Starting with Hyuga, traversing countless heavens

After saying that, Hyuga Hoshino returned to Konoha, and Black Zetsu hid in the darkness. Black Zetsu needed to calm down and sort out his thoughts.

Hyuga Hoshino was watching Black Zetsu. Oh dear, another one has been ruined.

"Princess Kaguya descended from heaven and gave birth to Chenxiang and Diezhu..."

Hyuga Hoshino hummed a song of incomprehensible meaning, following in Doflamingo's footsteps as he walked back to the village.

They encountered Tsunade and Jiraiya on the way. "Hey, you perverted sage, you've been doing too much, it's bad for your health."

"You little brat, can't you say something nice? Can't you think a little healthier?"

Tsunade's thoughts were disrupted. She grabbed Hyuga Hoshino by the neck and shook him violently twice. Hyuga Hoshino, feeling the shockwave from her brain, decided to watch the game in a civilized manner.

Previously, Hyuga Hoshino acted so enthusiastically that the original plan was to arouse their suspicion of the fake Uchiha Madara, but unexpectedly, they now believe it without a doubt.

It's estimated that they'll have some doubts again when the real Uchiha Madara appears.

Mei Terumi: Young and handsome guy, who are you?

Madara Uchiha: I am Madara Uchiha.

Tsunade: Pictures don't lie.

Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. Hinata Hoshino is just a fun-loving person, who cares?

Hyuga Hoshino hoisted Tsunade onto his back and ran wildly under Jiraiya's envious gaze.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, waiting at the gate: Just now, something passed by. It turned out to be Hyuga Hoshino carrying Tsunade. Well, it's alright now.

Jiraiya limped into Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi saw him and went to greet him.

With Jiraiya by his side, they used the Body Flicker Technique all the way to the Hokage Building.

Hyuga Hoshino carried Tsunade, Namikaze Minato took his wife and daughter home, only Sarutobi Hiruzen was still unaware of what had happened.

Jiraiya sat slumped in Hiruzen Sarutobi's office chair, weakly recounting the scene of his previous battle with Madara Uchiha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, smoking his pipe, remained silent for a long time. Madara Uchiha's body had been collected by the Uchiha clan; these high-ranking members were completely unaware of the condition of Madara's remains.

I must go and confirm this tomorrow. Also, how did Madara Uchiha successfully replicate Wood Release?

Even if Madara Uchiha survived the battle against the First Hokage, he probably wouldn't have been able to obtain the most advanced equipment and enough test subjects.

In contrast, Konoha, starting with the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, began experimenting with Hashirama's cell transplantation. The sudden deaths of several people forced him to stop the experiment.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura became high-ranking officials, they restarted the experiment, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was almost scared off by the high failure rate.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recalls the terrifying combat power of the First Hokage and secretly approves Danzo Shimura's continued experiments.

Over the years, the funds invested in the experiments have been increasing, but the success rate has always been zero. Hiruzen Sarutobi is unaware that Orochimaru has successfully cultivated "Armor," which will later become Yamato.

Orochimaru didn't say anything, and Danzo Shimura wanted to fall asleep, but in the end, only Hiruzen Sarutobi's world, which was kept in the dark, was revealed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was enveloped in thick smoke, his heart filled with turmoil. Madara Uchiha's strength was considerably lower than before, which Hiruzen could understand; it was normal for his strength to decline as he got older.

But was he really Madara Uchiha himself?

If the First and Second Generation leaders were alive, they would definitely be able to distinguish between the real and the fake.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled that Tobirama Senju's forbidden technique, Impure World Reincarnation, could summon the dead, which was a good idea. If Hiruzen Sarutobi really used Impure World Reincarnation...

Hyuga Hoshino welcomed him with open arms; Sarutobi Hiruzen, who always cherished his reputation, actually dared to desecrate the dead. Huge news!

After much deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to abandon the Impure World Reincarnation technique and go to verify Madara Uchiha's corpse tomorrow.

Jiraiya stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was shrouded in smoke, and felt a sense that he was old and powerless.

The master and apprentice fell into a silent atmosphere.

