Third Hokage, I'm Not Taking the Blame

Inoichi Yamanaka walked aimlessly through the desolate world, with only the endless yellow sand and the nine suns hanging high in the sky.

Genjutsu can only be auxiliary because it lacks the ability to directly kill a person.

Inoichi Yamanaka was also a practitioner of Yin Release, and his mental fortitude was incomparable to that of ordinary people.

In the desolate world, he chose a direction and kept walking, firmly believing he could find his way out of this world.

The nine suns in the sky formed a circle, as if they would never set.

It was impossible to tell direction by the sun here, but Inoichi Yamanaka decided to rely on his sixth sense to determine his bearings.

Since his five senses were controlled by the opponent, the only thing he could trust was his sixth sense. Although this seemed mystical, Inoichi Yamanaka had no other choice.

However, Tōka's genjutsu was not that simple.

"Unlike Genjutsu: Mirror Within a Mirror, which has a real world for the enemy to break through, the secret of Genjutsu: Golden Wheel Nine Revolutions lies in perseverance." Tōka sat back down on the chair, this time free from restraints.

Inoichi Yamanaka lay on the ground with a blank expression, but Tōka could clearly feel the struggle in his mental world.

Genjutsu: Golden Wheel Nine Revolutions was also just a B-rank genjutsu, as it had a significant flaw.

That was, if one persisted until the nine golden crows returned to their positions, the genjutsu would naturally be dispelled.

In other words, from the moment of entering the illusion, the nine golden crows in the sky began to move incessantly.

Their speed was extremely slow, slower than a turtle.

As for the exact time when the nine golden crows would return to their positions, Tōka could only roughly estimate it to be within a hundred hours, a hundred hours in the mental world.

In the real world, it was merely a minute, or even an instant.

"Hmm, it should be about time." Tōka snapped his fingers, dispelling the genjutsu at the opportune moment...

With a snap, Inoichi Yamanaka suddenly woke up!

He sat up abruptly, gasping for air, his eyes darting around as if still searching for water.

Tōka's genjutsu was merely an illusion, an attack on the soul. Although Inoichi Yamanaka's body had not spent a hundred hours in the desolate desert.

His mind, however, had already collapsed.

"You managed to endure for so long, it seems I don't need to dispel the genjutsu after all." Tōka grinned, his delicate face appearing demonic in Inoichi Yamanaka's eyes.

Inoichi Yamanaka tightly pursed his lips, remaining silent. Even though he knew it was all an illusion, he still felt an intense thirst deep down.

He probably would have drunk a river dry if one had appeared before him right now.

"Don't make that face, you started this by messing with me!" Tōka spread his hands helplessly, his tone like that of a parent lecturing a mischievous child.

Inoichi Yamanaka's temple twitched, and he almost cursed aloud. "Sunbathing" was merely a method for extracting information!

It wasn't targeted at individuals, but rather to loosen the mental defenses of the person being interrogated!

Tōka seemed to know what he was thinking, glancing at the seat opposite him and gesturing for Inoichi Yamanaka to sit down.

Inoichi Yamanaka frowned. His body had enough strength, but his mind was extremely weak. The simple act of shifting his buttocks almost took him over a minute.

"Actually, there's no need for such methods. Whatever you want to know, I can tell you," Tōka said with blinking eyes, his expression sincere.

Inoichi Yamanaka's eyelids twitched, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. Who knows if what you're saying is true or not, he thought.

Then, Tōka began to speak on his own.

"You can judge the truth for yourself, but anyone with a normal mind knows Orochimaru's strength."

"As one of the Sannin, Orochimaru's strength is beyond doubt," Inoichi Yamanaka nodded affirmatively, having already guessed some of what Tōka was about to say.

"In that case, we've reached a consensus." Tōka nodded with satisfaction and added, "Then do you think I could capture Orochimaru? I probably couldn't even stop him, could I?"

Inoichi Yamanaka pondered for a moment. Although Tōka's abilities were powerful, theoretically capable of instantly killing any opponent, if the opponent was Orochimaru...

Tōka knew Inoichi Yamanaka believed him and seized the opportunity to shift the blame. "Then, how do you think the Third Hokage's strength compares to Orochimaru's?"

"Hmm? Isn't that obvious to everyone?" Inoichi Yamanaka naturally knew that the Third Hokage had soundly defeated Orochimaru, forcing him to flee in disarray.

Wait!!

Suddenly, Inoichi Yamanaka's expression changed to one of realization, as if he had thought of something. He looked at Tōka in shock.

