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

Half an hour later.

The mess of cups and plates on the table was cleaned up by the hotel owner and her staff.

They served hot tea and cut fruit instead.

Obito lay sprawled on the tatami mat, his belly bulging like a ball, humming softly.

Asma leaned against the wall, burping repeatedly.

Kakashi leaned against a pillar, reading a book on array formations.

Xilin took the warm water and stuffed the medicine packets into Obito and Asuma's mouths one by one.

"He's alive..."

Obito swallowed the medicine, let out a long breath, and jumped up. "After eating, it's time to exercise! Let's play cards! Who wants to?"

He pulled a brand new deck of cards from his ninja tool bag.

Asma immediately perked up, swallowing back his burp: "Let's go!"

Count me in.

Sata raised his hand.

Obito looked at Kakashi: "Hey, you idiot Kakashi, dare to come on?"

Kakashi turned a page of the book.

"Not interested."

"Are you afraid of losing to me?!"

Kakashi paused, his hand stilling as he turned the pages.

"Count me in, okay?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi approached with a grin.

Obito paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, okay."

Hiruzen sat down cross-legged and casually shuffled the cards. His technique was surprisingly skillful; the cards flew between his fingers, leaving afterimages.

Obito's eyes lit up, and he glared fiercely at Kakashi: "Kakashi! If you're a man, accept the challenge!"

Kakashi closed the book. This idiot's thought process was really troublesome. If he didn't beat him down, he wouldn't have any peace and quiet tonight.

"Deal the cards."

Kakashi sat down at the card game.

"Draw the Joker card!"

Obito announced loudly.

Five people sat in a circle.

Hiruzen, Obito, Asuma, Kakashi, and Sota.

Shinnosuke sat a few steps away, arms crossed, eyes closed, trying to rest, but his ears were constantly listening to what was happening over there.

Zhi Shui poured tea beside him, watching with a smile.

The first game begins.

All the cards have been dealt.

Hiruzen glanced at the cards in his hand, then at Obito and Asuma opposite him.

too easy.

When Obito draws a good card, his eyebrows will rise and his mouth will involuntarily widen into a grin. When he draws a bad card or a joker, his eyes will widen and his breathing will quicken.

Asma was slightly better, but he had a habit of rubbing the edge of the card with his thumb when he got the key card.

Hiruzen could see that these two's trump cards were written all over their faces.

Back then, at the negotiating table during the Fourth Shinobi World War, he managed to extract an extra 20% in reparations from the representative of the Land of Lightning by skillfully reading people's expressions.

Playing mind games with these kids is like a game of cat and mouse.

Ten minutes later.

"Ugh! Why is the Joker card with me again?!"

Obito frantically pulled at his hair.

Hiruzen smiled and put down his last two cards to pair them up: "I concede."

Kakashi followed suit, releasing the Joker and glancing at Obito: "An idiot is an idiot. When you had the Joker in your hand, your eyes were constantly glancing to the lower left corner."

"I don't!"

Second round.

Obito learned his lesson and kept a straight face the whole time, using his expressionless face to fight back.

He stared at the two cards in Asma's hand, his heart pounding. One was a regular card, the other a joker. The one on the left, the one on the right?

Obito reached out and touched his left side.

Asuma's eyes flickered, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Hiruzen noticed this detail, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and covered the smile on his lips.

Obito's hand froze in mid-air, sensing Asuma's tension.

"Heh heh, trying to trick me?" Obito turned smugly to the card on his right. "I'll draw this one!"

He pulled it out, and there was a huge clown head smiling at him.

Petrification with soil.

Asma burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the table. "Hahahaha! All's fair in war, you know! I was just pretending to be nervous!"

The next hour became a complete solo show for Hiruzen.

He always manages to precisely avoid the Joker, and he always manages to cleverly deliver the Joker to Obito or Asuma.

Win ten games in a row.

Obito and Asuma's faces were covered with white strips of punishment.

When the wind blows, the white strips rustle and make a sound, just like two moving mops.

"Cheating!"

Asma slammed down the cards.

"How can something involving ninjas be considered cheating?"

Hiruzen leisurely tidied up the cards. "Intelligence gathering, psychological warfare, and facial expression management—these are all practical combat skills. You guys are still far from that level."