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

Chapter 265 The ultimate trouble

A child carrying a ball accidentally bumped into the leg of an Uchiha clansman and fell on his bottom.

The child's mother was startled and quickly ran over to apologize.

The young Uchiha member wasn't angry. He bent down, helped the child up, and even brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Are you alright, little one? Don't run so fast on the street next time."

Although his voice still carried the coolness characteristic of Uchiha, his movements were very gentle.

The Eighth Hokage of Uchiha watched this scene from the side, a satisfied look on his face.

An older woman passing by smiled and said to him, "Minister Yashiro, you've all worked so hard. With you here, we can prepare for the festival with such peace of mind!"

"This is the duty of the Konoha Police Force."

Uchiha Hachimoku straightened his chest, and although his answer was formal and measured, anyone could see the joy in his heart beneath his composure.

Nara Shikano watched from upstairs, a smile involuntarily curving his lips.

These Uchiha... are becoming more and more respectable.

His gaze swept past the crowd and landed on the rooftops in the distance.

Several Hyuga clan ninjas stood there, their white eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. Instead of monitoring the village's privacy as they usually did, they were conducting aerial surveillance and using their Byakugan's exceptional perception to observe the density of people in the festival area.

One of them gestured to his partner on the ground who was in charge of crowd control: "The crowd at intersection number three is too large. Guide some people to intersection number five."

They are like the tireless eyes of the village, silently guarding its prosperity and order.

"Really... they're all so capable."

As Nara leaned against the window frame, the heavy weight in his heart felt a little lighter.

Regardless of what trouble the ghost called "Uchiha Madara" might bring, I need to do everything in my power to maintain the current situation.

This village is getting better and better at an unprecedented speed.

Nara Deer Antlers let out an untimely growl from its belly.

He then realized that he had eaten almost nothing since noon, except for drinking water.

When he thought about food, he remembered that outrageous menu and the Akimichi family, those guys who loved to eat.

Looking in the direction the aroma was coming from, sure enough, the entrance to the Akimichi BBQ flagship store was already packed with people.

A fat man was standing on a ladder at the shop entrance, personally hanging up a huge banner: "Celebrating the heroes' triumphant return! All barbecue meats are half price!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

"The boss is so generous!"

"Hahaha, that's exactly what we've been waiting for! We're not leaving until we've bankrupted you tonight!"

A member of the Akimichi tribe, hands on his hips, let out a loud laugh: "Come on! Let me tell you, the pork for this victory feast is from Sakumo's specially raised No. 1 pig on his farm! You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you miss it!"

Hearing the cheerful laughter below, Nara Shikano felt even hungrier.

He sighed, turned around, and prepared to leave the office to go home and sleep.

As he reached the door, he stopped in his tracks. He glanced back at the thriving scene outside the window.

In the end, he changed his mind and headed in another direction from the village.

……

Ninja Academy.

Although school had already ended, the campus was still brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Many children, led by their teachers, voluntarily stayed behind to prepare for the subsequent welcoming ceremony.

On the playground, children gathered in small groups, some cutting out wreaths from colored paper, others drawing welcome flags with paintbrushes.

The content on the flags is incredibly varied.

"Welcome home, Naruto!"

"Konoha's strongest!"

Another child drew a giant, snarling ape, with three crooked characters written next to it: "Ape Demon King!"

A young female teacher was patiently correcting him: "It's a monkey demon, not a monkey demon king... Also, the Hokage is our hero, you can't draw him so fiercely."

"But my dad said that the Hokage is just that fierce on the battlefield!" the child argued defiantly.

Everywhere was filled with childlike noise and pure joy.

Nara Kaguya stood in the shadows at the edge of the playground, quietly watching everything.

The fatigue from dealing with paperwork all day and the pressure of just learning a shocking secret seemed to be healed by this pure joy at this moment.

This is the scene we... are risking everything to protect.

It's a bit of a hassle, but it seems... not bad.

Just then, his gaze was drawn to a figure in the corner.

Among a group of noisy children, that corner was unusually quiet.

A blond boy sat alone on the steps, intently weaving a complex welcome knot with ribbons by the light of the streetlamp.

His movements were nimble and precise, and his expression was so serious that he didn't look like a child, but rather like a ninja carrying out a meticulous mission.

Her short, golden hair was as warm as sunshine, and her blue eyes were so clear they seemed to reflect the sky.

Minato Namikaze.

Nara Shikanoki recognized the child; he came from a commoner background but was recognized as a genius in this year's Ninja Academy.

A classmate ran past him, bumped into him, and asked curiously, "Hey, Minato, everyone's playing around, why are you doing this all by yourself? It's so boring."

Minato wasn't angry. He raised his head and revealed a very gentle smile, a smile as clean as the sun after the rain.

"Because this is a gift for the heroes who protected the village. Therefore, it must be done perfectly."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head again and continued with his work.

The classmate scratched his head, seemingly not quite understanding, and quickly ran off to chase and play again.

Minato didn't pay attention. He finished tying the last knot, then looked up and let out a long sigh of relief.

His gaze passed over the noisy playground, over the layers of rooftops, and finally landed on the towering Fire Shadow Rock in the distance.

Under the cover of night, the statue of the Third Hokage, illuminated by the lights, appears solemn and dignified, yet also carries a reassuring gentleness.

Shuimen gazed silently up at that young yet resolute face, his blue eyes reflecting the glittering starlight and the lights of the village.

He secretly made up his mind.

One day, I will become a ninja like the Third Hokage, able to use my own power to protect this smile and warmth.

The boy's eyes reflected the young statue on the Fire Shadow Rock, shimmering with a light brighter than the stars in the night sky.