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

"Ai".

Hiruzen's gaze went over his shoulder, towards the magnificent bridge and the distant, sprawling highway, "A vibrant new Kumogakure."

Two hands, representing the highest leaders of two eras and two villages, clasped tightly together at this moment under the new sunlight of the Land of Thunder.

The moment Ai shook hands with Hiruzen Sarutobi, he felt a power as steady as a mountain in his palm.

He looked at the man in front of him, his feelings extremely complicated.

His father's death was a pain that would never fade in his heart.

But these past few days, as the Raikage, he has witnessed firsthand the changes that Konoha's aid has brought to this ravaged country.

Smooth roads allow supplies to be transported into remote villages, and children no longer die from minor illnesses.

The newly built factories and trade routes have provided many retired ninjas with new jobs, and the smiles on their faces are ones that Ai has never seen before.

Teacher Tsuchishiro told him more than once, "Raikage, hatred cannot make a village prosperous, but cooperation can."

He didn't understand at first, and even resisted it.

But now, looking at the man who had single-handedly created all of this, and at the energetic, clear-eyed young ninjas behind him, he suddenly understood.

Perhaps, if my father had been there back then, faced with Konoha in such a state, he would have made the same choice for the sake of Kumogakure's future.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the enemy who killed his father, also saved his village in another way.

This contradictory feeling coursed through his body like an electric current.

In the end, all the resentment and hatred transformed into a complex respect held in this hand.

The banquet was held on the top floor of the newly built Ray Shadow Building.

Ai raised his glass, his voice low and deep, "Tsuchishiro told me to go out and see more. I saw the smiles on the faces of the common people who were able to eat their fill because of the new trade routes. I saw the light in the eyes of the retired ninjas working on Lord Danzo's construction sites."

He finished his drink, slammed the glass down, and said, "Thank you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi simply smiled and said nothing more.

After the banquet, Danzo mysteriously led Hiruzen Sarutobi into a war room filled with blueprints.

He closed the door, took a deep breath, and then suddenly unfolded a map on the table that was larger and more exaggerated than all the previous drawings combined.

That map was no longer limited to the Land of Lightning or the Land of Fire. The territories of the five great nations were clearly marked, and striking red lines, like a spider web, tightly connected all the countries and all the ninja villages.

"Hiruzen, look!"

Danzo's finger traced the image, his eyes burning with unprecedented fervor. "The Lightning Bridge is just the beginning! My goal is to build an unprecedented high-speed rail network throughout this ninja world!"

"Starting from Konoha, it takes one day to reach Sunagakure, and two days to reach Kirigakure! Wherever the train goes, it extends the will of Konoha! We must ensure the unimpeded flow of goods, people, and information across this continent!"

He turned his head, staring intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and said, word by word:

"Hiruzen, this is the immortal achievement I want to make for Konoha, for this world!"

Looking at the burning flame in his best friend's eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi was deeply moved. He smiled and nodded vigorously.

The next day, the air in the Land of Lightning seemed to have changed because of the handshake the day before.

The dark clouds that lingered over Kumogakure, filled with hatred, resentment, and wariness, seemed to have been parted by an invisible hand, letting in a sliver of unfamiliar light.

Danzo Shimura's biological clock was more reliable than the most accurate clock. He had changed into a smart dark work uniform and stood outside Hiruzen Sarutobi's door, looking more like a construction supervisor waiting for the client's acceptance than an invitation.

"Hiruzen, are you awake?"

He didn't even knock; his voice came through the thick door, carrying an barely suppressed excitement: "My most perfect work is waiting for your inspection."

Inside the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi was leisurely drinking a bowl of bland rice porridge when he heard this sound, and he almost spat out the porridge in his mouth.

He put down his bowl and wiped his mouth helplessly.

"Coming!"

Hiruzen responded loudly.

When the group reunited, the Fourth Raikage, Ai, and his chief strategist, Tsuchishiro, were already waiting there.

A was dressed in a simple Raikage uniform, his bare arms showing bulging muscles and exuding explosive power.

"Lord Hokage,"

The Fourth Raikage spoke in a deep voice, which could be considered a greeting, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Danzo, who was standing to the side looking radiant.

"Let's go, I'll give you a brief introduction on the way."

Danzo waved his hand and took the lead, his back view exuding a sense of smugness.

He didn't even give Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Fourth Raikage A a chance to continue their pleasantries. He simply turned to the side and made a gesture of invitation, pointing to a row of strangely shaped metal vehicles not far away.

It was something between an armored vehicle and a sightseeing bus, covered with smooth rivets, without an exhaust pipe, only intricate patterns engraved on the sides of the vehicle, emitting a low hum.

"This is our Ministry of Construction's latest improved Land-based Ark Type III, powered by chakra energy, specially designed for the rugged mountain roads of the Land of Lightning, with excellent shock absorption."

Danzo patted the car body, his tone filled with undisguised pride, as if he were introducing his own child.

Ray Shadow Ai's eye twitched slightly.

The light in the single eye of his strategist, Toshiro, was far more complex.

Just how outrageous has Konoha taken its technology tree?

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled, unsurprised, and casually shoved Asuma and Obito, who were still looking around, over. "Go ahead and experience the masterpiece of your Elder Danzo."

"Wow! This car is so cool!"

Obito was the first to jump up, bounced on the soft seat, then pressed his face against the huge glass window and waved vigorously at Rin and Kakashi outside.

Asma followed closely behind, walking around the car, touching the cold metal shell, looking at the deep treads on the wheels, and finally reluctantly getting into the car.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "Ah, it's only natural for allies to share the spoils. Danzo... he was just a little too dedicated to his work."

These words were like a gentle breeze. Ai took a deep breath, nodded, and took the lead in stepping onto Lu Xingzhou.

The vehicle started and sped along the newly built Chakra concrete highway without any bumps, as if driving on flat ground.

The scenery outside the window flashed by, no longer the barren and rugged land of my memory.

The wide, smooth road, like a gray ribbon, winds its way through the mountains.

Along both sides of the road, at intervals, stands a metal pole, the top of which is inlaid with some kind of crystal, emitting a soft light even in the daytime.