Hiruzen knew Orochimaru was finished. Over the past weeks, there had been a string of disappearances in the village—everyone from infants to seasoned shinobi.
Despite extensive efforts, no one had managed to uncover the perpetrator. The villagers' anger had been simmering for far too long, and now it was ready to boil over. They needed someone to blame, and this time, even Hiruzen could only follow the protocols of Konoha to deal with the situation.
Orochimaru had been apprehended by the Police Force, the branch responsible for maintaining law and order in the village. Not even the Hokage could interfere with their jurisdiction.
Just then, a knock at the outer door interrupted his thoughts. A member of the Anbu stepped inside, bowing respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, troubling rumors have been circulating throughout the village. I came to inform you."
Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
The Uchiha Clan must have been prepared for this. They had clearly been aware of Orochimaru's experiments for a while.
"Come in," he said with a heavy voice.
As the Anbu entered, Hiruzen asked directly, "What sort of rumors?"
The Anbu knelt and reported, "The villagers are saying that Orochimaru-sama kidnapped villagers for human experiments. Many believe the missing persons cases are tied to him."
Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively. "I see. You may leave."
The Anbu departed, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts. Just as the Uchiha had anticipated, the allegations had spread like wildfire.
The streets were already packed with villagers by the time Orochimaru, shackled and under heavy guard, was brought back to the village's central district. Whispers filled the air, building into a cacophony of suspicion and disbelief.
"Could it really be true? Orochimaru-sama, kidnapping villagers for experiments? Surely the Police Force wouldn't make such a mistake!"
"As much as I dislike their attitudes, the Police Force has never been wrong about serious matters. The Sharingan makes it nearly impossible to deceive them during interrogation."
"But this is Orochimaru we're talking about! He's one of the Sannin and the Hokage's prized student! He was even a candidate for the Hokage seat!"
"There's no denying it now. He's been caught red-handed!"
"You don't think the Police Force could be mistaken, do you? They can't be infallible!"
The murmurs soon turned into heated debates, as the villagers struggled to reconcile the accusations with Orochimaru's esteemed reputation.
Despite his questionable public image, Orochimaru's achievements had long earned the villagers' admiration. For many, it was unthinkable that someone of his stature would stoop to such atrocities.
Suddenly, a bold voice rose from the crowd. "Hey! You in the Police Force! Is it true? Did Orochimaru-sama really abduct villagers for experiments? And where is this supposed lab of his?"
The speaker was no random villager; they were planted by the Uchiha to stir the pot further.
Trailing the group, Uchiha Tekka smirked at the question and loudly replied, "If you're so curious, why not check Training Ground 42 for yourselves? That's all I can say."
Another voice retorted in frustration, "Training Ground 42? That area spans ten kilometers! How are we supposed to find anything?"
Tekka shrugged nonchalantly. "Finding it is your problem, not ours. The Police Force doesn't have time to play tour guide. If you can't locate it, you'll just have to wait for the news to spread."
His smug tone infuriated the crowd.
"Hah! As if we can't find it ourselves! It's just a training ground—how hard can it be?"
"Exactly! Let's go! We'll prove those arrogant officers wrong!"
Driven by a mix of indignation and curiosity, the villagers surged toward Training Ground 42.
By the time Orochimaru's captors arrived at the Hokage Building, the streets were abuzz with the news. In under an hour, nearly everyone in Konoha knew of his alleged crimes. Meanwhile, shinobi and civilians alike discovered the hidden lab beneath Training Ground 42.
The evidence was undeniable, and any doubts about the Police Force's findings evaporated. Outrage replaced skepticism as the village turned its ire solely on Orochimaru.
Crowds gathered around the Hokage Building, filling the surrounding streets. The sheer number of people underscored the enormity of Orochimaru's betrayal.
At the Building's upper window, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the masses with a mix of anger and helplessness. He knew the Uchiha Clan wasn't just targeting Orochimaru, they had broader ambitions.
Orochimaru's close ties to Danzo made it hard to believe the latter wasn't involved.
"That damn fool," Hiruzen muttered under his breath. "He's done nothing but cause trouble. To think he'd resort to using villagers as test subjects!"
If only the missing villagers weren't involved, the Uchiha would've had no pretext to exploit this situation. But now, with the public enraged, even the Hokage couldn't act outside the rules of Konoha.
Fugaku and Akira marched into the Hokage Building, still escorting Orochimaru.
At the entrance, Hiruzen stood clad in his ceremonial Hokage robes, attempting to calm the angry crowd.
"People of Konoha, please! I promise you, this matter will be handled with the utmost seriousness. But before we can proceed, I must confer with the Police Force and conduct a formal interrogation. Rest assured, justice will prevail, and we will not tolerate harm to our own!"
Hiruzen's words, bolstered by his long-standing reputation, quelled the crowd slightly. The murmurs quieted as they waited for further updates.
Turning to Fugaku and Akira, Hiruzen said, "I'm aware of the situation. Let's discuss this upstairs. Orochimaru will be detained in the Police Force's prison pending a full investigation. Once we've gathered all the evidence, his punishment will be decided."
Fugaku stepped forward and declared loudly, "Hokage-sama, there is still an accomplice at large. However, this individual's identity is sensitive. We'll need your authorization to apprehend them!"
His words sparked renewed murmuring among the crowd. Speculation and questions rippled through the masses as tension continued to rise.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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