A comic book journey to see the Eye of Antiquity

"It seems it's time for me to retire."

The Third Hokage looked somewhat reluctantly at the Hokage Building in the distance, and then at the Hokage Rock behind it, before finally making the decision to retire.

16. "Why?"

Yang Lei was startled and quickly reassured him, "Third Hokage, don't worry. I was the one who let Orochimaru go. It has nothing to do with you. I won't tell anyone about this."

The third generation leader treated Yang Lei very well. At least Yang Lei was unaware of the surveillance orders the third generation leader had given him in the previous years, so he was unwilling to see him retire.

“No,” the Third Hokage waved his hand and said firmly, “I can no longer sit in this position. Whether it’s because I let Orochimaru go or because my mental strength is no longer sufficient, I can no longer be competent as Hokage. It’s just a pity that I originally planned to hold on for a few more years and then let you succeed me.”

"No, please."

Yang Lei sensed the determination in the Third Hokage's tone, so he stopped trying to persuade him. However, when he heard that the Third Hokage actually intended to push him into the position of Hokage, he quickly waved his hands and said with great self-awareness, "Please don't say that. I can't be Hokage because I don't have that kind of awareness. I still want to be with my family."

The Hokage's job is very busy, and he doesn't want to do such a tiring job. He wasn't tired enough before he transmigrated, was he?

Furthermore, he truly lacks the resolve to become Hokage. If Konoha were to face a major crisis, he would only offer the best he could to resist. If things were beyond his control, he would undoubtedly leave with those he values ​​at the first opportunity.

Therefore, he is really not suitable to be the Hokage, and it's better to let someone else take on the role.

"I see."

The Third Hokage didn't insist, nodded, and said no more. Seeing that the situation below had been brought under control by the Konoha ninja due to the breakdown in relations between Sunagakure and Otogakure, he had no intention of going down any further. Rasa had already disappeared when Orochimaru decided to retreat. He sighed softly at the sky, returned to the ground, picked up the Hokage hat and cloak, and slowly walked towards the Hokage Building.

Although he has decided to step down, he still has a lot of heavy work to do, otherwise there would be no Fifth Hokage to handle it.

However, since the topic of the Fifth Hokage had come up, he couldn't help but wonder to himself who would be more suitable—Jirai or Kakashi?

Although Metaker and Asuma are both quite strong, the former is too clumsy and reckless, and the latter is too lazy and easygoing. Neither of them is suitable to be the fifth generation.

As for the other Jonin, they either lacked the strength or the resolve, so let's forget about them.

. . . . . .

Watching the third generation leave, Yang Lei shook his head, unable to say anything more.

What could he say? It was the Third Generation's own choice.

Another reason why the Third Hokage retired was not only because he pleaded for Orochimaru, but also because Orochimaru was his most beloved disciple. The fact that someone he had trained turned around and attacked Konoha was a huge blow to the Third Hokage.

In the original story, he sacrificed his life to protect the village; otherwise, even if he had survived, he would not have continued to serve as Hokage.

The same was true at this moment. It wasn't just because he pleaded for Orochimaru, but also because Orochimaru was his disciple. The Third Hokage was filled with self-blame and guilt, and he didn't even know how he should face the villagers in the future.

"That's right."

Yang Lei stopped thinking about the Third Hokage. People get sentimental when they get old. As long as he's alive, that's fine. He's still young, so he should be carefree. He turned around and looked out of the village, muttering, "Where are Hinata and Sakura? Did they go chasing after the Sand Ninja?"

Chapter 180

Yang Lei wasn't completely stupid. Since Hiashi Hyuga was still down there with Hanabi helping with the cleanup, he guessed that the two girls probably hadn't gone back either, and were probably on some mission with the other missing genin.

If he's not mistaken, it must be a mission to chase after Gaara, right?

"No, I have to go and see."

Yang Lei was a little worried about them, so he quickly set off from the roof of the arena, not only at top speed but also using a teleportation technique.

