Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 457 Third Generation, come quick!

"What a pity..." (Third generation).

"What's a pity?" Li Yao's voice suddenly rang out.

"Who!" The Third Generation's expression changed.

"Such a quick reaction!"

Li Yao emerged from the interlayered space, somewhat disappointed. He had hoped that following the Third Generation's words would help him regain his senses.

Unexpectedly, the Third Hokage lived up to his reputation as a Kage-level powerhouse, reacting very quickly. Instead of answering Li Yao's question, he shouted loudly to warn the ANBU squad protecting him that there were enemies.

It's just a pity... hehe!

Li Yao smiled and said, "Stop yelling. While you were thinking about how to deal with the Uchiha, I've already taken care of the Anbu outside."

After saying that, Li Yao walked to his desk and casually picked up the three intelligence reports to look through.

"No...no...impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!!!"

"How could you still be alive!"

The familiar voice, the familiar face—when these two things appeared before the Third Generation again, he was completely unwilling to accept this reality.

His whole body was tense, his eyes were trembling, and every hair on his body was shaking.

"Haven't you always suspected I was still alive?"

Li Yao leaned against the desk, glanced at the terrified Third Hokage, and then turned to look at the intelligence in his hand.

In fact, the Third Hokage had always suspected that Li Yao was not dead, especially after the mysterious Explosion Release ninja attacked Kumogakure and news spread that a woman named Uzumaki Yoko was wanted by Kumogakure. The Third Hokage had suspicions at that time.

Even though the mysterious Explosion Release ninja didn't appear often afterward, the Third Hokage always had a team of Anbu ninjas specifically to gather information on the mysterious Explosion Release ninja.

In recent years, the third generation actually anticipated the possibility that Li Yao was still alive.

However, predictions are just predictions.

When Li Yao truly stood before the Third Generation, when it became a reality that Li Yao had not died.

The terrible consequences that Li Yao's death would have caused, which were previously imagined, suddenly became reality, and the Third Generation could no longer remain calm.

"Spiritual connection...to my body!"

Faced with a powerful enemy, the Third Hokage's first thought was to summon the Enma.

For the Third Hokage, whose strength as an elite Jonin combined with that of Enma was equivalent to Kage-level strength, having Enma by his side was very important.

Only the indestructible body of the ape demon could give him enough sense of security.

However, he forgot that one of the key reasons why he was wary of Li Yao was illusion.

Only after he was unable to move did he remember Li Yao's crucial point.

The Third Hokage, with his extensive experience, instantly guessed that the ninjutsu that rendered him unable to move or even detect his chakra was a ninjutsu similar to genjutsu, where chakra infiltrates and controls the body.

This kind of ninjutsu can only be broken by using illusion techniques.

How could the Third Hokage, who couldn't even mobilize chakra, possibly undo Li Yao's Five Senses Deprivation Technique?

"Help! Help! Help!"

"Enemies are in sight!!!!"

"Help!!"

Unable to move his body or mobilize his chakra, the Third Hokage, devoid of any semblance of strength, resorted to the most primitive method of calling for help: shouting at the top of his lungs in hopes of attracting the attention of other Konoha ninjas.

Unfortunately, Li Yao not only instantly used Kotoamatsukami on the Anbu, but also cast a barrier jutsu on the Hokage's office, using a clone of the Third Hokage's own chakra.

Even if someone sensed that a barrier had been placed over the Hokage's office, after sensing the Third Hokage's chakra within the barrier, they would only assume that the Third Hokage had placed the barrier to prevent others from investigating.

After yelling for a minute, the third generation finally resigned himself to his fate, realizing that he had truly failed this time.

After recognizing reality, the third generation calmed down.

In fact, he had imagined this scene unfolding before his eyes.

If Li Yao is alright, neither I nor Konoha, nor the entire ninja world, will be a match for him. The entire ninja world will face an unprecedented crisis.

That was the reason everyone surrounded and killed Li Yao in the first place.

Now, several years later, with Li Yao's ninjutsu talent, he possesses overwhelming strength, and the Third Hokage was actually somewhat prepared.

But the fact that he didn't put up any resistance was something the third generation hadn't expected.

"So, are you really that afraid of the Uchiha clan?"

After reading the information about the Uchiha clan, including Shisui's speculation about the Mangekyou Sharingan, and combining it with what the Third Hokage had said earlier, Li Yao turned his head, looked at the Third Hokage with a slight glint in his eyes, and said, "Or are you just afraid of losing the Hokage position you've been given?"

"What do you want to do?" The Third Hokage's expression was calm. Having overcome his initial panic, he had regained some of the composure of a hero of the ninja world.

Li Yao smiled, put down the intelligence in his hand, turned around, put his hands on the edge of the table, leaned back against the Third Hokage, raised his forehead slightly, and said to himself, "Actually, I've been here for a while, thinking about how to torture you so that you suffer unbearable pain, both physically and mentally."

"I analyzed everything from what you care about most and what you fear most, and in the end I found..."

Upon discovering something… the Third Generation’s heart tightened, and his calm gaze was no longer calm. He sensed from Li Yao’s calm words a suppressed, almost insane, desire for revenge.

Li Yao turned around, bent down, and approached the Third Generation. Looking at the old man whose face was already covered in wrinkles, he smiled and said, "In the end, I realized that there was no need to think about these things, because in my hands, from body to soul, you can't die even if you want to."

"What...what do you want to do?" The Third Generation's body trembled uncontrollably, and the fear in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

"What do I want to do? Hehe..." Li Yao laughed and turned to walk towards the door.

"First, let me show you the pain you once inflicted on me."

When Li Yao's voice came, the Third Hokage's expression changed, and he was immediately pulled into the genjutsu and walked out of the Hokage's office building.

After a while.

In the underground base of the Dark Division, in the secret room where Li Yao had once tormented him, Li Yao dispelled the illusion cast on the Third Generation.

"This is……"

The moment he saw his surroundings, the Third Generation instantly understood where he was and what Li Yao was thinking. He fell silent.

But her body kept trembling uncontrollably.

"Doesn't this look familiar?"

Li Yao put his arm around the Third Hokage's shoulder, his smile gentle yet nostalgic. This was the place where he established his ninja way, a place his very body could remember, so profoundly.

Bang!

The door opened, and two ANBU ninjas pushed in a single bed. On the bed was a box, a familiar box, containing all sorts of torture tools.

The third generation's eyelids twitched, and some past scenes re-entered his mind.

"Lord Hokage, everything has been brought."

The two ANBU ninjas spoke to the Third Hokage, their eyes fixed on him, completely unaware of Li Yao, who had his arm around the Third Hokage's shoulder, as if he didn't exist.

Seeing this scene, the Third Hokage felt no emotion whatsoever. He himself was being manipulated and unable to resist, so it was normal that the Anbu ninjas couldn't stop him either.

San Dai's only hope now is that if he remains hidden for a long time, the other villagers will realize what's happening, especially his wife, Biwako.

"I hope my wife can realize what's happening and notify the Ape Demon to use reverse psychic magic to save me."

The third generation thought to themselves.

Bang!

Li Yao created a shadow clone, which then used the Perfect Transformation Technique to transform into the Third Hokage.

(End of this chapter)