Chương 123: Yang Cheng was kidnapped by Orochimaru!

After Orochimaru and Yangcheng left for a while, Asuma and Kurenai, who were originally trapped by the Azure Flame, were able to escape. However, seeing Orochimaru and the others already far away, the two knew that it would be futile to chase after them. In the end, they could only choose to take the unconscious Anko back to Konoha.

The next day, after regaining consciousness at the Konoha Hospital, Anko looked at Ben Airin and Luo Chuanwu who had come to visit her and asked in confusion, "Where is Yang Cheng? Is he still arguing with me?"

His powerful and beautiful mentor is injured and hospitalized, and he doesn't even come to visit her? What a rebellious disciple! Faced with Hongdou's question, Ling and Wu looked at each other for a while, but didn't know how to answer.

Seeing the strange expressions on the two people's faces, Hongdou, who was impulsive but also exceptionally perceptive, quickly realized that something was wrong.

"What on earth happened! Are you hiding something from me?"

Just as Anko was trying to get the answer from the two students, Kurenai and Asuma arrived with flowers to visit her.

While apologizing, Hong also recounted what had happened.

Upon hearing that Yang Cheng had left her a scroll, Hongdou quickly searched her person.

"I've already put the reel under your pillow. Don't worry, we didn't open it while you were unconscious."

"Red Bean, we're so sorry about Yang Cheng—" Knowing that her disciple had chosen to trade one for one in order to save her, Hongdou was extremely depressed.

When Anko opened the scroll in her hand, she realized that what was written on it was not what Yang Cheng had said to her, but a bundle of mission scrolls with the Hokage's signature.

The gist of it was that he was to become a rogue ninja and infiltrate Orochimaru's inner circle.

That's right, the scroll that Yang Cheng left for Anko was actually the secret mission that the Third Hokage had given him.

Leaving the scroll to Hongdou was his way of hoping she wouldn't blame herself; he was doing it because he was preparing to complete his mission.

Looking at the scroll in her hand, Hongdou's tears kept dripping onto it.

Hong and Asuma, who were standing next to Hongdou, also showed shock when they saw the contents of the scroll.

The mission scrolls issued by the Hokage couldn't be faked. However, neither Kurenai nor Asuma expected that the Third Hokage would send a twelve or thirteen-year-old genin to carry out such a dangerous S-rank mission.

For such a top-secret mission, very few people know about it. Since the Third Hokage was already dead, the mission could have been completely scrapped.

Yang Cheng still chose to carry out the mission and handed the scroll to Hongdou. The meticulous Hongdou thought that this was probably also the reason why the child did not want them to blame themselves.

Because it was a classified mission, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. So, Kurenai immediately sent Kurenai away. Kurenai's other two students, Yang Cheng, away.

"Yang Cheng is a mature child with both talent and strength. Even if he stays by Orochimaru's side, he won't be in danger."

Regarding the confidential mission entrusted to him by the Third Hokage, he could discuss it with the new Hokage and Mr. Inoichi, but it's best to keep it a secret from the others for now.

It has to be said that when Hong saw the scroll that Yang Cheng left for Hongdou, she realized once again just how outstanding Hongdou's disciple was.

They would leave the mission scroll behind, partly to prevent them from blaming themselves, and partly to have them act as witnesses.

After all, it was a top-secret mission directly issued by the Third Hokage, and no one knew exactly how many people knew about it.

Even if only the Third Hokage knew about this, and the Third Hokage is now dead...

Even if he tries to clear his name in the future, it's unlikely that anyone will believe his one-sided story.

However, he has now entrusted the mission scroll to his most trusted confidante, Anko. When Anko hands the scroll over to the newly appointed Hokage, the situation will be different.

He was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old child, yet he was able to think of so much in that dangerous situation.

Her composure in the face of danger and her maturity of mind made Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma quite alarmed.

It was because of Yang Cheng's outstanding performance that Kurenai Yuhi was able to comfort Anko, assuring her that Yang Cheng would not be in danger. The family in the mountains felt as if the sky had fallen after learning that Yang Cheng had been taken away by Orochimaru.

The Yamanaka couple knew some of the inside story, so they were only a little worried, but Ino, who knew nothing about it, cried in her room for a whole day and night.

Inoichi and the others wanted to tell their daughter the truth, but considering that Ino was only a genin, knowing too much and exposing information would only put her and Yosei in greater danger, so they could only choose to comfort their daughter.

Apart from Yang Cheng's family and friends, who were worried and saddened by his abduction by Orochimaru, most of the people in Konoha Village did not care about it.

After all, Yang Cheng was not the only one who suffered misfortune under this Konoha Collapse Plan.

Because of the attacks by Sunagakure and Sound Ninja, a considerable number of ninjas and ordinary people died, and even the Third Hokage perished as a result.

These past few days, the entire Hidden Leaf Village has been immersed in grief. The death of the village's Kage is a major event for any ninja village.

One wrong move could easily trigger a ninja world war.

The Second Hokage was ambushed and killed by Kinkaku and Ginkaku on his way to sign the treaty, which directly led to the complete outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War.

The disappearance of the Third Kazekage and the death of the Third Raikage led to the outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War.

It can be said that the death of a Kage in a ninja village can easily become the trigger for a ninja war.

Whether it's external or internal factors, the Kage are the backbone of the ninja village. If you don't even have a backbone, they will definitely take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take you down!

In the midst of this war, the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage both perished. Now, Konoha and Sunagakure are seen as easy prey by the other five great ninja villages.

According to past practice, once Konoha and Sunagakure start fighting each other, other ninja villages such as Kumogakure and Iwagakure will take the opportunity to join in.

The death of the Third Hokage directly took away the last bit of Konoha's strength.

The current Konoha is no longer the glorious place it once was, capable of taking on four opponents at once; it has reached its weakest stage in history.

If we go all in on the Sand Village now, we're sure to win.

But what happens after defeating the weakest village, Sunagakure? After this battle, will the already weakened Konoha still be able to resist the looming Kumogakure and Iwagakure?

Therefore, given the greater good, Konoha had no choice but to temporarily reconcile with Sunagakure and quickly appoint a new Hokage to stabilize morale.

The Sand Village is already completely fearless, but the Leaf Village is large and powerful. Fighting them to the death would be a complete loss, and in the end, their conflict would only benefit other ninja villages.