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

Chapter 236 Another Figure on the Reef

The cheerful atmosphere became even more intense because of Akimichi Torifu's unreasonable feeding and his description of the grilled meat, which was comparable to an S-rank ninjutsu introduction.

Uchiha Kagami smiled, enjoying this rare, relaxed moment filled with the warmth of everyday life after the war.

Tsunade clutched her stomach, laughing so hard tears were almost streaming down her face. She thought her teacher was a genius, able to perfectly blend these monsters with such different personalities together.

The joy of victory, the warmth of companions, the aroma of food.

Everything was so beautiful, so beautiful that it almost seemed unreal.

Amidst the laughter and merriment, a figure silently appeared at the entrance to the bridge.

He was a young man wearing a standard Konoha ninja vest, with a handsome yet serious face and bulging veins beside his pure white eyes. He was none other than Hyuga Hiashi, the young heir of the Hyuga clan.

His appearance was completely unnoticed, without any unnecessary movements.

But it was precisely this extreme quiet that instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Tsunade was the first to react, lowering her hand from her stomach, and her cheeks, which had turned red from laughing, quickly returned to normal.

She knew very well that at this time, for a Hyuga clan member in charge of frontline reconnaissance to appear in this way could not possibly be just there to say hello.

"Nizu?"

Tsunade's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "What happened?"

Akimichi Torifu's massive body stopped swaying. He put the remaining half plate of grilled meat aside, his hearty smile vanished, and he transformed into a silent mountain.

Danzo Shimura and Kagami Uchiha turned around almost simultaneously, as if they had practiced it a thousand times.

One second he was enjoying a barbecue with his old friend, the next he had switched back to being Konoha's top core member.

Despite the gazes of four high-ranking Konoha officials, Hiashi Hyuga remained absolutely calm.

He bowed slightly to show his respect, and then, in a calm and even tone, reported a shocking piece of news.

"Reporting to Lady Tsunade, Lord Danzo..."

"On the reef where the Hokage fought his final battle with the enemy, another figure appeared."

He paused for a moment, each word perfectly clear.

"At this moment, we are confronting the Hokage!"

boom!

These words struck everyone's heart like an invisible hammer blow.

Inside the bridge, a moment of silence fell.

The air, which had just been filled with the aroma of barbecue and cheerful laughter, was now cold and heavy.

A standoff?

Confronting the Hokage?

The combination of these two words made everyone present's hearts skip a beat.

That's Hiruzen Sarutobi!

He was the one who single-handedly defeated the combined forces of the Raikage, Mizukage, Kaguya, and the Yuki clan.

After such an earth-shattering battle, there was still someone who dared to appear in front of him, and even in a confrontational posture.

What does this tell us?

This indicates that the newcomer is at least a terrifying being with strength on par with the Hokage.

Enemy reinforcements? The Hidden Clouds and Hidden Mist actually harbor monsters of this caliber?

"What!?"

Tsunade's mind went blank for a moment.

Her immense chakra, belonging to the Senju clan, surged uncontrollably in that instant, and a terrifying wave of energy erupted from her center.

There was only one thought in my mind.

Oops!

Teacher, he just finished such a fierce battle, how much chakra does he have left? How is his physical condition?

As one of the top medical ninjas in the ninja world, she knew better than anyone how much of a burden continuous high-intensity battles would place on a ninja's body and mind.

Can a living ninja fight indefinitely?

the answer is negative.

Does the teacher... still have the strength to deal with a new and formidable enemy?

An uncontrollable surge of anger and worry instantly welled up from the depths of her heart, rushing straight to the top of her head.

"hateful!"

Tsunade's voice was suppressed, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying the fury of a volcano about to erupt.

Those beautiful brown eyes had now become incredibly sharp, burning with golden fury.

"Could it be...from another village?"

Danzo Shimura's voice was so gloomy it could drip water. His body instantly entered battle mode, and the chilling aura emanating from him caused the surrounding air temperature to drop several degrees.

The brain completes intelligence analysis in 0.01 seconds.

Confrontation.

This means that the other party did not launch a sneak attack, but stood openly in front of Hiruzen.

This is not just confidence in one's abilities, but also contempt in one's mindset.

Who else is there in the ninja world?

The Third Kazekage of Sunagakure? Onoki of Iwagakure? Or... some ancient monster they know nothing about has crawled out of its grave?

Regardless of the possibility, it is an extremely dangerous variable for Konoha, which has just won a great victory and is preparing to reap the rewards.

Hiruzen is the leader of Konoha, the helmsman of this giant ship.

There can be absolutely no mistakes!

Uchiha Kagami remained silent.

He simply closed his eyes silently, and when he opened them again, the black magatama was slowly rotating in his blood-red eyes.

Judging from Hiashi Hyuga's unwavering stance, he could tell that although the situation ahead was tense, it shouldn't have reached the worst point yet.

But... better safe than sorry.

Hiruzen gave him and the Uchiha clan a new life; this kindness is heavier than mountains.

Any threat to Hiruzen is a threat to the entire Uchiha clan.

He exchanged a glance with Danzo beside him.

Light and shadow once again achieved a silent understanding.

Several completely different reactions, but they all pointed to the same core—the Hokage must not be allowed to get into trouble!

The atmosphere on the entire bridge was extremely oppressive.

Despite the almost suffocating aura emanating from him, Hiashi Hyuga stood ramrod straight, but the fine beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his inner turmoil.

He clearly sensed that the aura emanating from these four adults far exceeded his capacity to withstand it.

Are these... the pillars that protect the village?

In the midst of this frozen silence, Tsunade was the first to move.

"I'm going to help the teacher!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already transformed into a golden afterimage and vanished from the spot.

boom!!!

The golden figure drew a sharp arc in the air before landing heavily on the sea.

Beneath her feet, incredibly pure chakra coalesced, creating a deep indentation in the azure sea. Immediately afterward, a massive white wave shot skyward.

Without pausing, Tsunade propelled herself forward like an arrow, carving a straight white path through the sea as she hurtled toward the faintly visible reef in the distance.

Her long golden hair danced wildly in the gale, and her expression was one of unprecedented anxiety and determination.

"oh!"

"Kid, keep this safe for me!"

Akimichi Torifu roared and shoved the piece of grilled meat he hadn't had time to eat into the arms of a dumbfounded medical ninja next to him. His huge body suddenly burst out with a speed completely disproportionate to its size, and then jumped into the sea.

Uchiha Kagami nodded to Hyuga Hiashi and commanded in an unquestionable tone, "Hiashi, immediately inform all the captains of this matter!"

"Let them blockade the entire sea area! Not a single fly is allowed to escape!"

"Yes, Lord Kagami!"

Hiashi Hyuga immediately accepted the order.

"blow--"

The next second, Shimura Danzo and Uchiha Kagami also disappeared from the spot.

Their movements were even lighter, leaving only tiny ripples beneath their feet, yet their speed was in no way slower than Tsunade's.

One on the left and one on the right, like two of the sharpest daggers, they followed closely behind the golden figure, cutting through the waves.

Four people.

Four figures.

On the vast sea, distinct yet parallel white waves surged forth, relentlessly rushing towards the unknown distance.