"What… what do you mean?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice trembled with disbelief as his eyes widened in shock.
He simply couldn't accept what he had just heard. Fired? Was he really being fired? That couldn't be right.
He was personally invited by the boss of Black Zetsu! He had just joined them—only one day ago! How could they discard him so quickly?
His thoughts spiraled into chaos. Did I make some unforgivable mistake? Did I unknowingly cross a line? Or... is there some secret reason behind this?
Questions flooded his mind like a dam had burst. He stood there, dazed and bewildered, the foundation of his pride cracking beneath his feet.
Seeing his blank expression, White Zetsu thought he hadn't heard clearly. So, he raised his voice and bellowed, breaking the silence with stinging finality:
"You! Are! Fired!!"
Each word echoed through the prison cell like a gavel slamming down in court. Every syllable struck Hiruzen's heart like a hammer.
His mind froze. For a moment, it felt as though time had stopped.
His face turned ghostly pale. His lips quivered, but no sound emerged. He stood motionless, like a statue carved in anguish.
Only after a long silence did he finally stir, his voice a whisper, laden with despair.
"…Why?"
It was a question he directed at White Zetsu, but deep down, it was a question to himself. Why me?
White Zetsu, despite being the messenger of bad news, actually felt a pang of sympathy.
This guy really is pitiful, White Zetsu thought. He just became an intern—with no pay, mind you—and within a day, he's already captured, imprisoned, and tortured.
And now, to top it off, his employer had simply washed their hands of him.
Worst of all, the boss—the mysterious Black Zetsu—had outright refused to pay the ransom to rescue him. No effort to negotiate. No loyalty. Just total abandonment.
White Zetsu sighed deeply. The corporate world really is brutal… especially for the elderly.
Out of a rare moment of compassion, White Zetsu decided to give Hiruzen some closure. The man deserved to know the truth before he met his end.
"You want to know why?" White Zetsu said, crouching slightly. "Alright, I'll tell you."
He cleared his throat.
"Long story short, it would cost one hundred million ryo to ransom you. The boss decided you weren't worth it. But if he didn't do anything at all, it would damage the company's image. So—he fired you. That way, since you're no longer officially an employee, your death won't affect the company's reputation."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes dimmed like a candle burning low.
"…So that's it," he murmured. "I wasn't worth a hundred million…"
White Zetsu nodded solemnly. "To be fair, your life definitely isn't worth that much."
He then pulled a scroll from inside his cloak and unrolled it, revealing a wanted poster with Hiruzen's face printed on it.
"This here is your bounty," White Zetsu explained. "Thirty-five million ryo. That's what the Gold Exchange is offering."
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared blankly at the poster.
"...Only thirty-five million?"
He gave a hollow laugh. "I was once the Hokage. The leader of Konoha. And now I'm only worth thirty-five million? Who the hell issued this bounty?"
White Zetsu shrugged. "Don't take it too personally. Thirty-five million is still a decent price. Once you're killed by the Sand Shinobi, I'll personally collect your head and turn it in for cash. That's a solid payday for me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "…"
These bastards aren't just cold-hearted—they're utterly shameless.
Black Zetsu didn't just abandon him. Now they wanted to profit off his death. Dark inside and out.
White Zetsu stood up, brushing dust from his hands.
"Well, it's not safe here anymore," he said cheerfully. "I'm gonna go hide. Good luck, and I hope you die quickly~!"
With a final wave, he dove underground and disappeared.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eye twitched. Damn you… "hope I die quickly"?! Really?!
He let out a deep sigh. His last shred of faith in Black Zetsu had crumbled. There was only one hope left now: Konoha.
Maybe—just maybe—the village he once led would come to his rescue.
---
Meanwhile, in the Sand Village…
Inside the Sand Shadow Office, Chiyo sat stiffly at her desk, rubbing her temples.
She had been troubled for hours now.
I just meant to knock him unconscious… she thought. If Konoha finds out what happened to Sarutobi Hiruzen, will they retaliate?
As she mulled over the consequences, there was a knock at the door.
"Enter," she called.
The door opened, and a Sand Shinobi messenger stepped inside.
Chiyo immediately stood up. "Where are the Konoha envoys? How much are they offering to ransom Hiruzen?"
The messenger looked hesitant. He scratched his head nervously.
His silence made Chiyo's eyes narrow.
"Don't tell me you ran into trouble with them," she said sharply. "If they're making things difficult, I'll deal with them myself. Take me to them."
The messenger flinched.
"L-Lady Chiyo… There are no envoys."
Chiyo frowned. "What?"
"The Fifth Hokage… Uchiha Fugaku… he said they won't pay."
"…What?"
The shock on Chiyo's face was impossible to hide.
She took a step back, gripping the edge of the desk.
"That's impossible," she whispered. "Konoha would never abandon Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
She was certain of it. Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't just any shinobi—he was the Third Hokage! The symbol of Konoha's strength!
But the messenger shook his head slowly.
"Lady Chiyo… things in Konoha have changed. Fugaku said the village has no money. And… he said that since Sarutobi Hiruzen is now your prisoner, you can do whatever you want. Kill him, torture him—it doesn't concern them."
Chiyo sat down heavily.
Her expression turned dark.
"…He really said that?"
The messenger nodded gravely.
Chiyo slammed her palm on the table, furious. "That heartless bastard! I thought I could use Hiruzen as leverage! But now—now it's all worthless!"
She had hoped for a hefty ransom. But her little scheme had collapsed before it began.
Damn that Uchiha Fugaku!
But Fugaku had never cared about appearances. He seized power through force—his reputation was already in tatters. Abandoning Hiruzen didn't matter to him in the slightest.
He had nothing to lose.
"…What should we do with Hiruzen now?" the messenger asked hesitantly.
Chiyo's expression darkened further.
She needed to vent this anger. She needed something—someone—to take it out on.
---
In the Sand Village prison…
Sarutobi Hiruzen was surprised to see Chiyo enter the cell.
But before he could speak, she grabbed a whip from the wall.
Crack!
"Agh!"
The first strike caught him completely off guard. There were no words—no conversation—just pain.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"Ahhh!!"
Hiruzen howled. Each lash seared across his back like fire.
What the hell is wrong with this old hag?!
He gritted his teeth. Hold on! Just hold on a little longer. Konoha will come… they must be on their way…
But the lashes didn't stop.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Fifty strikes.
Blood stained the floor beneath him.
And finally—he passed out.
Collapsed, broken, and unconscious… still hoping, even in his final moments of awareness, that someone from Konoha would rescue him.
But that help would never come.
No one was coming.
---
Watching from the shadows…
White Zetsu emerged silently in a corner of the cell, watching the brutal beating with excitement in his eyes.
"Yes, that's it… kill him! Kill him!" he whispered gleefully.
To him, this was pure entertainment.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, once the proud Hokage, had become nothing more than a whipping post for an angry old shinobi.
White Zetsu grinned.
What a show.
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