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

One day later.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting warm patches of light into the pristine white hospital room.

Nagato slowly opened her eyes.

The world became clearer and more unfamiliar than ever before in his vision.

The air was no longer empty; he could see wisps of pale blue energy flowing slowly through the room like breath. He turned his head and saw Yahiko asleep by the bedside, and Konan sitting in a chair, dozing against the wall with a paper crane in her hand.

In them, he saw a warmer, more immense life energy, like two small suns, radiating an aura that brought him peace of mind.

Is this... the world seen through the Rinnegan?

Mysterious black ripples spread silently deep within his eyes.

A thought struck him, and he subconsciously raised his hand towards an apple on the bedside table.

There were no hand seals, no familiar feeling of mobilizing chakra, just a thought.

An invisible, gentle power emanated from his palm.

The bright red apple seemed to be held up by an invisible hand, swaying and floating up from the fruit plate, suspended in mid-air.

"Wow--!"

A gasp interrupted Nagato's concentration.

Yahiko had woken up at some point and was staring wide-eyed at the suspended apple, then at Nagato's hand.

"Nagato! You're awake! You...you...how did you do that?!"

His voice woke Xiao Nan. Xiao Nan rubbed her eyes, and when she saw the apple, she also showed a surprised expression.

Wow! That's amazing!

Yahiko excitedly came over and circled the apple twice. "Try again! Try again! Try that table, can you make it fly too?"

"I...I'll give it a try."

Watched with such admiration and curiosity by his companions, Nagato felt a surge of excitement. He aimed his palm at the wooden table in the room.

This time, he used a little more "force".

That invisible force instantly became violent.

"..."

An unfamiliar word had just flashed through his mind.

boom--!!!

A powerful repulsive force suddenly erupted from him, and the table, chairs, kettle, fruit plate... everything beside the bed was pushed to the other side of the room by an irresistible force, crashing against the wall with a series of loud noises.

The apple was crushed into a pulp in mid-air, and its juice splattered everywhere.

Yahiko was pushed so hard by the force that he landed on his bottom, and Konan was also startled and stood up. The three of them stared in disbelief at the messy ward, speechless for a long time.

"I...I didn't mean to."

Nagato looked at his palm, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Just then, the door to the ward was slammed open with a loud bang.

A head of dazzling red hair burst in.

"What's all the noise about! Don't you know this is a hospital? You bunch of brats, are you trying to tear this building down...?"

Kushina Uzumaki, hands on her hips, stopped mid-sentence of her energetic reprimand.

She looked at the ward that looked like it had been swept through a parking lot by a tornado, and at Yahiko sitting on the floor and Konan standing in the corner looking lost. Finally, her gaze fell on Nagato.

Her eyebrows rose, and her fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"So, you three? Nagato just had surgery, and you're already tearing up his hospital room, huh? Do you think my nickname 'Red Pepper' is just for show?!"

"No, no! Kushina-neechan!"

Yahiko quickly waved his hand, "It's Nagato..."

"What do you mean, 'him'? He's a patient who just had surgery, how could he possibly mess up his room like this?"

Kushina clearly didn't believe her. She strode over and lightly tapped Yahiko and Nagato on the head, one in each hand. "You must be the one encouraging him to do some weird training again!"

Nagato covered his head, looking at Kushina's fierce appearance, but he wasn't afraid at all.

Sure enough, Kushina's anger disappeared after she finished scolding him.

She placed the three-tiered deluxe lunchbox she was carrying heavily on the only surviving bedside table and opened the lid.

A rich aroma, a blend of sauce and meat, instantly filled the entire room.

"Hmph, you guys are lucky. This is a special grilled meat bento made with Konoha pork belly that I bought from the farm's direct sales store this morning, and I also added tamagoyaki that Mikoto taught me to make."

As she spoke, she took out bowls and chopsticks, "You guys are lucky. Nagato, you just had surgery, you need to take good care of yourself."

Looking at the tempting color and still steaming hot grilled meat, Yahiko's mouth was practically watering.

"Thank you, Kushina-neechan!"

Under Kushina's "forceful suppression," the three obediently sat down and shared this heartwarming meal.

