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

One month later, Konoha.

Akimichi BBQ flagship store has never been so bustling.

The shop had been booked out, and the interior was bustling with noise and steam.

The rich aroma of grilled meat seemed to have grown legs, relentlessly penetrating every crevice of Konoha Village, drawing frequent glances from passersby and stirring up their cravings.

Today is the full moon celebration for two newborns in Konoha—Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.

"I already told you! The perfect ratio of fat to lean meat in this piece of pork belly is the only golden cut I meticulously selected from the three-headed Konoha No. 1 pig using my secret Akimichi-style visual observation technique! Don't you dare try to steal it!"

"Hey, Uncle Torifu, you can't say that! Everyone who sees it gets a share! Can't you just... Hey, Asuma, what are you doing!"

The battle raged most fiercely near the oven.

Akimichi Torifu waved his specially made barbecue tongs, which were bigger than a person, protecting the sizzling, golden-brown pork belly on the grill like a precious treasure.

Obito Uchiha leaped and bounded, using all his strength to try and tear a gap in the defense, but was pushed aside by a moderate elbow strike from Asuma Sarutobi.

"How dare you say that? Who was it that secretly slipped the burnt meat into my bowl last time?"

Asma stood firm, his eyes fixed on the piece of meat.

Kakashi, sitting a little further away, had his left arm crossed over his shoulder and his right hand holding a comic book with a cover that resembled Jiraiya and Orochimaru, seemingly engrossed in reading it.

However, his cheeks, which were covered by a mask, were slightly bulging for some reason, and there was a slight gurgling sound in his throat.

"You two, really..."

Nohara Rin walked over with a drink, looking helpless. Just as she was about to offer some advice, the baking tray in front of her was already empty.

Obito and Asuma were both taken aback and turned to look at Kakashi, who had an innocent expression on his face.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Kakashi turned a page in his book, his voice muffled, "I didn't do anything."

On the other side, where everyone's attention was focused, were the two key figures of this banquet.

Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha, two men who could be considered the pride of the ninja world, sat upright with a cradle in front of them, their expressions both extremely serious.

"Fugaku, you just said... that you can judge an infant's sleep quality by observing the speed at which the pupils react to light and the distribution of blood vessels in the whites of the eyes?"

Minato leaned closer with a curious look on his face and asked in a low voice.

Fugaku nodded calmly, his expression as if he were attending an S-class mission briefing concerning the survival of the village.

He lowered his voice and shared his unique parenting tips.

"That's right. Also, there are five reasons why babies cry: hunger, sleepiness, diaper rash, gas, and simply emotional release. By capturing and analyzing the micro-expressions of a baby's facial muscles with the Sharingan, we can accurately determine which reason it is within three seconds and take the best response."

Minato was stunned, feeling as if he had opened the door to a new world.

He looked at his own blond little sun in the cradle, then at the black-haired little dumpling sleeping peacefully in Fugaku's arms, and a strange sense of frustration welled up inside him.

"Well... Kushina said that if Naruto cries, all you have to do is lift him up and spin him around twice..." Minato said somewhat uncertainly.

Upon hearing this, Fugaku's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He looked at Minato with the gaze one would give a primitive man: "Minato, you're a ninja. You must trust science and data. This kind of parenting method that relies purely on luck is far too unscientific."

Minato: "..."

I've failed miserably. I've really failed miserably.

It turns out there are areas I'm not good at too.

The atmosphere at the banquet reached its peak when Akimichi Torifu announced "unlimited supply of premium pork tenderloin".

Cheers rose and fell, and the entire barbecue restaurant was filled with an almost luxurious atmosphere called happiness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held his teacup, watching the vibrant scene unfold before him with a smile.

Jiraiya and Tsunade sat together. Tsunade was talking at length about the potential dangers to mothers who were breastfeeding their newborns, while Jiraiya was taking notes in a small notebook.

Everything was harmonious and peaceful.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up.

The noisy store fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on the Hokage.

Today marks the full moon of two new lives.

Hiruzen's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Looking at them, I wondered, what exactly are we protecting?"

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over every familiar face.

"to this end,"

He raised his teacup, his eyes seemingly burning with fire. "Konoha will use all its strength to protect this peace forever."

"To Konoha!"

"Homage to the Hokage!"

"To Peace!"

Everyone raised their glasses, and the enthusiastic response almost lifted the roof off.

After the banquet ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Fugaku Uchiha, carrying the sleeping Sasuke, walked up to Hiruzen Sarutobi. He didn't speak, but instead bowed deeply and solemnly.

Hiruzen reached out and helped him up, his movements gentle yet firm.

"Fugaku".

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"Raise your head."

Hiruzen looked at him and smiled, "You don't need to be so reserved in front of me. You did a great job regarding the Uchiha clan."

Fugaku's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

Uchiha Ran, the traitor manipulated by Black Zetsu, remains a thorn in the side of the Uchiha clan. Although he was ultimately dealt with by the Uchiha themselves, the shame of being used by outsiders lingered in the hearts of the clan members.

"Lord Hokage, I..."

"You are the captain of the Konoha Police Force, the next head of the Uchiha clan, and Sasuke's father."

Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him, "Protecting you and believing in you is what I, as Hokage, should do."

At that moment, Fugaku's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

He recalled the guilt he felt a few days earlier when he and dozens of his clansmen, who had activated their kaleidoscopes, utterly crushed the traitor.

He looked into the distance and saw his wife, Mikoto, chatting gently with another member of their clan, while their young son, Itachi, stood obediently beside his mother.

This trust is too heavy a burden.

It was so important to him that he felt he had to respond to this expectation, even at the cost of his life.

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

Fugaku lowered his head again, his voice hoarse with a hint of sob, "The Uchiha will always be the sharpest sword in your hand."

"No,"

Hiruzen shook his head. "They are the strongest shield protecting Konoha."

At that moment, Minato Namikaze also came over carrying Naruto.

He overheard their conversation and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with unwavering determination.

"Third Hokage," he said earnestly, "I will definitely train Naruto to become an outstanding ninja, teach him to control the power of the Nine-Tails, and make him a force to protect the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the two responsible young fathers in front of him and nodded with satisfaction.

He took out two small amulets from his bosom, woven from an unknown red silk, with tiny leaf symbols embroidered on them in gold thread, and handed them to the two infants still in swaddling clothes.

"This is made from the tree fiber planted by the First Generation Master, mixed with the Vajra Seal Threads of the Uzumaki Clan. It's a small token of my appreciation as an elder."

He whispered to the two sleeping babies, "Your future will be full of sunshine, but it may also have its storms."

As he said this, his gaze inadvertently passed over everyone's shoulders and looked toward the northwest of the village.

A deep calm shone in his eyes.

……

Late at night, in the deepest part of Konoha Prison.

The light here is always dim, and the air is filled with the cold smell of disinfectant and steel.

In a special single cell, Uchiha Ran sat quietly on the edge of the bed.

He was wearing clean prison clothes, and his black hair was neatly combed.

Those Mangekyou Sharingan eyes, once filled with madness, hatred, and a desire for destruction, have now returned to their normal black color, but they appear somewhat empty, as if all their souls have been drained away.

The light of Kotoamatsukami washed away Black Zetsu's will.

"Squeak—"

The heavy metal door was slowly pushed open.

Several figures walked in.

Uchiha Ran raised his head, and a slight fluctuation appeared in his numb eyes when he saw who it was.