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

Weeks later in Kirigakure, the air was filled with the salty dampness brought by the sea breeze, mixed with the fresh scent of new wood and the faint roar of machines in the distance.

The port, ravaged by war and internal strife, is now rejuvenating at an astonishing pace.

Although ruins are still visible everywhere, brand-new wooden scaffolding has been erected. Construction ninjas wearing Konoha headbands and Kaguya clan members forced into labor are embedding huge steel beams into the foundation under the cold and efficient command of Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Not far away, on a makeshift dock, Hozuki Kaigetsu, dressed in the brand-new robes of the Fourth Mizukage, was leading Yagura Karatachi and Mei Terumi to see off the Konoha flagship that was about to depart.

On the deck of the flagship Will of Fire, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the railing, his gaze sweeping over the busy crowd below and landing on the village that was undergoing painful rebirth.

The sea breeze ruffled his short, dark brown hair and lifted the white scarf around his neck.

"Lord Hokage,"

Hozuki Kaigetsu walked up the gangway and stood a few steps behind Sarutobi Hiruzen. He bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly with emotion, "Kirigakure... will never forget your kindness to Konoha."

Behind him, Yagura and Mei Terumi also bowed in greeting. Yagura still crossed his arms, adopting a mature posture, but his slightly lowered head and tightly pursed lips betrayed his inner turmoil. Mei Terumi, on the other hand, appeared much more composed, her emerald green eyes shimmering with a complex light mixed with awe, curiosity, and anticipation.

"Raise your head, Sea Moon."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, a gentle smile on his face. "Didn't I say that we are allies of the Shinobi League? Allies don't need to say these things."

Hozuki Kaigetsu straightened up, clutching the scroll of the "Kirigakure Revitalization Plan" that he had read countless times. After these days of practice, he could feel the terrifying nature of this plan more and more—it was not just a blueprint, but a steel stamp of thought, deeply imprinting the will of Konoha onto the future of Kirigakure.

"Yes. Kirigakure will undoubtedly become the most steadfast supporter of the Shinobi League."

With all his might, Haiyue uttered this vow. It was both a promise to Hiruzen Sarutobi and a declaration to himself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, reached out, and gently patted Kaigetsu's shoulder.

The movement wasn't heavy, but it made Haiyue feel as if a mountain had suddenly appeared on her shoulders.

"Remember, Haiyue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was low but exceptionally clear: "Building a village is a hundred times harder than destroying it. Hatred and destruction only require venting, but building requires wisdom, patience, and... the determination to protect every ordinary smile."

He withdrew his hand and pointed to the Kaguya clan laborer below who was cheering over a bowl of vegetable soup.

"Do you see them? Let them have enough to eat, work to do, and hope for a tomorrow. This is more important than any grand slogan."

Hozuki Kaigetsu looked in the direction he was pointing and was deeply shaken. He bowed again, this time with heartfelt reverence.

"Waaah—"

A long and resounding whistle pierced the sky, announcing that the flagship was about to set sail.

"Go ahead."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "Your battlefield is here."

Hozuki Kaigetsu said no more, and led Yagura Karatachi and Mei Terumi down the gangway. He stood on the dock, watching the warship, which resembled a steel behemoth, slowly leave its berth, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

On the ship, Sarutobi Asuma was clinging to the railing, waving vigorously at Terumi Mei below, shouting something like, "Next time we come, we have to eat seafood hot pot."

Standing beside him, Sarutobi Shinnosuke simply watched quietly, his eyes cold, as if everything around him was irrelevant. However, his slightly clenched fists betrayed that he was not as calm as he appeared.

At the bow of the ship, Kakashi Hatake leaned against the mast, wiping his newly acquired, lightning-sparkling short sword over and over again with a soft deerskin.

His movements were focused and meticulous, as if it were not a murder weapon, but a precious work of art.

