This puppeteer is a bit... well...

Chapter 20 The Great Purge

"I underestimated this guy."

Long Er sighed.

Troy didn't have much screen time in the original work; he was merely one of the many powerful individuals resurrected by Kabuto Yakushi during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Furthermore, they didn't have any particularly outstanding performances.

But now that I think about it... the people resurrected through Edo Tensei are inherently weaker than they were in life, and they are also manipulated by strangers.

It's simply impossible for them to unleash their full potential.

"I have disgraced my master."

"It's not your fault." Ryuji reached out and patted Gin's head, comforting him, "I misjudged the opponent's strength, it has nothing to do with you."

call out!

A Sand Village ninja instantly appeared in front of Ryuuji. "Lady Ayaki, the Kazekage has convened a meeting of Jonin. All Jonin in the village are requested to attend the meeting in the Kazekage Building conference room."

"Understood."

Ryuji nodded, then looked at Gin and said, "Go and retrieve the damaged scarabs, and take them back to Red for repairs."

"yes!"

……

Round table conference room.

The high-ranking officials, led by the Third Kazekage, sat around a round table.

Meanwhile, Jonin like Ryuji, who had no official rank, stood on either side.

"Lord Kazekage, all the Jonin in the village have arrived," a member of the Anbu ninja said.

The Third Kazekage glanced around, nodded, and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting!"

First of all, I want to apologize to everyone.

This incident was entirely due to my negligence, and I will formally apologize to everyone afterward when you all return.

"Lord Kazekage, you've overstated."

Sitting at the round table, a middle-aged man in his forties said, "This incident was entirely caused by Sasori's betrayal. If we're talking about responsibility, Chiyo and her brother are both to blame."

"That's right, no one could have predicted that the village's genius would betray his Kazekage."

"Sasori of the Red Sand is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing. I beg you, Lord Kazekage, to punish him severely."

"This whole thing happened because..."

At the roundtable meeting, everyone spoke up, and most of them pointed the finger at Sasori of the Red Sand and the Chiyo siblings.

Even the Jonin standing to the side were outraged after hearing this.

For a ninja who abides by the rules, betrayal is the most intolerable crime.

Chiyo and Ebizo had discussed this with Ryuji, so they didn't argue and just sat there silently.

"Alright, let's put the matter of assigning blame later." The Third Kazekage tapped the table lightly, and after everyone quieted down, he continued, "Although we perfectly resolved this crisis, we still discovered many issues that need improvement."

"Lord Kazekage is right, this matter does indeed require reflection," the middle-aged man who initially pointed the finger at Chiyo and Ebizo said in agreement.

Long Er felt disgusted by that sycophantic face.

(This guy seems to be the head of the intelligence department, what's his name again?)

"Everyone, do you still remember the original intention of the First Kazekage, Lord Retsuto, in establishing the Round Table Conference?" the Third Kazekage said, looking at everyone.

"This round table represents that everyone in the village is like family, like brothers, and that even if there are hierarchical relationships, everyone is equal."

Everyone looked at the speaker, who was one of the many Jonin standing to one side.

"That's right." The Third Kazekage nodded and said, "Back then, Lord Retsuto saved the surviving ninjas in the desert, and in order to unite everyone, he established the Round Table Conference Room, representing that even though the Sand Village brothers had different ranks, they were all equals. But..."

At this point, the Third Kazekage's eyes suddenly sharpened, and an invisible aura emanated from him, making it difficult for people to breathe.

"Look at how you did it?"

They actually mobilized border guards and village garrisons to search for me after I went missing!

You've placed the Wind Shadow above the village, above the lives of so many brothers!

Quiet, quiet, quiet!

The Third Kazekage's powerful speech made everyone in the room hold their breath, and it took a while for things to calm down.

An elder asked, "Does Lord Kazekage mean we shouldn't have come to rescue you?"

"I am glad that you value my life so much, but I am furious that you came to find me despite the safety of the village." The Third Kazekage said with a heavy heart, "As Kazekage, I must treat the village as my home, as something above life itself and even everything else. I was prepared to make sacrifices the moment I became Kazekage."

"We have no doubt about Lord Kazekage's noble character, otherwise we would not have elected you to be the Kazekage. However..." The old man stared at the Third Kazekage and said, "Although everyone is equal, there are still superiors and subordinates in terms of position. As the leader of the village, the Kazekage's importance to the village is also unquestionable."

As members of the roundtable, we concluded that we must find Lord Kazekage as soon as possible, even if it means taking risks, otherwise there will be more serious consequences.

As you probably know, the Round Table Council not only represents the equal relationship among the villagers, but also serves as an emergency organization to ensure the village can continue to function normally when the Kazekage is away.

We were just doing our job.

"Fulfilling duties?"

The Third Kazekage looked at him with a cold smile, then glanced at the others. "Do you all think so too?"

Yes, yes.

Although the Third Kazekage looked a bit off, they still gave the same answer.

That's just how it is.

I kindly sent people to rescue you, and you've turned around and blamed us.

Even ingrates don't act like this.

"Since you're so responsible, why didn't you immediately recall the ninjas who were out searching for me after Jonin Ayaki rescued me?"

Looking at the speechless crowd, the Third Kazekage sneered, "Report: Jonin Ayaki returned from her mission this morning, but the recall order wasn't issued until tonight. What were you all doing?"

"I, I..."

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

Looking at the high-ranking officials who were trying to defend themselves but couldn't explain themselves clearly, the Third Kazekage grew increasingly angry. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying, "You all disregard the safety of the village and only care about fighting for power and profit."

"As members of the Round Table, you neither treated your fellow villagers equally nor fulfilled your duty to maintain the village's operation when the Kazekage was not around. Instead, you almost destroyed the village in your struggle for power and profit."

"I'm so disappointed."

"I simply can't imagine what would have become of the village if I had really died in this accident, under your control?"

"Kazekage-sama..."

"Shut up!"

The Third Kazekage glared at the old man who wanted to speak, then turned to everyone and said, "For the long-term development of the village, after careful consideration, I have decided, in the name of the Kazekage, to strip you of your positions. Get up from your posts, you are not worthy to sit here."

(End of this chapter)