Chapter 99: Tearing Off the Fig Leaf of the Sarutobi Clan

Orochimaru's words struck Sarutobi Hiruzen like a bolt of lightning, leaving his entire body rigid.

A Kage betraying the village—what kind of vicious curse was this?

But what Sarutobi Hiruzen found hardest to accept was that he could not find a single reason to refute it.

Everything Orochimaru said was his own rhetoric, yet at a time when the whole village was fanatically cheering "Long live Lord Orochimaru," it was actually a possibility.

Orochimaru looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen full of expectation, waiting for a very, very long time.

Until Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long breath and spoke: "Orochimaru, your heart is dark, greedy, and you stop at nothing to achieve your ends; I will not let you succeed."

Orochimaru was completely disappointed; his golden snake-like pupils dimmed instantly, and he turned to walk toward the office door.

"If Teacher Sarutobi refuses to be reasonable, then I have no need to waste any more time here."

"Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen roared, a powerful chakra erupting from his body; the chakra fluctuations, like a giant wave, surged toward Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, if you continue to harbor delusions about the position of Hokage that does not belong to you today, I will mobilize all the power of Konoha to drive you out of Konohagakure!"

Orochimaru's footsteps paused, and he turned around slowly.

The pain in his golden snake-like pupils was hidden without a trace, and his powerful chakra fluctuations, combined with a cold killing intent, collided head-on with Sarutobi Hiruzen's aura.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was horrified to discover that he had actually lost to Orochimaru in terms of aura.

"Oh my, Teacher Sarutobi, how long has it been since you killed someone? And how long has it been since you were on the battlefield?"

"Do not overestimate your own strength, Teacher Sarutobi."

Orochimaru warned in a cold tone: "Teacher, you don't still think you can defeat me, do you?"

"And, driving me out of Konohagakure?"

"What a big mouth you have!"

"Right now, the ninja of Konohagakure all worship me and treat me as a hero."

"If I walk out of the Hokage Office right now and announce in the plaza in front of the Hokage Building that you, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, ordered my arrest and that I have been branded a rogue ninja..."

"Teacher, do you think the Konoha Ninja will immediately forget me, this hero, and wholeheartedly support every decision you, the Third Hokage, make?"

"Or will you instantly lose all popular support, with the Konoha Ninja immediately taking up weapons to resist, and Konohagakure falling into unprecedented chaos?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's body tensed, and his powerful aura suddenly plummeted.

He knew that Orochimaru was right.

Although he wanted to wait for this wave of enthusiasm to cool down before taking action to suppress Orochimaru's reputation.

But if Orochimaru were to spout nonsense and insist on framing Sarutobi Hiruzen for branding him a rogue ninja.

With his fanatical reputation among the Konoha Ninja, no one would seriously consider whether it was true; everyone would subconsciously believe it.

Because Orochimaru had truly been suppressed, Shimura Danzo had truly spread rumors about Hatake Sakumo, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had truly forced Hyuga Hiashi to his death.

All Konoha Ninja would conclude that it was Sarutobi Hiruzen's fault!

By then...

Orochimaru sneered in a hoarse voice: "By then, I will also say, everyone come and look, what has the Third Hokage's Sarutobi Clan become now!"

"The Sarutobi Clan is no longer a ninja clan, but Sarutobi Village within Konohagakure."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was struck as if by lightning; he stood up abruptly and retorted loudly: "You are spouting nonsense!"

Orochimaru laughed: "I am spouting nonsense?"

"Teacher Sarutobi, do you even know how many people are in your Sarutobi Clan? And how many ninja there are?"

"You might really not know; you only know that the Sarutobi Clan is flourishing and has grown much larger."

"I tell you, the Sarutobi Clan has expanded to a total population of 20,000, and the number of Sarutobi ninja is as high as 1,800!"

"Sarutobi is already six times that of Uchiha!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly lost his strength and collapsed back into his chair, his eyes vacant, muttering: "How can there be so many?"

He no longer had the confidence to stop Orochimaru and could only watch helplessly as he turned and walked out of the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat alone for a long time before asking in a low voice: "Shinnosuke, is what Orochimaru said about the situation of the Sarutobi Clan true?"

His eldest son, Anbu Captain Sarutobi Shinnosuke, appeared before the desk and stammered: "Father..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's anger suddenly erupted: "In an official setting, you must use my title!"

The Anbu Captain stood straight abruptly: "Yes, Lord Third Hokage!"

"What Orochimaru said... is basically true!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes in pain, even shaking his head from side to side: "How could it be like this?"

The population of the Sarutobi Clan was too large, and the number of ninja was even more excessive.

As long as Orochimaru said it out loud, everyone would question "on what grounds."

On what grounds had the Sarutobi Clan expanded so drastically?

On what grounds did the number of Sarutobi ninja approach one-tenth of the total number of Konoha Ninja, yet their figures were nowhere to be seen fighting on the battlefield?

The Hyuga Clan had 240 ninja; wherever there was war, the Byakugan was always watching.

The Uchiha Clan had 300 ninja; almost the entire East Front was filled with Sharingan fighting.

The Sarutobi Clan had 1,800 ninja; where were they?

Sarutobi Hiruzen calculated in his heart and was shocked to discover that the Sarutobi ninja were all in Konohagakure.

They were in the Logistics Department, the Mission Department, the Administrative Department, the Intelligence Department, the Barrier Squad research group, the Sealing Squad warehouse management, the Hospital Administration Group...

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up at his eldest son; at least the Anbu Captain was in the combat sequence, but were there other Sarutobi ninja in the combat sequence?

There were, for example, his youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma, who was guarding the Daimyo in the Land of Fire.

There were also some Sarutobi ninja on the front lines, but the number was truly too small, disproportionate to the massive scale of the Sarutobi ninja.

Sarutobi Hiruzen made up his mind; he had to reform his clan, otherwise, he would not even be able to open his mouth when facing Orochimaru again.

However, the rage in his heart did not diminish, and his worry regarding Orochimaru grew ever more intense.

"Orochimaru is too extreme; he doesn't understand unity at all. Konohagakure must absolutely not be handed over to such a person!"

"I will certainly stop your ambition and make you pay the price for today's insolence!"

"I am not doing this for the Sarutobi Clan; I am doing this for Konohagakure!"

Shimura Danzo:?

Walking out of the Hokage Building, Orochimaru was once again surrounded by fanatical Konoha Ninja.

Orochimaru possessed profound majesty, so the Konoha Ninja dared not crowd close to his side, but they vied to ask him how he had defeated the Fourth Raikage and loudly expressed their adoration.

More Konoha Ninja who could not squeeze through shouted from afar: We are willing to follow Orochimaru, to grow big and strong, and to create new glory!

Contrary to his usual behavior, Orochimaru patiently nodded slightly to the surrounding ninja, a triumphant light flickering in his golden snake-like pupils.

He did not like being surrounded and watched by the whole world, but the feeling of being adored was not bad either.

Orochimaru looked back at the Hokage Office and suddenly said with a wicked smile to the surrounding Konoha Ninja: "Everyone, I will lead you all to win even greater victories and make Konoha even more powerful!"

The Konoha Ninja were in an uproar:

"Long live Lord Orochimaru!"