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

A mixture of timidity, pilgrimage, and an unbelievable sense of unease was vividly displayed on his gaunt body.

Song Fan suppressed his smile, straightened his body, and habitually placed his right hand on the edge of his ninja tool bag.

"Who are you? What brings you to Konoha?"

He took two steps forward, his voice loud and clear.

The boy, like a startled rabbit, jerked his shoulders back and took a half-step back.

He swallowed hard and reached into his clothes.

Shen Yue's eyes sharpened, and the sword in her hand slid to her palm.

The boy pulled out a crumpled pass and a small wooden tag tied with a red string, and handed them forward with both hands.

"I...I've come home."

The boy's voice was a little hoarse, with a rough quality characteristic of arid regions.

Song Fan took the pass and scanned it. It was stamped with the seal of a small border town in the Land of Wind, indicating his status as an ordinary migrant. His gaze moved down and landed on the small wooden plaque.

It was a sign carved from cheap pine wood, with a crooked pattern that looked like a billiard paddle.

The upper part is a red fan surface, and the lower part is a white handle.

Uchiha clan crest.

The two gatekeeper ninjas exchanged a glance, and the air fell completely silent.

Song lowered his voice, his previous casual tone replaced by a more subdued one: "What's your name?"

"peak."

The boy answered timidly, "My mother said my father's surname is Uchiha."

Where is your mother?

He died of illness two weeks ago.

The boy lowered his eyelids, staring at the straw sandals with his toes sticking out, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, "Before she died, she told me to take this to Konoha, saying this is my root."

He pried a pendant out of a lining on the side of the package.

It was a genuine iron family crest, and although it was rusted, the family markings on the back were still clearly visible.

Matsunaga knew this matter was beyond his authority. The village had always been strict in managing the orphans left behind by the war, let alone when it involved the Uchiha clan, which was now at the height of its power.

He winked at his companion.

Shen Yue understood immediately and ran towards the communication station in the guardhouse.

Song Fan softened his tone and pointed to the bench outside the guardhouse: "Please sit over there for a while. It's a routine check; we need to verify the situation."

Uchiha Mine nodded quickly, hugged the package, and obediently walked to the bench and sat down.

He didn't dare lean back, only sitting on about a third of the area, with his legs together and his hands rubbing his knees nervously.

Hokage Building.

Acting Hokage's office.

Nara Shikazu slumped into his large office chair, his head drooping, like a potted plant that had been without water for half a month.

On the desk, files were piled up into three small, precarious mountains.

The number filled in the budget section on the top page almost made the tea that Deer Horn had just drunk flow back down his throat.

Deer Antlers scratched his signature pineapple head.

Pushing the document aside, Orochimaru's report was revealed underneath.

The third iteration of the hydroelectric engine energy conversion efficiency scheme is attached with an application to add 200 experimental mice.

Deer Antlers sighed and rested his chin on his clasped hands.

There was a knock on the door.

The Hokage's secretary walked in carrying a stack of new documents, placed them on the table expressionlessly, and handed over a thin scroll.

"The guard at the gate reports. Ten minutes ago, a boy claiming to be an orphan of the Uchiha clan arrived at the village entrance."

The antlers froze in mid-air as the hand holding the teacup stood still.

He lifted his eyelids and glanced at the scroll.

"An Uchiha orphan? Stranded abroad?"

The corner of Deer Antlers' eyes twitched twice.

"This is so troublesome..."

He put down his teacup and straightened up.

That brain, comparable to a supercomputer, began operating at high speed within 0.1 seconds.

In the years following the war, Konoha's reputation spread throughout the ninja world, and indeed many refugees came to seek refuge there.

This is the first one to come knocking on our door, bearing the Uchiha clan crest.

This is a sensitive time. The first and second generations have just reorganized the foundation of the village, and Madara has only recently died.

The Uchiha clan is extremely united right now, and their sense of belonging to the village is at an all-time high. If a bloodline descendant suddenly appears at this time, it could easily hurt the feelings of the Uchiha if not handled properly.

But its origins...

"Has your identity been verified?"

"Deer Antlers asked."

"The border pass showed no signs of forgery. Our spies in the Land of Wind confirmed that a sandstorm did indeed occur in a border town half a month ago, killing a group of refugees."

The secretary replied.

"What a coincidence."

The antlers tapped a rhythm on the table with his fingers. "My mother just died, so I immediately went to find my relatives. I didn't encounter a single robber along the way and arrived in Konoha safely."

He pulled a miniature communicator from the drawer and pressed a button for a channel.

"Fugaku, are you at the security headquarters right now?"

Garrison Headquarters.

Fugaku Uchiha was looking down at his patrol log. Hearing Shikano's voice on the communicator, he picked up the receiver.

"it's me."

"There's a child at the gate who claims to be an orphan of the Uchiha clan. Go and claim him."

The antlers' voice carried a hint of weariness.

Fugaku paused, and the ink smeared onto the paper, leaving a black dot.

He skipped the unnecessary words and simply replied with one word: "Okay."

After hanging up the call, Fugaku grabbed the vest from the back of his chair, put it on, and strode out of the office.