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

As the sun sets, it paints the sea a warm orange-red hue.

The boys' noise gradually subsided. They were all full and round, lying on the deck without any regard for their image, burping contentedly.

Obito even started talking nonsense.

"When I become Hokage... I'm going to... eat grilled meat every day..."

"Then you might become the first Kage in Konoha history to get stuck at the Hokage's office door because he's too fat."

Kakashi's lazy voice came from the side.

"Kakashi!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned against the railing of the ship's side, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of his clothes.

He looked at the group of young people on the deck, who were leaning to one side or the other, yet full of vitality.

His gaze swept over Asuma and Obito, who were asleep leaning against each other because they had eaten too much, over Kakashi, who was helping Rin clear the table, and over Akimichi Torifu, who was studying the structure of bones with a happy expression.

Finally, his gaze fell on his empty teacup.

"Still water".

He spoke softly.

"exist."

"Pour me a cup of tea."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a hint of weariness, but more than that, it conveyed an unprecedented sense of peace.

Shisui looked at the Hokage's slightly tired yet incredibly satisfied profile and felt a warmth in his heart. He respectfully replied, "Yes."

He picked up the teapot and refilled the Hokage's cup with warm tea.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air, mingling with the salty scent of the sea breeze and the lingering fragrance of grilled meat, creating a warm and unique scene on this warship named the Will of Fire—a scene that belongs solely to this golden age.

Time flies, the sun rises and sets, and because there is no Dadu River inland, the ships can only travel around most of the land of the Land of Lightning before finally continuing eastward.

The sea breeze no longer brings a salty, fishy smell, but a unique aroma mixed with the fragrance of earth and the sweetness of fruits.

The three ships slowly approached the shore. Uchiha Obito, who was the first to jump off the ship's side, sniffed hard, his eyes wide open behind his goggles.

"Hey, have we come to the wrong place? Is this really the Land of Earth?"

He started shouting and yelling, pointing at the lush green fields not far away, his face full of disbelief, "Didn't the textbook say that this place is all rocks and sand?"

"Idiot, that was before."

Kakashi Hatake, hands in his pockets, followed slowly behind, and remarked in his signature lazy voice, "Your knowledge needs updating, just like your training results, which are consistently at the bottom."

"What did you say! Kakashi, you bastard!"

Obito instantly bristled.

Nohara Rin smiled helplessly, patted her two companions on the shoulders, her gaze also drawn to the scene before her.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the deck, ignoring the group of energetic idiots behind him, and quietly gazed at the land.

Unlike the Land of Lightning, an industrial marvel forged from cold concrete and steel, the Land of Earth presents a completely opposite, breathtaking scene brimming with vitality.

The terraced fields stretch from the port all the way to the foot of the distant gray-brown mountains, and a huge, translucent barrier, like an inverted bowl, envelops the boundless farmland.

Beneath the barrier, green vines climbed the specially made rock frame, with plump fruits hanging among them, reflecting an alluring luster in the sunlight.

This sight is nothing short of a miracle.

"Lord Hokage."

A steady voice rang out on the dock.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

Hatake Sakumo.

Konoha's White Fang was now dressed in a simple linen shirt, with his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his mud-covered calves.

He wore straw sandals, his wheat-colored skin glowed healthily in the sunlight, and his face wore a simple smile that seemed to have been imbued with the warmth of the earth and the sun.

The only thing that remains unchanged is perhaps his sharp, piercing eyes.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sakumo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down the gangway with a genuine smile on his face.

Sakumo Hatake came forward and plucked a crystal-clear, ruby-like cherry tomato from a vine beside him, handing it to Hiruzen.

He even carefully wiped it with his sleeve, his expression as if he were polishing a peerless sword.

"Lord Hokage, please enjoy."

Sakumo's tone carried an undisguised pride, as if he were introducing his most prized creation: "This is the first generation of Iwagami Red that we cultivated in collaboration with the technicians at Iwagakure. By planting it in sandy soil improved through Earth Release techniques, the sweetness is 3% higher than the previous generation, and the time it takes for the peel to crack open upon tasting is significantly shorter."