"Tsk... you figured that out yourself, I didn't say anything!" Tōka said with a mischievous smile, adding fuel to the fire. "If even the Third Hokage couldn't keep hold of that man, how could I, a mere Chunin, capture Orochimaru?"

"Then you..." Inoichi Yamanaka was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.

What if the Third Hokage intentionally let Orochimaru go and then let Tōka take the blame...

The mere thought of this possibility sent a cold sweat down Inoichi Yamanaka's spine.

As the new generation "pig" of the Yamanaka Clan and a powerful figure within the Hokage's faction, Inoichi Yamanaka was well aware of Konoha's darkness.

"Clever!" Tōka praised.

A strategist schemes against others and themselves; by revealing only seven parts truth and three parts falsehood, Inoichi Yamanaka would fill in the rest with his own imagination.

Tōka looked at Inoichi Yamanaka with a smile, trying his best to appear as "harmless as a lamb," completely oblivious to how he had almost toyed with the man's life.

"So? Can I leave now? Lord Inoichi."

"Hmph, I'll judge for myself!"

In Inoichi Yamanaka's eyes, Tōka, when he smiled, was exactly like a little fox. He believed Tōka's words in his heart but didn't want to admit it so easily by losing face.

As the words fell, Inoichi Yamanaka recovered considerably; at least normal movement was no longer an issue.

He stood up, turned, and pushed the door open. As he closed the large door, he looked back at Tōka with a strange, meaningful glance.

There was admiration, regret, and emotion...

Bang!

The room's door was closed once more. This time, the lights around the room were not turned on, and two Anbu members even brought some water.

At the Hokage Building, although Inoichi Yamanaka had not entered Tōka's mind to see for himself.

He had already reached a general conclusion based on the existing information and Tōka's words.

However, Inoichi Yamanaka could only think about the Third Hokage privately releasing Orochimaru, and then bury it deep within his heart.

"So, you believe Tōka is innocent?" The Third Hokage merely suspected Tōka's involvement in Orochimaru's experiments, or at least that Tōka knew about them.

That was why he had deliberately sent Inoichi Yamanaka to interrogate him.

As for whether Tōka had let Orochimaru go, it wasn't important to the Third Hokage.

"Yes," Inoichi Yamanaka said in a deep voice.

"In that case, let him out," the Third Hokage said after a slight pause. "How should we compensate him? Do you know what Tōka likes?"

This question truly stumped Inoichi Yamanaka. He should have entered Tōka's inner world to gather information and know what Tōka liked.

The problem was, not only had he not entered Tōka's inner world, but he had also been thoroughly schooled by him in the Yin Release mental realm, his own specialty.

"How about letting him learn a Ninjutsu?" Inoichi Yamanaka suggested after a moment of thought.

What ninja didn't like Ninjutsu, especially the Ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals!

The Third Hokage took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled slowly, and the white smoke swirled around. Then, he raised his hand, signaling Inoichi Yamanaka to leave.

Inoichi Yamanaka quietly withdrew, closing the door behind him. Although the Third Hokage had not spoken, Inoichi Yamanaka knew he had agreed to his suggestion.

After leaving the Anbu interrogation room, Tōka went straight home and slept soundly for a whole day before hunger woke him up.

He walked aimlessly through the streets, and when he saw food that looked appealing, Tōka would buy it. However, most of the food could only satisfy his cravings and not fill his stomach.

Before long, Tōka was carrying a large pile of things in his hands.

As a bachelor, Tōka's mission bonuses after becoming a ninja were not extravagant, but they were enough for him alone.

Suddenly, two familiar faces appeared before him. Asuma and Kurenai were walking slowly towards him...

Tōka saw Asuma and Kurenai, and they naturally noticed Tōka.

Kurenai smiled slightly, a long-lost emotion welling up in her eyes. Asuma, on the other hand, instinctively wanted to pull Kurenai away, as this was a rare opportunity for their private time together!

However, things did not go as planned.

They were not far apart, and soon they were face to face.

"Long time no see, Tōka."

"Long time no see, Kurenai, Asuma."

Tōka and Kurenai exchanged greetings. Asuma, however, pouted, cursed under his breath, and lazily ignored Tōka, acting as if he had no manners.

Seeing this, Tōka's eyes narrowed, and his cunning gaze swept over Kurenai and Asuma.

Kurenai's pretty face turned red under that strange gaze, and she glared at Tōka angrily before turning and walking away.

"Tsk... women can change their minds in an instant. She was smiling at me just a moment ago," Tōka shook his head helplessly and pouted.

"Kurenai? Wait for me!" Asuma finally reacted and quickly chased after her.

