Chapter 97: The Hokage’s Glory
"You two…" Jiraiya looked in shock at the two young Konoha shinobi standing before him.
"What are you doing? Don't you see that the Hokage is in danger?"
"We see it clearly, Lord Jiraiya. But let's put it this way: the Hokage is supposed to be one of the strongest shinobi in the village, right? He exists to protect the village.
If the Hokage is under threat and needs protection, then who's going to protect the thousands of Konoha villagers under threat?"
"..." Jiraiya opened his mouth, but he found himself struggling to argue against this logic.
"Are you two betraying Konoha?"
"Betray Konoha? We've fought for Konoha all along. What makes you think we're betraying it?"
"The Hokage is right there, being attacked, and you're just standing here watching. Isn't that a betrayal of Konoha?"
"No, it isn't. At most, it's a betrayal of the Hokage, but not of Konoha. After all, the Hokage is just the guardian of Konoha; he doesn't represent all of Konoha. Isn't that right, Lord Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya hadn't expected Aoba to be so adept with words. Though he himself was skilled at debate, seeing his master, Hiruzen, alone and in peril made his anger rise.
"Behind you is the Third Hokage of Konoha, my teacher. I'll say it one more time: move aside. I'm not going to stand here and watch my teacher die in front of me."
Jiraiya began gathering chakra, ready to fight. These two shinobi were both formidable, and he was prepared to get serious, even if it meant killing them.
But Aoba, as if oblivious to Jiraiya's intent, continued speaking calmly.
"Why not? Is watching your teacher die so unbearable?
Look at Kakashi here—he watched his father die when he was ten.
Naruto Uzumaki saw his parents die on the very day he was born.
Sasuke Uchiha, at eight years old, watched his entire clan die before him.
Neji Hyuga, at seven, saw his father die in front of him.
If these young people—these children—could bear it, then why can't the renowned Toad Sage Jiraiya bear to watch his teacher die?"
Aoba's words pierced Jiraiya's heart like a needle. He could only manage a single word.
"You…"
Jiraiya was furious but couldn't refute what Aoba had said. At that moment, he finally understood why no one was there to help the Hokage.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio, closest to the Hokage, were absent, as were the Hyuga clan, Kakashi, Aoba, and other elite Jonin. The Uchiha… were gone.
Even the Anbu presence was lacking.
All of this pointed to a brutal truth: many in Konoha were waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi to die.
Having been away from the village for so long, Jiraiya couldn't comprehend how things had come to this. But he couldn't argue with Aoba's examples.
The deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife might not have been Hiruzen's fault, but what happened to Naruto afterward certainly was. That wasn't how a Hokage should act.
Then there was the White Fang, Hizashi, and the Uchiha. Thinking it over, Jiraiya realized his teacher had made countless mistakes.
For a moment, Jiraiya couldn't believe that Hiruzen had once been his teacher. He no longer recognized the man he had once respected.
"Aoba, Kakashi. I can't dispute your accusations, but I'm sorry—he is still my teacher. No matter what, I won't stand here and do nothing. Forgive me."
Jiraiya raised his hand to strike.
But before he could, Aoba tossed him a file.
"Before you act, take a look at this, Lord Jiraiya."
Jiraiya caught it and saw it bore the seals of both the Root and Hokage offices.
"What is this…"
His hands trembled as he opened the file, revealing horrific details of human experiments. The test subjects included children from the Konoha orphanage, as well as some of Konoha's own shinobi. Skimming through it, Jiraiya discovered that various clans had been forced to send their young members to Danzo, most of whom had vanished without a trace.
And then, he found the file on the Uchiha.
The document contained a contingency plan for dealing with the Uchiha, with signatures from the Hokage and his advisors. It authorized extreme measures if control over the clan couldn't be maintained.
These were only a fraction of the contents. There was even evidence of Orochimaru's experiments.
Looking through the thick stack of documents, Jiraiya felt his vision darken.
If this information got out, Hiruzen Sarutobi's reputation would be ruined for good.
"What… are you trying to accomplish?" Jiraiya let go of his intent to attack, realizing his opponents had planned everything meticulously, enough to leave him feeling almost defeated.
"It's not what I want, Lord Jiraiya. This is a choice. You can now choose on behalf of Hiruzen.
He can die as a Hokage and a shinobi on the battlefield, or I can reveal all of this and let him lose everything in his old age."
Jiraiya couldn't describe his emotions at that moment. With his strength, there were few places in the ninja world he couldn't go, and few who could challenge him.
But facing Aoba Kamikawa, he didn't even have the courage to act.
He looked up at Hiruzen in the distance.
Hiruzen, aware of what was happening, saw Aoba and Kakashi blocking Jiraiya. He understood everything.
This was his moment of atonement.
From afar, he gave Jiraiya a slight shake of his head, then turned around.
"Orochimaru, don't think you can do whatever you want with these forbidden jutsu that desecrate the dead. Today, I'll show you the meaning of a Hokage."
With the last of his chakra, he split it into three. His two shadow clones seized the reanimated First and Second Hokage, pulling their souls into the belly of the Shinigami.
Hiruzen himself then rushed at Orochimaru, plunging a kunai into his chest. In return, Hiruzen grabbed hold of Orochimaru's arms.
This move completely threw Orochimaru off balance.
The Edo Tensei connection was severed, and he himself was immobilized.
"What is this jutsu?" he asked, horrified.
"Don't think you're the only one who knows forbidden jutsu, Orochimaru. Watch closely, this is the true forbidden jutsu, the Hokage's final glory: Reaper Death Seal!"
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Currently on Chapter 138 - Meeting Orochimaru Again