Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 201 The Essence of the Seven Deadly Sins
"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked on without saying a word, not responding to Miroku's words, until he walked out of the Hokage Building.

The moment he stepped out the door, the holy and ethereal figure behind him vanished silently into the air, as if it had never been there at all.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then resumed his normal pace, slightly turning his head to look at Hyuga Kumokawa, who also seemed lost in thought, and said:

"It seems that someone has taken care of the location problem for us."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at the plaza in front of the Hokage Building.

The square was filled with a dense mass of people, standing in neat rows like a silent forest.

Apart from those who are still on emergency missions or have not yet been withdrawn from the front lines, all available Chunin, Jonin, and some Genin have gathered here at this moment.

They were arranged in neat square formations according to their respective departments, squads, and ninja clans, and the air was filled with a solemn and dignified atmosphere, yet also with a hint of curiosity.

Even the Jonin who followed Hiruzen Sarutobi out of the Hokage Building were the same.

Because there were simply too many people who had been summoned.

They had assumed it would only involve their own departments, squads, and ninja clans, but now they realized that almost all the Konoha ninjas on the payroll had been summoned.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could clearly feel countless gazes focused on him.

He slowly walked up to the high platform in front of the square, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of people below.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hiruzen Sarutobi took out a scroll from his robes, formed hand seals, and uttered a low shout: "Release."

Bang!
The scroll exploded into a cloud of white smoke, and as the smoke dissipated, a sword box appeared in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The sword case is dark in color, with complex and mysterious runes engraved on its surface, exuding an ancient aura.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gently pressed the sword sheath, and a crisp click of the mechanism rang out.

Kaka! Click!
The sword box slowly unfolded to both sides like a fence, revealing seven weapon slots for storing swords.

Three of the weapon slots were empty, while the other four slots held four swords of different shapes.

The sword located at the very center is an eight-sided sword called "Pride".

The other three swords are a katana named 'Wrath', a horse-slaying sword named 'Gluttony', and a short dagger named 'Lust'.

The four weapons remained silently inserted in their slots, exuding a chilling aura even before they were drawn.

The eyes of all the ninjas in the square were instantly drawn to these four weapons.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over the faces below, some filled with confusion, others with curiosity, and his voice, loud and clear, resounded throughout the entire plaza:

"This set of weapons is called 'The Seven Deadly Sins.' They are ninja tools with souls, ninja tools with powerful abilities, and only those who have been recognized can draw them."

"Three of the ninja tools have already chosen their wielders: 'Sloth,' 'Envy,' and 'Greed.' Many of you here have actually seen them before."

Upon hearing this, some Konoha ninjas who had returned from the front lines of the Land of Hot Water seemed to have thought of something and subconsciously looked at the lazy Jiraiya.

Those Konoha ninjas who had experienced the Uchiha Night all looked towards Hyuga Kumokawa and Kakashi.

The broadsword behind Jiraiya was particularly eye-catching, as was the wakizashi that Kakashi had tied to his leg, while Hyuga Kumokawa carried it on his waist.

Aside from Hyuga Kumokawa's 'Greed,' whose ability is kept secret, they haven't seen it yet.

Jiraiya defeated the Puppet Master, one of the Espada, on the battlefield by relying on his 'sloth'.

Kakashi even used his 'Jealousy' weapon to defeat Obito Uchiha, who had activated Susanoo.

Even if they didn't know the specific abilities, everyone was very clear about these two glorious achievements.

"The remaining four weapons are 'Pride', 'Gluttony', 'Wrath', and 'Lust'."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "Now, any Konoha ninja, regardless of their origin or status, may step forward and try to draw their sword."

"Whoever gains their approval and pulls it out will be their swordsman!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the square fell into a deathly silence.

Immediately, an uncontrollable commotion surged through the crowd.

The gazes of the ninjas turned fervent as they stared intently at the four weapons on the high platform, which seemed to exude a deadly allure.

They were all well aware of the terrifying power of the 'Sloth' weapon in Jiraiya's hands.

It is a powerful weapon comparable to the "Six Paths Ninja Tools," and anyone who obtains one can greatly enhance their strength.

Soon, the ANBU ninjas maintaining order began to guide the crowd, starting with the outermost genin and proceeding in order of ninja rank and queue sequence.

