Analyzing the Ninja World Starting from Konoha

Chapter 176 Biological Son and Adopted Son

Hearing Jiraiya-sensei's trust and recommendation of him, Minato felt an indescribable surge of emotion.

"Minato, your strength and character are evident to everyone in the village, but you're still a little short of becoming Hokage."

The Third Hokage turned around, looking intently at Minato. "Next, I will arrange for you and Jiraiya to switch defense zones. You will represent Konoha and go to the Iwagakure front lines to negotiate with Iwagakure regarding the prisoners of war, specifically the Four-Tails Jinchuriki."

This was an extremely important political and diplomatic mission, one that the three generations had carefully considered on their way back to the village.

He had to make Minato's resume even more splendid and impeccable before the Fourth Shinobi World War ended completely, paving the final way for him to smoothly succeed as the Fourth Hokage.

This is tremendous political capital!

If Minato can secure enough benefits for Konoha in this negotiation, his prestige will reach its peak, and no one will be able to question his qualifications to succeed as Hokage.

Minato immediately knelt on one knee, his voice firm: "Yes! Hokage-sama! I will do my utmost and will never let you and Jiraiya-sensei down!"

The next morning, an ANBU ninja appeared at the gate of Aoba's courtyard to convey the Hokage's summons.

Aoba changed into a clean ninja uniform, carried his signature tan gourd, and walked slowly toward the Hokage's office building.

Along the way, many villagers and ninjas greeted him with respect in their eyes.

"Good morning, Lord Aoba!"

"Yamashiro Jonin, you're so good!"

Aoba smiled and responded to each question, but inwardly she was filled with emotion.

As expected, once you become famous, you'll be surrounded by kind people.

After the battle at Kikyo Mountain, his popularity in Konoha exploded, and he received this kind of treatment wherever he went.

They even receive small desserts and gifts from time to time.

As for why he knew Aoba, it was of course because of the iconic sand gourd behind him.

The idea of ​​"wearing fine clothes in the dark" doesn't apply to him. He should take advantage of this opportunity to make his presence felt, otherwise how will he rise to the top later?

This is why the Third Hokage was so popular with the villagers of Konoha, and why he still had so many supporters even after his comeback.

Enter the Hokage Building.

Pushing open the door to the Hokage's office, a familiar smell of tobacco wafted into my nostrils.

The third generation stood by the window, smoking.

"Lord Hokage, you wanted to see me?"

Aoba walked closer to the Third Hokage and bowed respectfully.

"You're here, Aoba."

Upon hearing the sound, the Third Generation immediately put down his pipe, turned to look at Aoba, and revealed a kind smile on his face. The smile was gentle and sincere, like an elder looking at his successful junior.

"You did a great job this time. Your growth rate has far exceeded my expectations."

The Third Hokage took a deep drag of his cigarette, slowly exhaled, and spoke with a touch of emotion.

From his performance in the Battle of Kikyo Mountain to his medical treatment of Konoha ninjas, from boosting morale on the front lines to the profound impact of defeating the Fourth Kazekage on the overall battle, the Third Hokage reviewed almost all of Aoba's achievements during this period, giving each one extremely high praise.

The Third Hokage's words were full of affirmation and praise. If it were an ordinary young ninja, they would probably be so excited that they would lose their bearings.

But Aoba simply smiled gently, his expression calm and humble.

The third generation looked the young man up and down, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"You flatter me, Hokage. This is all I should do as a Konoha ninja."

Aoba bowed slightly and said sincerely, "Konoha is my home, the place that raised me. Protecting this home and everyone here is my duty."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity.

He took a puff of his pipe, slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke, then sighed, his tone becoming somewhat heavy.

"Aoba, I bear an unshirkable responsibility for this invasion by Sunagakure."

The Third Hokage's voice was low and introspective: "It was my misjudgment of Sunagakure's strategic intentions that led to such great losses for the Land of Fire. I am sorry for the ninjas who sacrificed their lives and the innocent villagers."

Regardless of whether the three generations' feelings were genuine or heartfelt, he is now the leader.

So Aoba didn't respond, but just listened quietly.

He knew very well that after the third generation finished expressing these sentiments, they would inevitably get to the main topic.

really.

The third generation placed the pipe on the table, and the light from it became deeper.

"Although the main force of Sunagakure has retreated, the defense line of the Land of Rivers remains crucial. Those Sunagakure people are always cunning, so we cannot afford to be careless. We must deploy a strong force there to ensure that Sunagakure dares not make any further moves."

The Third Hokage looked at Aoba and asked solemnly, "Aoba, I intend to send you to the border of the Land of Rivers to take overall command of the Sunagakure front. Are you willing?"

Aoba had already anticipated this.

From the moment the third generation told him to stay in the village to "rest," he had already guessed where he would go next.

Is this position important? Yes, it is important, but it's not particularly important either.

Not to mention that Rasa was seriously injured by him, Sunagakure itself also suffered heavy losses, with more than half of its elite troops and most of its lower-ranking ninjas dying. It can be said that almost the entire Sunagakure was crippled.

They might be able to defend themselves, but they'd be in serious trouble if they were to start another war.

Going there would mean being a mascot, serving as a deterrent.

The fact that he was the commander-in-chief who took full control of a battlefront also signified his formal entry into the upper echelons of Konoha.

Therefore, this position is still very important.

But going there also meant being far away from the power center of Konoha.

The Third Hokage's intention was clear: to acknowledge his abilities and temporarily remove him from the spotlight of Konoha, thus clearing the way for Minato to succeed as Hokage.

However, this "sweetness" is still very appealing, and Aoba doesn't intend to compete with Minato for the Fourth Hokage.

So he accepted!

