132.Save the Bullshit

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Tsunade's anger intensified as she read, the veins on her forehead bulging, her grip on the scroll tightening so much that it was on the verge of tearing.

The overwhelming pressure in the room made Jiraiya, who had wanted to sneak a glance, instinctively move to the window. He swore to himself that if things got even slightly out of hand, he'd bolt immediately.

The Third Hokage also paused, smoking his pipe as he quietly stood by. Both the teacher and student dared not provoke Tsunade in her current state, fearing they might become her targets of frustration.

The Third Hokage might just get scolded, but Jiraiya? He could end up beaten half to death.

"This is truly interesting."

Tsunade took several deep breaths, trying to stabilize her emotions, fearing that she might lose control in the next moment.

"No wonder the ANBU knew nothing. Old man, take a good look for yourself."

'So the ANBU headquarters being attacked is my fault?' Jiraiya thought, relieved that at least it wasn't related to him.

But just as he let out a breath of relief, Tsunade exploded, slamming her hands onto the desk with such force that it shattered into pieces, scattering documents and scrolls everywhere. Splinters flew through the air, and the entire Hokage office building shook twice, startling everyone inside.

The ANBU guards standing at the door didn't dare breathe.

'Why does Tsunade seem scarier every time?' Jiraiya moved back toward the window, ready to escape.

Ignoring Tsunade's outburst, the Third Hokage quickly glanced over the scroll, his old face darkening.

Why were the enemies able to infiltrate Konoha so easily without the ANBU knowing anything? How did they manage to evade ANBU patrols and head straight for the ANBU headquarters?

It's clear now—this was an inside job.

Someone from within the ANBU had personally led the enemies into the village and taken them directly to the headquarters. How could anyone have detected that?

This was no longer just a matter of saving face.

If word got out, the Third Hokage would lose all credibility.

That the Hokage's personal unit had traitors who led the enemy straight into the village's most important facility—no one would believe it, yet it had really happened.

"This is my negligence. I'll handle it," the Third Hokage said.

To enter the ANBU, one must go through rigorous screening and selection by the Hokage himself. The fact that something like this—a collaboration between insiders and the enemy—had occurred was something the Third Hokage had to take full responsibility for.

"Handle it? How?" Tsunade laughed bitterly, still furious. "People have died, and the damage is done. Shouldn't you be reflecting on your own actions, old man?"

"I will give you a proper explanation. I might have been hasty back then, but everything I did was for the village…"

"Enough. Stop saying that to me. Save that excuse for the villagers."

Once again, "I did it for the village."

How long are these old men going to use that as an excuse?

With a policy of supporting civilian ninja, many small and medium clans in Konoha had been completely wiped out. Their families were ruined, their heritage destroyed, and they were reduced to mere civilians. How could they not hold grudges? How could they not be vulnerable to being bought by enemies?

The cause of all this was simple: a disgruntled ninja from a declining small clan had gone through the rigorous ANBU selection process. But this ninja harbored deep resentment toward the Third Hokage, and when a spy approached, he chose to betray the village.

It wasn't for money or any other reason—it was purely for himself, for his family's revenge.

In Konoha's early days, countless clans of all sizes had thrived.

But with the rise of the civilian ninja support policy, those small and medium clans were crushed one after another.

Ironically, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans—ordinary ninja families—had skyrocketed in status and power.

Their overall strength even surpassed ancient clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga.

Raising and training a ninja requires a great deal of money, but somehow, after the Third Hokage came to power, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans expanded without any restraint, growing several times in size. It was clear that something shady was going on.

As these clans grew, where did the resources come from? Money and resources are finite. For them to grow, they had to take from others.

They couldn't touch the major clans, so the small and medium clans became their targets. Adding the civilian ninja support policy into the mix, these smaller clans faced complete destruction.

Not everyone has unwavering loyalty to the village. When you cut off someone's heritage and future, revenge is inevitable. Some may not act right away, only waiting for the right moment to strike back.

This betrayal was the result of such revenge.

Out of spite, an ANBU ninja personally guided the enemy through Konoha's secret ANBU tunnels, evading all surveillance and patrols, and led them straight to the ANBU headquarters.

"Hiruzen, why were the enemies able to infiltrate the village, bypass ANBU's eyes, and directly attack the ANBU headquarters?"

The accusers had arrived.

Two elder advisors stormed into the Hokage's office, immediately starting their verbal assault on the Third Hokage.

"Heh~~~" Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.

"You two, take a look for yourselves."

The Third Hokage, who seemed to have aged several years in an instant, said nothing more and handed over the scroll containing the intelligence gathered by the Information Department.

What's this?

Having just entered the room and already facing Tsunade's ridicule, Koharu Utatane held back her temper. Otherwise, she would've argued with Tsunade right then and there.

"This…"

After glancing at the scroll, the two elder advisors, who had come in full of accusations, fell silent.

"And you still have the nerve to blame others?" Tsunade said, amused, watching them.

Go ahead, continue.

I'm watching.

"..."

Koharu's face turned red with anger, but she had no response. Homura Mitokado simply lowered his head and said nothing.

Their families had also benefited from this corrupt system. Others might have the right to question this, but they certainly didn't.

"Old man, I regret it."

With disappointment, Tsunade turned to leave, not bothering to look back as she spoke:

"I regret leaving the village for personal reasons. I hope that when I return, I'll see an official document from the Hokage's office. I'll be coming back as the Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade had previously accepted all this reluctantly, but now she regretted it. She should have returned sooner and accepted her responsibilities earlier.

"Old man, you… sigh."Jiraiya wanted to say something but stopped, glancing at the three silent elders in the Hokage's office. The words got stuck in his throat, and he finally sighed and left through the window.

He didn't want to get involved in these messy affairs. Instead, he'd rather take Naruto out, spend time with him, and train him, helping him grow as quickly as possible.

The Third Hokage remained calm, but Koharu and Homura's faces alternated between green and red.