Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

"And what about me? Where should I live?" Sakura asked.

"You?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sakura out of the corner of his eye as he asked, "Are you a Konoha ninja, or a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Sakura puffed out her chest proudly and declared, "Of course I'm a Konoha ninja!"

"Oh, a foreign ninja. Go register first. After you register, my secretary will arrange temporary accommodation for you!"

Whoosh! Lin Yu leaped down from the mountaintop.

"Hey, you just said register, but who am I supposed to register with... Seriously!" Sakura stomped her feet in frustration.

Naruto then said, "Sakura, go to the 'Nadeshiko Mansion' in the southwest and find an older sister named Nadeshiko Saori. She is Uncle Anying's secretary."

Sakura asked, "Naruto, what are the characteristics of the person you're talking about?"

Naruto stroked his chin and thought for a moment: "Hmm... her breasts are the same size as Granny Tsunade's!"

"What did you say... O-boobs, just like Master's?" Sakura looked at her chest, veins bulging on her forehead, and clenched her fists. "Naruto, you're deliberately trying to annoy me, aren't you??"

Naruto said, "Huh? Did I say something wrong? Didn't you ask about features?"

"Ahhh (idiot)!!" Sakura kicked Naruto down.

"Naruto-kun, that's so...so much...!" Hinata exclaimed, then glared angrily at Sakura before following her downstairs.

Minato, watching this scene from the side, looked somewhat helpless: Sakura, in terms of fiery temper alone, is really comparable to Kushina. However, she is quite different from Kushina in many ways. As for being considerate, I think Hinata is more suitable...

A few minutes later.

Lin Yu led the Shui Men family of three to a large courtyard.

"Uncle Shadow, who are you taking us to see?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Lin Yu smiled and pushed open the door.

The Hashirama couple and Tobirama, who were sitting in the bamboo garden, enjoying tea and admiring the scenery, looked over.

Naruto exclaimed, "Hey, those two old men on the Hokage Rock!"

Minato was stunned: "The First Hokage, the Second Hokage?"

Hashirama said warmly, "Oh! Isn't this the Fourth Hokage? You look like you've recovered quite well!"

Minato looked at Lin Yu in disbelief: "I said, when did you... bring these two..."

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? By the way, these three played a crucial role in saving you and reviving Kushina..."

"I can't believe I only found out now! How incredibly rude of me!"

As Minato spoke, he quickly stepped forward, bowed to the three, and said, "This junior, Namikaze Minato, pays his respects to the predecessors!"

Hashirama quipped, "We're all Hokage, no need to be so formal. But back then, you almost became Edo Tensei Minato just like us..."

"Kushina, judging from your appearance, you must have recently given birth..." At this moment, Mito stepped forward.

"Red hair just like Mom and Sister!" Naruto, pushing the wheelchair from behind, looked at Mito in surprise.

Kushina had seen the woman before. When she was first resurrected from the ice coffin, the woman was also in front of her. Although she looked to be about the same age as Kushina, the care she received from an elder made Kushina feel familiar and reminded her of someone.

Kushina asked, "Excuse me, are you a descendant of Grandma Mito?"

Mito was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing: "You silly child, you don't recognize me now that I've become younger? I'm your Grandma Mito!"

"N-Nani!?" Kushina was so startled she almost fell off her wheelchair. She looked up, staring intently at the woman before her. "You, you really are Grandma Mito?"

Mito looked at Kushina with gentle eyes: "Otherwise what?"

Kushina rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Mito's waist. Her long, fiery red hair spread out on the ground, and she cried with tears in her eyes, "Waaaa! It really is you! I'm so glad to see you again! And you really are as legendary as they say, the most beautiful woman in Uzushiogakure!"

Mito lowered her head and said gently, "So many years have passed, but your verbal tic hasn't changed, and neither has your impulsive nature... You must have suffered a lot in the village, but it's all in the past now that you're here!"

Having learned the full story of what happened to the Minato family, Hashirama and the others frowned deeply!

"What? Because you were taking care of your wife who was about to give birth, the village was attacked? And then, you were ruined?"

"Yes, I'm so ashamed..."

Boom! !

Hashirama slammed his large hand, cracking the stone table. Minato shuddered in fright, about to be reprimanded.

But Hashirama said righteously, "Isn't that just natural? Everyone has their own family first, then they have the right and the heart to embrace others and treat them as their own family! The Hokage is no exception!!"

"If one disregards the lives of their own family members and unconditionally fights for the village, it's nothing but a hypocritical castle in the air, contrary to human ethics, and utterly untenable!!"

"Furthermore, the village is a community built by many ninjas, not just the Hokage's village. The safety of the village is shared by many ninjas. To push all the blame onto the Hokage when something goes wrong is utterly absurd! I had no idea that the village I built had such distorted values! It's absolutely ridiculous!!!"

Tobirama thought to himself: That gentle older brother of mine actually got so angry...

"Brother, have some tea and calm down..." Tobirama said, looking at Minato, whose expression had changed because of Hashirama's words: "Fourth Hokage, who has taken over the Hokage position in the village now?"

Minato respectfully replied, "I am your disciple, Kakashi Hatake."

Tobirama raised an eyebrow: "The Hatake clan, huh? That prestigious clan that's quite knowledgeable in swordsmanship and soul techniques, and has a mind that's no less impressive than the Nara clan's? Because they're so formidable, they became a primary target for enemy villages during the war, and almost no one survived... I remember there was a child among the survivors named Sakumo, wasn't he?"

Minato said, "It's rare that you remember. Sakumo later became known as the White Fang of Konoha, and Kakashi was Sakumo's only son!"

