No one answered Kaede.
Everyone there knew who Orochimaru was.
A disciple of the Hokage, an unparalleled genius from among the commoners, a war hero of the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars...
But in the end, he defected under suspicious circumstances.
Though no one responded, Kaede didn't get angry. He simply continued:
"There's no need to introduce who he is. I'm sure none of you are unaware."
"However, most of you only know that he defected from Konoha. What you don't know… is the truth behind that event."
The crowd looked around at one another. Was there really something they didn't know?
Hiruzen's face immediately contorted in fear the moment Kaede uttered Orochimaru's name.
He knew exactly what Kaede was about to reveal.
And if that truth came out, he—as Orochimaru's teacher—would be utterly reviled by all of Konoha, perhaps even hated.
Even if Kaede turned around and left right now, there was a very real possibility the enraged shinobi and villagers would tear him apart on the spot.
"Kaede!!" Hiruzen roared, cutting off Kaede's speech.
"Hm?" Kaede turned his eyes lazily, looking at Hiruzen like one might a bug underfoot.
Yet despite Kaede's calm expression, Hiruzen couldn't help swallowing nervously.
Under the pressure of Kaede's aura, the defiant air Hiruzen had mustered completely crumbled.
"Heh…"
Kaede chuckled mockingly.
At this point in time, Hiruzen didn't deserve the title of Hokage at all.
Compared to his younger self, he had lost all the sharpness of a 'Shinobi Hero'. Even when facing the Uchiha, he hesitated and wavered.
Timid, obsessed with reputation.
And compared to four years later, he also lacked the peace of mind that comes with accepting death. Right now, he still clung desperately to power.
To sum it up in one phrase:
Indecisive, cowardly.
However, what Hiruzen did next sparked a small flicker of interest in Kaede.
Hiruzen seemed to realize that once the truth behind Orochimaru's defection came to light, the fate awaiting him and his allies would be the same either way—death.
So, he suppressed his fear and roared again at Kaede:
"Kaede! This farce has gone on long enough!"
"You've caused massive destruction to Konoha, and now you're fabricating lies to smear us—twisting facts and trying to sow discord among our people!"
"Hiashi's brother, Hizashi, was a hero who chose to sacrifice himself to protect the peace that Konoha worked so hard to build!"
"I will not allow you to tarnish his death or destroy the Konoha he died protecting!"
With his mind made up, Hiruzen briefly seemed to regain his former spirit.
His words were sharp, his resolve blazing.
But it was far too late.
The shinobi of Konoha weren't all brainwashed fools.
To them, Hiruzen's impassioned defense looked like a desperate attempt to cover up the truth.
Could there really be an enormous secret behind Orochimaru's defection?
Unaware of the suspicion behind him, Hiruzen raised his hand dramatically and shouted:
"Shinobi of Konoha! For the peace and stability of our village—take down this man who seeks to destroy it!"
The air went still.
Hiruzen's arm remained raised… but behind him—
Not a single person moved.
Hiruzen turned around in disbelief.
The shinobi behind him looked hesitant, gripping their weapons nervously—but not one lifted it toward Kaede.
Part of it was the threat of the explosive tags. But the larger part was…
They no longer trusted Hiruzen.
The silence was suffocating. Hiruzen felt a cold dread seep into his bones.
"Hahahaha…"
Kaede burst into laughter.
He shook his head mockingly.
"Hiruzen, do you think everyone here is an idiot? That they'd fall for your lies?"
"They've seen you for what you are. You're not someone worth fighting for anymore."
"So don't speak of 'Konoha' like you represent it. You've already lost that right!"
As Kaede's laughter echoed, Hiruzen staggered back, his face going pale.
"Kuh…"
"Danzo… Homura… Koharu…" he muttered in his heart, seeking support.
But even Koharu and Homura only whispered his name with worry—they didn't step forward.
Because they, too, were afraid their clans would be dragged into the fire.
Secretly, they cursed the shinobi who still hadn't disarmed the explosive tags.
Why was it taking them so long?!
But they had no idea—on the other side of the village, the shinobi were doing their best.
There were too many explosive tags.
Even scanning just a small area revealed a shocking number of them.
Each one had to be handled with extreme care.
Because if even one detonated, the chain reaction could endanger hundreds of civilians.
And this was all after Kaede had already suppressed them to avoid premature detonation.
Without that control, one spark would've blown all of Konoha sky-high.
Hiruzen realized what his two old allies were thinking.
Sorrow filled him… and fury.
"Arghhh!!"
"Kaede!!!" Hiruzen howled in rage and formed hand seals without hesitation.
"Katon: Karyū Endan!" (Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)
He had nothing left to lose.
No matter what else he sacrificed, the truth about Orochimaru could not be exposed.
Because not everyone in Konoha obeyed him blindly—if this came to light, he'd be spat on by the entire village.
"Another Fire Style? Is that all you've got?" Kaede sneered, shaking his head.
He immediately summoned Susanoo and swung its sword.
In an instant, that overwhelming blade pressure manifested again.
The flames hadn't even reached Kaede before being snuffed out by the sheer force of the slash.
What could Hiruzen possibly use to block something like that?
He was already preparing to use Earth Substitution to escape.
But someone stepped in.
Itachi.
For once, he managed to stand proud.
With the Yata Mirror, he blocked the slash.
In just a few seconds, the blade's energy was fully absorbed.
Kaede snorted. "What a loyal dog."
Itachi ignored him and turned solemnly to Hiruzen.
"I understand the Hokage-dono's helplessness back then."
"The Fourth had just died. The war lasted two full years. Konoha was in ruins."
"To preserve peace for over a hundred thousand villagers, Hizashi chose to sacrifice himself."
"If it had been me back then, I would've done the same."
"He was a hero who died protecting peace."
In Itachi's mind, Hiruzen had handled the Hizashi incident reasonably.
What was one life to protect the village?
He was even willing to sacrifice his entire clan for peace…
(End of Chapter)
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