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

"Waaaaaahh ...

Obito's exclamation pierced the sky once more, "This...this is the Konoha Train described in the blueprints?"

Asuma's eyes widened as well. Although he was the Hokage's son, this was the first time he had ever seen such a creation that only existed in his father's imagination.

The group boarded the train. The interior of the carriage was spacious and bright, with rows of soft seats neatly arranged. With a long whistle, the train began to move forward smoothly and at high speed after a slight vibration.

The scenery outside the window rushed past. The uniformly planned fields resembled a green chessboard, dotted with villages and towns where wisps of smoke rose from chimneys, and brand-new roads connected every corner, creating a thriving scene everywhere.

"Wow, so fast..." Obito pressed himself against the car window, his mouth agape in an "O" shape.

"It's so noisy."

Kakashi maintained his signature composure, glancing indifferently at the rushing scenery outside the window before adjusting his headband. "This is merely a basic application of the chakra conduction technique left behind by the Hokage. It's simply the efficient long-distance transmission of energy through a specific medium; nothing special."

Despite saying that, his eyes, hidden behind the mask, also gleamed with undisguised shock and wonder.

The carriage was filled with a cheerful atmosphere until an ANBU member silently appeared behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The operative knelt on one knee and presented a sealed scroll with sealing wax.

The laughter and chatter inside the carriage abruptly ceased. Obito and Asuma instinctively shut their mouths, and even Akimichi Torifu stopped chewing his snacks. All eyes were fixed on the small scroll.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gentle smile remained unchanged. He took the scroll, flicked his fingers, and broke the seal.

He unrolled the scroll.

The carriage was quiet, with only the faint creaking sound of the train moving.

The scroll has only one line of writing, written in a sorrowful and restrained style.

"Lord Mito's life flame has been flickering like a candle in the wind."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression remained unchanged; he was still the same Third Hokage, strategizing and calm as the sea.

But Uchiha Shisui, standing to the side, keenly noticed a detail.

The skin on the knuckles of the Hokage's hand, which was gripping the scroll, turned slightly white for a moment due to excessive force.

Although it was only for a fleeting moment, so fast it seemed like an illusion, the aura that had always been as steady as a mountain and as vast as the sky on his body showed a barely perceptible hint of the heaviness of a "human" being at that moment.

Shisui's heart sank. He didn't know what was written on the scroll, but he understood that something momentous must have happened in the village that would move even the Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly rewound the scroll, his movements steady and showing no sign of anything amiss.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the tense and concerned young faces in the carriage, and smiled gently: "It's nothing, just some small things from the village. Please continue, it's a rare opportunity to ride a train, don't be so reserved."

The train sped along, and as dusk fell, the familiar outline of Konoha Village finally appeared on the horizon.

The train slowly pulled into the newly built Central Station. On the platform, several familiar figures were already waiting quietly.

Leading the group was none other than the acting Hokage, Nara Shikaku. Behind him stood Tsunade, her face grave, and Orochimaru, whose expression remained unchanged, revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped off the carriage, Shikanobu's gaze met his.

No words are needed.

Shikano looked at Hiruzen's eyes, which remained calm but concealed a hint of weariness, and sighed deeply.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group did not linger at the station. They quickly crossed the streets and headed towards the Senju clan's territory deep within the village.

Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of Konoha, within the Uchiha clan's settlement.

Fugaku Uchiha was taking a walk in the yard with his pregnant wife, Mikoto.

"Judging by the dates, Kushina's due date should be in the next few days, right?"

Mikoto stroked her pregnant belly and said with some worry, "Our Sasuke, I hope you don't make plans to go out with her child. Lady Tsunade will be swamped with work."

"Don't worry," Fugaku smiled gently, "the village's medical system is much better now, there won't be any problems."

At the other end of the courtyard, a slender boy sat under a large tree, holding a piece of wood and a carving knife, patiently carving something. Beside him, a little boy with black hair, black eyes, and delicate features looked at him with admiration.

"Brother Feng, is that a crow you carved? That's amazing!" Young Itachi Uchiha asked curiously.

The boy known as Mine was none other than Uchiha Ran, who had undergone a complete transformation. He raised his head and gave Itachi a gentle smile that could melt ice and snow.

"Yes, crows are very intelligent birds."

His ears twitched almost imperceptibly.

His hearing, specially modified by Black Zetsu, picked up every word of the conversation between Fugaku and his wife not far away.

Nine-Tails...giving birth...

Uchiha Mine continued to gently explain the interesting stories about crows to Itachi, but a chilling glint flashed deep within his lowered eyes.

late at night.

All sounds are silent.

Uchiha Mine quietly left his room and took a walk under the cover of night, eventually arriving at a secluded, shadowy corner of the village.

He raised his sleeve, and a tiny spore clone, almost invisible to the naked eye, quietly separated from under his skin, sinking silently into the ground like a weightless speck of dust.

From the dark soil, the spore clone, carrying a chilling will, transmitted an incredibly clear message in a distant direction.

"The Nine-Tails is giving birth; the time has come. Target: Kushina Uzumaki."

The Senju clan's old residence has now been restored to a simple and tranquil state. A faint fragrance of grass and trees permeates the air, yet it cannot conceal the profound sorrow lingering within.

Inside the bedroom, the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, once as majestic as a god, and the eldest princess of the Uzumaki clan, was now lying quietly on the bed.

Her signature long red hair had lost its luster and was spread out on the pillow like a flame about to go out.

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi enter, Mito Uzumaki slowly opened her eyes, which had been slightly closed. Her turbid eyes revealed an incomparably clear and loving gaze.

"You're back, Hiruzen."

Her voice was soft, carrying the weakness of someone nearing the end of their life.

"I'm back, Lady Mito."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat down beside her bed, his voice calm and composed, without a trace of emotion.

Hashirama Senju sat on the other side, unusually not falling into his signature depressed state, but silently and awkwardly tucking the blanket around his wife. When he saw Hiruzen, he simply nodded, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Thank you for your hard work, Third Generation."

Mito Uzumaki's gaze swept over Hiruzen, finally settling on her husband, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes, "Hashirama... has always been proud of you."

Her withered hand emerged from under the covers, and Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately reached out and gently grasped it. That hand, which had once suppressed the Nine-Tails with top-tier sealing techniques and protected Konoha for decades, was now cold and fragile.

"Mito-sama..."

"My time is running out," Mito calmly interrupted him. "The life force of the Uzumaki clan will eventually be exhausted. After I'm gone, the seal within me will be broken... that little guy..."

The "little one" she spoke of was the Nine-Tails, the strongest of the tailed beasts. This seemingly casual title carried the weight of a woman's entire life.