The Death of Hiruzen Sarutobi?

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat quietly at home, unable to stop himself from recalling everything he had gone through these past few days.

One morning, Hiruzen went out for a walk. "Well, if it isn't the famous Hiruzen Sarutobi?"

"Why are you out here soaking up the sun? What, you're proud of abandoning your guard duty? You disgraceful thing, bringing shame to Konoha and still coming out here to disgust people."

The passersby looked at him with naked contempt. "What bad luck. I didn't check the almanac before leaving home, and now I've run into this bastard. Son, see him? This is that bastard Hiruzen. When you grow up, don't ever become as useless as him. He didn't even dare to die."

"People like him are the craftiest. Back in school, he said he'd give his heart for Konoha. But when something actually happened, he was the first to abandon the Hokage and run."

At noon, Hiruzen took his wife, Biwako, to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch.

A diner slammed his hand on the table. "Eating? Eat my ass! Do you deserve to eat? You disgraced Konoha and still want to compete for the Third Hokage's seat? You've got the nerve to show your face here for food? Why don't you just die? Ichiraku, you're seriously selling ramen to someone like him?"

"You've got money on the brain, huh? If you sell him ramen again, I'll tell all my friends not to eat here anymore."

Ichiraku gave an awkward smile. "Jōnin Hiruzen, please, don't come here for ramen anymore. I'm just an ordinary villager. I don't want trouble."

When he returned home at noon, he found Shinnosuke Sarutobi bruised and battered.

At the Sarutobi clan compound, several older children had beaten Shinnosuke, while the elders of the branch families simply stood by. Hiruzen