The atmosphere was extremely tense.
Mitokado Homura stepped forward to smooth things over: "Hiruzen, it seems there really was a base of Uchiha Madara's in this canyon.
Uchiha Madara's knowledge of the village far exceeds our imagination.
The First Hokage trusted him too much back then. He must have found a way to infiltrate Konoha and obtain intelligence from within the village.
We must strengthen the protection of the Scroll of Seals.
Perhaps Uchiha Madara obtained the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack from the Scroll of Seals."
Mitokado Homura was making excuses for Sarutobi Hiruzen. If he didn't intervene, it felt like Danzo was about to explode.
The Five Elements Unrivalled Attack was a strategic-level ninjutsu capable of causing large-scale explosive destruction.
As long as the chakra reserve was sufficient, the destructive power of this technique had no upper limit.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the traces left by the major elemental releases in the canyon and said:
"Each individual technique was at the elite Jōnin level. The perpetrator is at least a Kage-level ninja.
That one of Uchiha Madara's subordinates possesses such strength is worrying.
Let's not talk about the enemy's strength for now. Let's discuss the impact of this tragedy first.
Danzo, what are your thoughts? Should Root be rebuilt?"
Yōkō guessed internally, did Sarutobi Hiruzen have the idea of taking this opportunity to disband Root?
In the original story, Danzo once sent people to assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen. Could it be because Sarutobi Hiruzen was constantly weakening his vassals' power?
"What are my thoughts?" Danzo roared angrily:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen! A rogue ninja has emerged from your Sarutobi clan, named Sarutobi Kanenosuke!
He was the one who used the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack!
You ask me what I think? I ask you first! Why did you conceal the matter of Sarutobi Kanenosuke!"
Sarutobi Kanenosuke?
Mitokado Homura and Orochimaru simultaneously turned to look at Yellow Dog.
Yellow Dog's name was Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
At this moment, Yellow Dog felt helpless.
Did the old lecher father have an illegitimate child?
He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen; there was a period when he often went with Jiraiya to peep in the women's bathhouse.
The Hokage himself, peeping on female villagers!
Because of the peeping incidents, his mother had often disciplined his father.
Could it be that an illegitimate child, not receiving the old lecher father's recognition, became a rogue ninja?
Yellow Dog reconsidered; his uncles, Sarutobi Hinotama and Sarutobi Hinoyuu, had both learned the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack from his father, so it wasn't necessarily his father's illegitimate child, right?
Sarutobi Hinotama's son, his cousin Sarutobi Enosuke, who was highly regarded by the clan, had also studied the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack.
As for Sarutobi Hinoyuu, relying on being the youngest son of their grandfather Sarutobi Sasuke, he fooled around even more than his father.
His illegitimate children were numerous.
Sarutobi Hiruzen said: "It absolutely cannot be a rogue ninja from the Sarutobi clan! I know the people of the Sarutobi clan. Even if they became rogue ninja, they would never join Uchiha Madara.
This is too absurd! So much so that..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mitokado Homura, whose expression clearly said, 'Because it's so absurd, it might be true.'
Otherwise, how to explain the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack?
Mastering five elemental releases was difficult. Mastering five elemental releases and understanding the secret technique of triggering a great explosion through elemental conflict was even harder.
Aside from the Sarutobi clan, where else could the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack be inherited?
Sarutobi Hiruzen said: "The Sharingan has the ability to copy ninjutsu.
Perhaps during one of my battles, Uchiha Madara was hiding nearby watching the entire time and copied my technique."
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't dare pin the blame on the Sarutobi clan and could only desperately steer the conversation towards Uchiha Madara.
After all, Uchiha Madara mastering a certain forbidden technique wasn't that far-fetched, right?
Right now, how the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack was leaked wasn't important. What was important was that Uchiha Madara had already become the village's greatest threat.
Danzo said: "After returning to the village, two investigations must be launched immediately!
First! Identify who the rogue ninja Sarutobi Kanenosuke is!
Your Sarutobi clan cannot shirk responsibility!
The losses suffered by Root must be borne by your Sarutobi clan!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took out his pipe, took a puff, and sighed as he exhaled.
It seemed... the Sarutobi clan truly couldn't escape this turmoil.
Yellow Dog felt bitter; this task was going to fall on his shoulders.
No matter who it pointed to, it would be unpleasant.
Leaving others aside, the Sarutobi clan's second strongest, Sarutobi Hinotama, who wanted to succeed his father as clan leader, his attitude was crucial.
Why did Uchiha Madara's subordinate use his signature forbidden technique?
He said: "Fine, the Sarutobi clan will conduct a self-investigation, digging to the bottom. Danzo, what is the second investigation?"
Danzo continued: "My Root has been nearly wiped out!
If the Anbu or other ninja platoons encounter Uchiha Madara and his subordinates, wouldn't they also be wiped out?
Uchiha Madara possesses two of Konoha's top bloodlines, the Sharingan and Wood Release, and a random subordinate of his has mastered the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack.
With this level of strength, shouldn't we respond with full force?
Uchiha Madara isn't some aging rogue ninja, but a terrifying enemy capable of destroying Konoha.
Fighting Uchiha Madara isn't about capturing a rogue ninja; it's war!
Appoint one supreme commander, two deputy commanders, and at least five hundred elite ninjas to wage war against Uchiha Madara!"
Yōkō thought to himself, this isn't good.
He wanted to play a point-to-point assassination game with Danzo, but Danzo, unable to win, got furious and directly escalated to full-scale war.
The problem was, for a war initiated by Danzo, he certainly wouldn't take the roles of supreme or deputy commander himself.
Danzo didn't even have a capable foot soldier under him now; Root was dead.
"War?" After a moment's thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen acknowledged Danzo's idea and asked:
"Who do you think is suitable to be the supreme commander of this war?"
Danzo first looked at Orochimaru.
"Not going." Orochimaru said decisively, "Leading 500 ninjas to deal with one rogue ninja, regardless of the war's outcome, I lose.
If we win the war and kill Uchiha Madara, 500 people killing one person – should I be proud?
If we lose the war, failing to kill one person even with 500, how could I still become the Fourth Hokage?"
Yōkō couldn't help but look around.
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Yellow Dog, and himself were nearby; the other Anbu were standing further away.
Fortunately, they didn't hear Orochimaru being so blunt... so forthright?
He sometimes truly envied Orochimaru's free-spiritedness, saying whatever he wanted, venomous, but direct.
Orochimaru continued: "Moreover, the best way to counter Wood Release is for us to also master Wood Release.
After changing the test subjects for the Wood Release research, the results have been quite good. I believe I have found the correct approach. Perhaps we will see results within a year or two."
When Orochimaru mentioned changing test subjects, he meant finding children in the village with half-Senju bloodline, similar to Fūmatsuri Yuzu's son.
Wood Release experiments were indeed more effective when conducted on individuals from the Senju clan.
Mitokado Homura said, "Uchiha Madara's strength is formidable. Should we make Hatake Sakumo the supreme commander?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent.
These few guards of the Second Hokage had all seen Uchiha Madara when they were children.
They feared Uchiha Madara from the bottom of their hearts.
When Uchiha Madara beat them, it was like an adult hitting children – literally, an adult hitting children.
***
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(End of Chapter)