The Third Hokage placed the picture in front of Minato Namikaze.
Hair could be disguised, but jutsu couldn't.
Minato was completely bewildered.
He even started to doubt himself.
Did I really do all this?
Why don't I know about it?
"Lord Third, all I can say is that I truly haven't left the village for a single step these past few months. As for the Hidden Grass Village incident, it's either an imitator whose jutsu is extremely similar to Flying Thunder God, or there's another me in this world. If you don't believe me, I'm willing to undergo Anbu scrutiny, including memory probing by the Yamanaka Clan." Minato stated firmly.
"Minato, I believe you, old man." The Third Hokage mused for a moment, then looked at Minato with a resolute expression.
"Lord Third!" A look of gratitude appeared on Minato's face.
"But I need you to secretly investigate this matter, and you'll go with Jiraiya. I'll have Anbu members assist you. You must uncover the truth behind this incident!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a serious expression.
As he had said before, the Hidden Grass Village wasn't the key.
Twelve Jonin, plus a thousand Hidden Grass Village ninja, were a force that rogue ninja wouldn't want to provoke. For the Five Great Ninja Villages, during wartime, they might need to be courted because this force could play a significant role in local battles. But in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, the entire Hidden Grass Village wasn't worth as much as Minato Namikaze.
Not to mention, Minato was still very young now. In a few more years, he'd be at least a Sannin-level powerhouse.
The real trouble was the user of that Flying Thunder God jutsu formula.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't believe the absurd conclusion that there was another Minato in the world. That left only one possibility.
Someone had mastered a Ninjutsu similar to the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and intended to frame Konoha, specifically targeting Minato. This indicated that the other party must have a deep understanding of Konoha and harbored ill intentions.
These ill intentions could be directed at Konoha, or perhaps...
Specifically at Minato as an individual, and the faction he represented.
"Alright, Minato, you may leave now." The Third Hokage picked up his pipe again and said gently to Minato.
After Minato left, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his old comrade beside him.
"Homura, has Danzō made any moves recently?"
"You know better than I do what Danzō is up to, Monkey. Even if you replaced the head of Root with Orochimaru, those people would still be Danzō's. When it comes to training subordinates, Danzō surpasses even Teacher Tobirama. The fact that Orochimaru is doing so well in Root right now means that those people in Root are cooperating only because they have Danzō's explicit instructions." Mitokado Homura stated bluntly.
Among the Second Hokage's five living disciples, including Akimichi Torifu who no longer managed Konoha affairs, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the strongest, followed by Danzō. These two were the most qualified to compete for the Third Hokage position when they were young.
However, Mitokado Homura had a certain gap in raw power compared to the former two, but when it came to overall perspective and judgment, he was stronger than Danzō. At the very least, he was clearer-headed than Danzō, saw many things more clearly, and lived a sufficiently transparent life—often, such people lived the longest.
Among Konoha's elders, Danzō was the Third Hokage's dark side, his dirty hands. The latter used this method to keep the person who posed the greatest threat to his Hokage position suppressed, even pushing him so deep into darkness that he couldn't escape, allowing the Third Hokage to become Hokage with a "bright" image.
Mitokado Homura, on the other hand, was the Third Hokage's true assistant. He was clear-headed about major issues, handled minor ones well, had a clear self-perception, and possessed a certain level of ability without threatening the Hokage's position.
The Third Hokage understood the meaning behind Mitokado Homura's words at this moment.
"Orochimaru..." Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured the name of his favorite disciple, his brows furrowed. "Have you found out what they're secretly doing?"
"Heh, Hiruzen, you think too highly of me." Just Danzō alone was skilled at these underhanded dealings, let alone adding Orochimaru, who possessed extraordinary wisdom and cunning. Mitokado Homura might genuinely be able to uncover it, but the cost would definitely be more than he could bear.
Precisely because they were old classmates, Mitokado Homura didn't want to offend Danzō in such matters, nor did he want to offend Orochimaru, who was the Third Hokage's beloved disciple, had a high chance of becoming the Fourth Hokage in the future, and was equally ruthless in his actions.
Mitokado Homura still wanted to live peacefully until his natural end, and ensure the Mitokado Clan continued to prosper.
This matter required someone who wasn't afraid of offending these two, and who possessed sufficient strength and ability to investigate. In any case, Mitokado Homura was unwilling to get involved in such muddy waters. If Utatane Koharu were here, she would likely do the same.
That left only a few important people.
Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze had just been assigned a mission by the Third Hokage, so they were clearly unsuitable for this kind of work. As for Tsunade, ever since she developed Hemophobia, she spent her days with Shizuka at various casinos within Konoha's sphere of influence.
That made it even more impossible to investigate Orochimaru and Danzō.
All things considered, only the Third Hokage himself had the authority to look into the matter.
"Sigh..."
The Third Hokage's brows were furrowed so deeply they could kill a fly.
No matter the scenario, it was something he dreaded.
Orochimaru and Danzō were definitely hiding something from him; the Third Hokage had suspected as much for some time now.
If they were hiding it, it meant what they were doing couldn't be brought into the open, and it was something Hiruzen Sarutobi would absolutely not permit.
Otherwise, why would they do it secretly, behind his back?
Orochimaru had likely been misled by Danzō, drawn into darkness, and had done things he shouldn't have.
What Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to do was uncover the truth, selectively intervene to stop it, and then suppress the whole affair.
If it wasn't too serious, then Orochimaru still had hope of succeeding him as the Fourth Hokage in the future.
But if it was truly serious, even if Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed it, Orochimaru would be tainted, and Danzō would know about that blemish. In that case, if there were other options in the future, Orochimaru could no longer become Hokage.
And if the situation were even more severe...
The Third Hokage was very worried.
Because not many people were qualified to access the Scroll of Seals, but both Danzō and Orochimaru had.
Aside from forbidden jutsu explicitly sealed by the First Hokage, like Impure World Reincarnation, both Danzō and Orochimaru had access to forbidden jutsu such as the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and Mutual Exploding Tag. They just hadn't been able to master them.
This was because both of these jutsu were high-difficulty spatial ninjutsu, far more complex than the Summoning Jutsu.
Orochimaru and Danzō couldn't learn them, but that didn't mean they couldn't remember them.
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