Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen speak, Shimura Danzo and the other two were completely dumbfounded.
What?
It was Shinnosuke’s fault?
Your own son was beaten half to death by that guy for no reason!
…Well, actually, there was a reason.
About a week ago, during the S-Rank mission, White Fang had abandoned the mission to save Yusuke, causing the mission to fail.
Almost every shinobi in the village had then condemned both White Fang and Yusuke.
White Fang had been cursed the most, with Yusuke coming second.
The result was that White Fang committed suicide while Yusuke went into mourning.
Among all the Konoha shinobi who had condemned them, the most extreme had been members of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
And among those two clans, the people who had condemned White Fang and Yusuke most viciously were the group in the ANBU led by Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
So, in summary, Yusuke and Sarutobi Shinnosuke had an old grudge.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Shinnosuke had indirectly contributed to White Fang’s death.
That was why Yusuke had beaten Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the others so badly.
But Yusuke himself felt that they were overthinking things.
It didn’t matter whether they were Sarutobi or Shimura.
Even if they were Uchiha or Hyuga, as long as they dared to provoke him, he would deal with them all the same.
As for avenging Hatake Sakumo, Yusuke had no such intention.
He was targeting Konoha for his own sake.
As long as he kept an eye on Kakashi and made sure the kid didn’t die, that would be enough to repay Sakumo’s favor.
“This time, Shinnosuke and the others were the ones who spoke out of line, which caused this misunderstanding. I’ll make sure to discipline them strictly from now on.”
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head, revealing a kindly smile.
He stood up, picked up Yusuke’s forehead protector, and handed it to him with a smile.
“Here, Yusuke. Put your forehead protector back on. You will always be a part of Konoha.”
As expected of a politician capable of brainwashing even a Naruto who should have turned evil into an idiot.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen’s kindly expression, which showed not the slightest trace of darkness, Yusuke couldn’t help praising him inwardly.
There was a reason Sarutobi Hiruzen would be remembered favorably for generations while Shimura Danzo would be remembered with infamy.
Compared with Shimura Danzo, who walked around all day with an expression as though everyone owed him five million, Sarutobi Hiruzen was clearly much better at winning people’s hearts.
Of course, part of the reason was that the two had always worked together, playing the roles of good cop and bad cop.
And Danzo’s personality meant that he was only suited to operating from the shadows.
The moment he stepped into the spotlight, the number of people who wanted him dead would be endless.
Yusuke immediately smiled as well, accepted the forehead protector, and laughed.
“Lord Hokage, you’re too kind. As expected of the strongest Hokage, who surpassed even the First and Second Hokage. This level of magnanimity is something this junior could never learn! Hahaha~”
“Then, Lord Hokage, I’ll take my leave first.”
Yusuke hung the forehead protector from his arm and left with a smile.
Although Konoha had been crippled, meaning Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others absolutely wouldn’t dare do anything to him for at least twenty years, Yusuke hadn’t lost his reason because of that.
At least for now, there was no need to completely fall out with Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also wore a kindly expression and waved goodbye to Yusuke.
The two great actors put on a spectacular performance for each other.
“Danzo, aren’t you being too weak?!”
After Yusuke had completely left, Danzo couldn’t help shouting angrily.
Just from this single action, the difference in political ability between Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen was obvious.
The kindly expression on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s face instantly vanished.
He said coldly, “At a time like this, we cannot afford to lose a Kage-level powerhouse.”
The current situation of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha was much like that of a ruler forced to rely on a powerful warlord when he faced a powerful rival in battle in Yusuke’s previous life.
And Yusuke’s current position was similar to that of a powerful military commander.
Back then, in order to win over a powerful military commander and have him fight alongside him, the ruler had to endure humiliation and agree to the commander’s demand for a higher position .
Now, in order to withstand threats from other villages, Sarutobi Hiruzen was using a similar strategy.
He absolutely could not fall out with Yusuke.
He had to rely on Yusuke’s strength to resist external enemies.
But that didn’t mean Sarutobi Hiruzen would simply laugh off the humiliation his son had suffered.
It was only because Konoha’s current situation was so dire that he had to swallow his anger for the time being.
Once Konoha recovered in the future, it wouldn’t be too late to settle the score.
Just as Liu Bang dealt with Han Xin and the others after conquering the realm.
This was what demonstrated Sarutobi Hiruzen’s formidable political ability.
However, there was still one important difference.
Sarutobi Hiruzen simply didn’t possess Liu Bang’s ability.
Later, when Kumogakure practically trampled all over his head, he still didn’t dare make a sound.
Instead, he shamelessly offered up the head of his own people to beg Kumogakure for peace.
And Yusuke wasn’t Han Xin.
That commander didn’t dare oppose his ruler.
Yusuke did .
Yusuke did.
It wasn’t merely that he dared.
Even if he had to wipe out the Sarutobi, Shimura, and other clans, he wouldn’t even blink.
It simply wasn’t the right time yet.
…
…
After leaving the Sarutobi clan compound, Yusuke reached out and ruffled the slightly curly hair of little Yuhi Kurenai, who had been waiting for him outside.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuhi Kurenai.”
“Yusuke Big Brother, did the Hokage punish you?”
Yuhi Kurenai anxiously clenched her little fists.
“How could someone as broad-minded as the Hokage punish me? He couldn’t stop praising me.”
Yusuke’s words made the corners of the mouths of the Sarutobi clan guards and ANBU members at the entrance twitch.
You beat the Hokage’s eldest son into that state and you’re saying he praised you?
If that were really the case, even Minato Namikaze and the others would have to wonder whether Sarutobi Hiruzen had something wrong with his head.
Nevertheless, they were genuinely surprised to see Yusuke walk out of the Hokage’s residence without a scratch.
They had assumed that even if Yusuke wasn’t thrown into prison, he would at least be stripped of his shinobi position.
Yet nothing had happened to him.
Could the Hokage really be that magnanimous?
His own son had been beaten into that state, and he didn’t even care?
As Yusuke walked away hand in hand with little Yuhi Kurenai, he thought that Minato Namikaze and those other kids were still too young.
How could they possibly understand Sarutobi Hiruzen’s political methods?
If they really understood them, would they have been brainwashed so thoroughly?