ninja villages? Why did you stand by and watch the Uzumaki clan perish!"

Tell me why!

Upon hearing Tobirama Senju's question, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

Orochimaru even told his teacher about this? That damned traitor! Why didn't I just kill him back then? Why did I have to let this menace go?

Now look what's happened, he's really gotten himself into trouble. Hiruzen Sarutobi cursed Orochimaru in his heart.

As for the fact that he was controlled by Danzo's genjutsu using the Mangekyou Sharingan, Hiruzen Sarutobi selectively ignored it.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with regret for letting that traitor go back then. He completely forgot that if it weren't for Orochimaru, that traitor, who resurrected Tobirama Senju, he would still be Danzo's puppet, under Danzo's genjutsu control.

Chapter 143 Demanding Justice

After gathering his thoughts, Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Tobirama Senju, "Teacher, I can explain the matter of the Uzumaki clan."

"Fine, the facts are right here. I'd like to see how you explain this." Tobirama Senju looked at him coldly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and said, "Master, back when the Uzumaki clan was besieged by various ninja villages, I received their plea for help, and I did not ignore it."

"I dispatched a rescue team to Uzushio Village, but..." Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated for a moment before continuing.

Tobirama Senju frowned. "Just what? Speak."

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained, "The rescue team was only halfway there when the Uzumaki clan of Uzushio Village was attacked and captured by various ninja villages. The team only managed to rescue a few members of the Uzumaki clan."

Tobirama Senju sneered at Hiruzen Sarutobi's explanation, "Even if they were besieged by ninja villages from various countries, Uzumaki Village itself was not weak. Could they hold out until Konoha's reinforcements arrived? Someone must have deliberately delayed, thus hindering the rescue of the Uzumaki clan."

Tobirama Senju's words were loaded with meaning, clearly implying that Hiruzen Sarutobi was deliberately stalling for time and did not want to provide assistance.

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed, and he hurriedly explained, "Master, it's not that I don't want to help, but the village has just finished the First Shinobi World War, and we simply don't have the extra resources to rescue the Uzumaki clan!"

"Moreover, the village has already basically mastered the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, so the Uzumaki clan is not of much value to Konoha."

"Risking war with other ninja villages to rescue the Uzumaki clan would be too costly for Konoha. A slight misstep could plunge Konoha into an abyss of destruction."

"Moreover, after your death, the relationship between the village and the Uzumaki clan of Uzumaki Village deteriorated rapidly, so..."

Tobirama Senju's expression darkened. "So, you're admitting you deliberately delayed the rescue?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was quite interesting when he realized he had let something slip.

"Knowing that Uzumaki Village was under siege by various ninja villages, they deliberately delayed rescue efforts, leading to the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan."

"Monkey, what do you have to say now?" Tobirama Senju's voice carried a hint of barely concealed anger.

"That's right, Master. It was I who delayed the rescue team, leading to the annihilation of the Uzumaki clan. But I cannot put the village in danger for the sake of the Uzumaki clan..." Hiruzen Sarutobi admitted that he was involved, while emphasizing that he did it for the sake of Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth and said, "The village has only recently ended a war. There is really no need to fight with other ninja villages for the sake of the Uzumaki clan! I'm afraid the history of the First Shinobi World War will repeat itself, Master."

Tobirama Senju sneered and said, "You were forced by the fact that your village and Uzushio Village were allies, so you pretended to send a rescue team to save the Uzumaki clan, but you kept delaying along the way. In the end, Uzushio Village was captured by various ninja villages, and the Uzumaki clan was wiped out."

"Yes and no," Tobirama Senju questioned.

"Yes."

Hearing Tobirama Senju's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew that the ever-shrewd Tobirama-sensei in front of him had seen through his trick, so he had no choice but to admit it.

Tobirama Senju continued, "After the fall of Uzushio Village, you rescued a few insignificant members of the Uzumaki clan to silence others."

"Yes and no."

"Yes," Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth and admitted.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi admit to everything, Tobirama Senju shook his head and said, "You monkey, do you even know how important the Uzumaki clan is to Konoha? They've been Konoha's loyal ally from beginning to end! And you're just going to give up like that?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth, still trying to explain, "Master...this disciple..."