Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 472 Public Execution of the Evil Ninja Gen'on

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned even more unpleasant.

"Investigate! Investigate for me. Dig three feet into the ground and find the murderer." He roared, his face dark.

The age spots on his face trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his kind expression and reassured the crowd, "Everyone, please listen to me. Konoha has the best security; it's impossible for Takigakure's spies to infiltrate, much less for them to buy so many explosive tags."

This must be due to something else, most likely a pipe leak that was mistakenly reported as an explosive symbol.

I admit that this was a dereliction of duty on my part as Hokage, but I assure you that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Your families will be properly cared for. I promise they will be buried in the Hokage's graveyard, with a large memorial erected. Let us remember this tragic lesson to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

"Lord Hokage, it's the explosive tag! I saw it!" A middle-aged man who had lost his wife and daughter shouted in unison, "Lord, don't be weak anymore! They're bullying us like this!"

Seeing that public anger was rising again, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately said, "Gentlemen, please do not make any wild guesses before the matter is settled. Rest assured, I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, swear that I will give you all an explanation."

After saying this, he took off the brim of his hat and bowed deeply.

The old man's words were weak, but his apology was still felt by many civilians in Konoha.

"Lord Hokage, your selflessness is admirable, we believe you." Someone in the crowd shouted these words, and the emotions of the others calmed down as well.

Soon, bursts of sobbing and weeping began, eventually merging into a chorus, because their loved ones had died, and they were venting their grief.

It must be admitted that even in its decline, Konoha's intelligence and surveillance systems are still top-notch, operating at full capacity.

The real culprit was caught in less than three days.

Miraculously, there weren't many people, just an old man suffering from severe joint disease who ran a family business named Xuan Weng, a master of mechanical arts.

However, after investigation, it was discovered that he had another identity: a survivor of the former Mountain Country's Kagerou Village.

This country, long forgotten in the history of the ninja world, has reappeared in people's sight.

In the interrogation room, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally conducted the interrogation.

Xuanweng was tied to a chair, covered in injuries, but had a smile on his face.

That smile was very uncomfortable; it wasn't fear, nor pleading, but rather a kind of almost manic satisfaction.

Why do this?

Xuanweng still had a smile on his face. He squinted his eyes and didn't even look at him directly as he said, "Why? You're asking me why?"

His voice grew louder and louder, finally turning into a hysterical laugh, "You Konoha destroyed the Land of Mountains and slaughtered our Kagero Village ninjas, so tell me why?"

"May I ask you, Third Hokage?" The old man's tone changed as he leaned back in his chair. "Our village was once a peace-loving place. Our country was nestled in the mountains, relying on mulberry cultivation and silkworm breeding for a living, and our silk was renowned throughout the ninja world."

"However, because we inadvertently developed an explosive tag that could be drawn on talisman paper, we offered it to your Konoha for trade, but what happened next?"

"Later, our village was wiped out without a sound. When I heard about the explosive tags again, I learned that they were ninja tools developed by you, the Second Hokage, and others. Now you ask me why? In my opinion, none of you were innocent when you all died."

"Those explosive tags, I bought them bit by bit with my hard-earned money, and drew them myself, over a full twenty-eight years. Twenty-eight years! I've been hiding here ever since you came to power, all for this day. Hahahaha!"

Xuan Weng's laughter echoed in the interrogation room, like the hooting of an owl.

"But I've done my due. I've done my due!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, his face grim, and said, "Take him away and execute him publicly tomorrow."

Because he knew he had to do something to quell the anger, many ninjas and civilians were killed or wounded, and Konoha's economy suffered heavy losses.

The villagers of Konoha were outraged, with many condemning the Country of Waterfall for its despicable and shameless methods and demanding that the village chief send troops to launch a strong counterattack.

Therefore, in order to quell the anger of the people of Konoha, he had no choice but to do something against morality: publicly execute them and reveal the truth to the public to put an end to the turmoil.

The following day, the news was made public: [The culprit was a former ninja from Kagero Village who had stolen the technology to manufacture explosive tags from Konoha and spread it widely, exacerbating tensions between ninja villages and triggering a war. He was later killed by the Second Hokage, harboring deep hatred. He then changed his name and lay low for 30 years, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge. The Hokage will personally attend the public execution tomorrow!]

Upon hearing that the murderer was about to be publicly executed by the Hokage, the people of Konoha cheered and applauded. They thought to themselves, "Why aren't all these evil ninjas from other villages dead?"

The day of the execution was sunny.

The execution ground in Konoha is located in an open area on the east side of the village, usually used to carry out the death sentences of rogue ninja and serious criminals. Today, the open area is crowded with people.

Those who lost loved ones in the explosion, those who were injured in the explosion, and those who were simply terrified—they all came.

They wanted to see the murderer die with their own eyes!

When Xuanweng was led to the execution ground, he was still smiling. He was tied to a stone pillar, his hair disheveled, his clothes tattered, but the smile on his face never disappeared.

"You people of Konoha deserve this retribution!"

His voice was hoarse but loud, and everyone present could hear it clearly.

"Haha, just wait. One day you'll all be buried with the Mountain Kingdom!"

He tried to shout something, but Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly used a ninjutsu to silence him.

Finally, he shouted, "Execute them!"

The knife rises, the head falls.

Blood splattered on the stone pillar, its glare particularly striking in the sunlight. The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a deafening cheer.

No one noticed that when Xuanweng fell, a smile still lingered on his lips.

He never revealed who was behind it until his death. Could it be that there really wasn't a mastermind?

In the past thirty years, have the explosive tags he drew really been enough to destroy so many streets?

Nobody knows, and nobody will investigate the truth.

So there was no one else involved; he did it all by himself from beginning to end. He saved the money, gathered the materials, drew the talismans, installed the equipment, and detonated it all by himself.

Twenty-eight years of obsession finally came to an end the moment the knife fell.

The country of Taki.

Everyone looked at the screen, where the image projected was Hiruzen Sarutobi executing a 70-year-old man.

"Sigh, he could have walked, but he insisted on proving his worth with his death!"