"Old man, I'm leaving now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not respond. Jiraiya, having recovered some chakra, left through the window.

"Jiraiya hasn't changed at all."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turns off the lights and leaves the Hokage Building, feeling somewhat lost. His wife, Biwako Sarutobi, has passed away. Asuma Sarutobi is having a disagreement, and Shinnosuke Sarutobi is on a mission.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was astonished; when had he become all alone? As he walked, he looked up and saw that it was the Minato Namikaze family.

I wanted to knock, but my raised hand fell back down. Recalling my previous thoughts, my heart was filled with guilt.

Minato Namikaze sensed Hiruzen Sarutobi's approach but did not open the door. He reviewed the events of the night and could not sleep.

Many high-ranking officials knew Kushina Uzumaki's due date, but only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura knew the exact address beforehand. Even the attending physician, Biwako Sarutobi, was unaware of this until that day.

Therefore, the only person who could have leaked the location was either Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzo Shimura.

The worldview that Minato Namikaze built based on the Will of Fire promoted by Hiruzen Sarutobi has somewhat collapsed.

Why were they the only ones to burn and sacrifice for the village? How long has it been since Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other three went to the battlefield?

Why are there signs of misappropriation of village funds? Why is the Uchiha clan's casualty rate higher than that of other ninja clans?

Then look at the Sarutobi, Shimura, Mitomon, and Utatane clans—their extremely low casualty rates.

Chapter 61 Hinata Hoshino's Support

It's clear that the Will of Fire has been tampered with. Minato Namikaze has a dream; the Will of Fire itself is not wrong, the wrong lies with those who promote it but refuse to abide by it.

Minato Namikaze decided to start making changes. The Sarutobi clan should no longer expand, the misappropriated public funds must be recovered, and the Uchiha and other ninja clans should be treated well.

Minato Namikaze looked at Kushina Uzumaki and Naruto Namikaze, and smiled gently. From this day forward, he would still be Minato Namikaze, but the sunlight should shine throughout Konoha, even in the darkest corners.

Minato Namikaze stared at the Hokage Rock, unable to sleep all night. As the sun rose, its bright yellow light shone on him, and he pulled on his divine robe.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique activated, Minato Namikaze had already arrived at the Hokage's office. "Notify the Third Hokage, his four advisors, representatives of the commoner ninjas, and the clan leaders to come here."

A bright smile graced her face, but her tone was unusually cold, sending a chill down the spine of the ninja hiding in the shadows, who sensed that something big was about to happen.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his three companions, along with clan leaders and representatives of commoner ninjas, all arrived.

Minato Namikaze stood in the main position, with two others to his left and right. Hiruzen Sarutobi stood to Minato's right, Danzo Shimura habitually moved to the left, and Hoshino Hyuga preemptively took that position.

Hinata Hoshino grinned broadly at Shimura Danzo, flashing a bright smile.

Danzo Shimura snorted coldly and silently stood at the back. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, after watching this good show, took a few steps back and stood behind the Ino-Shika-Cho family.

Danzo Shimura and the other two were merely advisors to Hiruzen Sarutobi; the current Hokage is Minato Namikaze.

Although they still control the three powerful departments of logistics, medical care, and root, it would be perfectly reasonable for Minato Namikaze to want to take back their authority.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado now represent their respective families. In name, the Utatane and Mitokado families are just commoner families, and their status is far below that of medium-sized families such as the Ino-Shika-Cho.

Keeping a low profile is always a good idea. Shimura Danzo felt he couldn't save face, so he simply distanced himself from Namikaze Minato.

With everyone present, Minato Namikaze scanned the room and found no one missing.

"Last night, a mysterious person with Sharingan appeared and attacked my wife, Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

"If it weren't for Advisor Hyuga Hoshino arriving in time, my wife and I would probably be dead."

The clan leaders looked at Hyuga Hiashi with envy. The fact that the Hyuga main family had produced an advisor elder had already made other clans, especially the Uchiha clan, envious.

Now, with Minato Namikaze's certification, Hoshino Hyuga's strength has definitely reached Kage level, which means that the next Hashirama Senju is about to emerge.

