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

Kakashi covered his head with a white towel and lazily soaked in the perfectly warm pool, only his eyes showing.

He glanced at Obito, who was performing a live hot spring egg act, and silently moved to the side, as if afraid of being infected with his stupidity.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned against the rock by the pool, comfortably squinted his eyes, and let out a long sigh.

The warm spring water enveloped my body, gradually dispelling the fatigue of days of sailing. This feeling was a million times more comfortable than reviewing mountains of documents.

"Phew...that's really good."

He expressed his heartfelt feelings.

Beside him, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was sitting upright in the water in a perfect sitting posture, his back straight, his arms on his knees, his expression serious, and his eyes sharp.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his eldest son, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Shinnosuke, relax."

Shinnosuke shifted his body slightly, as if trying to adjust his posture. In the end, he simply changed his upright sitting posture to a slightly less standard one.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to give up communicating with his son.

On the other side, Uchiha Shisui was quietly soaking in the water, a gentle smile on his face.

He didn't participate in Obito and Asuma's childish match, nor did he isolate himself from the world like Kakashi; he simply enjoyed this rare tranquility.

His gaze swept over everyone present, confirming that everyone was there and enjoying peace, which gave him a genuine sense of reassurance.

Just then, Obito seemed to have thought of a new way to play. He dove into the water, then quietly swam behind Kakashi, and suddenly burst out of the water.

"Take this! Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

He used both hands to create huge splashes of water, drenching Kakashi's head and face.

However, Kakashi reacted even faster. Just as the splash was about to land, he slid to the side as if he had no bones, easily dodging the attack.

A huge splash of water passed over him and landed precisely on Asma's face, who had just climbed out of the hot pool and was about to catch his breath.

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Asuma choked and coughed repeatedly, wiping the water from his face, glaring at Obito: "Uchiha Obito! You bastard!"

"Ah? Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to!" Obito apologized while glaring angrily at the unharmed Kakashi. "Kakashi! Why didn't you move aside?!"

Kakashi wiped a drop of water that had splashed onto his cheek with a towel and looked at him with the kind of loving gaze one would give someone with intellectual disabilities.

"Didn't I dodge it?"

Obito choked for a moment, then shouted even more confidently, "I mean! You should stand still and let me get splashed! That's what comrades do!"

The air in the entire bathhouse seemed to freeze.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was resting with his eyes closed, couldn't help but open them, his lips twitching slightly. What kind of robber logic is this?

Shinnosuke's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if he were analyzing the constituent elements of this logic and the potential harm it might cause.

A crack appeared in the smile on Shisui's face.

Kakashi remained silent for a full three seconds before slowly uttering three words in his characteristically flat and emotionless voice.

"Are you... an idiot?"

An even larger water war ensued.

---

Dinner was held in a spacious Japanese-style room.

When everyone entered the room, they were immediately stunned by the sight before them.

The long, low table was laden with a variety of exquisite dishes. There was golden, crispy tempura, a vibrant sashimi platter, simmered dishes served in beautiful lacquerware, and steaming hot pots emitting a rich aroma. Each dish was like a work of art, dazzling the eye.

"Ohhhhhh!" Obito and Asuma's eyes lit up at the same time, and they almost drooled.

The two of them pounced on the table from either side, picked up their chopsticks, and prepared to start eating.

"I'm starting!"

"etc."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's cold voice stopped them in time. He had already knelt down to one side of the main seat, looking at his father with a serious expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leisurely sat down in the main seat, picked up a bottle of sake, and poured himself a cup.

"Don't rush,"

He smiled and said to the two boys who looked like they had been reincarnated from starving ghosts, "Everyone here is an elder, so you should behave properly."

Obito and Asuma then noticed that besides them, there was also Uchiha Shisui present, and even... the pendulum in the black suit had changed into a yukata and was kneeling upright in the corner. Although his expression was still stiff, it was at least not so abrupt.

"Yes..." The two had no choice but to sit down reluctantly.

"Well then," Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his glass, "everyone has had a long and arduous journey. To celebrate the successful mission and to this hard-won peace, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone echoed in agreement.

As soon as he finished speaking, Obito and Asuma, like two wild horses, unleashed a storm of bloodshed on the dining table, their chopsticks flashing like afterimages.