Some things do not need to be explicitly stated.
Especially when intending to frame someone.
By uttering some ambiguous phrases, others are left to speculate on their own.
Orochimaru, upon hearing Akihara Kagura's words, understood that this person aimed to frame the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, in front of the two Hokages. Instinctively, he went along with it.
Orochimaru has always known he is not a noble person.
However, the level of Akihara Kagura's depravity far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations; it never crossed his mind that Kagura could be so vile as to deceive even the emotions of the deceased.
Although Orochimaru himself had also deceived the deceased, he considered his actions of taking advantage of situations somewhat more honorable.
Nevertheless...
This situation also benefited him.
"How interesting..."
Orochimaru did not mind continuing the topic with Akihara Kagura and even took the initiative to add, "Both the former and current advisors to the Hokage of Konoha know the answer, but you refuse to believe and cannot change anything, right?"
"An organization will always have its dark sides."
"However, when the source of the darkness comes from the highest level of the organization, it signifies a collapse of will. You will find that these shadows cannot be erased; you either choose to leave the darkness or merge with it—there are no other choices..."
As Orochimaru spoke these philosophical words, he began to subtly slander his own teacher, saying, "But you shouldn't blame him. For the sake of Konoha, any cost is justifiable—even if it involves dabbling in darkness. Perhaps I disdained his methods and left Konoha early, but I must admire the sacrifices he made for Konoha…"
"What are you talking about..."
Hashirama was still unclear about the situation.
However, Tobirama had already grasped the context; from the ambiguous exchange between Orochimaru and Akihara Kagura, he approximately understood that his disciple, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was involved in some issues.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, now sixty-nine years old, still held the position of the Third Hokage, wielding power during a period when he did some dark and dirty deeds for Konoha.
However...
How did Sarutobi Hiruzen manage to hold power for so long?
As Tobirama recalled handing over the position of Hokage to his disciple when he was thirty, he hadn't expected that this disciple had been leading Konoha for nearly forty years now...
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had held the position of Hokage for nearly forty years, certainly wasn't all noble. Lacking the power of the First Hokage, he must have committed dark deeds for the sake of Konoha, which was to be expected...
Only...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions had gone too far, forcing Shimura Danzo to defect, and even planning to frame and kill this young man named Akihara Kagura...
As Tobirama sensed the burst of chakra from Akihara Kagura, he quickly understood why Sarutobi Hiruzen acted this way. The young man's strength was a threat to Sarutobi Hiruzen's power, or perhaps he was dissatisfied with the dark deeds committed by Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Young man!"
Tobirama looked at Akihara Kagura and asked sternly, "First tell me, what has the Monkey been doing all these years? What is the current situation in Konoha?"
"Huh? What about the Monkey?"
Hashirama, curious, turned his head, the First Hokage not yet realizing: "Why suddenly bring up the matter of the little monkey?"
"Big brother, shut up!"
Tobirama quickly silenced his elder brother to avoid ruining the image of the First Hokage in the eyes of future generations of Konoha, as it wouldn't do for everyone in Konoha to know that the founder of Konoha was politically naive.
"You first."
Tobirama turned to Akihara Kagura again, continuing to inquire, "Tell me everything exactly as it is, I can help you sort this out..."
"This..."
Akihara Kagura hesitated, glanced at Tobirama, and whispered, "I only know one thing, the Third Hokage personally annihilated the Uchiha clan, using the cells of the First and the Uchiha's Sharingan to create dual Kekkei Genkai ninjas. This was discovered by us and Shimura Danzo. The Third Hokage then put all the blame on Shimura Danzo, the previous Hokage's advisor, forcing him to leave Konoha…"
"What!"
Hashirama's face turned pale with shock, in disbelief: "The Uchiha clan was annihilated? Weren't they allies of the village?"
"Big brother, shut up!"
Tobirama also looked displeased as he knew about the annihilation of the Uchiha clan when he met Team 7, and was somewhat prepared for this: "The Monkey indeed went too far with this matter…"
If it were Tobirama in that position, he might also use the Sharingan for human experiments, though perhaps more covertly.
"This is going too far!"
