Just thinking about what I was about to do made me want to laugh

Hiruzen Sarutobi climbed up from the ground, the blood he had spat out still staining the corner of his mouth.

But his eyes were wide, and the finger he pointed at Shuofang Si trembled violently.

"You little brat, that's utter nonsense!" His voice was hoarse and shrill, utterly devoid of his usual kindly-grandfather manner.

"Stop sowing discord here! You-you must be a spy from another village! Anbu, seize him!"

But none of the Anbu moved. Aside from Kakashi standing beside Shuofang Si to protect him, anyone with even a little sense could already read the mood.

"Heh, teacher. This is the last time I'll call you that. Stop struggling." Orochimaru looked at him with pity.

"Orochimaru, you bastard! What kind of look is that? Don't look at me like that!"

Orochimaru ignored him and simply continued.

"Nawaki's death, that idiot Jiraiya leaving, Tsunade's breakdown, and that old bastard Danzo running rampant."

"I used to think all of that was just a consequence of the times. But thinking about it now, it really was..." He tilted his head and looked at Shuofang Si.

"You've treated me to quite a show today."

Shuofang Si's heartbeat abruptly quickened. He could feel Orochimaru's gaze settling on him.

It was the gaze of a cold-blooded creature inspecting its prey, yet at that moment, a hint of amused appreciation actually showed in those snake-like eyes.

Shuofang Si stood at the front of the angry crowd, every muscle in his body trembling slightly with excessive excitement.

His throat was so hoarse he could barely make a sound, but his trembling lips pulled into a smile.

Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju stepped forward together.

They stood there in silence, coldly watching the successor in whom they had once placed such high hopes.

Orochimaru watched with keen interest, as though he had realized something, excitement glinting in his snake-like eyes.

Shuofang Si knew the moment was right. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

He turned to the crowd, thrust his arm up, and shouted with all his strength, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, step down and answer for your crimes!"

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed slightly.

For a moment, the crowd fell silent.

Then it erupted.

"Step down!"

"Third Hokage, step down! Give us an explanation!"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, answer for your crimes!"

This time, it wasn't just the villagers. The previously silent ninja, and even a few masked Anbu, began shouting along.

Dozens of voices became hundreds, then more.

Like towering waves, the roar battered Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind again and again. His face was blank with disbelief.

Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Tobirama Senju slowly furrowed his brows.

He had been listening and watching all along.

From his initial indifference to his later gravity, and now, only disappointment and anger remained in his scarlet eyes.

Above all, the disappointment of having his trust betrayed made him even angrier.

He took a step forward, and the raging crowd instantly fell silent.

"I, Tobirama Senju, in my capacity as Second Hokage, hereby announce to every Konoha ninja and villager present."

He paused, his piercing gaze sweeping over Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had collapsed to the ground.

"Effective immediately, Hiruzen Sarutobi is removed from his position as Third Hokage. All affairs during his tenure are to be thoroughly investigated. The village must receive an explanation."

An uproar instantly swept through the crowd.

To Hiruzen Sarutobi, those words were a death sentence, more devastating than any ninjutsu.

Despair covered Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. He still wanted to say something.

He still wanted to explain to the First and the Second that everything he had done had been for Konoha, that he had never acted for his own sake.

But those words stuck in his throat. He couldn't make a single sound.

Because he knew some of those accusations were true, some involved things he had been forced to do, and some were things he had tacitly permitted.

He simply couldn't explain. He couldn't untangle all those old accounts one by one in front of the First and the Second, in front of the entire village.

I'm finished.

It isn't death, but it's more terrifying than death.

The reputation he had protected all his life, the glorious image he had cultivated for decades, had been destroyed just like that. And he didn't even know the name of the villager who had first stirred up the crowd.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi died here today, his name would probably be nailed to Konoha's pillar of shame.

The Shinobi Hero, the strongest Hokage, the embodiment of the Will of Fire.

All those accolades he had spent his life building for himself were gone. All gone.

Orochimaru stood to one side, taking it all in.

Excitement glinted in his snake-like eyes. He was like a director who had suddenly discovered that the drama unfolding offstage was far more compelling than the one he had directed.

He had come to Konoha today merely intending to kill his teacher and set the village's long-stagnant windmill turning again.

But now Konoha was still burning, and it seemed he no longer needed to act.

He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi lying on the ground, his face ashen. Killing him now would only let him off easy.

This former Shinobi Hero had cherished his reputation all his life, had always cared about his image. Now he would have to watch that reputation crumble while he still lived.

He could only watch helplessly as the villagers reviled him and his own teacher removed him from office. That was probably far crueler than killing him.

"Interesting," Orochimaru murmured, his lips curving into a cold smile. "Very interesting."

"Withdraw," he ordered the Sound Four maintaining the barrier around them.

The Sound Four all froze for a moment. Withdraw? After all the time Lord Orochimaru had spent preparing the Konoha Crush, they were simply withdrawing?

But their obedience to Orochimaru was absolute.

All four lowered their hands at once. The violet curtain of the Four Violet Flames Formation began rippling violently, then dissipated with a thunderous crash.

Just then, a small orb of light appeared beside Shuofang Si. He froze for a moment, then was overwhelmed with delight. This had to be the side plot reward. He immediately reached out to touch it.

A-rank side plot completed. Reward points: 12,000!

Holy shit, an A-rank?

For a moment, even though Shuofang Si had prepared himself for a generous reward, he was stunned.

But a second later, he steadied himself and realized it wasn't all that excessive.

With nothing but an ordinary human body, in his first scenario as a newcomer after the team had been wiped out, he had prevented the Third Hokage's death, and Orochimaru's arms hadn't been sealed either.

That's a massive change to the Naruto world's later storyline. But knowing the Lord God's usual tendencies, it should throw even more danger at me. Is this another change in this altered version?

As the barrier dissipated, the surrounding ninja immediately went on guard. Even the villagers who had been shouting loudly gradually quieted down.

But Orochimaru seemed to have no intention of attacking. He didn't even spare the Third Hokage another glance.

He began forming hand seals, intending to cancel the Impure World Reincarnation and test the First and Second's combat capabilities another time.

Yet just as everyone thought this spectacle would end with Orochimaru's departure, Shuofang Si's voice rang out again.

"Hey, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's hands stopped midair as he prepared his seals, and he looked at Shuofang Si.

Thinking about what he was about to do, Shuofang Si felt his thrill-seeking heart pound wildly, as though it would leap out of his chest.

Time to gamble!

He had watched Naruto and knew that the Second possessed a method of breaking free from the Impure World Reincarnation's control. He had just noticed that Orochimaru was preparing the release seal.

There's no way Tobirama Senju missed that. He's removed Hiruzen Sarutobi from office, so the village now lacks someone to take charge. What choice would a clever man like him make?

Changing the storyline so the Third survives and Orochimaru's arms aren't sealed has already earned me an A-rank side plot.

What if I can take it a step further?

At those words, Orochimaru slowly turned around, a flicker of surprise and amused interest passing through his snake-like eyes.

But a second later...

"You think you have any right to mock him? You're both cut from the same cloth. A rotten teacher breeds a rotten student, you deranged monster."

Pointing at Orochimaru, Shuofang Si brazenly picked a fight!