That's why the two of them didn't wear the specially made kunai that Yang Lei had given them. Since they were in the village, they had no idea they would encounter danger, so they left them at home and hid them in the bedroom.

Therefore, Yang Lei was unable to use the Flying Thunder God Technique, otherwise he would have arrived much earlier.

"Whoosh."

At Yang Lei's current speed, he instantly rushed out of the village and quickly dashed into the distance. After passing through the forest, he soon arrived at a very messy battle scene.

"not good."

In the middle of this ravaged site, there were still a few 423 people standing there. The one on the left was Naruto, who was lying weakly on the ground. Judging from his wounded appearance, it was not hard to guess that he had just gone through a very difficult battle.

On the right, Temari and Kankuro, both looking disheveled, were seen holding onto Gaara's arm. The three of them seemed to be about to leave, but Yang Lei caught up with them.

"You all need to leave quickly."

Temari made a quick decision, knowing that they couldn't leave together. Although she didn't know Yang Lei's strength, she knew her own condition, so she could only sacrifice herself to save her two younger brothers.

"Do not."

Suddenly, Gaara gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pulling out a dagger and placing it against his throat. He threatened Yang Lei, "You know I'm a Jinchuriki. Let them leave, or if I commit suicide, you'll be in trouble if the One-Tail comes out, won't you?"

Normally, if a Jinchuriki is killed by mistake, the Tailed Beast sealed inside their body will also die.

However, if the Jinchuriki does it himself, he can break the seal before he dies, allowing the Tailed Beast to be completely freed.

Therefore, Gaara's threat was still quite effective.

Of course, he could also choose not to break the seal and release the tail.

"It doesn't matter."

Yang Lei shrugged, indicating that he didn't care, and said, "I'm not here to hunt you down. Anyway, Hinata and the others are fine, and Naruto is fine too. If you want to leave, then go ahead."

0169 Battle Over!

Since even Orochimaru could be let go, Yang Lei didn't care about letting a few more Sand Ninja go, especially since these three were all pro-fire factions. Judging from Gaara's appearance, he had already been influenced by Naruto, otherwise how could he have threatened to die to save Kankuro and Temari?

So Yang Lei didn't even glance at the three of them. He walked over to Naruto's side, helped him up, and asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"

Yang Lei knew best whether Naruto was alright or not, because he had used his Byakugan to look around Hinata and Sakura when he arrived here. Otherwise, how would he know they were alright?

It was precisely because he had just activated the Byakugan that he knew Naruto's condition best. He knew that apart from being somewhat exhausted due to excessive chakra and stamina consumption, Naruto was only outwardly disheveled and was actually perfectly fine.

Even Gaara's condition was more serious; at least Gaara's injuries weren't being treated with the help of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Aren't you leaving yet?

At this moment, Yang Lei looked up at the three Sand Ninja siblings again and, seeing that they hadn't left yet, couldn't help but ask, "The others are almost here. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all. Why don't you come back to the village with us and have some food before you go?"

The meal he was referring to was prison food. As the aggressor who broke the alliance, it would be good enough if he wasn't killed on the spot; if he were taken back, he certainly wouldn't be treated well.

Thank you.

The three siblings exchanged glances, thanked Yang Lei and Naruto together, and quickly turned and fled into the distance, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Yang Lei, thank you."

Just then, Naruto, who had been helped up by Yang Lei, suddenly thanked Yang Lei as well.

As a Jinchūriki, Naruto knows Gaara's feelings and pain better than anyone else, so he can personally experience what Gaara feels.

After this battle, Naruto could sense Gaara's changes, so he didn't want Gaara, who was about to get better and return to a normal life, to perish here.

Naruto knew exactly how ruthless Yang Lei was. During the mission in the Land of Waves, he had killed more than a dozen people, making him more vicious than anyone his age.

To put it bluntly, even the Demon King Zabuza might not be as terrifying as Yang Lei. The Demon King Zabuza only killed the graduates who took the exam with him. But think about the Konoha Ninja Academy. It's estimated that the number of graduates from Kirigakure was at most a hundred or so, which is less than the number of people Yang Lei killed.

