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In the dark and narrow corridor,
"Pitter-patter!" "Pitter-patter!"
The sound of measured footsteps echoed slowly.
Sōsuke's tall figure appeared in this place, his face wearing a slight smile. He reached the end of the corridor, where two oil lamps hung at the door of a room.
"Creak"
He gently pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside.
He observed the expressionless middle-aged man in the room and said softly, "It's been a long time, teacher."
As if he had anticipated Sōsuke's arrival, Danzo's eyes were half-closed, and he watched him with a complex gaze, his voice hoarse, "Sōsuke, congratulations on coming back alive from the Sand Village."
Sōsuke, detecting the dissatisfaction in Danzo's tone, explained lightly, "I was careless and underestimated the strength of the Sand Village. I almost lost my life there, which is truly shameful."
Seeing Sōsuke's submissive attitude, Danzo's initial urge to scold him slowly faded, and he rasped, "Well, it's good that you're back anyway."
He continued, his gaze deepening, "This was a blessing in disguise for you. After this battle, even Sarutobi appreciates you more. After so many years together, I understand his thoughts. It seems he also intends to designate you as the Fourth Hokage."
A glint of sharpness passed through his murky eyes as he spoke solemnly, "Moreover, your obstacles have mostly been eliminated. Whether it's Uchiha Shino, Namikaze Minato, or even the Kato Dan, none of them can compete with you anymore."
Hearing Danzo's words, Sōsuke pretended to ponder and nodded slightly.
Danzo glanced at him and said sternly, "Remember, Sōsuke, do not harbor a heart of mercy! It is fate that you become the Hokage. Heaven has cleared the obstacles for you, and the incapable will ultimately fail to fulfill the Hokage's mission to the fullest, just like the Third…"
Danzo stopped, his eyes narrowing with what seemed to be a spark of anger.
Seeing this, Sōsuke spoke softly, "I understand, teacher. I will do my best to strive for the position of the Fourth Hokage."
Hearing Sōsuke's words, Danzo nodded slightly and said slowly, "You've just recovered, so go back and rest early. As for the Hokage matter, now that we've come this far, as your teacher, I will do my best to help you."
Respectfully responding, Sōsuke slowly left.
Danzo sat in his chair, watching Sōsuke's departing figure, his gaze becoming increasingly sinister.
"An excellent disciple indeed," he thought.
Meanwhile, Sōsuke walked down the corridor with a barely noticeable smile on his lips.
"The position of Hokage... is just that, teacher. Your vision is too narrow."
At the same time,
Within the Fire Country,
In the lush, dense forest, bright sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled shadows.
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"
Three shadows flashed swiftly across thick tree trunks.
"Wait a second!"
A slightly hoarse voice suddenly rang out in the forest.
A figure with short white hair suddenly stopped on a tree trunk, as if struck by lightning, standing motionless as if recalling something.
"What's wrong, Sakumo!?" Jiraiya and Tsunade stopped quickly and turned to look at him, puzzled.
Sakumo lowered his head, his face showing disbelief, and his expression became slightly vacant.
He slowly looked up, his gaze fixed on Tsunade, his voice trembling slightly, "Tsunade, when we were in the Sand Village, did Sōsuke arrive at the battlefield before you?"
Hearing Sakumo's question, Tsunade paused slightly. Although puzzled by his question, she thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Yes, Sōsuke was the first to arrive at the battlefield. Orochimaru, Captain Fugaku, and I arrived later. Is there a problem, Sakumo?"
Jiraiya also wore a puzzled expression, not understanding what the problem was.
Hearing Tsunade's response, Sakumo's complexion suddenly turned deathly pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead almost instantly.
"Whoosh,"
A gentle breeze passed by, brushing against everyone's bodies. However, despite being in the warm breeze, Sakumo felt only a terrifying chill spreading throughout his body.
"The village will regard it as your personal initiative, even blaming the deaths of your squad members on your unilateral actions. Do you understand, Sakumo? You need to bear this stigma for the village," he remembered Sōsuke's words to him, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Sōsuke knew everything at that time!!
That meant the one who informed me about the infiltration operation was indeed Sōsuke, who arrived at the battlefield.
Could it be that all of this was planned by Sōsuke?
Sakumo dared not think further. In that moment, he suddenly realized that his familiar comrade had become so unfamiliar, and his once warm smile now seemed chillingly cold.
He looked at Jiraiya and Tsunade, who were watching him anxiously, and said hoarsely with a pale face, "I'm sorry, I previously missed a very important piece of information."
Hearing his words, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were filled with confusion and focused intently, curious about what information could make Sakumo change so drastically.
"The Sōsuke we know, perhaps he knows all the truth," Sakumo said. "Because it was he who informed me about the so-called order from the village."
Tsunade quickly interjected, "Didn't you say someone impersonated the three of us to assign you that mission?"
Hearing Tsunade's words, Sakumo's face turned pale, his lips curling into a bitter smile, "But it was Sōsuke who first arrived at the battlefield and mentioned the mission to me."
He then recounted in detail to Jiraiya and Tsunade the events that had transpired at that time.
Hearing his story, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
"How could Sōsuke possibly do such a thing? There must be some misunderstanding," Tsunade murmured, her face turning pale.
Jiraiya's expression was also very grim, struggling to accept Sakumo's statement. However, he remained rational, not outright denying it, and said solemnly, "We need to return to the village as soon as possible. Once we see Sōsuke again, everything will become clear!"
Hearing his words, Sakumo nodded, his eyes carrying a hint of coldness.
No matter who it is,
I will make sure you pay for your actions.