"Earth Release: Rising Earth Excavation!"
At the jutsu's command, the collapsed ruins rose and fell. The rubble of the buildings was lifted away in one massive piece, revealing the bodies buried beneath.
Yamanaka Chujiu stepped forward, dragged out the bodies, and briefly washed them with Water Release Ninjutsu before confirming the identities of the dead.
If the deceased had relatives, Chujiu returned the bodies to them.
If the deceased had no family left, Chujiu stored the body in a Sealing Scroll. It could come in handy.
Besides bodies, anything of value beneath the rubble—furniture, food, intact clothing, and the like—also had to be sorted out.
They claimed it was meant to provide relief to families in need, but where it really went was anyone's guess.
As for precious metals like gold and silver, as well as cash and banknotes, the ninjas on-site split them among themselves.
They couldn't be expected to work on empty stomachs, after all.
Once they confirmed the ruins had been cleared, the ninjas used Earth Release Ninjutsu again to bury the rubble deep underground and level the ground completely.
Yamanaka Chujiu pocketed his share of the money and a small bag of gold, hoisted the massive Sealing Scroll onto his shoulder, and headed to the next ruin with a few companions.
Another group of ninjas arrived with bricks, stone, and timber. Following the blueprints, they began rebuilding the houses.
All over Konoha, scenes of post-disaster reconstruction like this could be found.
Only in some remote areas was the work left to the villagers, who were far less efficient.
Today was the fifth day since the Nine-Tails attacked the village. Konoha was no longer a sea of devastation, but grief still hung in the air.
The revered Fourth Hokage had died.
The Third Hokage's wife and the Fourth Hokage's wife had died.
Thousands of Konoha Ninja had died.
Tens of thousands of Konoha's villagers lay buried beneath the ruins, reduced to silent figures in the death toll of this conflict.
But no matter what, life had to go on.
Work continued until nightfall. The exhausted ninjas and villagers stopped for the day. Those with homes went back to them; those without headed to temporary shelters.
With the massive scroll on his shoulder, Yamanaka Chujiu silently slipped through a hidden door, walked down a dim passage, and finally entered a spacious, brightly lit laboratory.
A sinister-looking ninja with pale skin and long, flowing hair stood at its center: Orochimaru, one of the Konoha Sannin.
After the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, died, this ninja—who had once competed with Minato for the position—was now the leading candidate and the one most likely to become the Fifth Hokage.
Yamanaka Chujiu knew Orochimaru would fail.
Because the Third Hokage would return to power.
When Orochimaru saw Chujiu, a smile appeared on his face. "Chujiu, how many bodies this time?"
Chujiu patted the massive scroll. "A full hundred fresh corpses."
Orochimaru stuck out his tongue as usual and licked his cheek. "Good. That's enough to feed Manda to his heart's content."
Chujiu grinned. "Lord Orochimaru, you're becoming less and less human."
Orochimaru fixed him with a glare from his snake-like eyes, as if to say, "Why would you say something so true?"
Yamanaka Chujiu was unfazed by Orochimaru's stare. He said calmly, "I suggest you stock up while you can. The village will be cleaned up soon. It won't be this easy to get so many fresh corpses again."
Orochimaru chuckled. "I trust you. Go get them, but I won't pay in advance."
Chujiu clicked his tongue and changed the subject. "Lord Orochimaru, do you think you're about to become the Fifth Hokage?"
Orochimaru was still smiling. "Oh? Is there a problem?"
Chujiu said, "The details will cost extra."
Orochimaru nodded. "If the information is valuable, I'll pay extra."
Yamanaka Chujiu got straight to the point. "Here's the information: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is already considering returning to the Hokage Position."
Orochimaru stared at Chujiu, dazed for a moment, then said slowly, "Teacher Sarutobi, who stepped down, is coming back to reclaim the Hokage Position? Chujiu, are you joking with me?"
Chujiu believed Orochimaru simply couldn't accept it emotionally. Give him a day or two at most, and he'd set his feelings aside and see the situation clearly.
But after a day or two, Orochimaru would have calmed down, and he wouldn't be nearly as quick to pay.
For the sake of his wallet, Chujiu patiently explained:
"While the Fourth Hokage was in office, Hiruzen Sarutobi held the position of Hokage's assistant and controlled the Mission Department, the Intelligence Department, the Sealing Squad, the Barrier Squad, and most importantly, Anbu."
"That was Anbu! Even Anbu, which reported directly to the Hokage, wasn't under the Fourth Hokage's control. The Fourth Hokage was just a puppet!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi may have claimed to step down, but nothing changed. He was the real Hokage all along."
"Lord Orochimaru, which do you think Hiruzen Sarutobi would find harder to endure: being mocked, or losing his power?"
The smile vanished from Orochimaru's face.
Indeed. While the Fourth Hokage was alive, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been able to openly sideline him and hold all the power.
Now that the Fourth Hokage had died, was Hiruzen Sarutobi really going to let go of his obsession with power, allow Orochimaru to take over, and hand him the authority of the Hokage...
No way!
Orochimaru's expression grew more and more serious. Suddenly, he smiled again.
"You're right. Teacher Sarutobi is no longer the 'Shinobi Hero' who once looked down upon the entire Shinobi World."
"But it doesn't matter. I, Orochimaru, won't be anyone's puppet—not even my teacher's."
Yamanaka Chujiu asked, "Lord Orochimaru, if Hiruzen Sarutobi refuses to relinquish power, will you give up the Fifth Hokage's position?"
Orochimaru fell silent for a while. "I won't fight for it, but I won't give it up."
"I'll leave everything to Teacher Sarutobi to decide. I want to see whether our bond as teacher and student has finally reached its end..."
Yamanaka Chujiu shook his head with a sigh. "Just as I thought. When power is involved, there's no room for sentiment..."
He suddenly choked off, as if something terrifying had frightened him.
Orochimaru froze, then followed Chujiu's train of thought.
A moment later, he too was startled.
The two stared at each other, neither saying a word.
From the perspective of a struggle for power, whoever ultimately benefited was the mastermind.
Political matters could never be proven with evidence. You could only infer who was behind them from motive and gain.
The Nine-Tails Incident had killed the Fourth Hokage and his wife, while the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, returned to power. There was no doubt he was the one who benefited most.
So why had the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, died? It was hard to say.
Who could swear that the Third Hokage hadn't taken part in murdering the Fourth Hokage?
Suspicion hung over him like a mountain in people's hearts, impossible to dislodge.
Yes, the Third Hokage's wife had also died.
But that proved nothing.
Wasn't sacrificing one wife to gain the power of the Hokage an excellent deal?
A promotion, a fortune, and a dead wife—what more could a man ask for?
After a long while, Orochimaru recovered. "Teacher Sarutobi isn't that kind of person. Still, I've heard your warning, Chujiu. Do you want me to thank you?"
Yamanaka Chujiu: "No need to thank me. You can pay extra."
Orochimaru: "Heh."
Before you continue