13 Chapter 13 : Adamantine Staff

Orochimaru's swift retreat left Konoha in disarray, with no one capable of stopping him in the chaotic aftermath. Despite having lost the use of his hands, Orochimaru remained a formidable adversary.

Konoha quickly regained its composure once Orochimaru had withdrawn.

Inside the live room, Orochimaru and the deceased Third Hokage were present.

Third Hokage: "Orochimaru, why did you attack Konoha?"

Orochimaru: "To prove myself."

Tsunade: "Orochimaru, you're insane! That's Sarutobi-sensei you've killed!"

Jiraiya: "Orochimaru, I never thought you'd kill Sarutobi-sensei. He shouldn't have let you go. He should've eliminated you."

Orochimaru: "I didn't actually intend to kill Sarutobi-sensei. I merely wished to defend myself. He forced me to use my Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation to block him out. 

I had no choice but to attack him. With his skills, he could have dodged, but he insisted on completing the seal. Besides, I paid a price too; my hands were sealed by the Shinigami."

Fourth Raikage: "I'm straightforward, Third Hokage. That's also a talent. Why did you sacrifice your life to seal Orochimaru's hands?"

Third Hokage: "I wanted to seal Orochimaru's soul, but my power was depleted, and I could only seal his hands in time."

Orochimaru: "It's a pity, Sarutobi-sensei. You've grown old. If this had happened a few years earlier, I might have lost this time."

Fourth Raikage: "Third Hokage, you sacrificed yourself to seal Orochimaru's hands. The price was too high, and the benefits were too few. It's not like when Fourth Hokage used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal the Nine Tails during the Konoha Nine Tails Rebellion.

  Why did you let the young and promising Fourth Hokage cast the Dead Demon Consuming Seal seal? If you'd sealed the Nine Tails, the Fourth Hokage's strength would have surpassed yours by now, and Orochimaru wouldn't have dared to invade Konoha."

Third Hokage: "Fourth Raikage, what are you implying? I gave my life for Konoha. Are you questioning my motives?"

Fourth Raikage: "Heh, I'm not accusing you. You once said that, with Konoha's strength, the Nine Tails was insignificant. 

Why did you force the Fourth Hokage to sacrifice himself? The Eight Tails of Cloud Shinobi Village escaped capture many times, and they were successfully sealed each time without any sacrifice. 

Moreover, you let the young bear the burden while you stayed safe. Are you claiming you had no ulterior motives? After the Fourth Hokage's fall, Naruto's fate took a tragic turn, not even knowing who his father was. If not for this Golden List live room, Naruto might never have discovered his identity."

Fourth Raikage was visibly agitated, delighted to see discord within Konoha.

Fourth Hokage: "Lord Third Hokage, I have faith in your character."

He said this, but Namikaze Minato couldn't help but ponder the situation, with Naruto watching.

The most troubled of them all was Third Hokage. He'd sacrificed himself for Konoha, yet he was being criticized even in death.

Terumi Mei: "Let's focus on the weapon list. Fifty weapons have been announced."

Orochimaru: "My Kusanagi Sword should definitely make the list. It hasn't been revealed yet, but it should rank quite high. Maybe this time, I can obtain a treasure from the gold list to heal my wounded hand."

Uchiha Madara: "The Kusanagi Sword is indeed a formidable weapon. I believe it will rank in the top 20."

Third Tsuchikage: "This weapon list should unveil many powerful ninja tools."

Orochimaru: "I'm particularly interested in The Sword of Totsuka. I've been searching for it for years without success. This time, the weapon list might finally reveal its whereabouts."

Soon, the list reached the fortieth place.

40th Place on the Weapon List: Broken Blade of White Fang, User: Kakashi.

Upon hearing the announcement, Hatake Sakumo of Konoha questioned Kakashi.

Hatake Sakumo: "@Kakashi, my son, did you break the White Fang blade I left you?"

Kakashi: "Father, it broke during a major battle, and I never told you."

Hatake Sakumo: "If it broke, it broke. As long as you're alive, that's what matters. Besides, even if it's broken, the White Fang's blade should still rank quite high."

Kakashi nodded, well aware of the immense value of the complete White Fang's blade. Even broken, it retained its power. However, he dared not use it further, fearing it might shatter completely, thus dishonoring his father.

Third Hokage: "Unfortunately, Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang, was broken by Kakashi."

Fourth Raikage: "Third Hokage, you bear a significant responsibility for Hatake Sakumo's death. Your mission priority led him to sacrifice himself to save others. 

He was scorned by Konoha, leading to his tragic suicide. When I heard this, I couldn't help but laugh. Konoha's White Fang wasn't weaker than you, was he? How many Konohas are there? It's just a mission. Can it compare to Konoha's White Fang?"

Terumi Mei: "The story of Konoha's White Fang is truly absurd. A near-super Kage-level warrior was driven to suicide. Only Konoha could have such a ridiculous story among the Five Great Ninja Villages."

Senju Hashirama: "What? A near-super Kage-level was driven to suicide? Monkey, how do you run Konoha?"

Senju Tobirama: "White Fang was indeed a great loss. He had tremendous potential, and I had high hopes for him initially. 

However, we can't blame Sarutobi. In those times, countries were in frequent conflict, and the mission was paramount. It's a testament to the tumultuous era we lived in."

Uchiha Madara: "In that era, anyone who dared to insult me would have met their end. A group of weaklings dared to defy the strong?"

As time passed, more weapons were revealed.

30th Place on the Weapon List: Adamantine Staff, User: Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Orochimaru: "Wasn't the Adamantine Staff originally the Monkey King's transformation? Can it be considered a weapon?"

Senju Hashirama: "Fascinating. Can living beings also be considered weapons?"

Kakashi: "The Monkey King's transformation into the Adamantine Staff makes it a weapon. There's no doubt about it."

Terumi Mei: "Third Hokage has just passed away, and the Adamantine Staff no longer belongs to him. Still, it remains on the weapon list. It appears that as long as it's an ownerless weapon, it's attributed to the previous owner. Unless a new owner claims it, it remains listed under the previous owner's name."

Third Hokage: "I have fallen, but this time, I gained a treasure that can benefit Konoha. It's my final contribution to the village."

Tsunade: "Teacher Sarutobi, you were always too kind."

Soon, the twenty-ninth weapon appeared. 

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