"I see, White Fang? That's quite a reputation. What happened to him later?"

Minato's voice lowered by three digits: "He committed suicide. He abandoned the mission to protect his comrades and was scorned, so..."

“It’s like this again…” Tobirama clenched his shoulders involuntarily: “Missions are the embodiment of a ninja’s instrumental role. Mission completion rate is a hard target set so that ninjas can gain public recognition after the war. It’s for survival… It’s something we have to do when it comes to external affairs!”

"Internally, we advocated for maintaining humanity and tolerance, but unexpectedly, in the end, not only the general public, but even the ninjas themselves completely regarded themselves as tools..."

The tragedy of White Fang is a typical example of the contradiction between the humanity and the instrumentality of a ninja!

Ultimately, what killed White Fang was the era when ninjas had low social status!

In order to receive funding, ninjas must complete missions with all their might.

—'The mission is above life, the mission is above everything!'

This was originally a slogan that ninjas shouted to the people in order to survive, but over time, even the ninjas themselves were brainwashed!

The companions saved by White Fang turned around and cursed him. Under the condemnation of everyone, White Fang became disheartened and took his own life, which also caused Kakashi to have a tragic childhood and adolescence.

It was a tragedy created by the times!

Minato was deeply moved and tears welled up in his eyes without him even realizing it.

"Hey, Fourth Hokage, why are you crying?" Tobirama asked in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I... I'm so happy. I never expected to receive your understanding and forgiveness, waaaaah..." Minato covered his face and wiped away tears.

"Look how wronged the child is, he must have been holding it in for a long time. Cry it out, it will make you feel better..." Mito kindly handed over a handkerchief.

"Waaaaah... Thank you." Minato burst into tears.

Caught up in the emotions, Kushina started crying, and then... Naruto started crying too.

It's clear how much this family of three endured and tolerated during their year in Konoha.

The continuous crying at this moment represents the ultimate release of inner repression!

Nothing is a greater salvation than understanding!

Afterwards, Lin Yu asked Tobirama, "Second Hokage, don't you plan to get involved in the current conflicts in Konoha?"

Tobirama coldly replied, "Hmph, intervene what? To put it bluntly, the village's current problems are the very bad habits we older generation have spoiled them with! Expecting us dead to step in and solve them will only hasten the situation into a dead end! Konoha no longer needs more tragic heroes to be written into textbooks! What it needs are reformers who dare to tie themselves to the pillar of shame first and go against the wind!"

"And perhaps... it's long overdue for change! The era when ninjas existed as tools should have ended long ago! Shadow, I now have an unprecedented expectation that the ninja nation you establish can fundamentally change the status of ninjas' existence!!"

Late at night, in Konoha, the Supreme Conference!

"Kakashi, what urgent matter is it that you've summoned us Jonin so late?"

"Is it about discussing Minato? There's no need for that. It'll be better if that kind of person leaves!"

"No, the matter of the fourth generation is in the past and has been settled. From now on, it will no longer be discussed openly. What I want to discuss with everyone here is something else..."

The entire room fell silent.

After surveying the crowd, Kakashi announced loudly, "I will lead Konoha Village to break away from the Land of Fire's organization and join the Dark Ninja Kingdom!"

Wow!

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

Bang!

Sarutobi Asuma slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Kakashi, do you know what you're saying?!"

Chapter 401: Exhausting the People's Hearts with Warfare!

"Kakashi, do you know what you're saying?!" Asuma's loud roar echoed through the hall.

Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Third Hokage, an elite Jonin of Konoha, and one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire!

His impressive resume gave him the second-highest influence in Konoha after the Hokage and advisors, and he also had a large number of trusted confidants!

Asuma said, "The Hidden Leaf Village, founded by the First Hokage, established a cooperative relationship with the Land of Fire, resulting in a one-country-one-village system, which is an unprecedented feat! How many people have shed blood and sacrificed their lives to continue the Will of Fire, including my father, mother, and brother! How can you, as the Hokage, utter such heretical words!"

Kakashi said, "Asuma, the Third Hokage's achievements are beyond question, but the current situation is different from that of the First Hokage!"

Asuma coldly said, "The traditions passed down from our ancestors must never be changed! Otherwise, we will become like Shadow Uchiha Yu, a sinner who has strayed from the path and forgotten the duties of a ninja!"

At this moment, Konoha's strategist, Nara Shikaku, spoke up: "Everyone, calm down. I have a question for you: If one day the Land of Fire abandons all its aid to Konoha, how will we survive?"

Upon hearing Shikaku speak, many people present changed color, because Shikaku's stance alone could almost represent the stance of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio!

No wonder Kakashi was so tough; he already had a strong case!

Asuma composed himself and said, "Shikaku, what makes you say that?"

Shikaku said, "When Konoha was destroyed, the Land of Fire refused to provide us with assistance. Wasn't that a signal? As it turns out, it wasn't impossible..."

Asuma's eyes were bloodshot: "That was due to the Fourth Hokage's inaction, which caused Konoha to be implicated. If he had been like my father, how could things have turned out like that!"

As one might expect, when the Fourth Hokage's mistakes were brought up again, the meeting became a dead end... and ultimately ended in discord!

Kakashi stood on the Hokage Rock, gazing at the dark, cloud-covered night sky: "As expected, it's even more difficult than I imagined."

Lu Jiu said, "At least you have stated your position. It will gradually become clear who will stand by your side, who will stand against you, and who you can win over..."

Kakashi said with mixed feelings, "Asuma is my classmate and my best friend. If possible, I really don't want it to come to that..."