"Tea… teacher?"
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and dry, carrying a hint of confusion and uncertainty he couldn't even comprehend himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart jolted, and his aged body instinctively recoiled half a step, his face filled with wariness.
However, the next scene made everyone present drop their jaws.
Orochimaru struggled to his feet, walked in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and then, with a thud, knelt on both knees.
He bowed his head deeply and said in a voice filled with remorse and pain, "Teacher, I was wrong."
"I was obsessed with forbidden jutsu, my eyes blinded by the illusory desire for eternal life, and even…"
"Even for that ridiculous power, I betrayed the village, murdered my comrades, and committed… committed unforgivable sins!"
"I have failed your teachings, failed the village… failed everyone who trusted me…"
As he spoke, he began to choke up, and large tears rolled down his eerie, snake-like eyes.
All the Konoha ninja:???
Hiruzen Sarutobi was completely dumbfounded.
Kurenai Yūhi and the surrounding Anbu also all wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
Is this… is this still that cold-blooded, ruthless S-rank rogue ninja Orochimaru, who regarded human lives as grass and initiated the Konoha Crush Plan?
Who is this guy crying on the ground, weeping like a 300-pound child?!
The style is wrong!
Orochimaru himself was in a state of extreme confusion.
In his mind, the various sins he had committed in the past, those cold experiments, those lost lives, all played out as clearly as yesterday.
But coexisting with these memories was a burning emotion imprinted deep in his soul—
Infinite loyalty to Konoha, and guilt towards this white-haired, elderly teacher before him!
Two extreme emotions clashed wildly in his mind, causing him immense pain.
He raised his head, his eyes incredibly sincere and firm, as if grasping at a last straw:
"From now on, I, Orochimaru, will completely turn over a new leaf!"
"I am willing to use all the knowledge and techniques I possess to contribute everything, even my life, to the prosperity and development of Konoha! Please…"
"Please give me another chance!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth was open, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word for a long time.
He looked at his disciple weeping on the ground, then at Hansen, who had a "Don't you think I'm awesome?" expression, and felt like he was dreaming.
Completely rewriting a person's thoughts and personality… what kind of method is this?!
"How is it? Are you satisfied with this compensation?" Hansen walked to Hiruzen Sarutobi, grinning, and patted his shoulder. "A genius scientist wholeheartedly devoted to the village, in exchange for a schemer constantly plotting to usurp power. This deal isn't a loss, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched violently; what else could he say?
He could only nod stiffly.
"Very good." Hansen snapped his fingers in satisfaction. "Since the matter is resolved, it's time for me to attend to some serious business."
He looked around and asked, "By the way, where is the One-Tailed Jinchuriki being held? Take me to see him."
...Hiruzen Sarutobi was now completely obedient to Hansen, one could say.
Or rather, he dared not disobey.
After personally witnessing Danzo turn to dust and Orochimaru's complete transformation, he deeply understood.
Any scheme or trick was just a joke in the face of absolute power.
This man before him was simply not an existence of their dimension.
Whatever he wanted to do, Konoha had neither the ability nor the right to stop him.
"The One-Tailed Jinchuriki, Gaara… is currently being held in a special dungeon beneath the village's interrogation department building," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was somewhat dry.
Although Orochimaru was the mastermind behind the Konoha Crush Plan, it was an undeniable fact that Sunagakure, as an accomplice, invaded Konoha and caused numerous casualties.
As the One-Tailed Jinchuriki and also the son of the Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's identity was extremely sensitive, a crucial bargaining chip for Konoha to hold Sunagakure accountable, so he was naturally kept under strict guard.
"Interrogation department? Alright, lead the way," Hansen said indifferently.
Hiruzen Sarutobi dared not delay and immediately led the way personally.
Orochimaru, who had just reformed, also followed closely, like the most loyal guard.
His gaze towards Hansen was now filled with fervent admiration, a student's yearning for an unattainable peak of knowledge… With Orochimaru's capture, Hansen's perception of the cube fragments became clearer.
However, the closest one was still separated by many dimensions.
In other words, the remaining cube fragments were not in the Naruto world.
However, Hansen did not intend to leave immediately.
For him now, the power level of this world was a bit low, but the power systems of Tailed Beasts, the Divine Tree, and the Ōtsutsuki still had their merits.
After all, he was already here.
Soon, the group arrived at the Torture and Interrogation Department located underground in Konoha.
It was perpetually dark here, the air damp and oppressive, mixed with a faint smell of blood.
The ninja on guard, seeing the Hokage personally arrive, all bowed in salute, but when they saw the rogue ninja Orochimaru following behind the Hokage, they all showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty.
However, no one dared to ask further.
Led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, they passed through dark corridors, finally arriving at a cell made of special metal.
Inside the cell, a red-haired youth was bound to the wall by dozens of chains inscribed with runes.
His body was covered with various Chakra-suppressing talismans, and his huge gourd had also been confiscated, its whereabouts unknown.
It was Gaara.
Perhaps hearing footsteps, Gaara slowly raised his head, his eyes, with their heavy dark circles, filled with violence, unease, and madness.
"Konoha dogs… what do you want to do now?" His voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
"Relax, kid."
Hansen's voice rang out, and he ignored the guards at the door, walking directly into the cell.
The guards were startled and tried to stop him, but Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze halted them.
"I'm not interested in you." Hansen walked in front of Gaara, looking down at him. "I'm looking for that noisy tanuki in your belly."
Gaara's pupils constricted, and his killing intent instantly surged.
"What do you want to do?!"
"Nothing, just have a chat with it about beast life." Hansen smiled, then reached out and placed his hand on Gaara's forehead.
"Dream Calamity," activate!
The next second, Hansen's consciousness instantly left his body and sank into a boundless mental world… This was a yellowish world.
The sky was a dull, earthy yellow, with no sun, no moon.
Underfoot was an endless desert, with strong winds carrying sand, making a wailing sound as if crying.
In the center of the desert, a massive cage, formed by countless black curse marks, stood, emitting an ominous aura.
Inside the cage, a giant tanuki, whose body was comparable to a small mountain and covered in sandy yellow markings, was sprawled on the ground, sound asleep.
It was one of the Tailed Beasts, the One-Tails Shukaku.
Seemingly sensing the intrusion of an uninvited guest, its huge eyelids subtly trembled.
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