Chapter 666: Minato Namikaze''s Doubts

    In the ensuing moments, Danzo reiterated everything Orochimaru had just said, their stories nearly identical. It was as if the two had conspired, each admitting their actions while shifting the remaining blame onto the Third Hokage.

    At this point, regardless of what the Third Hokage admitted, no one would believe him. Orochimaru and Danzo had been forthright in confessing their wrongdoings.

    So, what was left unclaimed must be the Third Hokage''s doing, right?

    No one else could have done these things but him. Even if Orochimaru and Danzo jointly declared that none of these events involved the Third Hokage, the Konoha villagers wouldn''t believe it.

    The villagers'' expressions turned complex as they suddenly realized that the Third Hokage, who had always appeared as a paragon of virtue, was a hypocrite. His actions were revealed as those of a selfish individual, continually consolidating his position as Hokage.

    At this point, it was clear to almost everyone that the Third Hokage could no longer continue in his role. Power comes from the people''s support; even in a village like Konoha, one cannot remain Hokage without it. Even Madara Uchiha couldn''t become Hokage without the villagers'' approval.

    Amidst the crowd, Minato Namikaze stood beside Kushina Uzumaki, both wearing puzzled expressions. They exchanged glances, seeing the same confusion in each other''s eyes.

    "This..."

    Kushina''s lips moved as if to speak, but she held back, ultimately saying nothing. She couldn''t comprehend how the Third Hokage, who had just stood among them, could fall so abruptly.

    And the manner of his downfall was strange.

    Orochimaru and Danzo had jointly exposed themselves, dragging the Third Hokage down.

    Now, the Third Hokage had no way to explain himself. The combined accusations of these two left no room for doubt.

    "I don''t understand it either," Minato said, shaking his head. He found the situation perplexing. When he was poised to become Hokage, the Third Hokage encountered a severe problem, effectively removing himself from contention.

    With the Third Hokage out of the running, Minato would almost certainly win the Hokage position. He only needed to avoid making mistakes.

    The turn of events left Minato full of doubts and confusion. He had anticipated becoming Hokage, felt the villagers'' support, and imagined various scenarios for succeeding the Third Hokage. But he never expected it to unfold this way.

    The entire situation seemed bizarre.

    Why had Orochimaru and Danzo suddenly decided to expose the Third Hokage''s dark deeds together?

    It didn''t make sense.

    And yet, it had happened before everyone in Konoha, making it undeniable.

    What was the purpose behind this?

    It appeared to benefit neither Orochimaru nor Danzo, who were now bearing the brunt of the blame. Was it a matter of conscience that prompted them to confess their deeds and denounce the Third Hokage?

    But this seemed too exaggerated!

    Aoba, controlling Orochimaru and Danzo, orchestrated events to bring down the Third Hokage while clearing Minato''s path to becoming Hokage.

    Kushina, standing beside Minato, had numerous questions but chose not to voice them, knowing they would remain unanswered.

    Both understood that asking these questions wouldn''t change anything and would only add to their worries.

    Given that Minato would soon become Hokage, Kushina felt relieved about one thing but was concerned about another.

    The extinction of the Uzumaki clan.

    Originally, she aimed to become a kage to investigate the Uzumaki clan''s demise. She believed it wasn''t as simple as it seemed and might involve Konoha''s higher-ups. To uncover the truth, she needed to be a kage.

    However, with Minato poised to become Hokage, she felt her goal would be achieved through him, negating her need to pursue the position herself.

    Unexpectedly, the issue of the Uzumaki clan''s extinction had already been raised.

    ...

    The Third Hokage remained on the rooftop of the Hokage office, his eyes fixed on Orochimaru and Danzo on the Hokage Rock, feeling an inexpressible frustration.

    It dawned on him that these two had conspired together.

    No wonder Orochimaru had previously sought to usurp him, and Danzo refused to support him.

    The root of the problem lies here.

    They had likely colluded, sharing information, realizing neither could become Hokage and thus, opted to expose everything.

    This realization hit the Third Hokage hard. He regretted not pitting Orochimaru and Danzo against each other, which might have prevented their alliance and his downfall.

    He now saw that seeking their help to maintain his position had been a grave mistake.

    In hindsight, pitting them against each other might have prevented this alliance.

    But at the time, he needed their support to retain his position.

    Now, he saw the risk inherent in his approach, and it was too late to reverse it.

    The Third Hokage clenched his fists tightly, regret filling him, though he wasn''t sure if it was helpful.

    He didn''t know that even if he had tried to pit Orochimaru and Danzo against each other, it wouldn''t have mattered. They were no longer their original selves.