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JST Chapter 266: No Good Deed Survives a Good Speech
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 04:46:09 +0000 UTCHiruzen’s speech was truly skillful.
After Tobirama had committed an unforgivable crime...
As the Third Hokage of Konohagakure and Tobirama’s foremost disciple, Hiruzen did not choose to cover for him.
Instead, he was the first to step forward to denounce and expose him, personally taking a stand at the forefront of the crowd, declaring that he would atone for his sensei’s sins with his own life!
In the Konoha shrouded by dark clouds, this dramatic reversal allowed a sliver of light to break through.
As long as Hiruzen’s subsequent actions were earnest enough, the hearts of Konoha’s people would not collapse too severely.
In fact, Hiruzen had already resolved to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal!
At that moment—
Everyone in the Forest of Death was staring at Tobirama with eyes full of boundless hatred, wishing they could devour his flesh and wear his skin!
Meanwhile, upon hearing this devastating news, Shisui couldn’t even stay on his feet.
His blood-red eyes stared at the manifestation of Kazuki’s ocular power within Tobirama’s crimson gaze, and all he could see in his mind were memories of his elder brother’s smiling face...
He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye!
Why—why must this world be so cruel and merciless?!
In that fleeting instant, Shisui recalled something Kazuki often told him with a smile:
“Shisui, you still have so much potential left to unlock. The future is yours.”
The future still existed—but Kazuki no longer did.
And as someone with only an ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan, even if Shisui had a bit of talent, how could he possibly have helped Kazuki?
Potential... potential...
What use was potential now?
What Shisui needed now was real strength—combat power that could help Kazuki!
Moreover, when Hiruzen had just said,
"If we capture Senju Tobirama now, there might still be hope for Kazuki..."
—though those words were merely for effect, to Shisui they were like a lifeline, something he seized upon with all his might!
There was still hope—his brother could still be saved!
Spurred by this overwhelming surge of emotion, the three tomoe in Shisui’s eyes rapidly began to mutate, blooming into a pattern that resembled flickering flames!
At this very moment, another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan was born within the Uchiha Clan!
Feeling the immense power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui had no time for the signature manic laughter that often accompanied such awakenings. Instead, a steely determination filled his heart!
This ocular power seemed to be a direct reflection of his deepest thoughts and desires...
On the other side, Tobirama observed the reactions of Konoha’s people. Normally, even if mountains crumbled before him, he would remain unfazed—but now, even he was starting to lose composure.
That monkey usually did a terrible job managing the village, yet when it came to opposing him, Hiruzen’s ability to rally people was terrifyingly effective?
He had even taken the lead himself, personally charging to the frontlines.
Tobirama had a lot he wanted to complain about. In the past, criticisms of Hiruzen often focused on how, after becoming Hokage, he rarely fought on the battlefield like the other village leaders.
But look at him now—he was the very first to rush in when it came to fighting his own former sensei!
And the blood-teared eyes of Shisui were also telling Tobirama—
Everyone was siding with Hiruzen...
Even Kazuki’s younger brother, even Tsunade was behaving like this—what hope was there of convincing anyone else?
At this moment, Tobirama only felt a deep and bitter grievance welling up inside him!
The theory Hiruzen had spread—that Kazuki was a product of forbidden jutsu—wasn’t entirely baseless...
It had originated from the judgment of Uzumaki Mito during her lifetime.
Back then, both Tobirama and the unconscious Kazuki had heard Mito's suspicions together. Tobirama had broken out in a cold sweat, nearly convinced that it was true...
It had taken him a long time to explain everything to Kazuki and survive that crisis.
But even so, Tobirama couldn’t fully blame Uzumaki Mito for the misunderstanding.
That legendary sealing kunoichi had, back then, clearly pointed out the key to Hiruzen: Kazuki was not under Tobirama’s control.
And she had a very solid reason for her conclusion.
Given her little brother-in-law’s methods, if Tobirama truly had been manipulating Kazuki, there was no way the boy could have survived into adolescence with his self-awareness intact...
Unfortunately...
