Jiraiya wanted to help Sarutobi Hiruzen to his feet, but Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his hand and refused.
With two loud slaps, two enormous summoned beasts appeared in the field once more.
They were Manda and Katsuyu.
Seeing the Third Hokage's sorry state,
Orochimaru merely let out a cold laugh and said nothing more.
Tsunade crossed her arms, gazing coldly at the Konoha higher-ups kneeling below.
Those criminals who had castrated the Senju family deserved an even more brutal judgment.
Members of the Uchiha clan also gathered here one after another.
The Uchiha clan's head elder looked at the Konoha higher-ups, his face filled with satisfaction.
"Hahaha… so you have a day like this too."
"Sarutobi, you've lost!"
"As long as the Uchiha and Senju join forces, your two clans that barely survived from the Warring States era will be forced to kneel in an instant."
Fugaku let out a breath, confidence returning to his face.
Victory—although he had long expected it, truly tasting the fruits of victory still felt exhilarating.
In the distance, the Hyūga clan watching all this was filled with regret.
Hyūga Hizashi sighed softly. "Sigh…"
He was the gambler type—watching the dice roll big, others winning fortunes, while he himself felt sour instead.
Hyūga Hiashi cursed in a low voice.
"Hizashi, the Hyūga clan has lasted a thousand years not because of gambling. In matters concerning the clan, we cannot gamble."
"As long as we don't gamble, we won't lose. Whether we gain or lose, it can't compare to the heavy weight of continuation."
"As long as we still have the Byakugan, our value will continue endlessly."
"Hizashi, do you understand?! The Caged Bird is a form of protection for the Hyūga clan!"
Hyūga Hizashi muttered, "So carving a slave seal on the forehead is somehow justified now?!"
"What?!"
"Nothing!"
...
Right now, all Jiraiya wanted to know was what else the higher-ups were still hiding, what else they were still deceiving him about.
"Sensei, Tsunade said… the Second Hokage's death had something to do with you. Is that true?"
Jiraiya sincerely hoped Sarutobi Hiruzen would shake his head, so the image of a wise teacher in his heart could remain intact.
But everything unfolded exactly as expected.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. This matter couldn't be hidden forever—what was coming would come sooner or later.
"This was a decision by the council of elders. Danzo and I were merely the executors. Tobirama-sensei wanted to assimilate all the ninja clans, which violated a great taboo."
As soon as these words fell, the surroundings filled with sharp intakes of breath.
Framing the previous Hokage to seize power—so the truth behind the Second Hokage's heroic last stand in the history books was this filthy.
Yet it fit perfectly with these old men whose minds had been tainted by power.
Jiraiya's breathing grew heavier. Hearing his teacher's answer with his own ears, his heart ached, the pain spreading through his injured body.
"And the Senju clan—why did you destroy the entire Senju clan?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head. "Because of power. The Senju occupied most of the positions in Konoha's institutions. Only by clearing them out could everyone's interests be balanced."
Tsunade's face remained expressionless, but her fists were clenched tight.
At this moment, she had an urge to activate the Strength of a Hundred and smash down with monstrous force, turning these four people directly into pulp.
But a hand suddenly pressed down on her shoulder.
It was Kairen.
She heard Kairen comfort her, "Tsunade, I'm still here."
Tsunade slowly relaxed, looking forward. Everything had already passed.
Jiraiya continued asking, "Nawaki's and Dan's deaths weren't coincidences, right?"
One was the First Hokage's grandson; the other was Tsunade's ex-boyfriend and a strong contender for Fourth Hokage.
Both could be considered part of the Senju line.
Jiraiya's question made Orochimaru grow serious.
He was Nawaki's jōnin instructor and treated him as a direct disciple.
When Jiraiya mentioned Nawaki, Orochimaru seemed to recall that child who dreamed of becoming Hokage.
If he hadn't died, Orochimaru would still be a "normal" man.
Not burdened with so many dirty schemes like now!
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing.
Koharu Utatane, stared at by Kairen's Mangekyō, slowly spoke the truth.
"We were very afraid that someone from the Senju line would become Hokage. Nawaki, as the First Hokage's grandson, had extremely high ninja aptitude."
"If he grew up, he would be no weaker than one of the Sannin. So we tampered with things during his missions."
Koharu Utatane's cold words made Tsunade gasp for breath, her eyes red as if she wanted to kill them.
But the angriest one wasn't her—it was Orochimaru.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, snake-like pupils locking onto prey.
These people would not be buried; they would become test subjects for Edo Tensei.
"Dan as well. His Spirit Transformation Technique was extremely powerful, something like a forbidden technique. It couldn't be allowed to be controlled by an uncontrollable ninja."
"And he was also Tsunade's boyfriend. We couldn't allow the Senju clan to rise again."
Power gathered throughout Tsunade's body, as if she were suppressing an erupting volcano.
Kairen tried hard to comfort Tsunade.
"Tsunade, don't be angry!"
"Hmph! (ㅎ‸ㅎ)"
Fugaku asked, "Then what about White Fang? As the head of ANBU, his mental fortitude was solid. The explanation of suicide is clearly too perfunctory."
White Fang had once had a bit of friendship with him; the two had even discussed swordsmanship together.
Koharu Utatane said quietly, "It wasn't suicide—it was genjutsu induction."
"After White Fang failed his mission, he suffered a huge psychological blow. But as someone trained in ANBU, he wouldn't have taken his own life."
"But we fanned the flames, intensifying the villagers' emotions and ostracizing White Fang."
"During that period, the most elite genjutsu ninja in ANBU squatted outside his house every day, plunging White Fang into self-doubt."
Once self-doubt sprouts, it only grows larger over time.
Completely ignoring the possibility that the problem lies with oneself, pushing the blame onto outsiders.
Villagers' exclusion, the higher-ups' indifference, and deliberate incitement—step by step, they forced White Fang to his death.
The higher-ups' words shocked everyone and gradually made them recognize the filth of politics.
"Damn it! I never thought the Third Hokage, Elder Danzo, and the two advisors were people like this. I really misjudged them!"
"Me too—behind those kind, benevolent faces was such wolfish ambition!"
At the same time, they recalled various unresolved incidents in the village from the past.
Members of the Uchiha clan pressed them. "My older brother disappeared—was that your doing?"
"It was Danzo's Root. The purpose was to research the Sharingan! But don't worry—your brother still has a head soaking in formalin."
"How about it? Root is pretty conscientious, right! They even left you a souvenir!"
"Despicable!"
Hearing the truth, that Uchiha angrily awakened a single tomoe.
Members of the Hyūga clan stepped forward.
"My dad's grave was dug up! Was that you?!"
"Yes, yes, that was Danzo too—also for researching the Byakugan."
"Damn it!"
"My squadmate died for no reason—was that your doing?!"
"Don't f*cking pin everything on us. We've never even heard of you."
"Oh! Sorry to bother you! ❛‿˂̵✧"
"Croak, don't ask me. I know nothing!"
"Not knowing is just dodging responsibility—it was definitely you."
"Croak… (||๐_๐)"