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

The banquet ended, and everyone dispersed. Ohnoki, however, lingered until the very end.

He glanced at the doorway to make sure no one was there, then pulled Hiruzen Sarutobi aside, his old face slightly flushed, and lowered his voice, asking mysteriously:

"Uh, um... Hiruzen."

"Um?"

"I have a question for you." Onoki's expression was unusually conflicted, as if he were making a major decision. "Is Konoha's medical technology currently the best in the ninja world?"

"It's alright, Tsunade is pretty amazing." Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed a laugh.

"Um...that..."

Onoki's voice lowered even further, almost inaudibly, "A herniated disc...can it be treated?"

"puff--"

Hiruzen Sarutobi almost spat out his tea.

He looked at the Third Tsuchikage who had just been pointing out the world and exuding an imposing aura, but now looked like an old man seeking medical advice. The huge contrast made it very difficult for him to suppress his laughter.

Just as he cleared his throat, preparing to agree and perhaps even finalize a mineral resource cooperation agreement, there was a knock on his office door.

Sakumo Hatake walked in.

The smile that had been on his face was gone, replaced by a long-lost solemnity.

"Hokage-sama." Sakumo ignored Onoki standing to the side and walked straight to Hiruzen, handing him a newly printed report.

The paper was still warm from the ink.

"What happened?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression also turned serious.

"Take a look at this." Sakumo pointed to a high-powered microscope image on the report and said in a low voice, "We have discovered a type of bacteria that we have never seen before in a border test field that borders the Grass Country."

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the report, his gaze falling on the image. It was a strangely shaped black spore; under the microscope, they seemed to be slowly wriggling as if they were alive.

"Guns?"

Onoki also curiously came over.

Sakumo's voice was even lower, carrying a hint of icy coldness.

"This bacterium has extremely strong phagocytic and adaptive capabilities. It did not form naturally; our analysis shows that its gene sequence has been artificially edited."

He paused, then added, word by word:

"It's more like... some kind of biological weapon. And it's specifically designed to target our high-yield crop varieties that we've improved through hybridization and cell technology."

Ōnoki, standing nearby, listened to Hatake Sakumo's words and his heart skipped a beat.

He glanced at the disgusting black thing on the report, then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, which instantly darkened.

The slight sense of relief I felt just moments before, stemming from the hope that my herniated disc could be cured, vanished instantly.

Biological weapons? Specifically designed to improve crops?

He immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

This is no longer a simple business competition or minor friction; it's digging up the roots of everyone! Konoha is developing infrastructure and agriculture, and Iwagakure is one of the biggest beneficiaries. The children in the village have grown quite a bit taller in the past two years.

If something goes wrong with these crops... A chill ran down Onoki's spine; it was even worse than his back pain.

He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Upon hearing the news, the man's eyes showed no panic, only an unfathomable calm, as if he were a sophisticated chakra machine analyzing which gear had malfunctioned, how to repair it, or... which problematic component should be completely crushed.

"A variety specifically improved for us..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a dull sound. "In other words, the other party is very familiar with our agricultural technology, and may even have obtained our seed samples."

"They're coming for us."

Onoki's voice was dry and hoarse, lacking its usual stubborn confidence, leaving only pure gloom.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.

His eyes were as calm as a deep abyss, as if what was running at high speed in his mind was not panic or anger, but an extremely precise machine calmly analyzing which gear had malfunctioned and how to fix it as quickly as possible.

"Shuomao,"

He spoke, his voice so calm it was completely flat, "Pass down the order: seal off all border farmland and suspend all crop shipments. Also, re-establish communication with Orochimaru."

He stood up and extended his hand to Onoki, whose face was solemn.

"Lord Tsuchikage, it seems our conversation will have to end early. Let's go, let's go see what's going on."

Onoki stared at the hand, momentarily stunned. This was the same hand that had threatened him on the battlefield not long ago.

But at this moment, it represents an invitation to an unbreakable alliance.

Without the slightest hesitation, he gave a heavy "hmm" and followed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's footsteps.

The group rushed to the border experimental field that borders the Grass Country overnight.

When they arrived, even Onoki, whose will was as firm as a rock, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Under the moonlight, what should have been a vibrant, lush field now looked as if it had been scorched by hellfire.

All the high-yield crops had turned into charred, withered remains, lying limply on the ground, as if all life had been drained from them. The air was filled with an indescribable stench, a mixture of decaying plants and chemical agents, causing the young ninja in the group to cover their mouths and noses.

It was deathly silent here; there was no sound of insects, no sight of birds or beasts.

Sakumo had already set up temporary testing equipment by the field, and a portable chakra projection device was humming.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Tsuchikage."

He pointed to the center of the field, "Judging from the center of spore dispersal, the source did not originate from inside the field, but rather invaded from the outside."

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the edge of the field, squatted down, and picked up a bit of black soil.

The soil turned to dust at his fingertips, lifeless.

"Connected, Hokage-sama," an Anbu member reported in a low voice.