CIATB Chapter 311 Power Makes People Mad
Chapter 311 Power Makes People Mad
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally collapsed, not from injury, but from illness. He was eventually sent to Konoha Hospital, and the news shook Konoha.
Footsteps echoed through the corridors of the Wood Industry Hospital. Koharu Utatane and Ero Mitokado exchanged a glance outside the ward, saying nothing, but their unspoken understanding was clear.
The Hokage couldn't manage affairs, but Konoha couldn't function without a leader, so the two took over the Hokage's authority. Their first task was to reopen Orochimaru's defection case.
That's right, instead of stabilizing the situation first, we should investigate and punish the Jonin to ensure that Konoha is not invaded by negative factors.
The interrogation room was on the third basement level. It had no windows, only a single lamp. The lamp hung in the center of the ceiling, illuminating the faces of the people present, making them appear deathly pale.
The first person brought in was a special Jonin from Orochimaru's faction, named Uemoto.
He worked at Orochimaru's research institute for three years, where he was responsible for collecting and organizing experimental data.
Koharu Utatane personally interrogated him, and the first question she asked was, "You participated in all the experiments Orochimaru has conducted over the years, didn't you?"
This is an affirmative sentence, not an interrogative one, and it seems that the speaker is preparing to convict him first.
"I don't know, I'm just doing data processing."
"What data?"
"Human body...basic data. Height, weight, chakra level, blood type..."
"Human experimentation!" Koharu Tsurugi shouted.
"No, it was just a routine physical exam. I don't know anything else."
"We can't believe what you're saying. Someone, hack into his brain! I need to see the evidence!" Koharu Tsurugi made the decision immediately, sealing the deal.
Soon after, a young man from a mountain family walked in and said, "Elder Xiaochun, he... he has too strong a will and too powerful a spirit. I can't break in."
"You ninjas of the Yamanaka clan, don't you even have this much ability? Then send someone else."
The boy lowered his head and said shyly, "My lord, the other clan leaders all have other matters to attend to."
Koharu asked sarcastically, "What could be more important than interrogating a rogue ninja?"
The boy continued, "They're blocking information, cracking down on spies, and incidentally... keeping an eye on the Uchiha."
"I see, that's quite important." Koharu Utatane continued, "Alright, let's use torture then. You cooperate with the Morino clan and make sure to pry their mouths open."
After saying that, Koharu turned around and went to interrogate another Jonin.
Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura was not idle either. He began to send his subordinate ninjas to the battlefield to replace all the Jonin and Chunin who were related to Orochimaru, and tricked them back to the ninja village under the Hokage's orders.
They eventually ambushed everyone at the village entrance, captured them all, and sent them to the interrogation room and imprisoned.
Even the young Mitarashi Anko was not spared by the two, who even considered her a prime suspect because the curse mark on her forehead and neck was too strange.
Hongdou was imprisoned in a dark and gloomy interrogation room. It was only after her grandfather knelt down and begged her, ultimately giving up his position as elder, that she was able to be safe and sound.
However, unable to bear the criticism, he hanged himself at home the day after Hongdou was released.
On that day, when Hongdou saw her master Ye's corpse, she instantly burst into tears.
"Grandpa, Grandpa!"
Blood and tears streamed from her eyes. "Orochimaru, you are my enemy in this life! I will definitely take my revenge on you, even if it means dying together with you!"
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During the two men's rule, Konoha was filled with fear and tension, everyone was on guard, and the atmosphere was chaotic.
In the past few days, twelve Jonin and twenty-three Chunin have been imprisoned. They have been stripped of their ranks and placed on the no-confidence list, marking a major reshuffle of Konoha's power structure.
However, the fact that Orochimaru had defected and that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was seriously ill and in a coma could not be kept secret in the end.
The situation on the front lines took a sharp turn for the worse in the past three days. First, their major reshuffle completely disrupted Orochimaru's defensive plans.
They were just rubbing against each other, unable to find any weaknesses, but suddenly they discovered that the other was incredibly weak and would shatter at the slightest touch.
In addition, Onoki's side was exceptionally well-informed, and when he learned that Orochimaru had defected, he couldn't stop smiling.
"Hahaha, Hiruzen Sarutobi is really senile, actually letting these two act as Hokage. With Orochimaru around, you've come at just the right time!"
Onoki immediately stopped consolidating his forces and searching for disciples, and instead turned his attention to attacking Konoha with all his might.
As for the Land of Rain, as long as a portion of their forces are diverted, they can completely hold them back, since they only have high combat strength but few people.
He was an old friend of the enemy's strategist, and the battles that followed were basically staged. Otherwise, how could Amegakure have withstood the 30,000 ninjas from Iwakage?
There's an even more important point: the enemy now has five top-tier experts. If they were to kill them down to just these five, and slaughter them until the country was destroyed, it would be like releasing five ferocious beasts from a cage. Then, the world would never be able to live in peace again.
But Konoha was different. This time, with Onoki leading the team, Iwagakure changed its previous defensive posture and suddenly launched a fierce offensive.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, was at the forefront, breaking through three lines of defense in Konoha and advancing nearly 140 miles.
To make matters worse, Sunagakure, which had been preparing to step back from the front lines, began to waver again upon seeing news of the internal strife in Konoha.
They bypassed the Land of Rain, infiltrated from the flank, and directly threatened Konoha's supply lines.
As a result, in less than three days, bad news kept pouring in from the battlefield. The two elders sat in the Hokage's office, a pile of battle reports spread out in front of them, each one filled with bad news.
"It's all Orochimaru's fault."
Koharu Utatane gritted her teeth in hatred, "Konoha painstakingly nurtured him, and he betrays us at this crucial moment! He clearly wants to push Konoha into utter ruin. What an ingrate! Hiruzen misjudged him!"
Mitokado Rin rubbed his temples, feeling dizzy from her shrill voice: "Let's not talk about this now, let's think about what to do."
Xiaochun, who had just moved to the dormitory, stood up and paced back and forth in the office before suddenly stopping.
His eyes lit up as he said, "Tsunade. We still have Tsunade. She's already given birth, so she can do whatever she wants."
"This isn't appropriate. Childbirth is a very taxing experience, and besides, she has hemophobia," Mitokado Yan reminded her.
He had already slightly agreed with her in his heart, but there always has to be someone in this world who steps up to play the bad cop.
"We're all ninjas, and she's from the Senju clan. She just gave birth. I saw she was quite strong when she fought Orochimaru. As for hemophobia?"
At this point, Koharu suddenly sneered, "What kind of disease is that? Who knows if it's real or fake? I suspect she's just faking illness to avoid going to the battlefield."