Obito Uchiha barged in excitedly, "Hey, Kakashi, stop wiping! Look, Kirigakure is getting smaller and smaller! We really have changed a village!"

Lin stood to the side, smiling gently, watching her two bickering companions and the island receding into the distance.

The flagship gradually increased its speed, leaving a broad white trail on the sea surface before finally becoming a black dot between the sea and the sky.

Hozuki Kaigetsu remained standing on the dock until the ship completely disappeared from sight.

"Lord Mizukage,"

Mei Terumi gently reminded us, "We should go back too; the port planning meeting is about to begin."

"Um."

Hozuki Kaigetsu nodded, took one last look at the azure sea, and turned to walk towards the bustling construction site.

His steps had never been so firm.

---

On the flagship's deck, the sea breeze carried a hint of coolness, dispelling the sadness of parting.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back comfortably in his recliner, holding a steaming cup of barley tea in his hand.

"Hehe, where are we going next? Are we going straight back to the village?"

Asuma leaned closer, his face beaming with excitement. "Shin-no-suke said the next project might be building a dam for the Land of Rain. The terrain there is much more complex than this mining area in Kirigakure, it'll definitely be more challenging!"

"Asma."

Shinnosuke, standing to the side, coldly interrupted him, "Your father's schedule is none of your business."

"Tch, what's with the cool act?"

Asma pursed his lips.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his teacup, smiling as he looked at his two sons with such different personalities, his heart softening.

He cleared his throat and announced to the young people around him, "No, we're not going straight back to the village."

He stood up, walked to a huge nautical chart, and picked up a red pen.

"Since we're out here, let's take this opportunity to do a tour of the Ninja League's member states."

A sly smile played on his lips. "I need to see for myself how the guys in the village, like Danzo and Sakumo, are doing with their homework."

"Inspection?"

Obito's eyes lit up. "Does that mean we're going to visit other villages? That's awesome!"

Upon hearing this, Kakashi paused in his action of wiping his short sword. He raised his head, a thoughtful look flashing in his seemingly lazy black eyes.

Inspection tour? No, skipping work to slack off, check.

He muttered to himself inwardly.

However, just as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking...

"Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!"

A rapid, almost explosive communication request suddenly rang out from the command room; the sound was sharp, piercing, and filled with an ominous aura.

A member of the Anbu ninja strode out, holding a communicator that was still vibrating wildly in his hand, with a strange expression on his face that seemed to want to laugh but dared not.

"Lord Hokage, it's...it's an urgent communication from Lord Shikanobu."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze instantly.

He took the communicator and pressed the connect button.

"Hello, is this...?"

"Hokage-sama!!!"

A roar, as if it had been accumulating resentment for centuries, burst forth from the communicator, so loud that everyone on the deck could hear it clearly.

"Do you even remember you're Hokage?! Do you even want this village anymore?! When are you coming back?!!"

Nara Shikano's voice was hoarse and tired, yet full of energy, filled with the despair of being driven mad by work.

"The Akimichi family's pig feed subsidy application! The Inuzuka family's ninja dog disease prevention report! The Aburame clan's parasitic insect ecological observation record! And the Uchiha barbecue restaurant's fire safety rectification opinion! All of these require your signature!!"

"And there's more! Lord Danzo's third-phase urban redevelopment plan for Kumogakure, over 800 pages! Lord Sakumo's feasibility report on drought-resistant crop cultivation in the Land of Wind, over 500 pages!"

"Orochimaru, that bastard, is even more outrageous. His preliminary concept for using tailed beast chakra to create a third-generation energy revolution has a table of contents that's fifty pages long!"

"I'm almost on par with Tianyang! If you don't come back soon, you can expect to be collecting your chief advisor's corpse!!"

A barrage of complaints poured out like a torrential downpour, leaving Asuma and Obito dumbfounded. Rin covered her mouth, barely suppressing her laughter, while Shinnosuke's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

The ANBU ninjas around him all had their heads down, their shoulders trembling violently.