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Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Something Is Wrong With the Plot

After Peter left, Chiyo remained in her office chair, staring out the window in deep thought. A sigh escaped her lips as she muttered, "I hope the Kazekage finds a new gold mine soon. Otherwise, how is the Sand Shinobi Village supposed to survive this winter?"

Just then, a young subordinate entered the room, clutching a newspaper. "Lady Chiyo! Here's today's Ninja World News."

He stopped abruptly when he saw her seated at the Kazekage's desk, blinking in surprise. "Chiyo-sama?"

Chiyo raised her eyes from the scroll she was reading and waved her hand. "The Kazekage is out panning for sand. I'll be acting as Kazekage for the time being."

The young ninja nodded respectfully, set the newspaper on the desk, and exited swiftly.

Chiyo reached over and picked up the paper, flipping through the pages absentmindedly—until her eyes caught a headline that made her blood freeze.

> "Shocking: Third Hokage of Konoha Dies Mysteriously! Assassin Still at Large!"

Her pupils shrank sharply. "Sarutobi Hiruzen… is dead?" she whispered in disbelief, the newspaper trembling in her grasp.

After a moment of stunned silence, a wave of overwhelming joy surged in her chest. Her lips curled into a smile, and then she broke into an uncontrollable laugh.

"Hahaha! The heavens have finally shown mercy to us! That old man is finally dead!"

Over the years, the Land of Fire's Hidden Leaf Village had clashed countless times with the other great nations. And no matter the battlefield, Konoha always emerged victorious.

Sarutobi Hiruzen—The Professor, the Third Hokage—was often at the heart of these victories. His unparalleled wisdom and leadership had been key to Konoha's dominance. For other villages, he was a constant shadow looming over their ambitions.

Now that he was gone, it was as if a mountain had been lifted off the chest of the other nations—especially the Wind Country.

This, Chiyo thought, was a divine opportunity.

She knew better than anyone that wars were decided by power—military strength, leadership, and timing. And without Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha's strength was bound to falter.

For the first time in years, the Wind Country had a chance to tip the balance of power.

Chiyo took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Her excitement faded slightly as the harsh reality returned to her.

"Even without Sarutobi, Konoha is still strong. But… at least now, there's hope."

If Sand Shinobi Village weren't so poor and struggling, Chiyo would have advocated immediately for an alliance among the smaller villages to declare war on Konoha. But the current situation was dismal—so bad that even hot water baths were a rare luxury.

She shook her head and sighed. "Still, hearing that old goat Sarutobi is dead is a pleasant surprise."

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed behind her.

"Haha, you old hag still have such a venomous tongue."

Chiyo's eyes went wide, and her body tensed. She turned sharply, reaching for her weapon.

"Who's there?!"

She scanned the room with hawk-like eyes, every muscle ready for action. Whoever had just snuck up on her—completely unnoticed—was no ordinary ninja.

Her gaze finally landed on the intruder.

Sitting across the desk was none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, calmly smoking a pipe with a sly smirk on his face.

"Why is it… you?!" Chiyo gasped, frozen in disbelief. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled and exhaled a puff of smoke. "I'm here to do business with you."

Chiyo's mind raced, but she quickly pieced it together. He had faked his death!

She sneered, "Business? There's no business between us!"

Without another word, Chiyo shouted, "Help! There's an assassin in the Kazekage's office!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes bulged. "What are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

BANG!

The office doors were kicked open with force as a dozen Sand Shinobi ANBU operatives burst in and surrounded Hiruzen.

Chiyo smirked, pulling out a summoning scroll. "You should've stayed dead, old man! There's a road to heaven, and you didn't take it. But now you've barged into hell willingly! Die!"

She unsealed the scroll, and with a puff of smoke, her puppet army—the Ten Kinmatsu—appeared in formation.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned pale. "Wait, this isn't how it was supposed to go!"

In his mind, the plot had played out very differently. He would sneak in, use a photographic recording stone to blackmail Chiyo, take the hush money, and leave silently.

Instead, he was now the target of a deadly ambush.

"Wait, I have—" he began to explain, but Chiyo cut him off, waving her hand.

"Capture Sarutobi Hiruzen alive! We can extort Konoha for a fortune!"

With a roar, the ANBU charged.

"Damn it!" Hiruzen cursed, summoning Enma—the Monkey King.

"Hey, Hiruzen! It's been ages since you summoned me!" Enma grinned. But his smile vanished as he looked around. "What the hell? When did the Sand Shinobi invade Konoha?!"

"Not now! Turn into the Vajra Ruyi Stick!" Hiruzen barked.

Without hesitation, Enma transformed into a gleaming, powerful staff, which Hiruzen gripped tightly.

Against a swarm of elite ANBU and puppet assaults, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to fight desperately, retreating inch by inch toward the edge of the village.

"Damn it… If I can just make it out, White Zetsu will extract me!" he muttered, pushing himself beyond his limits.

Chiyo's puppets attacked with ferocity, forcing Hiruzen into a deadly game of evasion. Blood soaked his robes, and gashes covered his limbs—but he refused to fall.

To the surrounding shinobi, he seemed like a demon. Though struck with what should have been fatal wounds, he kept fighting.

What they didn't know was that Hiruzen had secretly activated Izanagi, a forbidden Uchiha technique that allowed him to rewrite death itself—for a limited time.

He had already died twice in this battle.

Finally, the village gates came into sight. Hiruzen's eyes lit up. "Just a little more… and White Zetsu will—"

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice filled with authority.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen. Looking for this?"

Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, stood atop a golden sand dune holding the lifeless body of White Zetsu.

Sarutobi's heart sank.

"No… No! That's impossible!"

"Lord Kazekage!" the ANBU cheered. "You're back!"

"Haha! We caught him!"

"Quick, Kazekage-sama! Don't let him escape!" Chiyo yelled from behind.

Rasa nodded grimly and released the corpse of White Zetsu, then manipulated golden sand that coiled through the air like serpents, striking at Hiruzen with deadly precision.

With Rasa's arrival, the situation turned hopeless. Golden sand, puppet blades, and chakra-charged kunai closed in from all sides.

Sarutobi Hiruzen struggled valiantly, swinging the Vajra Staff to hold them back, but his strength was waning. Izanagi had reached its limit.

After a brutal clash, Sarutobi Hiruzen was finally overwhelmed. The once-proud Hokage lay pinned to the ground, coughing blood, barely conscious.

"Hahaha!" Chiyo placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. "So much for the mighty Sarutobi!"

"We're rich! We're finally rich!" Rasa declared. "We'll demand a ransom so large Konoha won't recover for a decade!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen groaned as ANBU forces chained him down.

He stared at the sky, dazed. "When Black Zetsu finds out I got captured… he better come save me…"

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