"You love your son so much, couldn't you taste it?"
Hearing Shikaku's words, Hiruzen's movements abruptly halted.
Not just him, but also Hashirama and Tobirama nearby, Tsunade present, the little girl trio, and even the Sweet Commanders from another world were stunned.
"Ugh!"
The little girl, Kurenai, couldn't hold back and immediately ran to the corner of the street to dry heave.
Just moments ago, she had actually wanted to taste that meat pie.
Now, thinking back...
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
Kurenai nearly vomited up her stomach acid.
Her friend, Rin, patted her back.
But goosebumps also involuntarily covered her skin.
A full five or six seconds passed before Hiruzen looked down at the meat pie in his hand, from which he had already taken two bites.
Shikaku said coldly:
"Even a tiger doesn't eat its cub, you're worse than a beast!"
Another ten seconds passed.
"Asuma!!!"
Hiruzen, who had already been prepared to die, saw this scene, his eyes bloodshot and tearing, letting out a heart-wrenching roar.
Back when Shinsuke had met his misfortune, Hiruzen had anticipated the worst outcome.
So he sent his most trusted subordinate, Shikaku, to secretly hide his younger son.
If they could survive this ordeal, that would be best, of course.
They could bring him back later.
If the situation developed more dangerously... then Shikaku would get him out of Konoha.
At least it would ensure the Sarutobi Clan had an heir.
But now...
"Shikaku!!!"
Hiruzen swung the Adamantine Staff at Shikaku.
"Multi-Size Technique!"
Choza, seeing this, immediately used his clan's secret technique.
His body rapidly expanded into a human wall, blocking the Adamantine Staff for Shikaku.
But the staff wielded by Hiruzen, who still maintained high Kage-level strength, was clearly not something Choza could block.
The moment he was hit, he was sent flying through the air like a ball struck by a bat.
The sound of cracking bones could faintly be heard.
The Adamantine Staff continued towards Shikaku.
However, a giant silver-white skeletal hand rose from the ground.
It grabbed the swinging staff empty-handed.
Susanoo!
"Th-thank you for saving my life, Jin-sama."
Shikaku, still shaken, bowed to Jin.
"No matter. The good show you just put on is enough to spare your life."
The smile on Jin's face at this moment could hardly be concealed.
What is high emotional intelligence?
This is high emotional intelligence.
Directly labeling Hiruzen and the Sarutobi Clan as 'traitors'.
'If I had been this good at navigating workplace politics in my previous life, I wouldn't have been stuck with a measly three or four thousand a month salary until I crossed over.'
Jin also glanced at Choza, who had at least three or four broken ribs and took a long time to get up from the ground.
'Later, I'll have the Akimichi Clan hand over the training method for this technique.'
"Quickly apprehend the traitor!"
Shikaku ordered.
Instantly, the Ino-Shika-Cho Clan's members who had followed surrounded Hiruzen in multiple layers.
"Shikaku, you beast! I've treated you well, and you do something so beastly!"
Hiruzen's eyes were bloodshot, roaring as if he wished he could slice Shikaku into a thousand pieces.
Shikaku had always been a Jonin he held in high regard.
Possessing one of the finest minds in the village and sufficient loyalty to the Hokage.
More importantly, although he was very intelligent, he wasn't like Sakumo or the future Uchiha Shisui, who could potentially threaten his power.
Yet Hiruzen never expected that at the most critical moment, he would stab him in the back.
Probably only at this moment did Hiruzen realize that Nara Shikaku was indeed loyal to the 'Hokage'.
But more accurately, his loyalty was to the person holding the position of [Hokage], not to Hiruzen himself.
"Was it necessary to go this far?"
The reincarnated Tobirama frowned deeply.
"Your dear disciples' methods when they wiped out the entire Uchiha Clan in the future weren't much better than this."
Jin sneered.
He was merely bringing forward what the Konoha Council did to the Uchiha Clan and having it play out on them instead.
Slaughtering women and children is indeed despicable.
But didn't you do the same?
Weren't there children and elderly within the Uchiha Clan at that time?
Didn't you kill them all the same?
Fugaku and Itachi, that father-son pair, used the lives of the entire clan as a bargaining chip to demand that Konoha spare the life of their younger brother/son, Sasuke.
Remembering this, Jin found it laughable.
Seriously, your young son and younger brother's lives are lives.
But other Uchiha children's lives aren't, right?
Speaking of which, Fugaku, that clan head, was also something else.
He willingly dying by his son's hand is his own business.
Why make the entire clan die along with his family?
If he had just given the order for the whole clan to flee before the massacre night, people would have considered that him at least tried.
Well, that father and son are quite the pair.
…
And it wasn't just the Ino-Shika-Cho surrounding Hiruzen.
The Aburame and Inuzuka Clan, leading their Ninken and controlling their insects, also emerged from somewhere.