Hashirama was displeased that his brother wanted to downplay the situation. He truly wanted to protect everyone in the village: "Tobirama, Konoha was founded together with the Uchiha, and under no circumstances should we harm our comrades..."
"It's not his fault."
Orochimaru smiled, his understanding of Konoha's political situation clearer than anyone else's, as he continued to play the role of the Third Hokage's dirty hand: "By the orders of the Second Hokage, the Uchiha clan has always been isolated from the village, never truly integrated..."
"Tobirama!"
Hashirama glared at his brother!
"The Uchiha clan is dangerous..."
Tobirama ignored these comments, having his own reasons: "I'm just finding suitable positions, and preventing the emergence of dangerous individuals like Madara..."
"But..."
Akihara Kagura glanced at Tobirama, whispering: "The real reason behind the Uchiha clan's downfall was that they helped the Third Hokage eliminate the Fourth Hokage. The Third Hokage, fearing the Uchiha might reveal this, destroyed them to eliminate the evidence..."
Everyone present turned their gaze toward Akihara Kagura!
The "dirty water" Akihara Kagura threw not only shocked both Hashirama and Tobirama but even surprised Orochimaru!
No...
Kagura...
Is there too much "dirt" in this dirty water?
Orochimaru never denied his deceitful ways, but at that moment, he considered himself to be noble.
However...
Orochimaru quickly understood the essence of the matter, chuckled, and threw dirt on his own teacher: "I didn't expect you to have figured this out too. No wonder the teacher sent me to deal with you..."
"Teacher?"
Tobirama frowned at Orochimaru, asking sternly: "You were the Monkey's student? What exactly did you do for the Monkey? What really happened with Konoha's Fourth Hokage? And what role did the Uchiha clan play?"
"I am the teacher's disciple, what else could I do for him?"
Orochimaru smiled, continuing along the lines provided by Akihara Kagura: "The teacher indeed took three disciples, and I didn't deceive the First Hokage. Tsunade is indeed my friend, but she is the descendant of the First Hokage, most suitable for succeeding as the Hokage. Unfortunately, the teacher didn't agree with Tsunade's ideas and had her leave Konoha early..."
"Little Tsuna..."
Hashirama thought of his beloved granddaughter.
"Jiraiya has always been helping the teacher find obedient successors to prevent the village from harboring complaints about his long tenure; I, the less accomplished disciple, could only do the dirty work for the teacher..."
At this point, Orochimaru looked at Akihara Kagura: "Since you and Danzo have already uncovered the truth, it seems pointless to keep hiding it..."
"Before becoming the Fourth Hokage, he indeed seemed obedient, but after he took office, he wanted to change the teacher's policies. The teacher could only secretly entice an Uchiha who had activated the Mangekyō Sharingan, claiming he would allow that Uchiha to become the Hokage. That Uchiha then unleashed the Nine-Tails in the village, creating chaos and killing the Fourth Hokage, finally managing to regain control without too much trouble..."
Akihara Kagura's expression showed unease, realizing how despicable Orochimaru was, turning the provided information into a complete narrative.
"Clearly."
Orochimaru spread his hands, his expression turning gloomy: "The Uchiha clan's ambition must not be left unchecked; daring to kill the Fourth Hokage for power, they could also threaten the safety of Konoha..."
Orochimaru continued, looking at Akihara Kagura: "It just so happens that Danzo reported to the teacher that the Wood Release experiments on you were successful. After you grew up, the teacher used your power to destroy the Uchiha. Unexpectedly, some of the Uchiha survivors told Danzo the truth..."
"For Konoha, this was a necessary sacrifice..."
Orochimaru grinned and continued: "The teacher originally wanted to kill Danzo, but considering he was an old friend, he let him off. But Danzo wasn't obedient, telling you these things..."
"There was no choice."
"I'm just a student helping the teacher with troubles."
Orochimaru concluded, following Akihara Kagura's lead: "Since there appeared a threat to Konoha, it must be dealt with. I had already overestimated you, even going so far as to revive two Hokages through the Edo Tensei. But we never expected you to be so powerful..."
"Is it really like this?"
