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

Chapter 313 I will resign as Hokage (880013000)

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Jiraiya a deep look.

That brat, I hope he doesn't cause me any trouble at a time like this.

Jiraiya didn't pay attention to the three's reactions and briefly described his experience teaching them.

"Under my guidance, the original 'Akatsuki' aimed to achieve peace through dialogue and understanding rather than force, and they were very popular in the Land of Rain."

Jiraiya's tone suddenly turned somber: "However, based on what I know, they died at Hanzo's hands. Now it seems that the one who died was Yahiko, the leader."

At this point, Jiraiya lowered his eyes and continued, "And Nagato, who survived, possessed the legendary eyes, the Rinnegan."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned and their expressions became much more serious. The legend of the Rinnegan was no secret.

Those are the eyes of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, more worthy of attention than the little-known Tenseigan. Moreover, they have already personally experienced the terrifying power of the Rinnegan.

"The enemy we saw was not Nagato himself, but a puppet he created and remotely controlled using the power of the Rinnegan, which was Yahiko's corpse."

Jiraiya continued, "The known abilities of the Rinnegan include remote and precise control of multiple puppets, and techniques similar to gravity and repulsion..."

"It uses black rods with chakra conduction and disruption capabilities to attack, and it also seems to have the ability to repair puppets."

"And that technique that you witnessed before, which nearly destroyed the entire Hidden Leaf Village."

Mentioning the planet Chibaku Tensei, everyone's faces turned grim. The earth-shattering scene was still vivid in their minds, and there was no need for further description. The terror of the Rinnegan was deeply etched into everyone's hearts.

If it weren't for Hyuga Kumokawa, the entire Hidden Leaf Village would probably have been destroyed by him.

Hyuga Kumokawa should be the strongest person in Konoha right now.

"The headquarters of 'Akatsuki' is most likely hidden in the Land of Rain."

Jiraiya concluded, "That place is their birthplace, which has been closed off for a long time, making it difficult for information to penetrate. It is also their ideal hiding place."

Mitomon Homura continued, "According to the urgent communications we received, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and even Takigakure have all been attacked by Akatsuki."

"The One-Tailed, Four-Tailed, Six-Tailed, and Seven-Tailed have been stolen, and all countries are strongly demanding that necessary and swift action be taken against the Akatsuki and the Land of Rain."

A brief silence fell over the conference room as everyone digested this astonishing information.

Yamanaka Inoichi asked at the opportune moment, "What is their purpose in collecting the Tailed Beasts at such a cost?"

"Yahiko's death may have changed Nagato, the mastermind behind the attack on Konoha, causing a drastic change in his personality."

Jiraiya took a deep breath and answered, "After his best friend's tragic death and his ideals shattered, he firmly believed that in this world full of hatred, dialogue and understanding could not bring peace."

“His ‘Akatsuki’ has become an organization that aims to achieve ‘peace’ through extreme military force.”

He looked around at everyone and uttered the chilling conclusion: "He most likely wants to rule the ninja world through the tailed beasts and forcibly achieve what he calls 'peace'."

This conclusion seemed to cause the temperature in the conference room to drop several degrees.

This extreme ideology is even more dangerous than an enemy who simply seeks to kill.

Thinking of this, people would occasionally glance at Hinata Kumokawa, their eyes flickering.

The situation in other ninja villages was worse than in Konoha; at least Konoha hadn't lost its tailed beasts.

And all of this is because...

"The Akatsuki organization and its leader Nagato possess the legendary Rinnegan, and their goal is to overthrow the entire ninja world."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly spoke up: "This is no longer a private grudge of a certain village, but a common enemy that concerns the survival of everyone, just like the Hollow Realm."

"After the meeting, contact the other four major ninja villages as soon as possible to facilitate a second remote Five Kage Summit, and jointly strike at Akatsuki and the Land of Rain to completely eradicate this scourge."

Upon hearing this, Hinata Kumokawa, who had remained silent, couldn't help but smile to himself.

Logically speaking, the greater the threat Konoha faces, the more the people of Konoha will rely on his power as a "hero".

However, whenever people were about to have such thoughts, Hiruzen Sarutobi would bring up the alliance of the ninja villages, guiding everyone to place their hopes on the alliance rather than on individuals.

Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want his reputation to rise further.

"In addition, Kumogakure and Iwagakure also mentioned an important situation in their letters."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "The ninja tools they obtained from the 'underground palace' in the Land of Hot Springs played a crucial role in their response to the Akatsuki's attack, even turning the tide of the battle."

"Given the strength of 'Hollow Realm' and 'Akatsuki,' possessing powers like 'Hollow' and the Rinnegan, conventional methods would probably be insufficient to deal with them."

