"Orochimaru!" After hearing the answer, Sarutobi's eye twitched. He immediately asked in an urgent tone, "You're saying this is Orochimaru's residence? Could there be some mistake? I've been there before. Although the house looks very similar, the surroundings are completely different from those in the photograph!"
Fugaku lowered his head respectfully. "Reporting to the Hokage, after repeated verification, the Military Police Force has confirmed that the residence does indeed belong to Lord Orochimaru.
"Furthermore, that residential area was originally located on the outskirts of the village and was rather desolate. However, after continuous expansion and redevelopment over the past decade or so, it has become part of the village's central district, and the surrounding streets have gradually flourished. Other than Lord Orochimaru's old house, which remains unchanged, everything else is completely different.
"The Hokage has likely not visited Lord Orochimaru in many years, so it is only natural that you did not recognize it!"
"Creak..." After hearing Fugaku's second confirmation, Sarutobi tightly clenched the corner of the photograph in his right hand, producing a faint sound.
The last trace of hope in his heart vanished. Given his understanding of Orochimaru, Sarutobi had already roughly deduced what his prized disciple had done. His feelings were incredibly complicated: anger, heartache, self-reproach, and frustration. What Orochimaru had done was undoubtedly cruel and evil, but as his teacher, he could not escape responsibility either!
Sarutobi recalled the handsome, melancholy young disciple of the past, then compared him to the sinister, ambitious Lord Orochimaru of today. He suddenly felt unbearable pain, believing that it was his own negligence as a teacher over the years that had led his disciple astray.
It seems I am not only an unqualified Hokage, but also a failed teacher! Sarutobi thought bitterly.
After a long while, he finally let out