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

Chiyo's hand froze at the edge of the scroll.

Everyone in the conference room held their breath.

That face, devoid of life by death, was as pale as bones dried in the desert of the Land of Wind.

The Third Kazekage, Retsumon, lay there quietly, the black hole in his chest looking as if something had hollowed it out from the inside.

"elder sister……"

Ebizo's voice trembled.

Chiyo didn't reply. She stared at the corpse, her fingers tightening inch by inch, her nails digging into her palms.

The letter was pressed down next to the scroll.

She picked it up, glanced at the few lines of text, and felt a lump in her throat.

"Kazekage Retsumon, who colluded with a cult and attempted to overthrow the peace of the ninja world, has been killed by me. The monstrous entity 'Black Zetsu' within him has also been eliminated. As for the affairs of Sunagakure, I hope you will act accordingly. Also, the rogue ninja Sasori of the Red Sand has been dealt with."

The meeting room exploded.

"What...what does this mean?"

"Has the Kazekage been controlled?"

"Sasori of the Red Sand...isn't that Lady Chiyo's grandson?"

Chiyo slammed the letter on the table, her voice as cold as a knife: "Shut up."

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

She scanned everyone present, and they all lowered their heads, avoiding her gaze. Chiyo took a deep breath, resealed the scroll, and pushed it in front of Ebizo.

"Lord Liemen... is being controlled by that thing called Black Zetsu."

Her voice was slow, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth, "Konoha has returned the body; this is their act of kindness."

bona fide.

Chiyo herself felt ironic when she uttered those two words.

The Sand Village sent people to invade Konoha, resulting in the death of the Kazekage. Instead of taking advantage of the situation, Konoha returned the body intact and told them the truth in a letter.

What is this?

Is it an insult?

Or is it really... well-intentioned?

Ebizo took the letter, and after reading it, his face turned deathly pale.

"Black Zetsu... a cult..."

He muttered to himself, his mind racing through the various unusual things Feng Ying had done recently.

Those strange commands.

Those decisions that defy common sense.

Those...the sense of unease that they had vaguely sensed was not right, but couldn't quite put their finger on.

It turns out that from the very beginning, their Wind Shadow was no longer their Wind Shadow.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi..."

Chiyo whispered the name.

She wasn't angry.

It is fear.

"elder sister……"

Ebizo's voice pulled her back to reality.

"What do we do now?"

Chiyo remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

"Block the news."

Her voice was hoarse, like a rusted blade, "What happened today must not be uttered outside this room. Announce to the outside world that Lord Kazekage tragically died while on a secret mission."

"That new Wind Shadow..."

"We must elect one as soon as possible."

Chiyo raised her head and scanned everyone in the conference room.

"I recommend... Rosa."

Another commotion erupted in the conference room.

Luo Sha is still very young. Although he is quite capable, he is far from having enough seniority and prestige.

But Chiyo didn't give them a chance to object.

"It's settled then."

She stood up, looking at Feng Ying's corpse on the table with a complicated expression.

"Go and fetch Luo Sha."

---

Half an hour later, Luo Sha walked into the conference room.

He was on patrol outside the village today when he was suddenly recalled, and he doesn't know what happened.

"Elder Chiyo, you wanted to see me..."

He was speaking when he saw the corpse on the table, and his voice caught in his throat.

"Kazekage-sama?!"

Chiyo didn't say anything, but simply handed him the letter.

Luo Sha took the letter, quickly scanned its contents, and his face gradually turned pale.

Black Zetsu.

Cult.

Leaf.

These thoughts tangled in his mind like a jumble of threads, making it hard for him to breathe.

"I……"

He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Chiyo walked up to him and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Rasa, Sunagakure needs a new Kazekage."

Luo Sha was startled.

"Elder, am I... am I qualified...?"

"No one is qualified."

Chiyo interrupted him, her voice resolute, "But right now, the village can't be without a Kage. You are the inheritor of the Magnet Release bloodline, you're strong enough, and..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "You're still young, you have plenty of time to grow."

Luo Sha clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.

He thought of the children in the village.

I think of those orphans who lost their parents in the war.

Thinking about the hardships that Sunagakure has faced over the years.

And... that letter from Konoha.

"I see."

Luo Sha took a deep breath and raised his head.

"If the village needs me, I am willing to take on this heavy responsibility."

Chiyo nodded, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes.

"very good."

She turned to face all the high-ranking members of Sunagakure, her voice resounding throughout the conference room.

"From this day forward, Rasa will be the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure."

---

Konoha Village, Hospital.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed open the door to the ward and saw Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki gathered around the crib, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.

"teacher."

Minato saw him and immediately stood up.

"Don't be shy, I just came to see Naruto."

Hiruzen walked to the crib and looked at the tiny life inside the swaddling clothes.

Golden hair, eyes closed, small hands clenched into fists, breathing even and steady.

"Very healthy."

Tsunade walked over from the side, her tone unusually gentle, "Kushina has also recovered well, and the Nine-Tails' seal is very stable."

Hiruzen nodded and gently touched Naruto's small hand.

The little hand instinctively grasped his fingers.

"He's quite strong."

Kushina laughed and said, "It must be from me."

"And what about their personality?"

"Of course, just like me!"

Hiruzen watched the young couple interact, a smile playing on his lips.

"Lord Hokage?"

Minato noticed his gaze. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing."

Hiruzen loosened his grip on Naruto's fingers, turned and walked towards the door. "Get some rest. I'll come see you all again in a few days."

He pushed open the door and ran into Fugaku Uchiha, who was holding another baby, in the hallway.

"Lord Hokage."

Fugaku Uchiha nodded in acknowledgment, the baby in his arms looking around with its big black eyes wide open.

"This is Sasuke?"

"Yes."

Fugaku's face was filled with undisguised pride. "He was already this clever right after he was born."

Hiruzen looked into those black eyes and then thought of the blond little guy in the hospital room.

Naruto and Sasuke.

He silently repeated the two names in his heart.

In the original history, these two children bore too much tragedy and suffering.

but now……

"Protect him well."

Hiruzen patted Fugaku on the shoulder. "These two children are the future of Konoha."

Fugaku paused for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

"I will."

Hiruzen walked out of the hospital, stood at the door, and looked up at the sky.

As the sun sets, the evening glow paints half the sky red.

The village was filled with the laughter of children after school, and wisps of smoke rose from every house. Pedestrians on the street wore relaxed smiles on their faces.

This is what peace looks like.

Hiruzen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Starting today..."

He muttered to himself, opened his eyes, and looked into the distance.

"This will be the beginning of a new era."