Screw Your Regret, Group My Shadow

Instantly, the entire Hokage's Office fell into a silence so profound that a pin drop could be heard.

Whether it was Namikaze Minato or Hatake Sakumo, both cast sidelong glances at the protagonist at the center of this storm. Though they knew it was unlikely, they were also prepared to act at any moment.

Shimura Danzō sat to the side, eyes closed in meditation.

Orochimaru crossed his arms, looking at the young man who had suddenly appeared before him with an amused gaze.

Only Uchiha Yayoi couldn't help but clench her fists. Despite her efforts to control her expression, a hint of unease emanating from her was clearly detectable.

Sahara Mizu's expression remained unchanged.

From the moment he had encountered Ash Soil inside the Hokage Building, he had been prepared for the current scene.

"Hoo."

Sahara Mizu let out a long breath, his expression suddenly becoming very calm. He met Sarutobi Hiruzen's stern gaze directly, without a trace of fear:

"This is naturally also because of your dereliction of duty."

"Lord Third."

Almost the instant they heard these words, everyone present couldn't help but change their expressions.

Even Sarutobi Hiruzen himself hadn't expected this answer.

"Mizu?!"

Uchiha Yayoi, standing beside him, immediately tugged at his sleeve, trying to stop him from speaking further.

However, Sahara Mizu acted like a completely desperate accuser, yielding not an inch:

"As written in the documents on your desk, the Sahara Clan has followed Lord First's ideals since my grandfather's generation, joining the Konoha Hidden Village as Ninja. My grandfather was a Ninja, my parents were Ninja, and my sister and I are also Ninja!"

"During the First Great Ninja War, my elders fearlessly followed the orders of the Second Generation and yourself, charging onto the front lines of the battlefield. They returned to the Village as martyrs, sacrificing their lives for Konoha."

"But what did we, the children of these sacrifices, receive?"

His heartbeat accelerated under his control, his eyes seeming to turn red as they filled with emotion.

Like a true rebellious fifteen-year-old boy, completely controlled by his emotions, he even took a step towards the simple desk before him, unable to restrain himself.

The Anbu guards beside him immediately appeared, attempting to block his movement, but Sarutobi Hiruzen waved them to stop.

Sahara Mizu's voice continued:

"Since my parents sacrificed themselves when I was five, the compensation received in the temporary account was only one-third of the standard amount. The limited meat rations within the Village meant that children our age couldn't even get any, while other Ninja orphans, due to the protection of their clans, received full support and even training equipment."

"Only after passing the Ninja Academy selection did we have basic food security, but besides the compensation, it was only seven ryō per day. Until I was three years old, my infant sister survived on this rice porridge."

"Children in the same situation as me would even abandon their younger siblings by the roadside to be adopted or starve to death."

"Even the village-run orphanages wouldn't take infants who couldn't care for themselves—because spots were limited and staff were completely insufficient."

"It wasn't until I graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of ten that I received the posthumous inheritance from my deceased parents."

"However, because our house was destroyed in the war, the repair costs alone used up over ninety percent of the funds in that bankbook."

"Only children like Minato-kun, who are naturally intelligent and self-disciplined, and who displayed extraordinary talent at a very young age, or those like Uzumaki Kushina, who are likely the children of some noble family, can receive adequate living support and training conditions."

Namikaze Minato was taken aback.

Sahara Mizu's slow footsteps finally reached the front of the desk. He looked down at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was seated in the wide chair, but his voice became even calmer:

"Even so."

"Konoha has, after all, supported my family and me. I still genuinely love this village and am willing to lay down my life for it."

"But."

"I don't want my last remaining family members to experience the difficult times of struggling to maintain a household, as I did when I was young."

"Until now, Yukie has finally become a capable ninja."

"I think she should be capable of living on her own now."

"Therefore, it is time for me to dedicate everything to Konoha."

With that, Sahara Mizu lowered his head slightly as if accepting his fate, awaiting judgment.

Shimura Danzō, standing nearby, twitched his brow.

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

The entire Hokage's Office fell into a silence of a different kind.

However, the oppressive and terrifying aura from before had already vanished without anyone noticing.

"Bang!"

"How could such a thing happen!"

Suddenly, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the table, and his roar immediately filled the room.

"Investigate thoroughly! It must be investigated thoroughly!"

Then, as if lamenting greatly, he sighed, "Orphans of martyrs experiencing such unfair treatment is a matter of great importance to the entire village."

"Lord Mizu, you should have told me sooner!"

The way they spoke, even their address to each other had become much more intimate.

Heh.

Sahara Mizu, however, said nothing, merely maintaining his bowed posture.

What he had just said contained not a single fabricated trace; it was all the truth.

Even worse, many of these orphans had been drawn into Root and turned into living dead.

It's just that...

Those who could reach the Hokage would naturally not experience these things.

Those who couldn't reach the Hokage would definitely not be able to speak these words.

Don't look at Naruto always wandering around the Hokage's Office in the original work, as if it were a restaurant, that was the treatment only the Konoha 12 could enjoy, the treatment for Jinchuriki, the treatment for scions of noble families, and the treatment for genius prodigies.

