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

Asuma and Obito, who were following behind, were stunned by what they heard.

"Is there really so much to say about eating a tomato?"

Asma muttered to himself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took the cherry tomato, feeling as if he were holding not a fruit, but a meticulously prepared, almost obsessive, experimental report. He tossed the tomato into his mouth, a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and took a small bite.

The juicy burst of flavor explodes in your mouth, and the sweet taste washes over your taste buds.

"Mmm, delicious."

He gave the simplest and most sincere evaluation.

Sakumo's smile deepened; it was a pure joy of creating life and gaining recognition.

"Let's go, Lord Hokage, I'll show you our results."

Following in Sakumo's footsteps, the group entered this green kingdom perched atop the rocks.

The Inuzuka clan's ninjas patrolled the fields with their ninja dogs. These dogs, with their keen sense of smell, could not only find pests but also distinguish which fruits were ripe.

Several Iwagakure ninjas pressed their hands to the ground, let out a low shout, and the shockwave seeped into the soil, causing a patch of hard earth in the distance to visibly soften.

The ninjas of the Yamanaka clan kept their eyes closed, using mental techniques to communicate with distant people and monitor the condition of the crops on the entire farm.

Akimichi Torifu strode ahead, his eyes gleaming. Every time he saw a vegetable he didn't recognize, he would lean in to smell it, then turn back to Okihizan, give him a thumbs-up, and mouth silently, "Good stuff!"

"Is this... the romance of farmers?" Obito stared in disbelief, muttering to himself.

Kakashi glanced at him: "This is science. It's the product of combining Earth Release, Water Release, secret techniques, biology, and massive data analysis."

At that moment, a cold snort, aged yet powerful, echoed from the sky.

A short figure, with his hands behind his back, stepped on a rock and slowly floated down from the sky.

The third generation Tsuchikage, Onoki.

He landed in front of the crowd, first glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi, then his gaze fell on Sakumo.

"Don't think you can buy the will of Iwagakure with a few small favors!"

Onoki grumbled and mumbled, looking completely dismissive.

Sakumo Hatake didn't say anything, but silently picked a bright green melon from the melon patch next to him, peeled it with a kunai, cut it into several pieces, and handed one over.

Although Onoki said no, his body betrayed him, and he took it and stuffed it into his mouth with a crisp, loud crunch.

"Our will in Iwagakure is as firm as a rock... Hmm..."

The old man paused his chewing for a moment, and his eyes brightened.

"...This melon is really sweet, are there any more?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."

Looking at the scene before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if his long-tense nerves had been gently tickled by a honey-smeared feather, making him feel itchy and unable to help but want to laugh.

The Third Tsuchikage, who had recently fought against him and wished he could use Dust Release to disintegrate him and the entire Konoha fleet into atoms, was now smacking his lips with a look of lingering satisfaction, asking his former enemy and current technical aid provider for a second piece of melon in a matter-of-fact tone.

The impact of this scene is comparable to a Tailed Beast Ball exploding on your face.

The air seemed to freeze for a fleeting moment.

Following behind, Obito's goggles were almost slipped down to the tip of his nose. He opened his mouth, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out, "I...did I hear that right?"

Asuma was also stunned. He looked at the short but imposing old man, then at his father's ambiguous smile, and felt that he needed to retake his textbook, "Geography and History of the Ninja World".

Is the stubborn, arrogant, and Konoha-seeing Onoki, the Two Scales described in the book, really the same person as this old man in front of me who's thinking about the next melon?

"cough."

Kakashi broke the eerie silence with a light cough. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly beneath his mask, and his voice was just loud enough for those around him to hear. "It's probably because the Land of Earth has long hours of sunshine, so the sugar content is more abundant."

In short, it provided the Tsuchikage with a way out, although that way out was a bit too scientific and straightforward.

Hatake Sakumo's reaction was much calmer. He seemed to have anticipated the Tsuchikage's reaction. He simply cut another slice of melon with such precision that it was like performing surgery, and then steadily held it with the tip of his kunai before handing it to Onoki.

"Please use it."

His voice was completely calm, as if he were handing over not a melon that could make a Kage-level expert lose his composure, but an ordinary report.

"snort!"

Onoki snorted heavily through his nose, snatched the melon, and took a big, vicious bite as if afraid someone would take it from him.

The crisp click sound rang out again.

"...Barely, but it's alright."

The old man mumbled indistinctly, his cheeks bulging, his eyes darting around, avoiding looking at anyone. "It's mainly because our Yanyin land is good, with a good foundation. No matter what you plant, it will grow into something quite good."

This forced attempt to save face even made the Iwagakure ninja behind him twitch at the corners of their mouths, and they all lowered their heads, pretending to be examining the tips of their shoes.

So embarrassing.

Lord Tsuchikage's dignity was visibly fading away along with the juice of that melon.

"Hahahaha! You're right! You're right, Lord Tsuchikage!"

A loud, booming laugh broke the awkward silence.

Akimichi Tori patted his belly vigorously with his large, fan-like hands and strode over. His eyes shone as he stared at Onoki, not at a shadow, but at a long-lost, like-minded food connoisseur.

"I knew it! Good ingredients require good land! But land alone isn't enough; you also need people who understand them!"

Torifu approached Onoki, the stark difference in their sizes making the scene particularly comical. Pointing to the melons and fruits on the vines, he exclaimed, spittle flying, "Look at these melons! Thin skin, crisp flesh, juicy, sweet but not cloying. What does that mean? It means that Sakumo really put his heart and soul into this! He understands this land!"

Onoki was taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm. He glanced at the fat man who was several heads taller than him and snorted, "Of course, we Iwagakure ninjas put our hearts into everything we do."

"That's right!"

Akimichi Torifu slapped his thigh, as if he had found a resonance, "That's the right thing to do! The Hokage always says that power should be used for construction! I think eating is the most important construction in the world! Come, come, Tsuchikage, how can you just eat melons? You must try our farm's new rock-roasted potatoes!"

Without waiting for Onoki's agreement, he turned and roared at several Akimichi clansmen who were busy at work in the distance, "Come here! Highest honors! Serve Lord Tsuchikage our Akimichi secret recipe, Rock Clay Pot!"

At the sound of the command, the atmosphere changed completely.