Chapter 57: The Grass Country's Teacher
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In the shadows, Orochimaru's fingers twitched subtly behind his back. White snakes, as if responding to a silent command, slithered into the underbrush, vanishing from sight.
At that moment, a harsh voice pierced the air. "Sarutobi Hiruzen! Where are my Grass Country ninja?!"
A middle-aged man with wild, unkempt hair stormed angrily towards the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
This man was Homan, the leader of the Grass Country and the mentor of Shigeri and Kusa-nim—two young ninjas who had recently perished in the Forest of Death within Konoha Village.
Homan had visited the scene of their deaths, and the brutality of it had left him enraged.
Pointing an accusatory finger at Hiruzen, Homan demanded, "Third Hokage! I demand an explanation for the deaths of my two disciples in the Forest of Death! The Land of Grass requires answers!"
Hiruzen, calm but firm, replied, "The safety within Konoha is under the jurisdiction of the Uchiha Police Force, not my Anbu. You should speak to Uchiha Fugaku."
Grief clouded Homan's judgment, and he barked, "Fine, I'll go to him!"
However, in his despair, Homan forgot one crucial detail—dealing with the Uchiha, particularly Fugaku, was far from simple.
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In the stands, Uchiha Fugaku watched the ongoing matches. The next fight was between his son Sasuke and the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Gaara.
Beside Fugaku sat Izumi, Itachi's childhood friend. Fugaku was well aware of Izumi's feelings for Itachi, but Itachi's own emotions were a mystery, even to his father.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku felt it was his duty to scrutinize Izumi, knowing that her relationship with Itachi was not close enough to cause concerns about familial ties.
After all, the Uchiha clan had once been vast and strong.
Suddenly, Homan from the Land of Grass barged in, his anger palpable as he confronted Fugaku.
"You! You're the head of the Uchiha clan and captain of the Konoha Police Force! You owe me an explanation! Why did my two disciples die in the Forest of Death? Is this how your police force ensures safety?"
Fugaku's expression darkened as he regarded the man before him with icy disdain. "An explanation? And what exactly do you want explained?" he asked coldly.
Homan, undeterred, replied, "I want to know how my disciples died!"
Fugaku's response was merciless. "The Konoha Police Force has no authority within the Forest of Death. If your disciples were afraid of dying, they shouldn't have become ninjas."
Homan, stunned by the callousness of the reply, stammered, "I just want to know the truth!"
Fugaku's patience had run thin. "It seems you don't understand your position," he sneered.
At that moment, three Uchiha guards clad in green vests appeared, seizing Homan and placing a chakra suppressor on him.
This device, an exclusive acquisition of the Uchiha and the Land of Snow, effectively neutralized Homan's abilities.
Without batting an eye, Fugaku ordered, "I suspect this man is a spy from another village. Take him in for interrogation."
Homan, bewildered, exclaimed, "What?! I'm from the Land of Grass, not Konoha! How can you arrest me without any proof?!"
But Fugaku had already turned his back, uninterested in Homan's protests.
The Land of Grass held no sway over Fugaku, and Homan, a mere Jonin from a minor village, was of no consequence to him.
The Uchiha clan's arrogance within Konoha had grown unchecked.
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From a distance, the Third Hokage observed the scene unfold. Turning to Kazekage Rasa, he asked, "Lord Kazekage, how do you handle a dangerous element in your village that you cannot control?"
Rasa responded without hesitation, "Eliminate it."
"And if you can't defeat it?" Hiruzen pressed.
"Then you obey it," Rasa answered simply.
The Third Hokage fell silent, considering the straightforwardness of Rasa's logic.
With Konoha's current political climate and the support of several influential clans, Hiruzen doubted his ability to contend with the growing power of the Uchiha.
Yet, he was equally unwilling to submit to them.
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Meanwhile, Orochimaru, once a disciple of the Third Hokage and a student of Tobirama, understood the gravity of the situation.
The unrest that the Third Hokage alluded to was centered around the Uchiha clan.
Konoha had always owed the Uchiha a Hokage. Without Madara Uchiha's support, Hashirama Senju would never have pacified the chaos to establish Konoha.
Yet, due to the iron-fisted policies of the Second Hokage, Tobirama, Madara had been forced to leave, and the Uchiha's power had been systematically diminished.
By the time of the Third Hokage, the Uchiha were at their weakest.
Now, however, the Uchiha were growing stronger, largely due to Sasuke. This development worried Hiruzen.
He knew his time as Hokage was limited, and he had two goals left: First, to prevent the Uchiha clan from ever holding the title of Hokage, and second, to weaken their power so that his successor would inherit a stable village, not one on the brink of civil war.
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As the battle between Naruto and Rock Lee commenced, Naruto emerged victorious. After years of training under Jiraiya, Naruto's strength had significantly improved.
However, his victory was not achieved through raw power but through his Shadow Clone and Transformation Techniques.
Rock Lee, pure of heart and spirit, was left bewildered after being tormented by Naruto's relentless clones and transformations for over an hour.
Eventually, exhausted and frustrated, Lee conceded defeat, unable to find a way to counter Naruto's unconventional tactics.
However, due to his commendable performance, Rock Lee was granted a rematch, this time against Neji Hyuga.
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Next up was the much-anticipated match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the Sand. Sasuke gracefully leaped onto the battlefield, facing Gaara with an intense, focused gaze.
As the two prepared to clash, Gaara, perhaps seeing a kindred spirit in Sasuke or recognizing his own limitations, spoke first. "Sasuke, I know I'm not your equal. But I can't bring myself to forfeit, either. I don't know what I might do next... Let's see if you can defeat me... or *it*."
As Gaara finished speaking, he closed his eyes, and soon a faint snoring sound could be heard. To everyone's shock, Gaara had put himself to sleep.
Outside the arena, Kankuro and Temari were stunned. "The Feigning Sleep Technique?! Why is Gaara using his ultimate move right from the start!?"
As Gaara slipped into unconsciousness, a sinister voice echoed from within his body. "Hehehe, I'm finally out again! Boy, are you really willing to sleep? Aren't you afraid that I'll destroy this village?!"
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