At this time, they surrounded Danzo on the other side.
"You!?"
Danzo's eyes also widened like copper bells.
He had no children, so he wouldn't suffer the pain of losing a son in his final moments like Hiruzen.
But it must be known that the Aburame Clan had always been Danzo's major supporter.
The recently deceased Aburame Tatsuma, who is killed by Orochimaru, and the future Aburame Torune, who accompanied Danzo to the Five Kage Summit, were both Danzo's trusted subordinates.
This also shows that the Aburame Clan indeed had a good relationship with Danzo.
Yet at this most critical and dangerous moment, they, like the Ino-Shika-Cho who hunted down Asuma and stabbed Hiruzen in the back, did not hesitate to betray him.
"Apprehend the traitor immediately."
The Aburame Clan's head, Aburame Shibi, ordered in a low voice.
The Aburame Clan's insect swarms and the Inuzuka Clan's Ninken swarmed forward.
They restrained Danzo's movements, pressing him firmly to the ground.
"Jin-sama, how should these two be dealt with?"
Shikaku turned to Jin for instructions.
"Heh~ You're so smart, can't you figure it out?"
Jin asked back with a smile.
Hearing this, the Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other Ninja Clans all drew their weapons, staring at the two like starving beasts staring at plump rabbits.
During the recent civil war, they had all remained neutral.
Needless to say, this must have displeased Jin greatly.
And now was the time for them to present their pledge of allegiance.
…
"Shikaku! I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!"
"I am the one who can bring change to this Ninja World!"
Listening to the curses of these two old men, Jin picked his ears, feeling he had just watched an interesting farce, then turned his gaze to the reincarnated Hashirama.
"Is this your belief that people can understand each other?"
Even though he had long been dead, everything he experienced today still shattered Hashirama's worldview.
The Sarutobi Clan, represented by Hiruzen, and the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the Shimura Clan, represented by Danzo, along with the Aburame and Inuzuka, could be said to have been firm allies since the Warring States Period.
Yet now, their descendants were killing each other.
Their targets were none other than the Hokage and the second-in-command.
And Shikaku's move completely shattered Hashirama's worldview.
For the Asura's descendants, who have been saints for generations, this was truly too shocking!
"...Hah."
After a long silence, it finally turned into a sigh more expressive than words.
He had originally wanted to at least give his disciple a dignified departure.
But he never expected...
"Young man named Orochimaru, release the Impure World Reincarnation."
The reincarnated Hashirama turned to Orochimaru and said.
He no longer wanted to remain in the living world.
He might as well go back to the chat group and chat nonsense with those silly friends from across the multiverse.
The word 'slacker' perfectly describes Hashirama's state at this moment.
...
The events at the main entrance of the Konoha's Hokage Building held little interest for the new refugees from the One Piece World who had just moved into Konoha Village.
After all, they didn't know who Hiruzen was.
Nor did they know how many outrageous operations the Konoha Council had pulled during their nearly 30 years of controlling Konoha's highest authority.
All they cared about was having a new home.
Thus, on the following day, as a sliver of dawn rose on the horizon, Tsunade, wearing the shadow hat with the [Fire] character on top, stood on the roof of the Hokage Building.
Announcing that she would assume the position of Fourth Hokage.
These new villagers, still dressed like beggars, all raised their arms, cheering and applauding incessantly.
They didn't understand a word of what Tsunade said in her speech about 'inheriting her grandfather's will, protecting the village,' blah blah blah.
But they knew that as long as they obeyed and worked diligently, they wouldn't have to fear their new home being persecuted by the World Government and pirates like before.
That was enough!
"You've worked hard, worked hard~ All the troublesome people are gone. This is your village from now on."
After Tsunade returned to her office and sat down, Jin appeared from somewhere, pressing his hands on her delicate shoulders to give her a massage.
"Can these people be trusted? And where did you even get them from? Each one looks... quite unique."
When Tsunade was giving her speech upstairs earlier, seeing the faces of these new villagers below, she almost couldn't keep a straight face.
Fish-men with marine creature features like scales and fins.
Mermaids with the same build as Shirahoshi, with upper body of a regular female, lower body a fish tail.
Beast-men covered in furry hair, with animal faces but human body structures.
'Angels' with wings on their backs but unable to fly.
She didn't know what are all these things.
"Ah, don't mind the details. You just need to focus on being a good Hokage."
Unlike those keyboard warriors in Konoha with their multitude of issues, these refugees, who had once suffered under the World Government and pirates, were much easier to manage.
Just give them enough to eat.
No need for so many troubles.
At least something like the White Fang Incident would absolutely never happen.
As he spoke, Jin's hands slid towards the collar of Tsunade's clothes.
"What are you doing, kid? This is the Hokage's office!"
Tsunade scolded.
"I chose you as Hokage because I wanted to do it here once. You can't take away my dream!"
Jin said as if it were the most natural thing.