Konoha: This Uchiha is extremely sneaky

Chapter 301 The Substitute

"The smoke has cleared... Go check on the Third Hokage!"

This cloud of smoke was a visual obstruction created when Toshiro saw the sealing jutsu coming towards him and asked Chubeimaru to release the summoning.

The purpose is to prevent any potential follow-up attackers from identifying their target.

The white smoke dissipated after only a few breaths, revealing the contents inside.

"Lord Third Generation... are you alright?"

"And this one over here... the Ape Demon?"

When the smoke cleared and the figures revealed inside, the Konoha ninjas felt a chill run down their spines.

Uchiha Toshiro had vanished without a trace, leaving only the Third Hokage and a burly old monkey behind.

The old monkey was in relatively good condition; thanks to its indestructible body, the ninja sword imbued with sharp chakra did not cause it any harm.

Extending a hairy hand nearly twice the size of a human's, it gripped the attacker's neck with one hand and seized the sharp blade in the other, emerging unscathed.

The Third Hokage was not in such a good situation. Although he dodged the fatal attack, the ninja sword that was aimed at his heart still pierced through his body.

Seeing that he had failed to complete his mission and that his ninja sword was being held in place by the opponent, the attacker, dressed in ANBU uniform, did not give up. Instead, he pulled out a kunai from his ninja tool bag and stabbed it toward the Third Hokage's neck.

Judging from the explosive tags tied to the end of the kunai and the ninjas surrounding him, this guy had absolutely no intention of surviving.

He planned to perish together with the Third Hokage.

"...Cough cough! Damn it, these people..."

Caught off guard by the opponent, and covered in black runes, he was unable to use his chakra and even moving his body was extremely difficult.

As the kunai drew ever closer, the Third Hokage felt utterly hopeless. He had just dodged the kunai's fatal attack; that was his limit.

"That bastard Danzo... how dare he?"

The Third Hokage understood perfectly well that the use of the Sealing Squad and the reckless actions of these assassins were all Danzo's schemes.

It's too late to regret it now.

And that Uchiha Toshiro, that bastard, how did he manage to control his chakra so freely while under Vishnu's seal? He didn't even come to my rescue, completely disregarding me.

"Sorry... I'm not late, am I?"

Just as the kunai was less than three centimeters from the Third Hokage's neck, a gentle, refined voice appeared in the Third Hokage's ear.

Upon landing, he grabbed the arm that was about to end the Third Hokage's life with one hand, snatched the dangerous kunai, and threw it far away.

With his other hand, he pressed a palm against the attacker's chest, sealing away all of the attacker's chakra and movements.

"...Minato, we really owe you a lot this time!"

"Otherwise, these old bones of mine would be coming to an end here!"

Wiping the blood from his mouth, the Third Hokage looked at Minato Namikaze beside him and smiled with satisfaction.

"Third Hokage...shouldn't you explain what's going on with these people...and what about those sealing squad members...?"

"That was really dangerous just now. I almost got killed by those guys. Luckily... if I hadn't taken precautions, it would have been truly dangerous!"

As Minato Namikaze appeared, Toshiro Toushiro's figure also appeared not far away, right next to him, using the Nine-Tails' massive size as cover.

"Take precautions? Who the hell are you taking precautions against?!"

The words of the third generation had not yet been spoken.

"Uchiha Toshiro, you damned bastard! You actually used me as a scapegoat! You're utterly despicable!"

Before anyone could say anything, the Enma, who had just been tricked by Toshiro, was furious. If it weren't currently bound by a sealing technique, it probably would have attacked Toshiro directly.

It turns out that just now, Toshiro realized something was wrong and immediately had Chubeimaru cancel the summoning jutsu. This created a lot of white smoke to obscure the view and also caused a slight delay to the spell that had suddenly lost its target.

It was this slight delay that allowed the Third Hokage to dodge the assassin's fatal blow. Furthermore, he himself took advantage of this opening, using Enma as a target for his Substitution Jutsu, allowing it to withstand the sealing incantations and the ensuing attacks.

His years of studying the Substitute Technique weren't for nothing.

"None of that matters. With your indestructible body, this little attack is just like scratching an itch for you."

"Compared to this, the attackers are more important."

Approaching the Ape Demon, they pried open the mouth of the Dark Guard member who was being held by the neck and unable to escape, and looked at the black curse mark in his mouth.

"As expected, it's the seal that eradicates the root of all evil, Third Hokage. Your old partner seems to harbor a great deal of resentment towards you!"

He casually drew the ninja sword from the other man's hand, then ignored the Third Hokage's unfriendly expression and began searching for Danzo's location, preparing to take this opportunity to eliminate this scourge.

"Toshiro... don't be impulsive... this matter might have been something that the Root members did on their own... it might not have anything to do with Danzo."

"Cough cough cough..."

As soon as he uttered those words, the Third Hokage seemed to lose control of his injuries, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and then began to cough up blood continuously.

"Quick... medical ninja, come and see the Third Hokage's injuries!" Seeing this, Minato Namikaze looked anxious and hurriedly called for the medical team members present to come and check on Hiruzen Sarutobi's condition.

At the same time, he didn't forget to say to Toshiro, "Toshiro, the situation is urgent right now, and we still have to deal with the Nine-Tails. We can talk about these things later... I will definitely give you an explanation..."

"Tsk!"

"The Third Hokage really knows how to pick his people! If it were me, I definitely wouldn't come to rescue them, and I'd also take this opportunity to get rid of that troublesome old man... Wouldn't that allow me to seize all the power?"

Although Toshiro's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, everyone present, with their keen senses, heard him clearly.

The third generation, in particular, was getting increasingly dark-skinned. If he weren't immobile, he probably would have jumped up and taught Toshiro what it meant to respect the elderly and care for the young.

Minato Namikaze scratched his head, revealing an awkward smile, unsure how to respond.

The expressions on the faces of the Konoha ninjas present were quite interesting at this moment, as they all scrutinized the expressions of the Third and Fourth Hokage with strange looks.

The Fourth Hokage and his ilk know more or less about the current situation, but only they themselves know what they are thinking.

(End of this chapter)