Chapter 148: Is the Hokage Betraying Konohagakure?

Just as the ninjas of the four great clans were surrounding Orochimaru, a massive commotion erupted from inside the East Gate.

Hyuga Hiashi led the ninjas of the Hyuga clan, breaking through the interceptions of the Anbu and the four great ninja clans, and arrived at the East Gate.

The momentum of the Hyuga ninjas was imposing; all of them activated their Byakugan, staring sharply at the Konoha ninjas who were blocking them.

"The Hyuga clan is here! Anyone who dares to be disrespectful to Lord Orochimaru, die!"

Hyuga Hiashi's voice was resonant, echoing across the entire battlefield, completely tearing away the last fig leaf that Sarutobi Hiruzen had tried to preserve, exposing the fact of the Konoha civil war before everyone's eyes.

After the two Kage had left, Sarutobi Hiruzen's self-confidence and dignity quickly recovered; he was even persuaded by Sarutobi Masao that he was in the right.

Seeing Hyuga Hiashi, the Third Hokage was furious: "Hyuga Hiashi! You dare to defy my orders and bring Hyuga ninjas to the East Gate on your own authority? Are you Hyuga trying to betray the village?"

Hyuga Hiashi sneered: "Betray the village?"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, isn't it you, the Third Hokage, who is betraying the village?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's brain didn't react for a moment: "Huh?"

Many ninjas were also confused: What the hell, the Third Hokage is betraying the village?

Sarutobi Hiruzen reacted, not even caring about Sarutobi Asuma, directly abandoning the child, standing up and jumping in rage: "Hyuga Hiashi, has your brain gone rotten?"

"I am the Hokage, the Third Hokage!"

"How could the Hokage betray Konohagakure?"

Hyuga Hiashi tilted his head to listen to the voice coming from the Communication Snake, a flash of realization crossing his eyes, then he sneered: "Who says a Hokage can't betray the village?"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, you secretly dispatched Shimura Danzo to lead the illegal Root ninjas, in alliance with Mist Ninja, to ambush and kill the hero who had just defeated Kirigakure, Lord Orochimaru, in the Land of Fire!"

"Fortunately, Shimura Danzo lacked the strength, the Root ninjas only knew how to fight desperately without high morale, and the Mist Ninja had lost Kirigakure and all became stray dogs; your conspiracy failed completely!"

"Lord Orochimaru was not killed in the ambush, but instead successfully counter-killed the rogue ninja Shimura Danzo!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's composure shattered: "You are spouting nonsense! Shimura Danzo is not a rogue ninja; Orochimaru, who killed him, is!"

Hyuga Hiashi was just about to refute when he heard the Communication Snake say: "Do not explain, do not debate with Sarutobi Hiruzen, and do not care what he said. Just say exactly what I told you to say, and say it facing the Konoha ninjas!"

Hyuga Hiashi whispered: "Yes, Lord Yamanaka Chujiu!"

Afterward, he truly ignored Sarutobi Hiruzen, turned to face the Konoha ninjas who had followed, and shouted loudly: "After the ambush failed, Sarutobi Hiruzen was unwilling to accept defeat. Not only did he refuse to admit his own mistakes, but he also gathered ninjas from the four great clans to ambush Lord Orochimaru again outside the East Gate."

"Do you know why he was able to ambush Lord Orochimaru twice in a row?"

"Because Sarutobi Hiruzen issued an order in the name of the Third Hokage, requiring Lord Orochimaru to return to Konohagakure from Kirigakure along a route he specified!"

"Shimura Danzo was not the mastermind; he was just a Konoha ninja executing the Third Hokage's orders!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was completely broken, but he found he couldn't explain; if he forced an explanation, it would only make things look worse, ultimately confirming the charges Hyuga Hiashi had pinned on him.

As for whether the facts were actually so, that's not for you to worry about!

In any case, Sarutobi Hiruzen believed he was not wrong.

So he roared righteously and angrily: "Shut up! Shut up!!"

"No matter how you put it, the Hokage is the leader of Konohagakure. Your act of ignoring the Hokage's prohibition is the real betrayal!"

Hyuga Hiashi ignored him entirely, only continuing to say: "Sarutobi Hiruzen favors the four great clans, exploits the various clans and civilian ninjas, deviates from the ideals of the First Hokage, and sends children under ten to the battlefield,"

"Today, everyone has seen it; the number of ninjas wearing the Sarutobi clan uniform and carrying the Konoha Headband is so exaggerated!"

"The Hyuga clan, the Uchiha clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Aburame clan, the Inuzuka clan, plus the Hatake, Shiranui, Aoyama, Kurama, and other ninja clans combined do not have as many ninjas as the Sarutobi clan."

"Everyone, think about it: during the three Ninja World Wars, could you see us, these ninja clans, active on the front lines?"

The Konoha ninjas looked at each other, their eyes full of shock and disbelief, and for a moment, no one could speak.

Following Yamanaka Chujiu's instructions, Hyuga Hiashi shouted again: "Could you see the Hyuga?"

"In the Land of Wind, the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, the Land of Fields, the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Waves... on every battlefield where Konohagakure participated, could you see the ninjas of the Hyuga clan who possess the Byakugan?"

"Answer me!!"

Finally, some Konoha ninjas responded:

"I saw them! I worked with Hyuga ninjas on the battlefield in the Land of Rain!"

"I've seen Hyuga in the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain!"

"I saw them in the Land of Waves..."

"The Land of Fields..."

"The Land of Hot Water..."

The responses from the Konoha ninjas became increasingly dense, their voices growing louder, gradually turning into a surging wave of sound.

It wasn't until Hyuga Hiashi raised both hands that the sound suddenly subsided, but it could not return to a state of silence.

But it was enough for everyone to hear Hyuga Hiashi's most lethal question: "Then how many people have seen a greater number of Sarutobi ninjas on the battlefield?"

All sound suddenly vanished; the battlefield was deathly silent, and even the ninjas of the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Shimura clans stopped talking.

After everyone looked at each other, they all cast their gazes toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The answer no longer needed to be spoken.

Hyuga Hiashi finally said: "My Hyuga clan no longer recognizes Sarutobi Hiruzen as Hokage, and does not recognize his illegal restoration as the Third Hokage!"

"I will stand on the side of Lord Orochimaru, on the side of justice!"

"I only recognize Lord Orochimaru as the future Fifth Hokage, and I demand the complete end of Sarutobi Hiruzen's illegal rule!"

"The Uchiha clan also stands with Lord Orochimaru!"

Itachi Uchiha, surrounded by Uchiha ninjas, appeared on the south wall of the East Gate and announced loudly: "The entire Uchiha clan supports Lord Orochimaru to become the Fifth Hokage and is determined to end Sarutobi Hiruzen's illegal rule!"

He suddenly activated his two-tomoe Sharingan, his scarlet gaze fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Sarutobi Hiruzen, you indulged Shimura Danzo in suppressing my Uchiha for many years, letting him kill many ninjas of our clan, yet every time we investigated, you stopped us on the grounds of 'not harming Konoha ninjas'."

"You said every time: whoever kills Konoha ninjas is your enemy and will be branded a rogue ninja!"

"In the past, my father believed you and was played in the palm of your hand."

"Today, he still believes you, but I do not. I want to reclaim justice for the Uchiha clan!"

"Uchiha, attack! Eliminate the Sarutobi clan!"

Hyuga Hiashi also shouted: "Hyuga ninja, we will not lose to the Uchiha! Attack!"