Moreover, most of the people Yang Lei killed were Chunin, and some were Jonin. Zaibuzha could not have done this with people of the same age.

Therefore, Naruto knew that the main reason Yang Lei let them leave was because of him; otherwise, he really didn't know why Yang Lei wouldn't have intervened.

Although Naruto and Gaara don't have a relationship yet, as mentioned before, they are both Jinchuriki. In Naruto's mind, he believes that Yang Lei is considering his feelings as a Jinchuriki, otherwise he would not have been threatened by Gaara.

That's why he thanked Yang Lei.

You're welcome.

Yang Lei didn't argue, because he genuinely let them leave out of Naruto's sake. If Gaara hadn't become so close to Konoha because of Naruto, he wouldn't have been affected by Gaara's threats.

One-tailed Magatsuha?

Yang Lei wasn't afraid of it; it was just a huge beast with a bit more chakra.

Now, due to the significant increase in his attributes, Yang Lei's speed and strength have greatly increased. His physical attributes have also been greatly enhanced, and the amount of chakra he possesses has already reached an unfathomable level.

Otherwise, how could he have been on par with, or even countered, Hashirama Senju's techniques before?

Hashirama Senju was capable of fighting alongside Madara Uchiha and the fully-formed Nine-Tails at the same time. Although Hashirama Senju didn't use Sage Mode before, don't forget that Yang Lei also didn't use his full strength.

Therefore, he never took the Tailed Beast seriously from the beginning. At least after a month of arduous training at Flower Fruit Mountain, Yang Lei was now able to disregard the Tailed Beast.

Chapter 181

Actually, it's not just him; many Kage-level powerhouses aren't intimidated by the name of a Tailed Beast. Those who are intimidated are just ordinary people.

. . . . . .

After Temari and her siblings left, Yang Lei and Naruto didn't rush to leave. They stood there and waited for a while. Not long after, Asuma and Kurenai returned with the other Konoha members. They also captured the Sand Ninja who had escaped earlier.

"Naruto? Are you alright?"

The scene of Xing Songren's bribery startled him, and he rushed over to inquire about Naruto's condition and the outcome of the battle. He also asked Yang Lei about the situation in the village.

After hearing Naruto's reply, the news that the three had already left was somewhat disappointing, but Naruto couldn't be blamed. He had done his best. That was a Jinchuriki that even Jonin would find difficult to deal with. Later on, he even released the One-Tailed Beast. Ordinary people probably couldn't even get close to it and would be killed from a distance.

It would be good enough if they could win. If the One-Tailed Beast were to head towards the village, the Nine-Tailed Beast incident from back then would probably break out in the village again.

Afterwards, the village received the latest news. When they heard that the situation in the village had been brought under control and the battle was about to end, they were overjoyed.

Asuma, in particular, was greatly relieved when he heard that the Third Hokage was alright.

In fact, last night, the Third Hokage had given him some advance warning, saying that the worst possible outcome was that the village would suffer a major blow, and that he himself might even lose his life.

After all, the Third Hokage is really too old. The original ninja hero should be grateful if he still has half of his strength left.

Therefore, the third generation leader really didn't dare to say that he could both protect the village and survive. For him, the best outcome would be for the village to remain safe and sound.

Thank goodness, my father is safe and sound. Asma couldn't help but pat Yang Lei on the shoulder and praised him, "Not bad, not bad at all. You are indeed worthy of being my son. You have truly surpassed your father."

Hearing Asma's shameless words, everyone present rolled their eyes, but they couldn't refute him because Yang Lei was indeed his son, there was no doubt about that.

Yang Lei had no way to refute it, and could only sigh silently, thinking to himself, "Uncle, what does my effort have to do with you? Even the Fire Release scroll was given to me by the Third Hokage, wasn't it? But what about you? Couldn't you have taught me the Wind Release technique you know?"

