"Stay here. Don't leave even half a step without my order."
The voice of Senju Chen echoed in the empty cave, without any emotion. In front of him, hundreds of White Zetsu were like domesticated quails, nodding their heads in unison, not even daring to breathe.
Senju Chen glanced at them, thinking in his mind. Although these guys are not very smart, they are better at being obedient, large in number, and practical in ability.
Senju Chen pointed at White Zetsu, who was the noisiest before but now shrank at the front, "You are responsible for managing them for the time being. If there is any abnormality or outsiders break in, you know what to do."
The named White Zetsu, that is, the living treasure who followed Obito in the original work, was stunned for a moment, and then he puffed up his chest in ecstasy and responded loudly in a funny tone, "Yes! New... New Lord! I promise to complete the mission! I will protect this place like my own eyeballs!"
Senju Chen didn't bother to correct his title and just nodded lightly.
He took one last look at the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path that he had initially surrendered to.
Lord Madara ah Lord Madara, the property you have worked hard to save for decades, the team you raised from hell, and this ultimate weapon that can shake the world, are all mine now.
The sky is slowly getting brighter.
When Senju Chen appeared again, the person was already on top of High Tower in Konoha.
The morning sun should have been warm and full of hope, but at this moment it was like a cold filter, illuminating the devastated village overnight even more desolately.
Rows of houses were replaced by broken walls, and charred wooden beams lay scattered on the ground, still emitting wisps of smoke. The streets were covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and huge potholes could be seen everywhere. The air was filled with dust, burnt water, and the faint smell of blood, which mixed together to form a disgusting smell.
The figures of medical ninjas shuttled among the ruins, and the cries of civilians, the shouts of ninjas, and the screams of children intertwined into a sad morning song.
Senju Chen quietly overlooked all this.
The old order has been smashed to pieces, and the balance of power will inevitably shake violently. For people at the bottom, this is a disaster, but for some people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
At this moment, a Anbu Ninja Body Flicker Technique appeared behind him and knelt on one knee.
"Lord Chen, Hokage building, Lord Third and the elders please come over."
"Got it."
Senju Chen responded, and the figure disappeared again.
Hokage building, top floor conference room.
When Senju Chen pushed the door open, an almost solid sense of depression hit his face.
Beside the long table, sat several people from the core of Konoha's power.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting on the main seat. The old man who had just resigned from his post as Hokage seemed to have aged ten years again overnight. He was dressed in black mourning clothes, with ravines on his face and sunken eye sockets, full of inexorable sadness and exhaustion.
His wife Biwako Sarutobi also died in the attack last night.
On the left hand side of Hiruzen Sarutobi are Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. These two consultant elders remained expressionless as always, like two lifeless stone sculptures. Only their furrowed brows and the glances they exchanged from time to time revealed their inner anxiety and uneasiness.
Sitting on the right side of Hiruzen Sarutobi is Shimura Danzō.
This old guy sat upright, with half of his bandaged face hidden in the shadows, showing no emotion. But his exposed single eye shone with a sharp light that was almost greedy. Senju Chen could even feel that there was a turbulent atmosphere called "ambition" floating in the air around him.
Tsk, old guy, your saliva is almost drooling.
Senju Chen sneered in his heart. Minato Namikaze's death was a bolt from the blue to others, but to Danzo, it was probably a pie in the sky with a gold rim.
And at the end of the long table, there was another person sitting - Shikaku Nara.
The "brain" of Konoha is also frowning at this moment. But Senju Chen knows that this guy's brain at this moment is probably running faster than Nine-Tails's tail.
Senju Chen's entry broke the dead silence in the room.
Everyone's eyes were focused on him.
"Little Chen, you're here." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was hoarse and dry.
Senju Chen pulled out a chair next to Shikaku Nara, sat down on his own, and calmly replied, "Lord Third, my condolences."
Four simple words, no emotion can be heard.
Utatane Koharu cleared her throat and said in her unique, old-fashioned and sharp voice. "Since everyone is here, let's continue. The preliminary statistics of last night's damage report have been released."
She picked up a document and read according to the script, "Due to Nine-Tails Demon Fox's rampage, more than 40% of the buildings in the village were damaged, with the central area being the most severely damaged. Ninja casualties...Jonin seven, Chunin thirty-four, Genin..."
She paused, with a hint of imperceptible confusion in her tone.
"The number of civilian casualties is far lower than we expected. According to the reports of Konoha Military Police Force and each squad, this is mainly due to... Uchiha Clan organized large-scale and efficient rescue and evacuation operations at the first time."
"Uchiha Clan?" Mitokado Homura frowned and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Hiruzen, Konoha Military Police Force's mission is not to patrol the periphery to prevent foreign enemy invasion? Why do they appear in the center of the village in an organized manner? And the reaction speed... is even faster than Anbu?"
This question was like a pebble thrown into the stagnant conference room.
Everyone's eyes subconsciously glanced at Senju Chen.
Senju Chen seemed not to feel it. He picked up the tea cup on the table and blew the hot air gently.
A cold light flashed through Danzo's single eye. Uchiha Clan stole the spotlight this time, which is not good news for him. The "Uchiha threat theory" he has been promoting will pale in comparison to the grateful word-of-mouth from the villagers last night.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was even more complicated. He was thankful that the village had reduced its losses, but he was also deeply afraid of the Uchiha Clan's extraordinary organizational and execution capabilities.
It's like... they already knew what was going to happen.
"Ahem" Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed and forcibly brought the topic back, "We will investigate this matter in detail later. The most critical things now are three things. First, find the murderer who invaded the village, released and controlled Nine-Tails. Second, appease the villagers and follow-up work."
His voice deepened, "Thirdly, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, died heroically in order to protect the village. Konoha, we cannot live without a master for a day. Hokage Position, our successor must be decided as soon as possible."
Coming.
Senju Chen took a sip of tea and glanced at Danzo from the corner of his eye.
I saw that the old guy's back, which had always been straight, was now a little straighter.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo's voice was low and powerful, full of unquestionable determination, "These are extraordinary times! The village has been hit hard, people are panicked, and there are more powerful enemies outside. At this moment, Konoha needs an experienced and tough leader to stabilize the situation and revive Konoha!"
He didn't directly say that he wanted to be Hokage, but the meaning behind his words couldn't be more obvious.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked at each other and saw hesitation in each other's eyes. In terms of qualifications and means, Danzo is indeed the most "suitable" candidate at the moment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent, tapping his fingers on the table unconsciously. Of course he didn't want Danzo to take over. This old classmate's behavior style was too extreme. Once he was given the power, Konoha didn't know where he would lead him.
But in the village, besides Danzo, who else is currently qualified? I have only stepped down for a year, so I can't take over by myself...