Nagato ate his rice in small bites, savoring the rich aroma of the grilled meat melting in his mouth, and enjoying the lively chatter of his companions beside him.

While eating, Yahiko gesticulated wildly, boasting about his "huge" progress in his Water Release training yesterday. However, Konan ruthlessly exposed him with the line, "And then I blew up the water pipe next to the training ground," which made Kushina burst into laughter.

The unease and uncertainty brought by the new force were completely dispelled at this moment by the aroma of food and the laughter of his companions.

Instead, there was a warmth that was so full it almost overflowed from my chest.

He looked out the window.

The trams glided smoothly through the streets, children chased and played on the playground of the ninja school, and the top of the towering wooden building in the distance glittered in the sunlight. The whole village was filled with peaceful and vibrant life.

Nagato clenched his fist.

He got it.

These eyes are not tools for fighting, nor are they meant to bring destruction.

It is a shield that protects this daily routine and these smiles...

at the same time.

Deep underground in the distant Land of Wind, a place not even marked on a map.

A faint glowstone hung on the rock wall, illuminating a huge glass petri dish in the center.

It was filled with light green mucus.

Uchiha Ran closed his eyes, submerged in liquid, with countless tiny black tubes connecting his spine, heart, and the back of his brain.

Outside the petri dish, the Third Kazekage, Retsumon, stood ramrod straight with his hands hanging at his sides.

A black substance covered half of his face.

Those eyes moved.

Her eyelids twitched twice, then she opened them completely.

The hoarse voice belonging to Black Zetsu echoed in the empty basement, striking the stone walls with its own resonance.

"Perfect. Too perfect. Anger, resentment, despair—these emotions fermented just right, far exceeding my expectations."

Black Zetsu's hand, which controlled the gate, was pressed against the glass wall, sensing the body inside.

"The time has come."

……

Konoha Village, Hokage Building.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds and fell on the desk piled high with documents.

Nara Shika leaned back in his chair, holding a freshly brewed cup of barley tea, and blew on the foam.

Orochimaru was standing in front of him.

Orochimaru gave a fluent and eloquent report.

"Acting Hokage, the surgery was extremely successful. At the current rate of chakra fusion, he will be able to fully adapt to the basic abilities of these eyes in just six months. Tobirama-sama recommends that this be classified as a top-secret file and announced to the public as the awakening of a bloodline limit."

Nara Deer Antlers took a sip of tea; the taste was just right.

He went through the information in his mind.

Giving the Rinnegan to Nagato was a risky move. But for Nagato, who is now firmly bound by the ties of the village, it becomes Konoha's strongest shield.

"Do as the Second Hokage wishes. Grant Nagato a two-week leave to help him adjust. Also, assign the Seventh Training Ground to their Akatsuki squad, so they don't end up demolishing someone's house while practicing in the village."

Nara Shikama put down his teacup and picked up a document.

Orochimaru, however, did not leave.

"Regarding the regional power grid coverage and chakra conversion efficiency improvement plan you mentioned last time, Tobirama and I had another argument. He thinks chakra conduction metal is too expensive and suggests using underground water systems for power conversion. I insist that we should go for the chakra battery route."

Orochimaru's pale face was full of resentment; he had encountered an academic disagreement.

Nara Shika rubbed his temples, his pain returning.

I thought I could finally rest, but I still have to mediate the ideological dispute between two academic giants in the scientific community.

"Use hydroelectric power for basic civilian applications, and use chakra batteries for military equipment development. Go ask Nara Shikaku for a budget."

Orochimaru, satisfied with the reply, bowed and left contentedly.

Only the acting Hokage remained in the office.

He stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Look down.

The Hokage Avenue was bustling with traffic, a long queue stretched outside the Akimichi family's barbecue restaurant, several Hyuga clan ninjas were conducting load-bearing tests on a newly built high-rise building, the sound of tram bells echoed through the streets, and a few white doves flew into the blue sky.

This village is vibrant and full of life.

Everyone's hard work.

Nara Shikano stroked the stubble on his chin, a smile appearing on his lips.