Kakashi stood in front of the door of the conference room with extreme anxiety.
He was told who he would meet before he came, and he also understood why he was called here.
If he were allowed to lie in front of successive Hokages, he would undoubtedly be trampling on his long-held beliefs.
But Orochimaru's threatening words that day still rang in his ears.
The door slowly opened, and Tsunade greeted him inside. Kakashi saw the four people sitting on top, and his spirit instantly became tense.
He stepped into this quiet room, and everyone's eyes were focused on this young man.
"Hatake Kakashi, right?"
"I have met all of you, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi bowed his head and saluted the four people.
Just before Kakashi arrived, the Anbu who were sent to investigate the situation in the prison returned and found nothing as Orochimaru said.
None of the ninjas on duty were spared, and all the prisoners in the prison were also missing. The latter situation had obviously been handled by someone.
After Tobirama examined it, he asked Orochimaru: "Yondaime, what can this witness prove?"
But Orochimaru's eyes were directly looking back and forth between the Sandaime and Minato: "Sarutobi-sensei, Minato, and Nara Shikaku have come to you more than once. What are you discussing?"
"..."
Faced with Orochimaru's question, the Sandaime and Minato fell silent at the same time.
Minato was not good at lying, and he almost never deliberately deceived others about his status.
The Third Hokage, after being silent, chose to deny it.
"Shikaku often comes to visit me. What do you mean by discussing things?"
Orochimaru chuckled and continued: "Kakashi, do you know?"
When Kakashi heard him calling his name, he couldn't help but stiffen and looked at Minato subconsciously. However, Minato had no time to pay attention to him at this time and kept his head down in silence.
He has never been so scared as he is today, not because he is facing some invincible enemy, but because his words and deeds are related to the lives and deaths of too many people.
"Kakashi." Hashirama said in a kind tone.
"Don't be afraid, just tell me everything you know."
"..."
At this time, Yamanaka Haiichi wanted to use telepathy to connect to Kakashi's mind, but suddenly he realized that there seemed to be an extra layer of barrier on Kakashi's body, completely isolating his chakra.
Kakashi was silent for a long time and finally spoke: "Mr. Shikaku... once approached me and asked me to monitor Shin-sama and the Fourth Hokage."
As soon as this statement came out, the expressions of many people present instantly changed.
"Mr. Shikaku told me that the current Yondaime Hokage is not worthy of being Hokage. He wanted me to investigate and collect some misdeeds of the Yondaime-sama for future use in case of trouble."
"Mr. Shikaku also said that if you want to bring down the Yondaime, you can only find a suitable opportunity for Minato-sensei to kill him personally, and then make the tainted evidence public, so that Minato-sensei can successfully succeed as Hokage..."
"
The conference room became dead silent.
Deliberately rebelling and murdering Hokage is already an unforgivable crime.
Kakashi's words directly defined the matter.
Minato didn't seem to expect that Kakashi would say such words, and looked at his student in a daze.
Jiraiya, the Sandaime, Yamanaka Haiichi and others all looked a little ugly.
After Kakashi finished speaking, he lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone.
The changes in the expressions of these people were naturally seen in the eyes of Hashirama and Tobirama.
Master and disciple turned against each other...
"If you are so resistant to him, why did you let Orochimaru become Hokage in the first place?" Tsunade suddenly couldn't help but said.
She was questioning the Sandaime.
What these people had done once again refreshed her understanding. Are they all determined to kill Orochimaru?
"Minato, is Kakashi right?" Orochimaru asked Minato.
"..."
"Nara Shikaku's sin is unforgivable, and it is a gift to him to die in my hands."
Minato clenched his fists silently.
He couldn't respond to Kakashi's words at all. These were actually Shikaku's thoughts. When Shikaku told him these things, he did not agree at the time, but he also refused not thoroughly enough.
Thinking about it now, if his attitude was not so ambiguous at the beginning, maybe Shikaku could have planned everything with him earlier, and maybe Shikaku would not have died.
It was the same on the battlefield. If he had listened to Shikaku and rushed back to the village when Orochimaru succeeded to the throne, he might have had a different ending based on his reputation.
