Minato's sudden arrival had gathered all the Hokage from past generations in one place.
"Could the Fourth Hokage have also been resurrected using Impure World Reincarnation?!"
"Where are Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage?"
"Weren't they supposed to invade Konoha together?"
Filled with these questions, everyone jumped into the crater and surrounded it. Ahead, Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had been saved by Menma—looked at Minato with astonishment.
"You're... Minato!"
"Wait, weren't you dead?"
"Could it be that the Impure World Reincarnation I just stopped was summoned again by the escaped Orochimaru?"
Hiruzen had assumed Minato's failed Impure World Reincarnation summoning was because he had stopped it with a shuriken.
"I am indeed dead. And that wasn't Impure World Reincarnation."
Minato glanced at Hiruzen, his expression utterly cold, offering no explanation.
If he had initially considered questioning Hiruzen about the past... seeing those confidential documents now, he felt nothing but despair.
"Not Impure World Reincarnation?"
Hiruzen's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. A terrible premonition filled his heart.
Across from him, Hashirama and Tobirama breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Menma had no intention of attacking again.
If they were in their prime, they wouldn't fear someone who could wield the Nine-Tails' power. But their current strength was only about one-tenth of their original power, making them no match for Menma.
Even with the ability to resurrect infinitely via Impure World Reincarnation's properties, they couldn't stop Menma from destroying Konoha.
Speaking of destroying Konoha, both of them were puzzled.
After all, both Hashirama's wife, Mito Uzumaki, and her successor, Kushina Uzumaki, had deeply loved the village and inherited the Will of Fire while alive.
How had conflict arisen between the Jinchuriki and the village during Hiruzen's tenure?
Enough that he attacked the Hokage and released a Tailed Beast Ball within Konoha itself?
Thinking this, Tobirama ignored the surrounding crowd and directly confronted Hiruzen.
"Hey. This generation's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—why did you attack the Hokage and release a Tailed Beast Ball without regard for the village's safety?"
"As far as I know, Konoha doesn't treat its Jinchuriki that way!"
He turned to look at Hiruzen, whose limbs were crippled and who was being held aloft by a chakra fox tail.
"Monkey. How did you select and train your Jinchuriki? Don't you know they need character testing and guidance?"
Before Hiruzen could speak, Minato interrupted.
"First Hokage, Second Hokage—Konoha today is no longer the one from your time."
"It's become a plaything for two dirty politicians expanding their own clan's power."
"Minato!" Hiruzen's face turned ashen at those words.
But before he could retort, Tobirama looked at Minato with a dangerous gaze.
"And who are you? Some lowly pawn? How can you interfere in affairs between successive Hokage and their Jinchuriki?"
"Or is the Jinchuriki actually being misled by you?"
Tobirama believed he understood Hiruzen well. He trusted that Hiruzen wouldn't do what Minato claimed.
"A pawn?" Minato wasn't angry. He chuckled lightly, turned around, and pointed to his back. "I am the Fourth Hokage. Second Hokage—do I have the right to speak now?"
At this moment, the onlookers had all gathered. Due to the complicated situation ahead, none dared to step forward, only conversing amongst themselves. Even Akatsuki, Asuma, and Izumi—who wanted to rush to rescue Hiruzen—were held back by Kakashi. He didn't want them angering Menma and dying needlessly.
"It really is the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!"
"And he doesn't have cracks on his face, and his eyes aren't black. He's clearly not a puppet resurrected through Impure World Reincarnation!"
"Could it be that he didn't actually die back then, but went into hiding because of the Third Hokage?"
The various ninja clans quickly speculated. After all, Minato had been completely a puppet in Hiruzen's hands.
"You're the Fourth Hokage?"
Hashirama, who hadn't spoken yet, widened his eyes and tilted his head to look closely.
"But isn't the monkey still in power? What are you all doing..."
Hashirama was starting to get confused about the current situation.
"Actually, I'm already dead. I died sealing the Nine-Tails. What's here now is just my remaining chakra."
Minato didn't hide anything, directly stating his situation. He then took out a scroll with a purple-gold cover and tossed it to Hashirama and Tobirama.
"Regarding what I said before, you two can check what's recorded on this scroll."
" Died sealing the Nine-Tails?" Hashirama's expression froze for a moment. Then he nodded at Minato with great appreciation. "The Nine-Tails is very strong. You sealed it with your life; you're not much weaker than Tobirama."
Tobirama: "..."
Although Tobirama wanted to retort, he remembered that he couldn't even defeat Kinkaku and Ginkaku—who had eaten some of the Nine-Tails' flesh. So he opened his mouth but said nothing, simply taking the scroll and reading it.
"This scroll!"
On the other side, Hiruzen's already ugly face turned completely green after seeing the scroll.
This scroll recorded all the dirty deeds he, Danzo, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado had plotted together. The purpose of recording it was to bind the four of them tightly together. It was also a trump card left for the clan to deal with the other three in case he died suddenly.
However, this thing had been hidden in the deepest secret room of the Sarutobi compound. A large number of clan ninjas guarded it day and night.
But now it was in Minato's hands. One could imagine what the Sarutobi Clan had suffered.
Forgetting all pretense of death, Hiruzen glared at Minato with bloodshot eyes.
"Minato! What have you done to my Sarutobi Clan?!"
"And Danzo's Root base—you were the one who did that, weren't you?!"
"What else could I do? I slaughtered them all, of course." Menma tossed Hiruzen into the middle, his face full of disdain.
Then he looked around at everyone and shouted in a loud voice.
"I'm sure you're all curious about what my father, Minato Namikaze, said."
"Now I'll tell you why I hate Konoha and why I broke the limbs of that hypocrite, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
Menma's words immediately caused a huge stir. All the surrounding ninjas, including the two ANBU members, Enoki and Ōkami, looked like they'd seen a ghost.
Apart from a few people who knew about Menma's background—such as Danzo, Kakashi, and Hiashi Hyuga—no one else present had known.
Almost simultaneously, the others asked Minato a question.
"Fourth Hokage, is what the Jinchuriki said true?"
"Could it be that the ostracized and isolated Jinchuriki is actually the son of a hero?"
"Why did the Third Hokage treat them like that..."
Everyone had witnessed the Jinchuriki's tragic childhood. A chill ran through the hearts of all the ninja clans.
If the orphan of the Fourth Hokage was treated this way, wouldn't others have suffered even more?
Perhaps even the Uchiha Clan—which was wiped out—had other hidden stories.
It might not be what Hiruzen told the public at all.
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