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

Chapter 341 You've worked hard all these years

The group set off to return to Konoha.

On the way, Mito Uzumaki would occasionally exchange a few words with Hashirama, her voice gentle.

Tsunade and Orochimaru discussed the details of the Impure World Reincarnation: Modified version in hushed tones, their faces occasionally flashing with excitement.

Danzo and Kagami followed closely beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, vigilantly scanning their surroundings to ensure the Hokage's safety.

Only Tobirama Senju lagged behind the others, his sharp red eyes scanning everything in sight with incredible speed.

This was the familiar land of the Land of Fire in his memory, yet it felt strange in every way.

This was not the wartime fortress he was familiar with, one that disregarded everything for military efficiency.

This was not the ninja village he knew, a place where people were constantly on edge for survival.

What exactly happened?

He keenly sensed that the air was no longer filled with the bitter smell of gunpowder and the oppressive fluctuations of chakra.

Instead, there is the aroma of food, the freshness of wood and earth, and the clear laughter of children.

These subtle perceptions, like silent thunderclaps, exploded in his mind, which was known for its logic and rationality.

He once thought that after his death, Konoha would gradually move towards even fiercer competition.

But the scene before him overturned all his understanding.

Tobirama Senju subconsciously quickened his pace, as if trying to break free from this "illusion."

However, the closer he got and the clearer he saw, the stronger the shock in his heart became.

Until they stepped onto that straight and wide Hokage Avenue.

This is a magnificent avenue that stretches straight from the village entrance to Huoying Rock.

Tall trees are planted on both sides, and various shops are arranged in a staggered manner under the shade of the trees.

Some vendors sell fresh vegetables and fruits, some are filled with the rich aroma of roasted meat, and some display exquisite ninja tools and handicrafts.

A bustling crowd moved about.

Commoner ninjas, genin, chunin, and even Uchiha clan members dressed in their clan attire were all mixed in, with relaxed and satisfied smiles on their faces.

Tobirama Senju even saw a long queue outside a dessert shop run by the Uchiha clan.

A little girl dressed in the Uchiha clan crest clothing was excitedly tugging at her father's clothes, pointing at the three-colored dumplings in the shop window.

The Uchiha clan actually owns so many dessert shops? This is a scene he couldn't have imagined before he died.

He saw that the patrolling ninja guards no longer looked like they were facing a formidable enemy; instead, they even had friendly smiles on their faces and would occasionally greet the villagers who passed by.

This scene caused Senju Tobirama's logic processor to completely crash.

In his memory, the garrison was an iron fist that maintained order in the village, and indifference was their basic quality.

He turned his head sharply to look at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was walking in front of him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood tall and straight; his once-childish back now exuded an aura of towering strength.

He no longer carried the bloody scent of war, but rather a steadfast and profound presence.

Tobirama Senju finally couldn't help but speak up.

His usually cold voice now carried a hint of undisguised doubt.

"Sarutobi, the village is now..."

He had so many questions to ask: about the economy, the military, the Uchiha clan, and everything after his death.

The words stuck in my throat; I didn't know where to begin.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around with a faint smile on his face. He took out a stack of documents from his ninja tool pouch and handed them to Tobirama.

"Teacher, you must be tired from your journey. These materials may help you better understand Konoha now."

Tobirama Senju took the document, his fingers brushing over the pages. The first thing that caught his eye was the title: "Konoha Village Annual Financial Report and Residents' Happiness Index Survey".

He opened the report, starting from the first page, his red eyes scanning the dense text and charts with astonishing speed.

The village's fiscal revenue was several times what he had budgeted before his death.

Tax revenue growth has been exponential.

The birth rate is much higher than before the First Shinobi World War.

Next was the residents' happiness index survey, in which all indicators were ridiculously high, with the sense of belonging to the village and confidence in the future even reaching an astonishing 90% or more.

The last page showcases Konoha's glorious achievements in the Second Shinobi World War and the Battle of the Land of Whirlpools.

