novelraw Chapter 113 The Destructive Power of Journalism
Chapter 113 The Destructive Power of Journalism
Chapter 113 The Destructive Power of Journalism
A person's face often reflects different images in the eyes of different people.
In Yakushi Nonou's eyes now, Shiba Kiyokawa is an unprecedentedly great leader.
However, not long after, in the eyes of the Konoha ninjas, he was destined to be an absolute demon!
It all started on this day when explosive news suddenly began to circulate throughout the ninja world—
Princess Tsunade of Konoha betrayed the village, resulting in Orochimaru, the Konoha frontline commander, being seriously injured, and his former teammate Hiruko being defeated and captured!
The news spread throughout the ninja world overnight, surprising all five great ninja villages.
Initially, most people's first reaction upon hearing this news was skepticism.
After all, Tsunade had made great contributions in the last Shinobi World War, not to mention that her special status meant that as long as she didn't do anything too outrageous, she was destined to be the most prestigious ninja in Konoha for the rest of her life.
What reason would she have to betray Konoha?
However, shortly afterward, news spread that Orochimaru had returned to the front lines severely injured and that Hiruko had appeared in the Land of Rain, causing an unprecedented upheaval throughout the ninja world.
After Shiba Kiyokawa returned, he didn't even have time to settle Yakushi Nono immediately; he was busy spreading the news.
The defector, Birukhu, gave his own account, which quickly brought the event to its peak of popularity!
Most importantly, Hiruko's performance was entirely genuine, heartfelt, and without a trace of affectation.
From his perspective, he truly believed from the bottom of his heart that Tsunade had betrayed him!
Within a single day, countless spies and agents from various ninja villages flocked to the Land of Rain, but no matter how secretly they investigated or inquired, all the information they obtained was completely accurate!
Hiruko's angry rant against Tsunade could be heard by four different ANBU ninjas at the same time, and none of them could detect any pretense or acting in it.
His roars, every single one of them, came from the heart, they couldn't be more genuine.
Soon enough, all the major ninja villages realized: Konoha was in big trouble!
When the news reached the east, Jiraiya, the temporary commander of the Kirigakure war zone, went berserk on the spot. He almost abandoned the entire front and rushed to the Land of Rain to drag Hiruko out and settle scores!
In the end, it was only through the combined efforts of a group of Jonin on the front lines that the enraged Jiraiya was finally stopped.
"Damn it! Let me go! I'm going to find Hiruko! How could Tsunade do such a thing?! How could Hiruko say such a thing? What does that guy take his comrades for? What does he take the village for?"
His subordinate ninja held him tightly, trying his best to dissuade him.
"Lord Jiraiya, calm down! Calm down! If you abandon everyone here, aren't you also abandoning the entire village?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya finally calmed down.
"You're right, the war here must continue. Wait a moment, I'll go write a letter to the old man!"
Although it was said to be a letter, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, actually received more than a dozen letters brought back from the front lines by the Anbu that day.
Not only Jiraiya, but many Konoha ninjas on the front lines were anxiously asking him about this news, as well as Tsunade's mentor.
Everything was just as Shiba Kiyokawa had predicted: Tsunade's identity was too special, and any slight misunderstanding about her would be no less than an earthquake for Konoha.
During this time, the advisor, Mitokado Homura, made a rare correct deduction: "Hiruko has now been captured and taken to the Land of Rain. Could this be a conspiracy orchestrated by the Akatsuki organization in the Land of Rain?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe, his brow still furrowed. "Even if I knew this, what would be the point?"
At this moment, he couldn't help but start complaining about Danzo, who was still lying in the hospital bed.
Why did you have to provoke the Land of Rain?!
"Our top priority right now is to contact Tsunade. No matter what happened, tell her we forgive her and ask her to come back!"
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi had not yet fully realized the seriousness of the problem; he was still thinking that Konoha could forgive Tsunade.
But soon, Shiba Kiyokawa will teach him a lesson.
Let him understand the allure of journalism!
On the first day, the ninja world's attention was mainly focused on Tsunade's indifferent observation, which led to Orochimaru's serious injury and Hiruko's defeat.
But by the next day, as Shiba Kiyokawa's wicked scheme escalated, things began to tremble with fear and leave Sarutobi Hiruzen utterly bewildered!
The following day, Tsunade's identity, background, and even the story of her grandfather Hashirama Senju founding Konoha Village began to circulate widely.
Overnight, starting from the areas surrounding the Land of Rain, the Land of Fire, the Land of Grass, and even the Land of Rivers, many well-meaning people with excellent eloquence suddenly appeared in towns and cities. As if reciting a script, they began to educate the uninformed onlookers about the origins of Konoha Village and the glory of the Senju clan during their leisure time.
Because this appeared to be merely praising Konoha, the Konoha ninjas in the border cities of the Land of Fire, and even in the front-line war zones, did not react to this phenomenon immediately.
Until—before one of the storytelling sessions ended—a member of the audience suddenly asked, out of the blue, "Since Konoha was entirely founded by the Senju clan, why is it said that Princess Tsunade of the Senju clan betrayed Konoha? Shouldn't it be Konoha that let Tsunade down?"
The identity of this bystander has since been lost to history.
He may have just said something unintentional, or it may all be the result of a scheme by someone with ulterior motives.
But the final result is no longer important.
Because just one day later, Konoha experienced the horror of journalism!
The same thing that remains completely unchanged can have drastically different effects when interpreted from a different perspective!
A day ago, people were asking: Why did Tsunade betray Konoha? What was she thinking?
A day later, people still asked: Why did Tsunade betray Konoha? But the question that followed was: What exactly did Konoha do to her?
This single, subtle change in angle instantly amplified the destructive power of the entire incident by several levels!
The Konoha ninjas, who had managed to barely maintain their composure a few days ago, have now completely erupted!
In recent months, the war situation has been unfavorable, and Konoha Village, which was already like a dangerous powder keg, has accumulated countless negative energies.
This question was like a fuse, and overnight, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart nearly stopped several times.
That's Tsunade, after all! The only princess of the Senju clan!
Many Senju clan ninjas voluntarily abandoned their surnames and integrated into Konoha Village in response to Hashirama's call.
Today, these ninjas have spread and become fully integrated into all aspects of Konoha, forming the cornerstone of the entire village.
But the earliest Thousand Hands people are just old; they haven't all died out yet!
When this news got back, how could they possibly tolerate it?
That night, in his office in the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the Anbu's report, lowered his head, and took the pipe from his mouth with trembling hands.
That gesture was strikingly similar to that of a dying leader from another timeline, taking off his glasses one last time in his office.
Xiao Se then said, "Advisor and Dark Guard Captain, please stay. Everyone else, please leave."
After the other ANBU ninjas had vanished in an instant, he angrily threw the pen in his hand at the ninja world map in front of him!
"I'm so angry! Those scumbags from the Rain Country!"
(End of this chapter)