Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Fugaku Uchiha suppressed the heaviness in his chest and bowed deeply to the two legendary ninjas before him, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.

His back was ramrod straight, his movements were textbook perfect, and his voice sounded exceptionally calm and steady in the cool morning air, without the slightest tremor.

"First-sama, second-sama."

Fugaku raised his head, meeting the gaze of his two seniors. The sharpness and brilliance that once shone in his Uchiha eyes were gone, replaced by a profound weight honed by responsibility. "Please entrust Lord Madara's affairs after his death to the Uchiha clan. This is our duty as his successors."

Lord Uchiha Kagami was not in the village, and before leaving, he handed over the position of acting clan leader to him.

This is both a matter of trust and a severe test.

Looking at the young man before him, Hashirama Senju felt a sense of disorientation at the resolute face that bore a striking resemblance to Madara's in his youth.

The sadness on his face had not yet faded, but there was more relief than anything else.

He stepped forward and patted Fugaku's shoulder with his broad, heavy hand.

"Fugaku, thank you for your hard work."

His voice was thick with nasal tone, and Hashirama sniffed hard, as if trying to forcefully suppress the emotions welling up inside him.

The news, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred silent ripples across the Uchiha clan's territory. There were no heart-wrenching cries of despair, nor any hysterical breakdowns. The entire clan compound fell into a solemn and sorrowful silence.

Under Fugaku's calm and efficient command, the entire Uchiha clan territory sprang into action. The women changed into mourning clothes and began preparing white chrysanthemums and offerings for the ancestral shrine; the men spontaneously organized themselves to sweep every inch of the stone path leading to the ancestral temple and trim the pine and cypress trees along the way. Every movement they made was meticulous, as if they were performing a sacred ritual.

This was not a simple funeral.

This was the first time the Uchiha clan had announced their rebirth to the entire Hidden Leaf Village in such a unified and solemn manner.

They were going to hold the grandest funeral in Konoha's history for their returning ancestor.

Uchiha clan.

Iron Torch slammed a blueprint on the table, making the teacups rattle. "The perimeter of the cemetery must be reinforced with three layers of chakra concrete. I'll have the Fire Release squad work through the night to sinter it, ensuring not even a bird can get in."

Fugaku sat in the main seat and tapped his finger on the table.

Tetsuka and Yashiro looked over at the same time.

Fugaku Uchiha looked at the clan crest on the wall.

"Use the most traditional stone. Don't make it look like a military fortress. Lord Madara spent his last few years here peacefully, so let him leave quietly as well. Tetsuka will take men to maintain order and coordinate with the Anbu. Yashiro will go and inventory the supplies."

The two agreed and left.

……

Inside the Hokage's office, Acting Hokage Nara Shikaku felt his head throb even more than the target he'd been hit on during his son Shikaku's ninjutsu practice. On the table before him lay a mountain of documents, the top one being a draft of the official announcement regarding the death of Uchiha Madara.

"This is so troublesome..."

He scratched his signature pineapple head, slumped in his chair, and looked utterly dejected.

How to write it?

The article reads, "The legendary ninja, Madara Uchiha, one of the founders of Konoha, passed away peacefully today."

No, this will drive the village historians and those Uchiha guys who have just settled down insane.

"Just write it like this."

A sudden voice came from the side.

Nara Shikano didn't even lift his eyelids, yet he knew who it was. Aside from the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, no one would speak in such a chilling tone while someone was thinking.

"Second Generation Lord, it's easy for you to say that when you're not in my shoes."

"Believe it or not, once I post this obituary, the threshold of the Hokage Building will be flooded with spittle tomorrow," Shikaku said listlessly.

"Then let them flood."

Tobirama Senju stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, his red eyes completely calm. "Since Sarutobi dared to bring Madara back, he should have anticipated this kind of repercussions. Your task is to minimize the impact of this matter."

He paused, then added, "The obituary is just one sentence: One of the founders of Konoha, Uchiha Madara, rests in peace today. His merits and demerits are left for future generations to judge."

Shikaku sat up straight in his chair and looked at Tobirama. He saw a complex emotion in the eyes of the Second Hokage, known for his iron will and rationality.

"Second generation sir..."

Do as instructed.

Tobirama interrupted him, "In addition, the security forces will fully cooperate with the Uchiha clan. During the funeral, anyone who dares to cause trouble in the village, regardless of their background, will be locked in the interrogation room to calm down."

Deer Antlers rubbed his temples and resignedly picked up his pen.

He knew that this was the best way to handle it.

He swiftly issued the order in the name of the Hokage's office.