The first few genin to step forward had barely suppressed excitement and nervousness on their faces.

They cautiously approached the sword case, their eyes scanning the four weapons, and ultimately most chose the relatively easy-to-use 'Anger' katana or 'Lust' dagger.

The first genin took a deep breath, gripped the hilt of the 'Rage' katana with both hands, and pulled hard...

Not moving at all!

His face quickly turned red, and he exerted all his strength, even mobilizing his chakra.

The blade remained firmly inserted in the case, as if it were completely cast into the base.

"Alright." The ANBU ninja shook his head. "Next."

The genin finally let go, scratched his head, and retreated amidst the laughter of his companions.

"I'll come first!"

"let me try!"

The second, the third... the genin stepped forward one after another.

Some tried the 'Gluttony' sword, but the heavy blade left them helpless; others chose the 'Lust' dagger, but the small dagger felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

No matter how hard they tried, even straining until their veins bulged, the four weapons remained like dormant, lifeless objects, offering no response whatsoever!

The initial excitement was quickly dampened, like being doused with cold water.

Confusion appeared on the faces of the genin, and whispers began to spread among the crowd.

"what happened?"

"I can't pull it out at all!"

When it was the Chunin's turn, they were much more composed than the Genin, their eyes filled with contemplation.

Some tried using chakra of different attributes, some tried to find the mechanism of the sword box or weapon, and some even formed all sorts of hand seals.

A Chunin skilled in Wind Release formed hand seals, attempting to use airflow to envelop the hilt of 'Arrogance' to increase friction.

However, the airflow dissipated the moment it approached the hilt, and 'Arrogance' didn't even tremble.

Another Chunin petrified his arm to increase his strength and, thinking himself clever, grabbed the hilt of 'Lust', but the seemingly small dagger remained completely still.

"hateful!"

The person who tried it shook his numb arm, his face showing anxiety and resentment.

Disappointment enveloped everyone present, and whispers turned into low complaints and sighs.

"Can these weapons really be pulled out?"

"Is there any special method needed?"

Even when some Jonin tried, the result remained unchanged.

The four weapons seemed to be lifeless, showing no reaction to any external force.

The atmosphere in the plaza began to quiet down, and the previous commotion and anticipation completely disappeared. Finally, only the Jonin standing behind Hiruzen Sarutobi remained. Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza stepped forward one by one.

Yamanaka Inoichi tried the 'Lust' short dagger, while Akimichi Choza chose the 'Gluttony' sword, which looked the heaviest.

hum...

The moment Yamanaka Inoichi's hand touched the hilt of the sword, 'Lust' seemed to tremble very slightly.

The slight tremor, though so small as to be almost imperceptible, was met with a sharp jolt of energy from the Konoha ninja who were all watching intently.

"There's a reaction!"

"Master Haiyi!"

"As expected, we still need strong individuals!"

"Wait, why is it lust? Could it be..."

The previously silent crowd stirred again, their disappointment replaced by renewed hope, and they all stared wide-eyed at Yamanaka Inoichi.

Even Tsunade, who had been expressionless the whole time, had a slight twitch in her eyes.

This is the first time to date that the 'Seven Deadly Sins' have produced a clear response to external stimuli.

However, Yamanaka Inoichi frowned. He tried to increase the force, but there was no further response, and the pink luster flowing on the surface of the dagger returned to silence.

In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly and step back.

The same was true for Choza Akimichi beside him. Even though he used the "Partial Expansion Technique" to enlarge his palm and increase his strength, he still couldn't pull it out even a fraction of an inch.

"This……"

The flame of hope, barely ignited, was extinguished by even deeper, colder water.

What are the criteria for selecting the wielders of these weapons?

Nara Shikaku didn't act rashly. He carefully examined the four weapons, frowning as he asked, "The literal meaning?"

So, were Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Hyuga Kumokawa really lazy, jealous, and greedy?
He didn't know Hinata Kumokawa well. If he had to say, the actions of the former two could be considered laziness and jealousy.

But that's too much of a stretch; there's no unified standard.

Jiraiya's laziness and Kakashi's jealousy seem to have nothing in common.

If we're only talking about the surface meaning, the Akimichi clan undoubtedly best embodies the word "gluttony."