If he had been firmer when facing Kushina, maybe Kushina wouldn't have to suffer those hardships...
Of course, he could also deny Kakashi's words and put all the stigma on Shikaku. Judging from the current situation, it might be a wise choice.
If he loses here, everyone around him may end up dead!
Tobirama asked: "Minato, do you want to kill the Yondaime?"
"Minato." Haiyi's voice sounded in his mind again.
"..."
"As long as you deny it, let's go on..."
Unexpectedly, Minato suddenly suppressed his voice and said: "Can't I kill him?"
This voice was full of hatred and murderous intent, and it was not like the words Minato could say at all.
Everyone present was shocked, and Kakashi couldn't help but raise his head and look at his teacher.
Tobirama frowned and said, "Do you know what you are talking about?"
Minato asked Tobirama in turn: "Is the Hokage necessarily right?"
Tobirama's face darkened, and he was about to say something, but was suddenly stopped by Hashirama standing beside him.
Minato stood up from his seat, and walked slowly to Kakashi. Facing his teacher, Kakashi was filled with guilt and lowered his head, not daring to look at him.
Minato put his hand on his shoulder and said with his last tenderness: "Kakashi, you didn't choose to believe me. I can understand. You are not the only one who is disappointed in me."
Kakashi's body was shaking constantly.
Tobirama's eyes were fixed on Minato: "Intention to murder the Hokage is already a crime of death!"
However, Minato said the words with an indifferent expression that made the Sandaime and others change their expressions in shock.
"Orochimaru is no longer Hokage in my heart. As long as I am still alive, I will definitely kill him!"
"If you, Nidaime-sama, stop me just because of Orochimaru's status as the Fourth Hokage, then in my heart, you are also incompetent as a Hokage."
Tobirama was extremely shocked and furious, and stood up suddenly with his arms slapped: "Boy, do you really think I can't kill you?!"
The majestic amount of chakra surged out of him in an instant and swept straight towards Minato!
boom!
The chakra whipped up a strong whirlwind, making Minato's clothes ruffled and his hair flying wildly.
But in the face of such intimidation, Minato stood still and stared at him with a stern expression.
When Jiraiya saw this, he immediately stood up and came to Minato with raised eyebrows. Haiyi also wanted to step forward to express his position. His life and death had long been tied to Minato, but under the power of the Second Hokage,
He couldn't move freely under the pressure.
"Tobirama."
Hashirama suddenly slapped Tobirama's arm with his hand, his voice calm.
Tobirama was stunned for a moment, and the aura as heavy as the mountain retreated instantly, and the rest room returned to calm, as if nothing had happened just now.
Just listen to Hashirama saying slowly: "Of course the Hokage is not always right. Between the Sandaime and the Yondaime present now, isn't one of them necessarily wrong?"
"The Hokage's fault is not his own fault, but concerns the whole village. Have you ever thought about how to bear it and how to make up for it when you did something wrong?"
"Sandaime." Hashirama suddenly named him.
When Sarutobi heard the sound, his nerves became tense.
"I want to ask you, do you agree with Minato's words?"
"I..." Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly got stuck at this moment. He had clearly scolded Orochimaru on the spot just now.
To put Hashirama's question in another way, it is: Do you want to kill Orochimaru?
Tobirama also asked in a deep voice at this time: "Monkey, are you involved in Nara Shikaku's plan?"
"..."
Sarutobi was still silent, Orochimaru was sitting next to him, with Minato and Jiraiya in front of him.
"Hehehe..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not give a reply, but Orochimaru suddenly laughed for no reason at this moment. His laughter changed from deep to wild, and his face showed a hint of ferocity when he laughed.
He suddenly reached out and wiped the corners of his eyes, yawned and said, "It's really boring to hear you ask questions like this. It makes me tired."
He looked at Sarutobi and sneered: "Sarutobi-sensei, do you still want to continue to play the show of deep master-disciple love in front of me?"
His expression became colder and colder, and his voice became colder as well, as if he had left out all emotions, or as if some emotion had gone to the extreme.