"Knock knock—"

The door was pushed open, and Akimichi Torifu poked his head in.

"antlers."

Qu Feng chewed on some meat, "Are you sure I don't need to make the clan close down for a day? Wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?"

Without even lifting his eyelids, Deer Antlers reached out and took a skewer of meat. "Why close down? The Hokage issued the order when he was in the Land of Water. Life goes on for the living. People still need to eat, still need to do construction, still need to build dams."

The deer took a bite of the meat, and it was so hot that it kept exhaling.

"Go and cut up more pork belly from the freezer."

Deer Antlers chewed on some meat and mumbled, "I'll come to your place tonight and leave a few extra skewers."

Qu Feng grinned, and the meat skewers swayed twice in the air. "Alright. I'll save you two good pieces of the special Konoha pork."

The Thousand Hands Mansion.

Rope Tree rummaged through the drawers with a deafening roar.

"Sis! Where's my black tie?"

Tsunade strode over from the other end of the corridor and slapped him on the back of the head.

Rope Tree covered his head and staggered forward a step.

"What's all the noise about? It's in that box at the very bottom of your wardrobe."

Tsunade took off her white coat and hung it up, then changed into a black turtleneck casual outfit.

At the far end of the room, Mito Uzumaki sat in front of a mirror, combing her red hair.

Tsunade walked over and took the comb.

"Grandma, let me do it."

Mito looked at her granddaughter in the mirror and said softly, "I never thought she would leave me first."

Tsunade continued working, slowly tying up her red hair and attaching a hairpin.

Outside the door, Rope Tree, with a crooked tie, ran out. "Alright, alright, let's go."

The weather was gloomy on the day of the funeral, but it did not rain.

Outside the Uchiha clan's territory, crowds thronged.

Almost all the prominent figures in Konoha were present.

The Hinata person is standing on the left, with their Byakugan closed.

Representatives from the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans were all present.

Acting Hokage Nara Shikaka, sporting dark circles under his eyes, stood at the front, with the expressionless Senju Tobirama beside him.

Orochimaru also arrived. He stood in the crowd, his snake-like golden vertical pupils flashing with contemplation on the eternal subject of life and death. A faint, almost imperceptible "Spartacus-type" smile lingered on his lips, causing those around him to unconsciously take a half-step away from him.

Tsunade, dressed in a simple black outfit, was holding the hand of her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki.

Tsunade's other hand was tightly gripping her younger brother Nawaki's ear.

"Sis! It hurts! Let go! Give me some face in this situation!"

Rope Tree bared its teeth and howled.

"Face? You actually care about face?"

Tsunade snorted coldly and increased the pressure on her hand.

Rope Tree immediately fell silent, shrank his neck, and dared not speak again.

The funeral was personally presided over by Fugaku Uchiha.

There was no excessive grief, nor a lengthy process.

Everything was conducted solemnly and respectfully.

When Hashirama Senju stepped onto the altar to deliver his eulogy, all eyes were on him.

This man, hailed as the God of Ninjas, now looked like an ordinary old man who had lost his dearest friend.

He didn't bring a speech; he just stood there, his gaze passing through the crowd to the memorial tablet engraved with Uchiha Madara's name.

"When I met Ban, we were both just kids."

Hashirama's voice was low, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly: "We'll skip stones on the river, discuss the village's future, and fight tooth and nail over a rice ball..."

He didn't mention the later breakup, nor the death battle at the Valley of the End; he simply recounted the purest memories of the two boys.

"...He said he wanted to build a village that could protect our younger brother. We did it."

"He always said I was naive, but actually, he was the most naive person there."

"He is my best friend for life."

"He owes nothing to the village, and the village owes nothing to him."

After finishing speaking, Hashirama bowed deeply to the memorial tablet.

The entire arena fell silent. Countless ninjas, including the young members of the Uchiha clan, were deeply moved.

From these few words, they sensed the most sincere bond between two men that transcended an era of life and death, hatred and resentment.

Uchiha Fugaku stood at the front of the crowd, looking at Senju Hashirama's back, which was not particularly tall, but seemed to hold up the sky, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

This is the First Hokage, the man who founded the village.

He felt an unprecedented weight on his shoulders. It wasn't just about the future of his family, but also a responsibility to carry on the legacy. To carry on the unfinished dream of Lord Madara and the First Hokage—the dream of a truly peaceful village.

His gaze unconsciously drifted to a spot not far away.

His wife, Mikoto, held their son, Uchiha Itachi, in her arms.

The little guy was fast asleep, completely unaware that he was witnessing the end of an era.