However, halfway through his run, he remembered his father's mission!

So, Asuma quickly turned back and blocked Tōka, who was about to leave.

"Huh?" Tōka looked at Asuma in confusion. He saw Asuma pull out a scroll from his bosom and hand it over. Tōka subconsciously took it.

"The... Hokage-sama asked me to give this to you," Asuma said hurriedly, then turned and sprinted after Kurenai.

In his eyes, nothing was more important than chasing his girlfriend.

Tōka's eyes rolled as he understood the Third Hokage's intentions. At the same time, he opened the scroll and looked...

As expected!!

"Bringer-of-Darkness Technique."

Tōka's lips curved slightly, and he had a plan in mind. "What a pair of magical father and son. A cunning father and a simple-minded son."

The Third Hokage's intention was simple: to "bestow a favor" using the secret technique of a previous Hokage from the Scroll of Seals.

He also used Asuma's hand to deliver the scroll to Tōka, hoping Tōka would feel indebted to him and Asuma.

However, Asuma, that blockhead, only had Kurenai in his eyes and heart, and had not understood the Third Hokage's true intentions at all. He even resented the Third Hokage for wasting his precious date time with Kurenai to deliver a scroll to Tōka.

If they hadn't met on the street, Asuma would have almost completely forgotten the Third Hokage's mission.

"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. Creates a dark environment, sealing off the opponent's vision." Tōka walked through a secluded alley and arrived at a quiet riverside, silently gazing at the scroll in his hand.

In a dark environment, only the caster and their teammates can see things within the environment and take actions such as attacking.

This is a genjutsu that causes visual hallucinations and steals all light. In a world of darkness that descends like black satin, even those with great strength can only be forced to reveal their position.

"It feels a bit similar to Kirigakure's Mist Technique, except one is white and the other is black." Tōka quickly finished reading the scroll and put it away.

Unknowingly, he had learned another genjutsu.

In the past, all the genjutsu he learned were taught by Kurenai, mostly C-rank, after all, Kurenai was just a newly graduated Genin back then.

Because of Tsunade's special battlefield assessment, Tōka became a Chunin, which was also with Hiruzen's approval.

If his record in the Anbu only showed him as a Genin, it wouldn't make sense. Chunin, while not meeting the requirements for entering the Anbu, was at least passable.

Having learned a new move, Tōka naturally wanted to test it out on someone.

"Should I go find Kai?" The thought flashed through his mind and was dismissed by Tōka. Kai would fall for it too easily, which wouldn't be fun.

"Why not go find Kakashi!" Tōka grinned, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the riverside.

The river water was clear to the bottom, and the fish swam freely back and forth, leaving a lingering shadow reflected in the river.

At the same time, another major event occurred in Konoha, though it was unknown to the general populace.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage had just finished reading the peace treaty sent by Sunagakure and hadn't had a chance to relax.

BANG!

A white blur flashed through the window, seemingly breaking a pane.

"Old man! Why didn't you stop him!" The voice arrived before the person. Hearing this, the Third Hokage knew who it was.

"Jiraiya, you're about to head to the front lines. If you have time, go prepare yourself." The Third Hokage slowly put down the document in his hand, avoiding the topic by looking around.

His evasive eyes dared not meet Jiraiya's gaze, seemingly unwilling to discuss Orochimaru with him.

"Hmph, don't try to play dumb with me. Why?" Jiraiya wasn't buying it. He had to understand something once he set his mind to it. "With you and dozens of elite Anbu, I don't believe Orochimaru could have escaped!"

Although Jiraiya was usually carefree, he wasn't truly foolish. It was just his nature to live more freely.

The atmosphere suddenly became silent, the room filled with smoke, as stifling as their moods.

The Third Hokage silently smoked, his facial wrinkles suddenly seeming to deepen.

It was then that Jiraiya seriously looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, noticing that some of his teacher's hair had begun to turn white.

After a long silence, Jiraiya turned around expressionlessly.

"What are you doing?" Seeing Jiraiya turn around with a grim expression, ready to jump out the window he came in through, the Third Hokage immediately stood up and asked loudly.

"What am I doing? Of course, I'm going to catch Orochimaru!" Jiraiya half-crouched by the window, turning his head slightly, his face full of determination. "Even if I have to break his arms and legs! I'm still bringing him back!"

With a whoosh, Jiraiya leaped up and jumped out the window.

By the window, the Third Hokage, with his pipe in his mouth, gazed into the distance for a long time...

Finally, he let out a long sigh, suddenly looking a dozen years older. The once-heroic ninja was no more... (To be continued)