Moreover, if Sarutobi Hiruzen said he didn't know, would he really not know?

Sahara Mizu couldn't say for sure.

Of course, he didn't care.

The image he had just cultivated was already enough for him to change his 'transparent' identity and become the focus of the entire village's propaganda from now on.

A Third Generation loyalist, a Good Child of Konoha.

Upright and pure!

Having endured unfairness and hardship since childhood, he still yearned to dedicate everything to the Will of Fire.

Immensely loyal!

Such a clear stance, such a bumpy experience.

Let alone passing Sarutobi Hiruzen's test, he would pass a hundred tests with this.

This was the demand of public opinion during wartime, and also a political necessity!

As a seasoned politician, Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind raced through this, and he immediately realized a way to turn the situation around, while simultaneously striking a heavy blow to Shimura Danzō's arrogance.

If this little brother of his wasn't put in his place now and then, he would get too big for his boots immediately.

The key lay with Sahara Mizu before him!

"Lord Mizu."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone softened a few more degrees, and he said warmly, "Regarding the matters you, your sister, and all the orphaned martyrs of Konoha have encountered, the village will definitely give you an explanation."

"For the next few days, you should stay home and rest well."

"The Village will first conduct a merit review for your contributions this time, and will also carry out a special ability assessment for you to determine a suitable rank."

He stood up, patted his shoulder with the demeanor of an elder, and said earnestly:

"I saw that in your dream on the Ninja Academy graduation exam, you wrote 'I want to become Hokage', right?"

"Young people like you are the true future of Konoha."

Sahara Mizu finally couldn't hold back, forcing his upturned lips down, his voice trembling slightly. As if pushed by long-suppressed grievances, it finally erupted:

"Yes!"

"Lord Third!"

What a scene, so fitting for the Will of Fire.

You are benevolent, and I am filial.

How heartwarming.

Hatake Sakumo watched this scene quietly, his heart also stirred, his eyes seeming to shimmer with a gentle light.

Uchiha Yayoi let out a long sigh of relief.

Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru's expressions were calm, as if unaffected.

Only Namikaze Minato.

He looked at Sahara Mizu, whose expression was now agitated, suppressing strong emotions, his body even trembling slightly.

His mind, however, subconsciously recalled the scene he had witnessed with his own eyes when he arrived earlier, and the sense of terrifying crisis that seemed to penetrate the depths of one's heart.

For some reason, he felt a subtle sense of incongruity.

He knew very well how outstanding his Talent was.

Whether in terms of intellect or aptitude, Namikaze Minato believed himself to be far superior to his peers.

Yet, Sahara Mizu had hidden himself for so long right under his nose, without even giving him the slightest hint of anything unusual.

Was this man truly as he appeared to everyone now?

A hint of inquiry unconsciously arose in Namikaze Minato's heart.

After everyone left.

The door to the Hokage's Office closed, and even Orochimaru left with them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose face had been filled with kindness and relief moments ago, immediately changed his expression, looking coldly and sternly at Shimura Danzō, who stood beside him.

"Danzō, do you have anything to say?"

Shimura Danzō's expression was calm: "That money wasn't spent on me. It was just a necessary price paid for Konoha."

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately became enraged and reprimanded:

"Scoundrel!"

"I allocated the orphanage funds not for you to transfer to Root!"

Shimura Danzō, however, did not yield an inch, showing no intention of relinquishing financial control. He also raised his voice:

"What do you know? Orphans without self-control, even if they get money, how much of it can they spend on meaningful things? It brings no positive benefit to Konoha! Isn't managing their food and drink enough!"

"Only by selecting those with potential and bringing them into Root can we bring intelligence, spies, and foreign bases to Konoha!"

"Do you think the vast achievements Root obtains from abroad every year come for free!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen became even more enraged: "Meaningless? Namikaze Minato, Sahara Mizu, what do two geniuses of the same generation signify? How many such geniuses in all of Konoha are buried in the orphanage and by your hand!"

Shimura Danzō sneered: "Just a lucky few."

"Since Konoha was founded, how many Orochimaru and Jiraiya have there been in the entire village?"

"Root is the guarantee that maintains Konoha's safety in the shadows."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression suddenly became calm, and even his tone lowered: "In short, the Sahara Mizu incident must be resolved immediately."

"As a price, the Konoha Orphanage and its related financial system will be brought under the control of Anbu."

"From now on, if you want to select people, report to Anbu first."

"Also, bring out the director of the Root financial management department. He will be responsible this time."

Shimura Danzō was stunned upon hearing this, staring intently at him, seemingly not expecting Sarutobi to make such a fuss over a minor issue.

It was just an orphan who suffered a little grievance.

Noticing his silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen said sternly:

"Don't you understand?"

Shimura Danzō remained silent and turned to walk towards the door.

He paused slightly just before reaching the exit and said maliciously:

"Hiruzen, you will definitely regret this."

Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored him and calmly replied:

"Danzō, I am the Hokage."