Problems within Konoha

Kazuma's calm counter-question left the Third Hokage unable to offer a rebuttal.

These matters were all undeniable facts, known to everyone present.

Yet, in the heart of the Third Hokage, he believed everything he did was for the sake of Konoha.

To make others believe in the Will of Fire, he had to believe in it himself first. A man like him, when he turned ruthless, always had to deceive himself before anyone else.

The light faded from the eyes of the Third Hokage, his spirit and vitality seemingly drained away.

Suddenly recalling something, he straightened his posture.

"This old man has made some mistakes. But I doubled the territory of Konoha and multiplied the number of jonin in the village—is this not my political achievement?"

The Third Hokage no longer fixated on external wars; he appeared "unremarkable," even drawing scorn.

He reflected on the primary work he had done during his tenure: wasn't it the "construction" of Konoha? The cultivation of talent and the expansion of Konoha's territory were all his contributions.

The Daimyo could not simply pretend not to see them, could he?

His words stirred a wave of discussion among the many ninjas present.

Only a very small fraction believed that the Third Hokage's words held merit.

The faces of the clever ones among them revealed strange expressions one after another.

Shikaku Nara approached the Third Hokage, his face conflicted. "Lord Hokage, let it end here! Do not persist any longer. This is already the best possible outcome for you."

His eyes signaled repeatedly, urging him not to continue his questioning.

Under normal circumstances, the Third Hokage would have accepted Shikaku Nara's advice.

However, the current Third Hokage was blinded by anger and jealousy; he was determined to reclaim his lost glory.

"Shikaku, do you also believe that I am unfit to be Hokage?"

The Third Hokage waved his sleeve in response, signaling for Shikaku Nara to be silent. He could not understand: were the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan, who should have been his greatest supporters, also going to betray him?

Seeing that his advice was ineffective, Shikaku Nara could only step back a few paces.

With that retreat, he knew the Sarutobi Clan would never return to its former peak.

Kazuma's expression turned strange. The image of Shinichi Hyuga's smile surfaced in his mind as he produced a scroll.

This was the information Shinichi Hyuga had handed to him earlier; the Third Hokage's words provided the perfect opening to reveal what he held.

"This document can answer your claims! During the Third Hokage's administration, Konoha expanded to twice its original size. However, half of that newly acquired territory was managed by the Sarutobi Clan, causing the center of Konoha to shift from the areas controlled by the various major clans toward the regions controlled by the Sarutobi Clan. This harmed the interests of every clan, with the Senju and Uchiha Clan suffering the greatest losses. As for the number of jonin you mentioned, the Sarutobi Clan saw the largest increase among them as well. This achievement is not yours, Sarutobi Hiruzen; it is the achievement of the Senju. The Second Hokage decided to implement policies to distribute a vast amount of secret techniques and resources to the commoners, but your Sarutobi Clan took the opportunity to swallow a portion of them to bolster your own strength. How shameless!"

Kazuma's voice grew increasingly sharp, and in his final sentences, he openly denounced the shamelessness of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He held up the document prepared by Shinichi Hyuga for all to see.

The various comparisons within were detailed and intuitive.

This reminded many of the two maps Shinichi Hyuga had produced yesterday; they were likely part of this same set of data.

The ninjas from these clans only needed a simple glance to grasp the information contained within.

Many of these facts were things these clans had already uncovered for themselves by yesterday.

This included Shikaku Nara, which was exactly why he had advised the Third Hokage to stop.

Because he truly had no achievements; he had merely picked up the scraps of others, relying entirely on feeding off the flesh and blood of the Senju.

He had even sought to weaken the influence of the Senju, a move many could not accept.

"Impossible? This isn't true! It isn't like that! Everything I did was to make Konoha more prosperous, to make the clans and ninjas of Konoha stronger."

Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, desperately explaining as he knocked the document from Kazuma's hand to the ground.

He then looked toward the surrounding ninjas, hoping for their agreement, but he received no response at all.

Kazuma looked at the Third Hokage with pity. This time, he had lost completely, and with him, the future of the Sarutobi Clan for decades to come had been thoroughly ruined by the Third Hokage's own hands.

In his mind, the image of Shinichi Hyuga—who had not appeared today, yet had orchestrated everything—surfaced.

"Enough. I originally intended to leave you with a shred of dignity, but you continue to persist! Since the founding of Konoha, twenty-three ninja clans have gone extinct! All of them during your administration! The ninjutsu they mastered and the wealth they held were all digested by your Sarutobi Clan. Can you truly say your conscience is clear?"

For a ninja of your Sarutobi clan, learning any ninjutsu is merely a matter of a single word from you.

Turning the village's public assets into the private property of your Sarutobi clan—this is the stark contrast between you and the other Hokage.

Those Senju clan ninjas who abandoned their surnames must even trade merit points just to learn the basic ninjutsu of the past!

Sarutobi Hiruzen, your heart has never belonged to the whole of Konoha.

You are not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the two generations of Hokage from our Senju clan!

Kazuma watched the Third Hokage, who still wanted to denounce him, and he had never seen such a shameless person.

Occupying the best resources of Konoha, yet wanting to completely eradicate the Senju clan that founded the village, and even destroy their spirit.

Every sentence was an interrogation of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

These words struck Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart like a giant hammer, forcing him to undergo a self-interrogation.

"Pfft~"

The Third Hokage's face turned the color of a liver, and as he tried to speak, a mouthful of black blood spewed from his mouth.