"Therefore, Kumogakure and Iwagakure proposed to jointly explore the 'underground palace' in order to obtain more powerful ninja tools or secret techniques, thereby strengthening the allied forces' ability to fight against 'Akatsuki'."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly fell silent.

"To explore together?"

Hinata Kumokawa spoke first, bluntly stating, "This idea sounds good; it can minimize risks and maximize efficiency, but..."

"The five great nations have accumulated deep-seated grudges after several ninja wars, and their foundation of mutual trust is extremely weak. Can we really expect them to completely set aside their past grievances and truly cooperate sincerely?"

"Who will take command? Will they take turns or will a joint command be established?"

"How should the benefits be distributed? Should they be based on the amount of effort contributed, or should they be distributed equally?"

"Are the technologies and knowledge discovered during the exploration process shared or kept secret by each party?"

"Each of these issues could become the trigger for conflict."

Hinata Kumokawa said calmly, "Let's not have the threat of 'Akatsuki' and 'Virtual World' still be there, and then we start fighting amongst ourselves over the spoils."

Upon hearing this, the way everyone looked at him became more knowing.

This "hero" of Konoha seems to be a hawkish figure, mild-mannered internally but assertive externally.

However, his doubts were not without merit, and they represented the sentiments of many people present.

Even if the higher-ups reach a consensus, it will be difficult to control the ninjas below. After all, it is a decades-long hatred, and many friends and relatives have died at each other's hands. How can they possibly let go of their grudges?

"Times have changed. Even if it's difficult, we must do it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi simply stated, "Back in the Five Kage Summit held in the Land of Demons, the Five Kage had already reached a preliminary consensus on sharing intelligence and taking joint action when necessary in the face of the common threat of the 'Hollow Realm'."

"This has laid an unprecedented foundation for our cooperation."

"And now, the Akatsuki organization has taken the Tailed Beasts, and its insane plans also threaten the balance and survival of the entire ninja world."

"In the face of such a life-or-death crisis, cooperation is no longer just an option, but our only viable way out."

He surveyed the room and continued, "It's pointless to just talk about the specific details of the cooperation, including complex issues such as command structure, profit distribution, and risk sharing."

"I will make it possible to convene the second Five Shadows Remote Talks as soon as possible. At that time, this will be one of the core topics we will focus on discussing."

"We must, and we will, come up with a concrete plan and action program that can both safeguard the core interests of all parties and ensure the efficient operation of the coalition."

Hearing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had such a clear and specific plan and steps, and that it wasn't just empty talk, the deep doubts on everyone's faces lessened a little.

"And..." Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the subject: "While the external threats are certainly urgent, the reconstruction and recovery of Konoha is equally pressing."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Nara Shikaku and said, "Shikaku, please explain to everyone the current situation the village is facing."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Nara Shikaku stood up and said in a calm tone, "In this attack, our ninja suffered heavy casualties, especially among the middle and lower ninjas who are the backbone of our forces. There is a huge gap in combat power that will be difficult to fill in the short term."

"The civilian casualties are equally alarming. The sharp decline in population will have a long-term and far-reaching impact on the village's ability to take on missions and even on the future training of ninjas..."

"Currently, although reconstruction work is being carried out with all efforts, it faces a severe shortage of resources, with huge gaps in funding, building materials, and medical supplies, which has hindered the repair progress of many infrastructure projects..."

After he finished speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kazuma, who represented the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and said sincerely, "The reconstruction of Konoha still needs the strong support of His Highness the Daimyo."

"You flatter me, Hokage."

Kazuma immediately smiled and nodded, saying, "The Daimyo is deeply saddened by the calamity that Konoha has suffered this time, and naturally will not stand idly by."

"His Highness the Daimyo is willing to provide the necessary resources to help Konoha recover as soon as possible; however, I'm sure His Hokage is also aware of this..."

He then changed the subject, his smile unchanged: "The situation in the ninja world is currently turbulent. The threats from Akatsuki and Hueco Mundo have not been eliminated, and the defenses within the Land of Fire also need to be strengthened. The security pressure on the Daimyo's prefecture is indeed considerable."

"Therefore, we hope that Konoha can provide more support in dispatching ninja forces to help maintain stability and order throughout the Land of Fire."

"It is reasonable to use this as a mutually beneficial basis for resource assistance."

The meaning of these words couldn't be clearer.

The Daimyo's mansion can provide resources, but Konoha needs to send more ninjas directly under the Daimyo's command, which is equivalent to exchanging partial control of military power for reconstruction resources.

This is blatant profiteering.

The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became subtle.

Konoha's forces are already severely weakened, and now they have to select a portion of them to send to the Daimyo's residence?
However, without the population and material assistance controlled by the Daimyo's government, the reconstruction of Konoha will be greatly slowed down, and may even come to a standstill.

Tsunade frowned slightly, clearly extremely dissatisfied with this hostage situation, and was about to say something.

