"Will Sarutobi Hiruzen raise the Fourth's orphan like a trained puppy?"
Aozora's sharp question exploded like thunder above everyone's heads, shaking their composure.
Raising the Fourth's orphan like a dog?
Gasps filled the room—
Indeed, making the Fourth's orphan live in the slums, letting him starve, spreading rumors about him, and then acting as a savior to offer food—wasn't this exactly how one would train a puppy?
Jiraiya was now overwhelmed with confusion and regret. Looking at Hiruzen, he begged, "Old man, Uchiha Aozora is lying, right? You wouldn't really treat Minato—the Fourth Hokage's child—like that, would you?"
Hiruzen hurriedly replied, "I didn't… I'm not…"
Aozora scanned the room before speaking, "The Fourth's orphan is still in the village. One inquiry will confirm it all!"
Within moments, many of the high-ranking officials seated in the room stood up. Aozora had the feeling of witnessing the saying, "When a war hero's child lives in squalor, warriors rise to action."
Torifu glanced at those who stood and said, "Kosuke, please accompany Jiraiya, Shibi, and Kakashi to bring back the Fourth's child."
A large number of jonin mobilizing together would inevitably cause chaos.
Even worse, the villagers outside hadn't yet dispersed. Who knew what kind of rumors such a scene would trigger!
As soon as Kosuke nodded, he immediately led the anxious Jiraiya and others out of the meeting room.
With four people going to fetch Naruto, the conference hall briefly fell into silence.
Some closed their eyes in meditation, some exchanged glances, and others shot disgusted, disappointed looks at the Third.
Detecting these gazes from the crowd, Hiruzen felt deep regret within his heart.
Looking at the meditating Aozora, he clenched his fists, surging with chakra through his body.
However, seeing Fugaku Uchiha and Shisui watching him intently, he weakly loosened his grip again.
He barely had the confidence to take on Fugaku alone, let alone both him and Shisui. Worse still, the current officials gathered here weren't mere bystanders.
If he dared to make a move, the next moment would see a backlash from every single high-level leader in Konoha.
Even the Sarutobi clan's ninja wouldn't dare support him under these circumstances.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado fell silent too, their eyes losing their usual shine.
Before, they had still hoped that after Hiruzen retired, they could serve together with him as advisory elders once more, steering Konoha's direction.
But now, with the Third implicated in numerous crimes, the downfall of the Sarutobi name was irreversible. Whether he could retire smoothly remained uncertain.
Furthermore, if the Third faced consequences for his actions, the two of them would also be implicated. Their chances of continuing as advisory elders were now questionable.
Then, where would Koharu and Homura go from here?
Many other high-ranking officials present were also contemplating their futures.
Aozora wouldn't speak recklessly during a high-level meeting. There must have been severe mistreatment against the Fourth's child.
The Third was already beyond saving, but what about Jiraiya?
How could someone who couldn't even protect his own apprentice's child be trusted with the Hokage seat?
At this point, it was already clear to everyone who would take the Hokage title next.
Under Fugaku's leadership in Konoha, how could he ever hope to show his true potential? This was a matter worth considering.
Kosuke and the others were quick, but out of consideration for Naruto's pace, the people in the meeting room had waited a long time.
When the meeting room doors opened, everyone immediately saw Naruto—his golden short hair, the cat-like whiskers on his face.
For the first time being stared at by so many ninja, Naruto took a few steps back, glancing around curiously.
Feeling no danger, he soon bravely walked forward, greeting everyone with a smile.
Seeing Naruto's smile, everyone couldn't help but recall the shining Fourth Generation, waving back at him accordingly.
Receiving such kindness for the first time in his life, Naruto smiled even more brightly.
Kosuke had already returned to his seat. He remarked indifferently, "There's no need to ask anymore."
Torifu also nodded. If Kosuke had found Naruto at Stone Apartment Complex, then what else was there to question?
Torifu glanced around and said, "Choza, why don't you take Naruto to play over there?"
It wasn't a random choice. Choji was about the same age as Naruto, and Choza had plenty of experience taking care of children.
More importantly, Choza carried lots of snacks and had a gentle personality, making him very popular among kids.
Upon hearing this, Choza immediately walked over to Naruto and started pulling out all sorts of snacks from his sleeves, quickly leading him away from the meeting room.
Once Naruto left, the warmth in everyone's smiles melted away. They all angrily stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting at the front.
Many even activated the chakra within their bodies, bracing themselves in case The Third suddenly tried to defect from the village.
In the ensuing silence, Aozora sneered and asked, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened upon hearing this. With Aozora's words, whatever he said afterward would inevitably lose its impact.
Still, he explained, "I did it merely for Konoha! Naruto Uzumaki has the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, making him an essential warrior for Konoha's future.
Good living conditions can only weaken his willpower and waste Naruto Uzumaki's talent."
Aozora scoffed coldly and asked, "Then why didn't you throw Nobusuke and Asuma into the slums back then?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated upon hearing this, mumbling a few words before finally remaining silent, exhaling deeply instead.
As he exhaled, his figure visibly hunched, the age spots on his face and the heavy dark circles beneath his eyes becoming especially noticeable, momentarily appearing decades older.
The higher-ups present shook their heads upon witnessing this scene.
Indeed, hardships could temper one's spirit, but using it as justification for how he treated the orphaned son of the Fourth was simply too far-fetched.
It was at this moment that the full weight of blame for mistreating the orphaned hero fell unmistakably onto Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The ordinary ninja who were just passively observing in the meeting room couldn't help but look toward the Elders and Clan Leaders in front, wanting to know how they would deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
However, Torifu and the others inside the meeting room fell silent, all of them facing a difficult decision.
How should they handle Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Nowadays, since Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer Hokage, naturally, they could imprison, torture, or even execute him if necessary.
Yet regardless, Hiruzen Sarutobi had once been Hokage.
Not to mention his great contributions to Konoha, even for the sake of the village's reputation alone, the Third Hokage could not be publicly executed on serious charges—the image of his face still hung high upon the Hokage Rock.
Yet the Third Hokage had indeed committed too many grave crimes. If they didn't impose severe punishment, the order of Konoha would completely collapse.
After racking his brain for quite some time, Torifu still hadn't come up with a better plan.
Glancing upward, he noticed Aozora's calm expression and sharp gaze, and suddenly asked, "Aozora, what's your opinion?"
What do I think? I'm just watching!
Though this was exactly what Torifu secretly thought in his heart, he hadn't voiced it outright. He had already planned out Hiruzen Sarutobi's fate long ago.
He carefully observed Hiruzen Sarutobi seated solemnly in the Hokage's seat for quite some time before slowly speaking, "Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns eternally. That flame shall continue to illuminate our village and nurture new life among the trees.
The First gave his life to protect Konoha from Madara Uchiha, while the Second sacrificed himself to preserve Konoha's legacy.
Now, I believe it's time for the Third to fulfill the Will of Fire!"
At first, hearing the familiar phrase from the Third, everyone was confused why Torifu had brought up the Will of Fire.
But once they fully understood what he meant, everyone got the point behind Torifu's words.
Indeed, the best option now was for the Third to commit suicide as atonement for his misdeeds.
Although everyone agreed with Torifu's idea, they still shivered slightly at the thought of him using the Will of Fire itself to pressure the Third into taking his own life.
Now that's a killer move—it hits both the body *and* the soul!
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