Aoba's expression turned serious, and without the slightest hesitation, he answered loudly, "I am willing! Thank you for your trust and high regard, Hokage. I will do my utmost to defend the Land of Fire and never allow Sunagakure to set foot in the Land of Fire again!"

"Good! I'm relieved to hear that."

"6

The third generation nodded in satisfaction, a complex emotion flashing in their eyes.

After the business was over, the atmosphere in the office became much more relaxed.

The two then chatted casually about some everyday matters in the village.

The Third Hokage picked up his pipe again, took a puff, and casually remarked, "By the way, Aoba, I heard you've been practicing Water Release techniques lately?"

Upon hearing this, Qingye did not show any surprise.

He never deliberately concealed his water-style training in the Naga River. The Anbu would definitely have reported it, so it would be normal for the Third Hokage to know; it would be abnormal if he didn't.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Aoba nodded frankly, "After the battle at Kikyo Mountain, I realized that my ninjutsu system still has a lot of shortcomings, so I want to try to master water release to make up for my deficiencies."

"Excellent, you haven't let the honor go to your head. Very good!"

The Third Hokage smiled approvingly. "But mastering Water Release techniques isn't something that can be accomplished overnight."

As he spoke, the third generation turned and walked to the bookshelf behind the desk, taking out an old scroll from a locked compartment.

He walked back with the scroll and solemnly handed it to Aoba.

"This is my teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's notes on Water Release training. It contains not only his unique insights into the nature transformation of Water Release, but also some advanced Water Release techniques."

"Take a look at this; hopefully it will be helpful to your spiritual practice."

I go!

Aoba was immediately shocked, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

Tobirama Senju's Water Release Notes!

This was a godsend for Aoba, who was practicing Water Release techniques.

Aoba accepted the scroll with both hands, a hint of shock and gratitude flashing in his eyes at just the right moment: "This—this is such a precious thing, Hokage-sama, I—"

"Take it; this is so you can better protect the village."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama! I will definitely train hard!"

Aoba carefully put away the scroll and bowed deeply.

The third generation waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for such formalities.

As he walked out of the Hokage's office building, Aoba looked up at the azure sky and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He could sense that the Third Generation's attitude towards him was not just feigned politeness, but that they genuinely considered him "one of their own."

This trust and courtship was not only due to the terrifying strength he displayed on Mount Kikyo, but also because of his consistent obedience and agreement with the Will of Fire.

Therefore, all three generations have always treated him as one of their own, and have been willing to give him anything.

But Aoba knew better than anyone else.

No matter how much the Third Hokage admired him or considered him one of his own, he would never have pushed him to become the Fourth Hokage, or even the Fifth Hokage!

The reason is simple: this is the difference between a "biological son" and an "adopted son".

Minato was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was the third Hokage's student. This was a direct line of Hokage, making him a grandson-level figure.

As for Yamashiro Aoba, although he was adopted by Yuhi Shinku and deeply trusted by the three generations, he was ultimately just an "outsider".

Have you ever seen a business tycoon who has worked hard for most of his life to build a business empire, but instead of passing it on to his excellent biological son, he insists on handing the company over to a very capable adopted son who is not related to him by blood?

Do you really think this is one of those melodramatic female-oriented novels?

If you don't love your own sons and daughters, you'll end up fawning over your adopted sons and daughters.

Real-world political maneuvering is always cold and blood-and-blood.

Of course, this is assuming there is a choice; if there is no choice—

Aoba said he's still very young!

Soon, that afternoon, the secret service delivered the official transfer order.

Yamashiro Aoba will soon head to the border of the Land of Rivers to take full command of the frontline operations against Sunagakure.

At the same time, Minato Namikaze also received orders. He would represent Konoha and go to the front lines in the Land of Grass and Iwagakure to handle the prisoner-of-war negotiations regarding Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki.

That evening, to bid farewell to the two who were about to go to different front lines, Aoba once again came to the Minato family for a meal.

Kushina personally cooked a table full of dishes.

Minato, Kushina, Aoba, and Kakashi sat together and enjoyed a lively meal.

During the meal, everyone chatted about many things, from the situation at the front lines to interesting stories in the village, from the insights into ninjutsu to discussions on sealing techniques, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After drinking two cups of sake, Kushina blushed and slammed her hand on the table, telling Aoba that once he arrived in the Land of Rivers, he must beat those Sunagakure guys to a pulp.

Minato smiled helplessly as he served Kushina food and advised her to drink less.

Kakashi and Rin didn't talk much, but they listened quietly the whole time, occasionally chiming in with a word or two.

On the contrary, Obito, who is usually quite loud and boisterous, was rather quiet and reserved today.

Rin whispered to Aoba that Obito's condition had been going on for several days.

Aoba nodded thoughtfully.

After a satisfying meal, Aoba took his leave.

Walking on the quiet streets of Konoha, the evening breeze rustled the leaves.

Aoba walked slowly with her hands in her pockets.

Suddenly, he stopped and sighed helplessly.

"Come out, Obito. I've been following you all this way. I'm tired for you even if you're not."

A head wearing goggles peeked out from a dark alleyway next to the street.

Obito Uchiha scratched the back of his head and walked out awkwardly, his face full of embarrassment at being exposed.

"Um—Aoba, you...you noticed me a long time ago—"

Aoba turned around and looked at him irritably: "Your tracking skills are worse than those of a ninja academy student. You broke three tree branches and kicked over a trash can. Are you afraid I won't find you?"

"Ha—haha, is that so—"

"Tell me, why aren't you home sleeping? What are you doing secretly following me?"

Obito lowered his head, his index fingers tapping against each other in front of his chest, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

After hesitating for a while, he finally lowered his voice and stammered, "Um—Aoba, I wanted to ask you something—"

How can I awaken the Sharingan?

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