Danzo Shimura, who had been silent all along, tightened his grip on his cane slightly, clearly preparing to speak.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't give anyone a chance to break the rhythm.

"The specific terms of resource assistance will be discussed in detail later."

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately suppressed Danzo's impending words and also shut Tsunade up before she could speak.

His gaze suddenly sharpened as he swept across the room: "Before discussing external aid, we must first confront the serious dereliction of duty within Konoha that this incident has exposed."

"Why was the Akatsuki able to so easily break through Konoha's proud barrier and defense system, advancing deep into the territory and causing such devastation?"

"Why did our early warning mechanism fail? Why did the intelligence network of the covert operations remain completely ineffective at crucial moments, as if it were a mere formality?"

This sharp question made the head of the secret service lower his head.

But many more people sensed the tension and their gazes, whether overt or covert, turned toward Shimura Danzo.

Everyone knows that Danzo's "Root" is nominally still part of the Dark Side, and there were no reports of "Root" operations on the night of the attack.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, seemingly a questioning of the whole, were actually a accusation against the "Root" for dereliction of duty.

Danzo Shimura's 'Root' was actually under the jurisdiction of the Anbu, and no one saw Danzo and 'Root' that day. It is clear that Hiruzen Sarutobi was targeting 'Root' rather than the Anbu.

"..." Danzo narrowed his eyes, his sinister gaze fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"According to reports from surviving Hyuga clan ninjas, on the night of the attack, when the incident occurred at the Hyuga clan compound, they saw masked ninjas nearby, but instead of intervening to stop them, they moved about mysteriously!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Danzo and asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Danzo, what is your explanation for this?"

"Why were your 'Root' members near the Hyuga clan at that time? What was their mission? Were they monitoring them, or did they have other plans?"

"Furthermore, according to the attackers' accounts and intelligence analysis, the Konoha ninjas were involved and pushed forward behind Hanzo's luring and killing of the first Akatsuki."

"If I remember correctly, the ones carrying out the secret mission in the Land of Rain back then were you, Shimura Danzo, Orochimaru, and your 'Root' team, right?"

"Was it your actions back then that sowed the seeds of Akatsuki's hatred for Konoha today?"

These words directly exposed the possible misconduct of 'Root' and linked it to the fate of the Hyuga clan and Konoha.

Boom! !

"absurd!"

Danzo slammed his cane on the ground with a dull thud, his voice hoarse and filled with anger: "All of this is baseless malicious speculation and accusation..."

Whether it is baseless or not, further investigation will determine the outcome!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice suddenly rose: "However, given that 'Root' has acted unclearly and its fulfillment of its duties is seriously questionable in this crisis..."

"And its numerous past actions, which are highly controversial and lack effective oversight, have posed a potential risk to the village's unified command and security stability!"

"In the name of the Third Hokage, I hereby issue this formal order."

He took a deep breath and announced in a resolute voice: "Effective immediately, 'Root' is to be disbanded. All original members will be taken over, reviewed, and reorganized by the Dark Department!"

"Shimura Danzo, you will no longer hold any position related to 'Root' and must cooperate with all subsequent investigations!"

This order was like a bolt from the blue, not only freezing Danzo in place, his eyes filled with disbelief and raging fury, but also shaking the hearts of all the high-ranking officials present!
Hiruzen Sarutobi directly used his highest authority to forcibly uproot the foundation that Danzo had built up over decades!
why?
This doesn't fit Hiruzen Sarutobi's past nostalgic and soft-hearted personality!
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you think you can shift the blame for the Hyuga clan's internal strife and the entire village's attack onto me based solely on the words of a few people?!"

Danzo trembled with rage, his eyes flashing with cold light, and he said sternly, "The one who should truly bear the main responsibility for Konoha's heavy losses this time is you, the Hokage!"

"It's your incompetent leadership that led to this situation!"

Despite Danzo's fierce counterattack, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed no anger on his face, remaining remarkably calm.

His reaction caused Danzo's expression to change slightly, as if he had realized something.

Damn it, does Hiruzen intend to...?

“You’re right, Danzo.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly removed his straw hat and gently placed it on the conference table in front of him. This action made everyone in the room's heart skip a beat.

"I share the same inescapable responsibility as you."

He raised his head and looked at everyone with honesty: "As the Third Hokage, I failed to protect the village and its people, which is my dereliction of duty."

"I am equally responsible for the lives lost and the suffering endured."

As he spoke, he looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over every face that was either shocked, confused, or somber.

He took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, and announced in a clear and resolute voice: "Therefore, I have officially decided to resign from the position of Hokage."

The entire conference room fell into a deathly silence. It was so quiet that even breathing seemed to disappear, and you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's eyes flickered, and they were all thinking different things.

(End of this chapter)