Hiashi Hyuga felt honored, but remained calm, maintaining his aristocratic demeanor.

Upon hearing the word "Sharingan," Fugaku Uchiha's expression immediately became unnatural. He hadn't yet recovered from the shock of seeing Madara Uchiha the previous night, and now another huge burden had been placed upon him, leaving him extremely frustrated.

"The evil Uchiha."

Danzo Shimura cursed under his breath. Apart from Fugaku Uchiha, the others had subtle expressions. Those who were present were not weak and could naturally hear him.

"Shameless old thief."

Hyuga Hoshino whispered something, and the expressions of the other three, including Sarutobi Hiruzen, changed simultaneously. Shimura Danzo, in particular, had never been insulted like this before and was not allowed to retaliate.

Hiashi Hyuga looked somewhat embarrassed. He carefully observed Hiruzen Sarutobi and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that Hiruzen hadn't noticed him.

The other clan leaders suppressed their laughter. How could they not want to curse him? How many people had Shimura Danzo poached from them over the years? Shimura Danzo didn't care; they knew it all too well.

Minato Namikaze didn't care about this farce; rather, he deliberately indulged it. Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly noticed Minato's unusual behavior today.

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly missed his pipe, while Minato Namikaze recounted in detail everything that had happened the day before.

"Minato, are you saying that the mysterious person you met yesterday claimed to be Uchiha Madara?"

"Yes, the Third Hokage. He called himself Madara Uchiha and mastered space-time ninjutsu."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, not because of the other Madara Uchiha, but because Minato Namikaze no longer addressed him as "Third Hokage."

With a soft sigh, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a bitter taste in his mouth. His gaze swept over Danzo Shimura, hoping it wasn't him who had leaked the information, his old friend.

"The Sannin also encountered Madara Uchiha last night. From his appearance to his behavior, he was very similar to the recorded information. Moreover, he not only used the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan eye technique, Susanoo, but also displayed Wood Release."

A commotion erupted. Fugaku Uchiha touched his eyes. With the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, he couldn't sustain the use of Susanoo for an extended period. Madara Uchiha possessed the Eternal Eye, a higher level of power. That was for sure.

Danzo Shimura clenched his right hand under the seal. By what right? Over the years, how many advanced instruments had he embezzled from the village funds to purchase, and how many test subjects had he captured for Orochimaru?

To date, the Wood Release experiment has only one half-finished product. Although he successfully transplanted the Hashirama cells to himself by suppressing them with his Sharingan, half of his body has already mutated, and he hasn't been to the toilet for a long time.

"As far as I know, only a few of us high-ranking officials know the location where Kushina Uzumaki was produced. Those who knew in advance were only the Third Hokage and the Hokage."

After Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi finished sharing, Hoshino Hyuga and Minato Namikaze exchanged a glance and took over the conversation.

Minato Namikaze can't take the initiative, so he will.

The clan leaders and civilian representatives present had not yet recovered from the previous information bombardment when they were stunned by the topic thrown at them by Hyuga Hoshino.

They weren't without suspicions, but none of them dared to voice them. Now that Hinata Hoshino has brought the issue into the open, the situation could spiral out of control.

"Therefore, the person who leaked the information was either the Third Hokage or an assistant to the Hokage."

Danzo Shimura felt somewhat uncomfortable under the gaze of everyone. Usually, his subordinates in Root dared not look at him, and he had not felt this much attention in a long time.

"Danzo, it really is you!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's righteous indignation, coupled with disbelief, caused Danzo to pause in surprise. It was still the same; so many years ago, in front of the Second Hokage, he was just as hypocritical, and he remained so now.

"So what if it's me? So what if it's not me?"

"Danzo, you have disappointed me greatly. Men, arrest Shimura Danzo, remove him from all his posts, and disband Root on the spot."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to downplay the incident and spare Danzo Shimura's life. However, according to the law, Danzo Shimura would not escape death for leaking information.

Minato Namikaze sighed as he watched Hiruzen Sarutobi's farcical handling of the situation. He was the Hokage, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had overstepped his authority.