Hiruzen Sarutobi's Road Had Reached Its End

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt utterly powerless in the face of Yun Yan's performance.

"Yun Yan, do you really think I would silence these Anbu afterward? They are all my valued subordinates. Would I really do such a thing?"

Unexpectedly, Yun Yan retorted without hesitation:

"Are you really not going to do these things? Ask yourself with what little conscience you have left, and answer me, are you really not going to do them?"

"You could drive Hatake Sakumo to his death, and you could also scheme to kill Minato Namikaze. What are a few Anbu in your eyes? They're probably just people you can crush with a flick of your wrist, right?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't take it anymore and instinctively wanted to retort, and he actually did:

"They are all my capable subordinates!"

"It's like you're talking about Hatake Sakumo back then, who was the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and what happened to Minato Namikaze?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. He suddenly realized something.

That means that after today's incident, he has lost all face and credibility.

Or to put it more bluntly, he's finished, completely and utterly finished, with absolutely no hope left.

Standing up from his seat, Yun Yan slowly walked to the window. Looking out at the still peaceful scene of Konoha, he said in a detached tone:

"Sarutobi, although the two of us have thoroughly analyzed you here, I still gave you some face in the end."

First of all, I didn't treat you the way I treated Danzo. If I had directly used my Mangekyō Sharingan Genjutsu to control you, you would have revealed even more without being able to control yourself.

Why don't you put yourself in Danzo's shoes and imagine what your fate would be? You'd probably wish you were dead, right?

Secondly, I didn't force you to participate in the public trial of Danzo later. Otherwise, you would have been sitting in the dock in front of all the Konoha, telling them everything you did back then.

Although at first glance your crimes seem less serious than Danzo's, don't forget the most important point: the things Danzo did were either at your behest or with your consent.

Ha, when that time comes, it won't just be a matter of losing your dignity; you'll be nailed to the pillar of shame just like Danzo.

So in the end, I still gave you some face."

At this point, Yun Yan slowly turned his head and stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his seemingly tireless Mangekyou Mangekyō Sharingan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious and overwhelmed at this moment. Of course, given the circumstances, he was more overwhelmed than angry. In other words, his anger in this situation was merely a subconscious emotional reaction.

Trembling all over, he was filled with helpless anger for a while, but then Hiruzen Sarutobi's spine collapsed again, and he finally resigned himself to his fate and accepted reality.

Just now, Hiruzen Sarutobi was pondering something: if things really came to a head and a full-blown fight broke out, would he be able to defeat Yun Yan?

After careful consideration and judgment, it was concluded that, based on the intimidating power of those Mangekyō Sharingan and Yun Yan's own strength, the elderly and frail Yun Yan was no match for him.

If a fight were to break out, he would absolutely be no match for the young and strong Yun Yan.

He might be able to escape, but where could a Hokage go? Could he possibly defect from Konoha? If so Hokage, it would be no laughing matter Konoha.

In despair, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally realized a profound reality: no matter how clever the methods or how ingenious the schemes, ultimately, a person must rely on their own strength to prevail.

Take himself for example Hiruzen Sarutobi is confident that if it really came down to politics, scheming, and backstabbing, Yun Yan could push him to the very edge of Konoha.

But they won't play that game with me. They're stronger than me, so they'll just turn on me, and I'll be completely helpless.

Strength, oh strength! Had I unknowingly overlooked something so important? So many years in politics have unintentionally led my thoughts and path astray, straying so far from their intended course.

My path has reached a dead end, or rather, I can say that I have exhausted all my options; this is something I can't help.

With another sigh, Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost much hope for his current situation; he could only focus on other things now.

Turning his head to look at Yun Yan, Hiruzen Sarutobi confirmed with him:

"Ten days from now, you're going to go to Cloud Thunder Gorge alone and start a war against the entire Kumogakure?"

Yun Yan actually smiled at this moment:

"Yeah, it sounds arrogant, doesn't it? Trying to resist an entire ninja village all by myself, it seems like no one is more arrogant than me."

But if you think about my speed, my agility, and my Mangekyō Sharingan, I can escape unscathed no matter what, even if I'm surrounded by an entire ninja village.

My fighting style is quite different from that of the Third Raikage. The Third Raikage could be worn down and killed by a large number of ninjas, but I won't.

So, old Sarutobi, I know what you're going to ask. You're just worried about whether my battles will go smoothly and whether I can win.

Don't worry, although I may seem like a slacker, I'm still capable of getting things done. The fact that I dared to make this promise and do it means I'm confident of victory.

These words left Hiruzen Sarutobi unsure how to express his concern. The other man was clearly confident, and if he were to worry, it would only spoil the mood.

But perhaps it's because he's really getting old, Tobi Hiruzen still couldn't help but worry and kept nagging:

"Yun Yan, what if the Fourth Raikage personally intervenes?"

Yun Yan said directly and without any politeness:

"No need for 'ifs,' if I'm not mistaken, this time it will definitely be the Fourth Raikage personally taking action."

Despite the Kumogakure's aggressive and tough demeanor, in terms of weakness and internal emptiness, Kumogakure's not much stronger than us. Its only advantage is that it doesn't have as many internal troubles and doesn't engage in infighting.

That Dodai is suspected to be a Kage Level ninja, but his strength is not outstanding among Kage Level, so he most likely won't make a move in the battle ten days later.

Therefore, the only capable person in the entire Kumogakure is the Fourth Raikage A, and it's highly likely he will personally take action.

Don't worry, don't look at me like that. I already said I'm confident. If you keep nagging, don't make me lose my temper!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened, and he immediately turned his head away, wiping away the feigned worry and concern from his expression.

Due to years of habit, whenever faced with similar situations, Hiruzen Sarutobi habitually displays a disgusting kind of worry.

Unfortunately, now that his true colors have been exposed, this subconscious worry he showed was indeed quite disgusting, which explains why Yun Yan almost lost his temper.

At this point, Yun Yan approached Hiruzen Sarutobi:

"So, stop talking nonsense. This matter is settled. The battle will definitely start in ten days, and I'm confident I can win."

The only thing I'm not sure about is the interior of Konoha.

"Inside Konoha?" Looking up at Yun Yan, Hiruzen Sarutobi almost instinctively promised, "What problems could there be inside Konoha? Yun Yan, you can go without worry..."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stopped, finally realizing that the situation had changed and that his previous subconscious promises to others that everything would be fine were no longer valid.

At this moment, Yun Yan also stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with undisguised disgust and suspicion, and was not polite at all:

"Aren't there significant internal problems in Konoha? Can I really go there with such peace of mind? Sarutobi, how dare you say that now?"

My first concern is you. Who knows what you might do after I leave? Or even turn against me and attack me?

"I'm not worried about being betrayed. My strength speaks for itself. If you dare to attack me, I'll tell you right now, not only will you die, but your Sarutobi Clan will die, especially your grandson Konohamaru. I guarantee he'll die right in front of you!"

Yun Yan was fine when he mentioned other things, but when he mentioned the Sarutobi Clan, especially his most beloved grandson Konohamaru, the old man immediately became agitated and stood up:

"Yun Yan! You..."

With a bang, Yun Yan reacted swiftly, even faster than Hiruzen Sarutobi, pressing down on his shoulder and forcing him back into his seat. The powerful force in his arms made it impossible for him to stand up!