At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that he understood—he understood everything.
I'm afraid the one behind the scenes instigating the major ninja villages to invade Konoha wasn't Danzo at all, but Ohnoki! This damn old bastard is so insidious!
And Ohnoki did not bother to refute it.
Although he sensed that this brain-dead Sarutobi Hiruzen might have misunderstood something, he saw no reason to explain in this situation. Instead, the angrier Hiruzen got, the happier Ohnoki became. The happiness of the elderly is often remarkably simple and unpretentious.
Book Artist: "Phew, Ohnoki's plan?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hahahaha! Aizen is laughing his head off in private, I bet."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Why would the Third Hokage have such a weird idea? It's so bizarre!"
This is an Actor: "Because he just spoke with Ai. He now knows that Kumogakure did not actually collude with Danzo to invade Konoha. Therefore, in his mind, there must be another hidden hand at work."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "And then Ohnoki appeared. Sarutobi Hiruzen discovered that Ohnoki not only planted spies in Konoha but also used Konoha's own spies within Iwagakure to spread false information."
Book Artist: "So, Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally regarded Ohnoki as the culprit?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Humph, that's real self-righteousness for you! This stinky old man really deserves it."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "You shouldn't say that, Gintoki. After all, we witnessed the entire process from an insider's perspective, so we know all the planning was done by Aizen. If we were limited by a single perspective like the Third Hokage, we probably wouldn't be able to discover the truth either."
Book Artist: "That's for sure. If I were part of the ninja world, I would definitely not suspect a dead man like Aizen. Besides, I don't think even you, Gintoki, are 'evil-minded' enough to doubt Aizen!"
Curly-Haired Boy: "So what? That doesn't stop me from despising old fossils!"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "So, does Gintoki simply hate Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Why?"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Well, I'm too lazy to explain. Just think of it as me venting my frustrations."
This is an Actor: "It is because he is hypocritical and indecisive, isn't it?"
Book Artist: "Hypocrisy?"
This is an Actor: "Knowing all the dirty deeds Danzo had committed, he still chose to remain silent and tolerant. That silence fueled Danzo's growing ambition, which became the source of most of the tragedies in Konoha."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "So the Third Hokage isn't really a 'good guy'? He seemed to perform quite well in the original story, though. He even sacrificed himself for the village."
This is an Actor: "Sometimes the distinction between good and bad is not clear-cut. Compared to the villains who destroy goodness, the 'good guys' who encourage evil are often more grating."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "That makes sense."
Saten Ruiko seemed to reach an epiphany, frowning as she began to think deeply.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Hey, Group Leader. Are you still roleplaying as Aizen? Your tone is exactly like his!"
This is an Actor: "Is it only similar? It seems my performance is not yet perfect."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Lord Aizen is too modest."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Yes, Lord Aizen is already doing great!"
After sending the message, Konan glanced at Aizen and then turned her attention back to the chat group. She suddenly felt that An Ran-san was remarkably similar to Aizen. No, not just similar—they seemed to overlap. Was it truly just because An Ran-san looked like him?
Konan narrowed her eyes, and the seeds of doubt began to take root in her heart.
Hoshigaki Kisame took the opportunity to chime in: "If you could be a little less sinister, it would be even more convincing."
This is an Actor: "Oh? Do I truly have that kind of personality, Kisame?"
Don't you have any idea? Kisame desperately wanted to complain. But for the sake of his own life, he replied with a forced lightheartedness: "No, haha! I was just joking."
This is an Actor: "Really? If you find that I truly have that kind of personality, please remember to remind me. I don't want the relationship between our group members to be damaged, understand?"
Shark Face: "Yes, I understand."
Kisame's lip twitched, his face full of helplessness. If I actually 'reminded' him, I'm afraid I wouldn't live to see tomorrow morning. He's obviously a cruel and ruthless guy, yet he pretends to be friendly on the surface. This man is a master actor!
Watching the interaction, Konan raised an eyebrow. Kisame seems to be in awe of An Ran-san?
Curly-Haired Boy: "You're still too young, Konan-chan. This isn't awe; this guy is just a pure 'bottom.' This submissive attitude doesn't do justice to your face, Kisame!"
Book Artist: "Yes. Judging from Kisame-san's appearance, he should be the 'top'!"
Shark Face: "?"
Kisame was completely confused. What were these two even talking about?
The topic had strayed, and Konan didn't pursue it, though she added, "Don't judge a person by their appearance. There are people who appear to be a 'top' but are actually a 'bottom,' right?"
Book Artist: "This... seems to be the case."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Pfft! You guys go off-topic so fast! Why are you suddenly jumping into 'tops' and 'bottoms'? Is it really okay to talk about this during such a serious moment?"
Without hesitation, Eriri shifted the blame: "It's all Gintoki's fault. He's the one who started it. He's simply disgusting!"
Curly-Haired Boy: "Bullshit! I was just complaining; I didn't ask you to keep it going! The one who's really wrong is you, you little brat!"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "And so the daily life of Gintoki and Eriri begins again."
This is an Actor: "There is no point in arguing like this."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Yeah, it's pointless! You two, stop arguing!"
This is an Actor: "So, just have a fight."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "?"
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "?"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "?"
Ignoring the confusion of the group members, Aizen turned his attention back to the monitors.
Konoha was clearly in a dire situation. In fact, it wasn't just Konoha; even the Sand and Cloud ninjas stranded in the village were faring no better. Ohnoki had come prepared. Because they had bypassed the frontlines using advance intelligence, the Jōnin unit he led was fresh and undamaged. Conversely, Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure had all endured fierce battles and were in poor condition.
As one side gained strength, the other withered. Ohnoki felt he held an absolute advantage, and his tone grew arrogant. "You have no chance of winning, Sarutobi, Ai. Surrender and admit defeat!"
Whoosh. Whoosh.
He was answered by a black iron staff extending toward him and a fist wreathed in azure lightning.
Swish.
Ohnoki dodged to the side, easily evading the attacks of Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Raikage. His face darkened, and he snorted coldly. "You two are stubborn to the end. It seems you are ready to die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Rock Ninjas under his command rushed toward the weary defenders.