In addition to the fire-style ninjutsu that the Sarutobi clan excels at, Asuma also possesses wind-style chakra, and is even more proficient in wind-style ninjutsu.

It's unclear what he was thinking, but he never took the initiative to teach Yang Lei about wind-escape techniques. Perhaps he was waiting for Yang Lei to ask first? Or maybe he thought he couldn't teach Yang Lei and was afraid of leading such a talented genius astray.

But Asma didn't consider that he himself said Yang Lei's talent was extremely high, so naturally he couldn't lead him down the wrong path.

(PS: The Chunin arc is not over yet, or rather, the previous parts were all transitions and foreshadowing...)

0170 The Unsettled Post-War Period

Because the battlefield was in Konoha Village, and in order to deal with potential problems during the Chunin Exams, Konoha Village temporarily reduced its missions outside the village, resulting in almost all of the village's ninjas being present, making it very difficult for Sunagakure and Otogakure to fight.

Especially when Maki discovered that their Fourth Kazekage was Orochimaru in disguise, he immediately thought of a bad possibility: that their Kazekage had been killed.

This directly led to the breakdown of the relationship between the two temporarily allied forces, making the already difficult battle even more impossible to continue. Konoha Village quickly brought the situation under control, capturing and killing those who needed to be captured and killing those who needed to be killed, ending the battle in less than an hour.

After that, it was no longer the responsibility of the lower-level personnel. The upper-level personnel would handle these prisoners. After interrogation, they would be thrown into the Konoha Village prison, and then a decision would be made on whether or not Sunagakure and Otogakure would have to pay ransom.

Now that it is peacetime, in order to avoid causing a larger war, Konoha Village has decided to resolve the matter peacefully, which means not pursuing the matter or holding anyone accountable. As long as both villages are willing to pay a certain price, they will pretend that this never happened.

Then, the village decided to hold the burial ceremony three days later.

This was, after all, a war. Although Konoha Village ultimately emerged victorious, there were still casualties. Some weaker genin (497) and chunin suffered considerable losses.

In other words, a new member will be added to the memorial tablet in Konoha Village.

There is another important matter that must be mentioned: the decision of the third generation to retire.

Using his advanced age and inability as an excuse, the elderly man announced his retirement the day after leading the funeral ceremony, and said that he would select a young and promising fifth generation leader as soon as possible.

Upon hearing this news, Danzo, who had been feeling down, seemed to see spring again. His only exposed left eye darted around, and it was unclear what he was planning.

Danzo's fate was tragic; no matter what he did, he could never become the Fifth Hokage. First, the Third Hokage would never entrust the village to such a radical. Second, very few people in the village knew him, and even fewer approved of him. Who would recommend him?

. . . . . .

"It seems I still need to increase my bargaining chips."

In a corner of Konoha Village, Danzo closed his only exposed left eye and pondered silently.

He's no fool; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to develop such a large force. Gen is a special operations unit that can rival the Dark Side, so how could his abilities be weak?

Therefore, Danzo knew that he definitely could not compete for the position of Fifth Hokage, and since he was the same age as the Third Hokage, if he could not win this opportunity, he would never be able to get the position of Hokage again in his lifetime.

But after thinking it over and over, he still didn't know how to increase his bargaining power. He couldn't very well start a full-scale operation now and send all the Root members out to gain fame for himself, could he?

This is peacetime. If he really dared to do that, he might not only fail to gain any prestige, but he would also be arrested by the village the next day.

Nonsense! The village decided to make money peacefully after the attack. How dare you provoke the enemy? What are you trying to do?

"That's right."

As he pondered, Danzo's eyes suddenly lit up, and he muttered to himself, "Since I can't increase my own bargaining power, I might as well reduce the prestige of Hiruzen's lineage. I don't believe he'll still have the nerve to appoint the Fifth Hokage as his successor then."

The previous Hokage can designate who will be the next Hokage. In other words, the Third Hokage can put his favorite person in the position of Hokage. As long as the new Hokage doesn't make any big mistakes, no one can kick him out of the position.