The enemy's elite forces were annihilated, the Raikage was killed, a huge indemnity was paid, and the Uzumaki clan was annexed into Konoha.

Tobirama Senju's usually calm mind seemed to have been struck by countless bolts of lightning.

Every number, every achievement, was like a heavy hammer, striking his heart hard.

He suddenly looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi, the boy who had once stood before him and needed his protection.

Countless images began to flash through my mind.

That was under the Hokage Rock, where they first met.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Kagami Uchiha, and also Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.

A group of young boys followed behind him, shouting "Teacher! Teacher!"

At that time, Hiruzen was the most dazzling among them.

Intelligent and hardworking, with a maturity beyond his years, but deep down he harbors a burning ideal.

Tobirama Senju remembered that he taught them ninjutsu, how to protect themselves on the battlefield, and how to better understand the Will of Fire.

He had worried whether these children could truly shoulder the future of Konoha after his passing.

I clearly remember Hiruzen practicing Fire Release techniques on the training field, his clothes soaked with sweat.

Danzo always practiced his swordsmanship silently in a corner, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Uchiha Kagami, on the other hand, was gentle and polite, yet always able to pinpoint the flaws in ninjutsu with incisive insight.

They play around, they argue, they compete with each other, but they also support each other.

Those boys who were once too young to even reach his chest struggled through the flames of war and groped their way forward in the cruel ninja world.

Now, they have become capable individuals in their respective fields.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who once clumsily performed hand seals, is now the Third Hokage, firmly seated in the position of Hokage, leading Konoha to unprecedented prosperity.

Danzo Shimura has now become an infrastructure fanatic driving the modernization of Konoha, with grand blueprints appearing everywhere he looks.

The gentle Uchiha Kagami has now become a bridge between the Uchiha clan and the village, even standing shoulder to shoulder with Danzo to resolve internal conflicts within the village.

Their figures gradually overlapped with their younger selves before Tobirama's eyes.

It was a scene of Hiruzen turning around and giving him a bright smile under the setting sun, calling him "Teacher."

How much the boy trusted and relied on himself back then.

Now, this young man, with his unparalleled wisdom and iron fist, has paved a completely new path for Konoha.

A brighter and more stable path than he and his brother had envisioned.

Hashirama Senju, standing nearby, was already in tears.

He hugged Hiruzen Sarutobi tightly and burst into tears.

"Third Generation! You've worked hard all these years! You've done a better job than me, a much better job than me!"

Tobirama Senju looked at his brother's pathetic state, and then at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was being held by the First Hokage but still maintained a gentle smile.

He slowly closed the report in his hand; at that moment, the weight of that report felt more oppressive than the heaviest scroll in his memory.

I felt as if I had been thrown into a giant vortex, and all my perceptions were being rapidly torn apart and reconstructed.

"Sarutobi..."

Tobirama spoke again, his voice still hoarse, but now carrying an unprecedentedly complex emotion.

He clutched the report tightly to his chest, his gaze slowly shifting from Hiruzen Sarutobi to the towering Hokage Rock in the distance.

The statues of the First and Second Hokage on that rock appeared so distant in the afterglow of the setting sun.

At this moment, beneath the statue, at the end of the Hokage Avenue, a brand new Konoha is flourishing.

For the first time, Tobirama Senju began to deeply doubt the very logic upon which he relied for survival.

For the first time, he was unable to predict Konoha's future trajectory in a short period of time.

Their gazes finally settled on Hiruzen Sarutobi's deep black eyes.

Those eyes held a calm and confident air that seemed to see through everything.

Tobirama Senju seemed to understand that this era was truly different from the one he remembered.

He simply held the report, his lips slightly parted.

He didn't know what to say.

Should I ask?

Should we praise it?

Should we express our feelings?

Should we submit?

The blue figure, holding a report that would overturn his world, froze on the spot for a moment.