Chapter 37
Sarutobi Hiruzen expressed that he was tired.
Is it possible for an ordinary person to expect a man nearly sixty years old to shoulder the worries of the entire village every single day? No one in Konoha gave him peace of mind.
The paranoia of the Uchiha clan, Danzō and his Root division, and even the constant burden of guiding his grandson Konohamaru—Hiruzen, who only wished to educate the next generation and secretly peek at the women's bathhouse from time to time, truly had a hard life.
Who on earth would dare to attack the ninja guarding the library at such a moment?
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't exhausted much chakra, when he arrived that night, he found the Uchiha clan already on full alert, as if prepared for battle.
Even in that situation, he only released a few defensive ninjutsu to keep the situation stable.
But more importantly, his heart was weary. He had just managed to quell a temporary disturbance near the Uchiha compound when he received the urgent report from the Anbu.
He hurried toward the library—he had to recover the stolen scroll at all costs.
The forbidden jutsu stored within the library were no trivial matter; among them were techniques that could defy the natural laws of life and death.
As he walked, he muttered complaints about his former teacher, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—"A master who created so many forbidden techniques… wasn't he just leaving his apprentice endless trouble?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's footsteps echoed as he approached the familiar corridor. Several Anbu operatives appeared before him.
"Have you found anything?" Hiruzen asked.
"No, Hokage-sama," one replied. "But the two guards survived. They've regained consciousness, though one still requires medical attention."
"Where are they? Take me to them," said Hiruzen.
"They're waiting for your arrival in the office, Hokage-sama."
Pushing open the door and settling into his seat, Hiruzen lit his pipe.
The smoke curled slowly through the Hokage's office as he faced the two embarrassed Chūnin.
"What happened? How could you allow the library to be infiltrated?"
Trying to suppress his irritation, Konoha's Third Hokage waited for their explanation.
"It was Orochimaru… Orochimaru-sama," the younger one stammered, shame clouding his face. "He infiltrated the village and knocked us out."
To betray the Third Hokage for Orochimaru—such a thought was unthinkable for a loyal Konoha shinobi.
Hiruzen frowned deeply, taking another drag from his pipe. His suspicion grew.
It shouldn't be Orochimaru. Back then, Orochimaru had long since abandoned his humanity and taken to experimenting on the dead. If it truly were him, these two wouldn't be standing here alive.
Corpses don't speak, Hiruzen thought grimly.
It couldn't be Orochimaru. But then—who within the village possessed the skill to subdue two trained Chūnin so swiftly?
A person of such strength should at least rank among the Anbu or elite Jōnin.
"You… I remember your name is Kazusaku, correct?" Hiruzen said slowly. "Do you also believe it was Orochimaru who defeated you before the theft?"
"Me?" The older ninja looked startled that the Hokage remembered his name.
Kazusaku, a more seasoned shinobi than his partner, bowed respectfully.
"No, Hokage-sama. If it truly were Orochimaru, we'd already be dead. But… it's possible that someone used genjutsu to imitate his appearance."
"To activate an illusion without your awareness and manipulate your senses so completely…" Hiruzen murmured, "such a shinobi must be exceptionally skilled."
Shame colored Kazusaku's face even more. He clenched his fists.
"I'm terribly sorry, Hokage-sama. My strength was too lacking—I failed to protect the classified materials!"
Kazusaku's head nearly touched the floor in apology.
Hiruzen removed the pipe from his mouth and sighed. He thought the same thing.
It was truly troublesome—someone with genjutsu ability of this caliber lurking within Konoha was a danger far greater than most realized.
Why don't such people choose to dedicate their genius to serve and shine for Konoha, instead of stealing classified scrolls from the village library?
To think of using genjutsu, and yet spare the guards' lives after rendering them unconscious—such a person must possess a certain conscience, a heart that still hesitates to kill.
It's a pity that someone with such skill and restraint chose to commit a crime like this.
However, what's done is done. From this moment, that person has made himself Konoha's enemy. Hiruzen must inspect the library and identify exactly what was stolen.
"Ahem. You allowed the materials in the library to be taken—logically, you should be punished. But since the opponent possesses such ability…"
"Well, it seems you still lack experience and strength. Therefore, you'll forfeit half a year's salary and assist the Anbu in identifying the intruder tonight."
Was that too light—or too heavy—a punishment?
Kazusaku and his junior both had that same uneasy thought in their hearts.
"They're fine," said a calm voice.
Stepping out of the office, Yamanaka Inoichi nodded respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As the "Ino" of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, the Yamanaka clan was renowned for their powerful spiritual techniques.
Members of their family excelled in mental control and sensory communication—they could invade and read the minds of others, even extracting memories from the unconscious or recently deceased. Their mental networks allowed silent transmission of information among comrades, making them indispensable to Konoha's intelligence corps.
Even before Hiruzen questioned them, Inoichi had already used his Mind Body Transmission Technique to probe their thoughts while they were still unconscious.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. Without delay, he proceeded to the library, which was now under strict Anbu lockdown.
Upon entering, he found the library in utter disarray; scrolls and manuscripts lay scattered, many showing clear signs of being tampered with.
Suppressing the anger rising within him—an emotion dangerous to an aging man—Hiruzen forced himself to breathe evenly.
His eyes locked onto the empty space where the stolen scrolls once lay.
Which forbidden techniques were taken?
The Reanimation Jutsu—Edo Tensei—was among those missing. Could it truly have been Orochimaru? Hiruzen shook his head grimly.
Also gone were a number of documents related to advanced sealing arts, including those derived from the Uzumaki clan's fūinjutsu. After checking carefully, Hiruzen confirmed that these ancient materials—preserved since the fall of Uzushiogakure—had not been read by anyone except the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki.
And… there was even a forged Sealed Book!
Hiruzen sighed heavily. He had once prepared three secret techniques as graduation gifts for a certain child—techniques meant to help the boy find his own path and make up for the hardships fate had dealt him.
To atone for his negligence now, Hiruzen's mood grew heavier and more remorseful.
Perhaps, he thought, he should prepare one more gift for Naruto—a true one this time—and keep it safely at home, so it wouldn't be stolen before the boy graduates from the Academy.
"Seal the entire village," Hiruzen ordered the Anbu commander sharply. "Check everyone entering or leaving the Hidden Leaf."
"The thief must still be within Konoha. To transport so many scrolls, especially those containing sealing formulas that require enormous chakra to maintain, he'd have needed multiple trips—or perhaps, the culprit isn't a lone shinobi, but an organized group."
With that, the Third Hokage's order was final, and Konoha's Anbu vanished into the night to execute the command.