"Do you think you can survive today?!"
The whole place was dead silent, and the situation seemed to be out of control.
Fugaku, who was sitting silently in the corner without saying a word, felt a little numb.
He only had one thought at the moment.
Crazy, all crazy!
Seeing Orochimaru's current appearance, Tsunade suddenly felt a sense of sadness.
Orochimaru, were you crying just now... Why did you deliberately look like this again?
"Monkey, monkey!" Tobirama suddenly shouted, awakening the third generation Hokage who was in a daze.
Hashirama let out a long sigh. He felt that his thinking was too simple. They were already in a life-and-death struggle. The relationship between them could not be explained clearly in a few sentences.
I originally founded this village to connect people from different families and build bonds. Why did this happen?
We are obviously close friends, so why would we go against each other just for the sake of illusory power?
He suddenly thought of what the man he killed with his own hands had said to him before he died: The village was born out of the bond, but the village itself was put above everything else. It was putting the cart before the horse.
"Everyone." Hashirama said.
"Can you go back to your seat and sit down first?"
Jiraiya looked thoughtful and pulled Minato back to his seat and sat down.
Even if we have to fight, even if we have to take action, it should not be now. Without the permission of the First Hokage, anyone who acts rashly is seeking death.
"I think everyone needs to calm down. How about taking a break first?"
"What Shodaime-sama said is that everyone should take a rest first." Fugaku said quickly at this time. He felt that he needed to come out to smooth things over at this time.
Everyone was arranged in different lounges, and they could move around freely in the Hokage building. The first and second generation didn't care at all whether some people were colluding or not.
Kakashi was taken with him by the Senju brothers.
In the Hokage's office, Hashirama looked thoughtfully at the photos of himself, his brother and Sarutobi hanging on the wall, then came to the desk and flipped through the documents on it.
Tobirama stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the scenery outside in trance.
He used to stand here and enjoy the scenery like this.
Things have changed, and he is already a dead person.
Hashirama walked up to him and said: "Tobirama, don't just regard these people as juniors. They may have experienced more than us. Hiruzen, for example, is actually older than us.
You have to treat them as equal individuals."
Tobirama looked calm, and after being silent for a long time, he suddenly said: "Brother, it's because we didn't live long enough."
Hashirama was stunned for a moment and said unexpectedly: "Why... do you think so?"
Tobirama said: "Am I wrong to think so? Only when I returned to this world did I realize that everything here makes me feel nostalgic."
"Death is really painful."
"..."
And the conference room on the other side.
Orochimaru was still sitting motionless in his seat, looking calmly out the window.
The door of the conference room was left open, and the ANBU standing guard at the door also left.
Apart from him, Tsunade was the only one in the room who was leaning against the wall at the door, looking at him quietly.
"Tsunade." Orochimaru suddenly called out her name.
"I can let you see the Rope Tree, do you want to see it?"
Tsunade looked slightly startled: "Why?"
"..."
Orochimaru lowered his eyelids, his snake-like eyes flashed with luster and returned to calm.
"It's better not to see him anymore, lest he miss this life and be helpless. That would be the greatest pain."
The conference room became quiet again.
In another lounge.
There are only two people here, Zhen and Fugaku.
"Are you scared, Fugaku-senpai?"
"Ah... I just think Zhenjun is too bold."
"Don't worry, Fugaku-senpai just needs to do what you want to do when you feel confident. I won't force you this time."
"It's best if True Lord can understand me. After all, I am also the head of the clan."
Half an hour has passed since the break.
Everyone returned to the conference room one after another.
When Zhen walked into the room, he glanced at Orochimaru and saw that his face was calm and he was no longer as confident as he had been at the beginning.
Hashirama said at this time: "Then let's continue."
Everyone was sitting upright, with different expressions.
Kakashi in the field suddenly raised his hand.
"Lord Shodaime."
"Kakashi, is there anything else you want to say?"
"...Yes." Kakashi took a deep breath.
"When Mr. Shikaku asked me to investigate the Yondaime-sama's affairs, I did find out something... Can I tell you about these things?"