Naruto withdrew his gaze from the forest and turned it toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was covered in blood, his clothes riddled with bruised patches and tears. If Enma had not transformed into the Adamantine Prison Wall and firmly shielded him, he would have long since been shaken to death by the aftermath of Naruto and Hashirama Senju's clash.
Hiruzen Sarutobi braced himself against his knees and forced himself upright. He swayed twice like an old man at the end of his rope, staring blankly at Konoha.
The Konoha before him no longer resembled what it once had. Streets, houses, and training grounds had all been torn apart by massive tree roots, leaving devastation everywhere.
What he had spent his entire life protecting had been ground into dust by Naruto just like that.
"You clearly had the power to stop all this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice trembled.
"With your strength, there was no need to destroy Konoha like this. What good does this do you? Those villagers will not even have a place to live afterward!"
As a formidable figure, Hiruzen Sarutobi had always dealt ruthlessly only with shinobi clans and shinobi who threatened him. Toward civilians, however, he had always maintained a caring façade. That was the foundation of his rule, as well as a tool for satisfying his lust for power.
In the eyes of the Senju Clan, Uchiha, Hyuga, and other shinobi clans, he was a hypocrite who would stop at nothing for false peace, suppressing dissidents without any bottom line.
But in the eyes of civilians, the Third was a rare and good Hokage. To end war, he had been willing to sacrifice the interests of shinobi clans, constantly elevate the status of civilians, and even select shinobi from among