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

Chapter 494 The Arrival of the Shadow

The morning after the war ended.

The air above the makeshift camp was not filled with the joy of victory, but with an overwhelming, complex stench of blood, scorched earth, and herbs.

The sky was overcast, like a dirty cloth soaked in rain, hanging oppressively over everyone's heads.

Exhaustion, like the heaviest curse, is branded on the face of every survivor.

Minato Namikaze hadn't slept all night. His golden hair was damp from the morning air and clung to his forehead. His blue eyes were bloodshot, yet still clear.

He was directing the ninjas to collect their comrade's body, his movements mechanical and numb.

Every person carried onto the stretcher was once a vibrant, laughing, and playful companion.

Now, they are just cold names that need to be taken home.

Not far away, Obito Uchiha silently carried a stretcher, his steps faltering.

The boy who was always so loud and boisterous, always talking about Hokage, was now so quiet it was heartbreaking. His goggles were covered in mud, obscuring his eyes and all his emotions.

He simply kept his head down, walking step by step with unusual heaviness.

War, in the most direct and cruel way, made him grow up overnight.

Kakashi Hatake leaned against a severed tree trunk, repeatedly wiping his blood-stained dagger.

The blade was already very clean, but he kept wiping it, as if this monotonous and repetitive action could help him isolate himself from all the sadness and chaos around him.

The carefree banter and playful fighting that belonged to their Class 7 seemed like a long, long time ago.

The atmosphere in the camp was so oppressive it felt almost solid.

Just then, a ninja dressed in a standard ANBU uniform appeared like a ghost at the edge of the camp.

He was spotless, his cleanliness and austere presence so out of place with his surroundings that everyone who saw him instinctively tensed up.

He darted across the muddy ground and knelt on one knee in front of Minato Namikaze, his head bowed low.

"Captain Minato, the Third Hokage has arrived at the front lines."

In short, without any unnecessary embellishment, it was like a boulder that instantly stirred up a silent tidal wave throughout the entire camp.

Minato suddenly looked up, his bloodshot eyes flashing with disbelief.

Obito stopped and turned around stiffly.

Kakashi stopped wiping his short sword.

The Konoha ninjas who had been sitting or lying down, looking dejected, seemed to be injected with an invisible force, and they all stood up straight and looked towards the entrance of the camp.

The Third Hokage...

The name itself represents order, strength, and hope.

Before he finished speaking, an invisible yet powerful aura had already enveloped the entire camp.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked into the ruins.

He was still wearing the spotless Hokage robes that were only seen at celebrations or meetings, white with red trim, which stood out unrealistically against the gray and muddy battlefield.

Behind him followed several masked members of the Dark Guard, each exuding a deep and imposing aura, appearing as if they were shadows.

His steps were not fast, but each step seemed to tread on the hearts of everyone, instantly freezing and dissolving all the noise, sorrow and chaos before him.

The muddy ground seemed to recede from his feet, and the divine robe that symbolized the highest power in the Land of Fire remained unstained from beginning to end.

He was like a deity walking among humans, bringing civilization and order back to this barbaric, scorched land.

Minato felt a lump in his throat. The immense pressure of single-handedly supporting the entire army and facing countless sacrifices and choices was suddenly lifted the moment he saw the Hokage.

He almost couldn't help but want to rush up like a child and tell him how tired and scared he was.

But in the end, he held back, only lowering his head deeply, using all his strength to make his voice sound less trembling.

"Lord Hokage..."

"Thank you for your hard work, Minato."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept across the entire camp. In his deep eyes, there was no joy of victory, only a quiet sorrow.

Instead of going to the command post first,

They headed towards the makeshift, chaotic, and busiest medical point.

He stood at the entrance of the tent, looking at the medical ninjas inside, covered in blood and doing their best to treat the wounded, and at the brown-haired girl who was gritting her teeth as she stitched up a seriously injured Cloud Village ninja.

It's Nohara Rin.

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment. He didn't go in to disturb them, but simply nodded slightly at the busy figure inside the tent.

Lin, who was concentrating on casting the spell, seemed to sense something and subconsciously turned around to look.

She saw it.

I saw the Hokage.

She saw that man, who was like a pillar of strength, cast a gentle, approving glance at her.

An indescribable surge of heat instantly coursed through my limbs and bones.

All the exhaustion, fear, and resentment vanished in that moment. She lowered her head again, and the chakra scalpel in her hand became even more steady and powerful.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked step by step, among those young faces.

Then, they arrived at the place where the bodies of the fallen ninjas were temporarily piled up.

Beneath the white cloth were the silhouettes of young people.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there quietly, remaining silent for a long time.

The wind blew the hem of his divine robes, making them flutter.

At that moment, sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, and a ray of golden light fell precisely on him, casting a long, long shadow that covered the cold body in front of him.

All the Konoha ninja in the camp spontaneously stopped what they were doing, and followed his example, silently bowing their heads to mourn their fallen comrade.

Something called order and belief was re-formed with the arrival of this man.

There were no impassioned speeches or tear-jerking eulogies.

But this silence is more powerful than any words.

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and walked towards the command camp of Kumogakure.

There, the Fourth Raikage, Ai, stood at the tent entrance, his face a complex expression. His bloodshot eyes held a mixture of hatred, resentment, and a sense of awe that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward and stood in front of him.

The two village leaders stared at each other amidst the post-war ruins.

Everyone held their breath.

However, when Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his mouth, his first words were neither about the war nor about reparations.

He looked at the young Raikage before him, whose muscles were tense with anger and sorrow, and spoke calmly.

"Your father was a powerful and respectable warrior."