Sarutobi Hiruzen was stopped as soon as he arrived at the Hokage Building.
"The Lord Hokage instructed that if you come looking for him, you should say he's not here."
One of the Anbu spoke to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen now understood that Orochimaru would not show any mercy. He looked up at the office window, knowing that his disciple must also be looking down from that window.
"Well."
After sighing, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and left, his back view appearing extremely lonely.
"Teacher, thank you for not forcing your way in."
Orochimaru didn't want to Sarutobi Hiruzen, after all, Sarutobi Hiruzen was his mentor, and Orochimaru still had feelings for him. As long as the two didn't meet, there was still room for maneuver.
"Notify Minato, it's time to close the net."
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
With a "whoosh," the Anbu went directly to convey Orochimaru's will.
Minato, along with Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Jiraiya, were waiting for Orochimaru's orders. They knew Sarutobi Hiruzen would plead for mercy, so they were all waiting for Orochimaru's final command.
They didn't have to wait long before one of the Anbu knelt down on one knee in front of Minato.
"Minato, the operation may begin."
He disappeared after saying that, without uttering another word.
"Alright, Shikaku, Choza, you two begin a full-scale arrest operation targeting the Household of the Imperial Attendants and the Mito family."
"Yes."
The three families Ino-Shika-Cho, accepted the order and left.
"Teacher, would you like to come with me to Third Hokage's house?"
Minato had been monitoring Koharu and Mitokado Homura's movements the whole time, which is why Minato knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen the pleader.
"Good."
The master and apprentice then headed towards the ancestral Earth Flow of Hiruzen's family, with ninjas flying past them from time to time.
"Clan Head, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya request an audience."
A servant from Hiruzen's household came to report.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at his two old friends and said.
"Bring them in!"
"Yes, Clan Head."
Soon after, Minato and Jiraiya were brought into the room.
"Old man."
"Third Hokage sir."
After exchanging greetings, the two sat down.
"Can we hand over all our possessions in exchange for a chance to survive?"
Xiaochun, the Koharu who served the emperor, spoke first, and Minato Homura had the same expression. The longer one lives, the more afraid of death one becomes, especially for those in high positions.
Koharu and Mitokado Homura served as bedchamber attendants, were originally ninjas from small clans. They were taken in as disciples by the Second Hokage, and their status soared after the Third Hokage took over, becoming elders and advisors of Konoha with great power. Unfortunately, their positions changed, and so did their hearts. They have now become a major cancer in Konoha, and even dare to interfere with Orochimaru's policies. So, if they don't fall, who will?
"Elders, there's no turning back now that the arrow has been released. If you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place!"
Minato rejected the two elders' proposal outright. Orochimaru had given them a chance, but they didn't appreciate it.
Minato's words were like the last straw they clung to. Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who were supposed to be his bedmates, slumped onto their prayer mats. It wasn't that they hadn't considered fighting back, but they knew the difference in strength. There were three Kage Level ninjas in this room alone; they were at most elite Jonin. What could they possibly use to resist? Their lives? Resistance would change everything; their entire clan might be implicated, their families might be wiped out. Don't overestimate the rulers' limits; obediently confessing might at least preserve your clan's lineage.
"Teacher, we'll take our leave now."
Let's go.
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have aged considerably in an instant, as his former comrades-in-arms left him one by one, and the past seemed like it was just yesterday.
The next morning, news of the two elder advisors of Konoha embezzling war supplies and accepting bribes caused a sensation throughout the village. However, all of this had nothing to do with Karot, who had been traveling around admiring the scenery of the Land of Fire since leaving Konoha.
Previously, he had either been training or engaged in war, and hadn't had a proper chance to enjoy the scenery. And let me tell you, the longer he looked around, the less food he had left in his pocket. However, Karot came up with a perfect solution: cracking down on crime outside the Bounty Hunter's Guild. After all, those who posted missions at the Bounty Hunter's Guild weren't exactly honest people, so Karot's involvement in this crime-fighting effort made sense. Once the crime was stopped, wouldn't Karot be responsible for keeping the stolen money left behind by the criminals and then handing it over to the relevant authorities?
Karot waited there, but what he encountered was an interesting person: Kakuzu, who threw a kunai Hashirama Senju the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, from 800 meters away.
Hi, hello, I'd like to borrow something from you.
Karot greeted him directly, showing Karot straightforwardness and dislike of hiding his true intentions.
Kakuzu was startled; a person suddenly jumped out without warning, sending a chill down his spine. Kakuzu was extremely confident in his senses, yet this man had managed to keep him completely unaware. This was a tough opponent.
You want to take my life?
Kakuzu knew he was listed at the Bounty Hunter's Guild and that the bounty was quite high, so his first thought was that this guy in front of him wanted to take his head and collect the bounty.
"No, no, no, you're mistaken. I just wanted to borrow some money from you."
Karot waved his hands repeatedly and said...
Upon hearing Karot's words, Kakuzu's temper flared instantly.
You might as well just take my life.
Throughout his long life, Kakuzu had an unusual obsession with money. He believed that he could live without money. So when Karot asked to borrow money from him, Kakuzu immediately took action. He wanted to make the guy regret his audacious words.
Kakuzu attacked with great speed and power, driven by hatred. Karot barely dodged the blow, but the large tree behind Karot suffered the consequences, being instantly reduced to dust by Kakuzu's fist.
"Boom."
The flying tree debris was proof of Kakuzu's level of anger.
"How terrifying!"
Karot looked quite surprised and casually dusted himself off.
"I just wanted to borrow some money from you, there's no need to be so angry!"
After filming, they didn't forget to add fuel to the fire.
"Damn it, brat, you've angered me!"
Kakuzu Karot had dodged his attack and then mocked him, Kakuzu's anger towards Karot escalated. However, he also realized that this young man was not to be trifled with. Kakuzu wasn't blinded by anger; instead, he became even calmer. In this perilous ninja world, without a calm mind, one's grave is long gone. Unless you possess the strength of Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, then it's a different story. Unfortunately, Kakuzu belonged to the former.