Akihara Kagura stared at Orochimaru with shock in his eyes, seemingly still unwilling to believe: "I always thought Lord Danzo was deceiving me..."
"How did that little monkey turn out like this?"
Hashirama frowned, his face filled with unease.
"..."
Tobirama was also shocked, but as a politician, he quite understood his disciple's actions, although he found them hard to accept.
How dare the monkey!
Controlling and destroying the Uchiha was one thing!
How dare he use the Uchiha to kill another Hokage in the village and even force the village's more talented prodigies to defect!
A Hokage who had been in charge of Konoha for nearly forty years, nearly seventy years old and not properly nurturing a successor, how could he still be obsessed with the power of the Hokage? Over the years, haven't there been many talented individuals in Konoha who could make you give up a genius comparable to your older brother?
"Even if you know the truth, what can you do about it?"
Orochimaru looked at Akihara Kagura and continued with a light laugh, "Can it really change the outcome of the story? All the ninjas in the village will only choose to support my teacher..."
"..."
Akihara Kagura silently lowered his shoulders.
"Leave Konoha, Kagura."
Orochimaru licked his lips and actively persuaded, "As long as you leave Konoha and do not reveal all the secrets, my teacher will no longer want to kill you, because there is no one in the village stronger than you. Perhaps you could also protect Konoha from the shadows like me..."
"This is not Konoha!"
Hashirama's eyebrows were tightly knitted, and his expression was furious as he tried to break free from the vines' bindings, even wanting his will to break free from Orochimaru's control!
Hashirama recalled the words he had said to Uchiha Madara, looking towards the somewhat dispirited Akihara Kagura, and said solemnly, "If someone endangers the existence of Konoha, no matter who it is, even if he is the Hokage... he must be eliminated!"
"..."
Tobirama sighed complexly and also looked towards Akihara Kagura, "Kid, big brother is right, what you need to do now is eliminate the threats to Konoha. The monkey's existence has become a cancer to Konoha..."
Although Tobirama thought Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions were political maneuvers, all interests should prioritize Konoha over his power.
This young man named Akihara Kagura is a unique genius and the foundation for Konoha to continue dominating the ninja world for decades to come. How could such a talent be forced to defect and even plot to assassinate this genius with his disciple!
"..."
Akihara Kagura hung his head, still somewhat confused.
Because Akihara Kagura was seriously pondering a question, can a dead person still issue commands?
[System Prompt]: [New work assignment (Hashirama), to kill any threat to Konoha at all costs, eliminate the cancer of Konoha, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.]
[System Prompt]: [New work assignment (Tobirama), to resolve at any cost, the cancer of Konoha, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.]
"Kid, kill this guy named Orochimaru first..."
Tobirama seemed to understand Akihara Kagura's question, actively proposing a solution: "Even if the caster is dead, as long as the Edo Tensei is not dispelled, the resurrected can still act freely. Take me and big brother to Konoha to see the monkey, I'll help you solve the monkey problem..."
"..."
Akihara Kagura suddenly raised his head, a glint appearing in his eyes.
"Can you not kill me?"
Orochimaru laughed lightly, taking the initiative to say, "Actually, I'm also worried that my teacher wants to get rid of me as an informant, since I've done quite a bit of dirty work for him..."
At this point, Orochimaru seemed to be adding, as if to remind, "Kagura-kun, don't forget, Shimura Danzo is in my hands, only I know where Danzo is."
"You took Lord Danzo away!"
Akihara Kagura clenched his fists in anger!
"Correct."
Orochimaru saw that Akihara Kagura was still performing soberly and began to smile again: "Who made him think that I was also a rogue ninja expelled from Konoha by our teacher? He thought I had evidence against our teacher in my hands and wanted to meet me. My status as a rogue ninja indeed helped attract many enemies for the teacher and solved numerous problems effortlessly. I easily captured him…"
~~~
New FanFic: Killing Makes You Stronger
Please check it out!
Patreon.com/Bleam
— 70 Advance Chapters!
Get 2 Sponsored Chapters "Every Month" for every person who joins the "Special Jonin•Bleam" Membership!