"If they really couldn't think for themselves, why would the Third Hokage and the others go to all that trouble to deceive them?"
"Uh..." Fugaku was at a loss for words.
Orochimaru glanced at Fugaku and didn't continue the topic.
It seemed that ever since the "White Fang of Konoha" incident, anyone in the village with even a little standing had become sensitive to the concept of public opinion. Whenever they saw a similar incident, they had to comment on it.
But the circumstances Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo found themselves in were different, and their personalities and pursuits were even more so.
Researching forbidden techniques and practicing Impure World Reincarnation were sensitive matters, but as long as the cadavers he chose weren't shinobi from the village, he wouldn't break the village's rules. It wasn't a mistake, and he wouldn't be punished.
Hatake Sakumo, however, had abandoned a mission for personal reasons. Setting aside the emotional perspective, he had undeniably broken the rules of the shinobi and caused the village to suffer a loss.
He had broken the rules, made a mistake, and caused the village a loss. The village couldn't pretend nothing had happened. That was why the "White Fang of Konoha" had been subjected to such public condemnation.
Of course, a few casual remarks didn't amount to much. Even if you multiplied them a hundredfold, or a millionfold, they still couldn't kill a Kage Level powerhouse.
But Hatake Sakumo wanted to become Hokage.
He wasn't seeking the office of Hokage like Danzo. He wanted to become the Hokage in the hearts of Konoha's villagers.
That ambition and conviction meant that the villagers' condemnation dealt devastating damage to him.
His cherished ones had rejected his ninja way, rejected everything. Hatake Sakumo's life could be called a complete failure. Even if