As he pondered, Nara Shikaku looked at the characters engraved on the sword case and casually read, "The blood of every god must end with a sword."

god?
The end of the sword?

What does it mean?
Nara Shikaku's gaze fell on 'Pride'. He reached out, but instead of pulling it out forcefully, he gently placed his palm on the spine of the sword, trying to sense its inner 'will'.

Just then, Tsunade, who had been observing coldly, suddenly made a move.

She strode to the sword case, her gaze sweeping over the four weapons before finally settling on the eight-sided sword named 'Pride'.

"Hmph! Pretending to be a ghost!"

Tsunade snorted coldly, a hint of eagerness flashing in her eyes. She didn't even use both hands, but simply stretched out her right hand, her five fingers spread wide, and gripped the hilt of 'Arrogance' like an iron clamp!

Strange power!

Boom! Crack! Crack!
A burst of violent chakra erupted from Tsunade's body in an instant, her long golden hair moved without wind, and the ground beneath her feet cracked inch by inch with her as the center!
"Give it to me!" Tsunade growled. "Come out!"

Buzz! Click!

'Arrogance' emitted an unprecedented buzzing sound, and black light flashed wildly on its blade.

To everyone's astonishment, Tsunade actually managed to pull out half of the eight-sided sword, its sharp blade gleaming with a cold light!
"It's done?!"

"Tsunade-sama!"

"As expected of the Three Ninja!"

A huge gasp erupted from the crowd, but just as the blade was halfway out!
A more violent and colder recoil force suddenly burst out from the hilt of the knife, like a spring that had been compressed to its limit being suddenly released!

Bang! !

Tsunade felt an irresistible force strike her hand, and couldn't help but groan as her fingers, which had been gripping the sword hilt tightly, involuntarily loosened.

Clang!

The 'Arrogance' sword, which had been pulled out halfway, fell back into its sheath, and its black light dimmed as if it had never been shaken.

"Damn it! Just a hair's breadth away! This damn sword..."

Tsunade's hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably, and her face showed an extremely angry expression.

This completely extinguished everyone's hopes. Even Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, failed. Who else could succeed?

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado simply went up to try it out of curiosity.

They chose 'pride' and 'lust' respectively, but failed to stir even the slightest ripple, and could only shake their heads and sigh as they withdrew.

Finally, there is Danzo Shimura.

He slowly walked to the sword case, his single eye lingering on the octagonal sword 'Pride' for a moment, then sweeping over the 'Gluttony' saber, and finally settling on 'Wrath'.

He extended his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and slowly grasped the hilt of the katana.

hum...

'Anger' responded in a low, guttural voice.

On the blade of the katana, a ghostly blue light flickered like breath, and a scorching aura emanated from it.

Seeing this, Danzo's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he suddenly exerted his strength!

laugh!
He managed to pull the hilt of the knife out an inch, and the golden light shone brightly.

However, just an inch after the blade left the scabbard, a chilling golden flame suddenly ignited, fiercely burning Danzo's arm from the hilt like a leech!
"What is this?!"

Danzo's expression changed instantly. He felt the Hollow inside his arm become violent and restless, and he released his grip without hesitation.

Clang!
The 'anger' instantly bounced back to its original position, and the golden flames quickly went out.

Danzo looked at the charred marks left on his hands, a hint of fear and deep apprehension flashing in his single eye. He silently took a step back and stopped trying.

"There's no way it can be pulled out..."

"Are these weapons fake?"

"Are you kidding me...?"

The whispers were filled with complaints and disappointment, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching this scene, felt equally helpless and heavy-hearted.

Could it be that none of the ninjas in the entire Hidden Leaf Village are capable of wielding these four weapons?
Just when all was quiet and people were scattered.

Standing quietly behind and to the side of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hyuga Kumokawa, as an observer, gradually deepened the light in his eyes.

He seemed to have grasped the essence of the 'Seven Deadly Sins'.

If, as he suspected, the value of these seven weapons was...

Hinata Kumokawa looked at Might Guy, who had somehow squeezed in next to him and was now huddled close to Kakashi.

"Kai," he asked with a smile, "You're both taijutsu ninjas, and even Lady Tsunade has given it a try. Why don't you give it a shot?"

(End of this chapter)