After Uzumaki Mito had offered her objective analysis, Hiruzen did not take it to heart. Instead, he charged forward according to his own assumptions, continuously filling in gaps with his imagination along a flawed line of reasoning—eventually leading to today’s misunderstanding...
After listening to Hiruzen’s accusations, Tobirama quickly sorted out where the problem had arisen.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain, it was Shisui who, following Hiruzen, became the second person to interrupt Tobirama’s attempt at a defense.
"We still have a chance to save my brother!"
Shisui suddenly shouted, "The ocular technique in my left eye—Butōgyoku—can restore vitality to both the soul and the body!"
"Everyone, as long as my brother still has the slightest spark of life left, I will exhaust my entire ocular power to bring him back!"
"And—"
Shisui glared at Tobirama with hatred, his voice deep and grim: "I will unleash all of my potential, burning myself away if necessary, to kill you!"
The reason Shisui said this—
Was because the ocular technique in his right eye—Kagutsuhane—could forcibly awaken the hidden strength within his body!
Not only could it be used on himself, it could also be applied to others...
Everyone who heard Shisui’s words felt a surge of hope in their hearts.
The chance of saving Kazuki had just risen considerably!
Tobirama was still trying to calm the crowd, but Hiruzen’s Shadow Clone Technique had already appeared on the battlefield!
"Protect Shisui!"
The five shadow clones of Hiruzen rapidly formed hand seals. In an instant, he unleashed a barrage of attacks using all five chakra natures!
Five Release Great Combo Technique!
Hiruzen showed no hesitation in spending his chakra—he opened with his most powerful technique.
The sequence in which he released the five chakra natures created a terrifying explosion!
"Hiruzen, are you out of your mind?!" Enma, the Monkey King, stared wide-eyed at the exploding ground and shouted anxiously: "I don’t know why the Second Hokage is alive again, but he’s still the First Hokage’s successor—your sensei!"
"Are you seriously planning to betray and kill your sensei?!"
As Hiruzen’s most intimate battle partner, Enma knew that his comrade wasn’t just putting on a show—he was going all out, displaying his true abilities!
This wasn’t a half-hearted performance.
"Now’s not the time to talk about that!"
Hiruzen swung the Adamantine Staff and shouted sternly: "Even if he is my sensei, even if they were my kin, my friends, or my own children—if they commit wrongs, they must be punished for the sake of the Will of Fire!"
"Everyone, protect Shisui! Having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, he might become Senju Tobirama’s next target!"
Upon hearing this, the members of the Uchiha Clan immediately clustered tightly around Shisui, and the looks they cast toward Hiruzen showed an increase in approval.
With those words—
The Third Hokage’s reputation as a righteous man was firmly cemented!
"Pay close attention to the Flying Thunder God kunai thrown by Senju Tobirama. Use ninjutsu to destroy them in time, and don't allow him to set up an array for consecutive teleportations. Take full advantage of our superior numbers!"
Hiruzen commanded fluidly, pointing out Tobirama’s weaknesses and boosting morale: "Since he fled into the Forest of Death rather than teleporting farther away, it proves that the Flying Thunder God marks he laid down earlier have become invalid—he can no longer teleport over long distances!"
"We will corner him here! If we unite, we can take him down!"
Originally, Tobirama had only intended to find a quiet place to avoid deepening the misunderstanding and perhaps find an opportunity to explain himself...
But in the eyes of his beloved student, it simply looked like he was trying to flee and failing!
Even though Tobirama had a bellyful of explanations, first Hiruzen had cut him off, then Shisui had interrupted him—it seemed no one was willing to give him a chance to speak!
In truth, if Hiruzen hadn’t turned against him and attacked first with the intent to kill...
Thanks to the prestige and reputation he once enjoyed as the Second Hokage, Tobirama could still have fought for a chance to explain himself—it wouldn't have come to the point where he was denied even the opportunity to speak.
It could only be said that even in the shinobi world...
Long-winded speeches still held extraordinary power; they were practically an alternative form of an S-rank forbidden technique!
