Chapter 147: The Departure of the Two Hokage

Senju Hashirama shook his head in disappointment, while Senju Tobirama's eyes were wide with rage: "I must have been blind!"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, as the Third Hokage, you actually begged for mercy for your own son?"

"You seeking private gain is human nature; your humiliating concessions to Kumogakure might be due to poor judgment or a lack of ruthlessness; your unfair internal distribution might be due to incompetence; your infinite indulgence of Shimura Danzo might be because you are too sentimental..."

"Although these are all mistakes, they are merely deficiencies in ability and errors in method!"

"But begging for your own son is a complete betrayal of your responsibilities and a betrayal of the glory of the Hokage!"

"Yes, you finally said to spare the innocent Konoha Ninja, but ask yourself, was that just a slip of the tongue, or were you truly thinking of them?"

Senju Tobirama's questioning struck Sarutobi Hiruzen like a thunderbolt, leaving him standing there in a daze, clutching his son.

Senju Hashirama sighed, looking at his body, which had already begun to crumble from the Impure World Reincarnation, and said to Senju Tobirama: "Tobirama, we are out of time."

"Leave the rest to the Konoha Ninja."

Only then did Senju Tobirama notice that his own body was also beginning to collapse.

He turned his head to look at Orochimaru, who was outside the battlefield, and scolded him in frustration: "You brat, why didn't you prepare the sacrifices properly, causing me to be unable to finish the job?"

Orochimaru helplessly spread his hands: "Lord Second Hokage, this cannot be blamed on me, and it has nothing to do with the sacrifices."

"This is the limit of the Forbidden Jutsu, Impure World Reincarnation."

"The Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu you developed was filled with a 'good enough' mentality from the very foundation, full of wild, whimsical ideas and even more layers of errors..."

"How could I resolve all of that in such a short time?"

Senju Tobirama: "..."

He remembered; this really could not be blamed on Orochimaru.

The Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu was prepared from the very beginning for the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, a Ninjutsu designed to let the dead die in one's place to avoid being blown up oneself.

Seeing his younger brother's embarrassed state, Senju Hashirama laughed heartily: "Tobirama, to think there is a Konoha Ninja who could leave you speechless regarding Ninjutsu development."

"Our Konohagakure has talent among the younger generation!"

"Kid, the two of us can no longer exert any strength; can you handle it?"

Orochimaru did not answer, but instead turned his head to look at Yamanaka Chujiu.

He had absolute confidence in personal combat and Ninjutsu research.

But in military command and political struggle, he trusted Yamanaka Chujiu's command and arrangements more.

Yamanaka Chujiu confidently raised his hand and pointed toward the direction of Konohagakure: "Teacher Orochimaru, and the two Hokage, do you hear it?"

"Konohagakure is awakening, struggling to break free from the decaying shackles that have bound and exploited it, welcoming the sounds of rebirth..."

Orochimaru, Senju Hashirama, and Senju Tobirama turned their heads to look toward the East Gate of Konohagakure.

They saw Konoha Ninja leaping forward across the rooftops, heard the footsteps of a large group of ninja, and even heard the sounds of the weak resistance from the Anbu Ninja and the four great ninja clans being destroyed.

Senju Tobirama revealed a smile: "Konohagakure... still has hope!"

Senju Hashirama also smiled: "My efforts were not in vain; my ideals have not yet been shattered."

The two Hokage said to Orochimaru: "We leave Konohagakure to you, Orochimaru!"

"I entrust you to resolve Sarutobi Hiruzen's mistakes, cleanse the atmosphere he left behind, and make Konohagakure great again!"

Orochimaru: "Oh hehehe, leave it to me, but the two Hokage should place their hope in my student."

He patted Yamanaka Chujiu on the shoulder: "He is the hope for Konohagakure to be great again!"

Pure light flickered in Orochimaru's eyes, without the slightest greed for power, only the ease and relief of delegating responsibility.

Of course, there was also the relief of "finally finding someone to take over the mess."

Senju Hashirama keenly sensed this, and a joyful smile flashed in his eyes.

He smiled as he gradually disintegrated: "Good, I look forward to the future of Konohagakure; I really want to see it with my own eyes..."

Orochimaru promised: "What is difficult about that? Once Konohagakure is completely stable and has climbed to a new peak, I will perform the Impure World Reincarnation again and invite the Shodai Hokage and Second Hokage back to take a look."

Yamanaka Chujiu said: "Teacher Orochimaru's idea is truly wonderful!"

"I will work hard to make Konohagakure even better and make Konoha great again. When that time comes, it won't just be the two Hokage who can take a look; those Konoha Ninja who fought and sacrificed for the village will also be able to come back and see."

"I will let the predecessors who sacrificed know that their sacrifices were not in vain."

Senju Tobirama's cold face finally broke, revealing an expression of anticipation and longing: "I look forward to it..."

"Orochimaru, Yamanaka Chujiu, you are both excellent, truly excellent!"

The bodies of the two Hokage collapsed, the Impure World dust scattered everywhere, and then they vanished into thin air.

On the ground where they had stood, only two pitch-black, shriveled corpses remained, resembling withered bones.

Yamanaka Chujiu asked curiously: "Teacher Orochimaru, where did you get these sacrifices?"

Orochimaru replied: "We just finished fighting Kirigakure, so of course they are captured Kirigakure Jonin."

Yamanaka Chujiu nodded: "No wonder the Second Hokage's power was able to rival the First Hokage's."

Sarutobi Hiruzen held his son, watching his teacher and the First Hokage disappear, his mind unable to react for a moment.

It was the surviving Sarutobi Masao who shouted: "The First and Second are gone, the Impure World Reincarnation has ended!"

"Sarutobi ninja, now it is time for us to counterattack!"

Utatane Koharu shrieked: "Utatane ninja, kill Orochimaru and Yamanaka Chujiu!"

She shouted at Sarutobi Hiruzen again: "Hiruzen, stop dazing off!"

"The teacher has already returned to the Pure Land, and the Shodai Hokage is no longer in the world of the living; you are now the only Hokage, you are the supreme leader of Konohagakure!"

"Think of the murdered Danzo, think of the dead Homura, and the scent of blood soaring in the battlefield; the two Hokage must have been manipulated by Orochimaru to commit such brutal atrocities!"

"You must stand up, lead us to defeat Orochimaru, capture him, judge him, and thoroughly settle his crimes to save Konohagakure!"

Sarutobi Asuma also said: "Father, you cannot be dejected now; you must lead Konohagakure back to the right path!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze gradually turned from blank to firm: "That's right, I am the Third Hokage, I am the supreme leader of Konohagakure!"

"Teacher Senju Tobirama chose me to be the Third Hokage; he certainly would not criticize me!"

"The accusations against me just now must be Orochimaru's doing!"

"It must be!"

"Ninjas of Konoha, join me in defeating Orochimaru and completely resolving the crisis in Konohagakure!"

The ninjas of the Sarutobi, Utatane, Mitokado, and Shimura clans, upon hearing the words of Sarutobi Hiruzen, saw their morale rapidly recover and soar.

"Yes!"

"Kill Orochimaru!"