Konohagakure, Hokage Building.
Inside the Hokage's office, a large number of personnel were coming and going.
After Nara Shikaku died in battle, although the Nara Clan arranged a replacement called Nara Shikazumi, he was still unable to handle many tasks for the time being, and the Third Hokage had to personally deal with them.
Especially now, as they were preparing for a new war, the workload had multiplied many times, and he had no idea how long he had been busy.
The Third Hokage was signing different documents when an Anbu suddenly appeared in the office, bowing in apology.
"My deepest apologies, Hokage-sama. I failed to complete my mission."
The Third Hokage's pen paused for a moment. He sighed and lifted his head.
"Jiraiya and Tsunade both refused to come back?"
"Yes." The Anbu ninja lowered his head deeply, not daring to look at the face of his Hokage.
"Jiraiya-sama asked the messenger about the rumors of the Uchiha massacre. After learning the news was true, he fell silent for a while, then said he was going to gather material and had no time to return."
"Tsunade-sama said her luck has been excellent recently, winning big again and again, and she has to seize the opportunity to win back all the gambling debts she owes. She will return after she has paid off her debts."
"Paying off gambling debts…" The Third Hokage gave a bitter smile, then took out his smoking pipe and placed it in his mouth.
After puffing out clouds of smoke for a moment, he sighed and asked again: "Is Naruto still the same?"
"Yes. Ever since that day, Naruto has sat there absentmindedly every day, and the smile on his face has disappeared. Only when Haruno Sakura talks to him can he perk up a little. But because of Sasuke's death, Haruno Sakura herself has also become much more silent."
"Sigh!" The Third Hokage let out a long sigh, frowning as he bit down on his pipe. "He's such a small child, yet he has gone through so many things. No wonder he has become like this."
"I can't spare the time to visit him. Arrange for that girl to contact him more. You must ensure that he forms a strong bond with the village."
"As for the matter of the Jinchūriki, there must absolutely be no mistakes!"
"Yes." The Anbu responded, and was just about to continue reporting something when a cold, harsh voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
"Hiruzen, you are letting danger happen again!"
Danzō strode inside, his face dark.
"Now that the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki has learned about his own origins, he will surely feel dissatisfied with the way the village treated him before."
"Under this kind of situation, the Jinchūriki must be strictly controlled, so that he does not develop the thought of defecting from the village!"
"As long as you hand him over to me—"
"Shut your mouth!"
The Third Hokage angrily cut off Danzō's words, striking his smoking pipe hard against the desk.
"Danzō, Naruto is Minato's child. Just like Minato, he possesses the Will of Fire. He will absolutely not betray the village!"
"When he betrays it, it will already be too late!"
Danzō was not willing to back down and loudly refuted: "Something as important as the Jinchūriki cannot have its hope placed upon vague and illusory trust!"
"And the war is about to start again soon. We need the power of the Jinchūriki!"
"Give me some time. I guarantee I can let him step onto the battlefield smoothly!"
"No. He is still a child!"
The Third Hokage shook his head repeatedly in opposition. "Konohagakure is not yet so weakened that we need to let a child as small as Naruto go to the frontlines to kill and fight!"
"And this is merely a small-scale conflict. It will end very soon. It will not develop into a large-scale war!"
The two were arguing fiercely when suddenly a loud explosion, "boom," came from outside, making the window glass hum from the shock.
The two immediately fell silent, and when they turned their heads, they saw a column of black smoke in the distance rising like a tornado into the sky. Flames scattered below it, and faintly, shouts of killing could be heard unceasingly.
"Bad! Enemy attack!"
The Third Hokage flung off the Hokage robes on his body, revealing the close-fitting outfit underneath. He leapt out of the building in one movement, landing atop the roof and looking toward the distance.
There, in that direction, three orange-yellow-haired ninjas wearing black cloaks with red clouds were charging toward the Hokage Building.
One of them extended his wrist, and many missiles flew out in all directions. Their exhaust trails stretched like spiderwebs under the sunlight, bombing the ground in a sweeping manner.
Every warhead that hit the ground collapsed a building. Burning signs fell through the thick smoke like descending fire birds. The shockwaves from the explosions lifted passing pedestrians off the ground. The scattered severed limbs were burned into charcoal in midair by the high temperature.
The huge explosion from just now had been caused by that single ninja.
Besides him, another had summoned many summoned beasts: a multi-headed giant dog, a several-stories-tall rhinoceros, a centipede as long as a street, and a giant bird flying in the sky… all wreaking havoc there.
There was also one more, suspended high in midair, flying directly toward the Hokage Building.
These people's faces were all very unfamiliar.
The only common point was that these people and the summoned beasts all had purple eyes, and the pupils inside had ring after ring. They were clearly the legendary Rinnegan.
This situation made the Third Hokage extremely uneasy.
According to the intelligence, there were only two Rinnegan ninjas, but the ones appearing before him now numbered three.
Almost at the same time, the alarm bell at the main gate also rang urgently. Clearly the enemies were definitely not limited to just these few.
"What tremendous audacity. We have not yet gone to settle accounts with them, yet they actually dare to behave wildly in Konohagakure!"
Danzō was furious, accusing: "Hiruzen, it is all your weakness that has made even such small countries treat Konohagakure like a soft persimmon!"
"For the losses the village suffers this time, you must bear the greatest responsibility!"
The Third Hokage was also extremely angry. He extended his hand and slapped the ground, summoning his old partner Enma.
When Enma appeared, he looked to the left and right, and immediately became shocked.
"Hiruzen, has the Fourth War broken out?"
"How have the enemies already fought their way into Konohagakure?"
"In the past, I have never witnessed this kind of situation!"
The Third Hokage spoke bitterly with a dark expression: "Now is not the time to talk about this. We must let the enemies know that Konohagakure is not a soft persimmon that can be squeezed at will!"
Sensing the Third Hokage's anger, Enma stopped speaking. His body shifted, transforming into the shape of the Adamantine Staff, landing in the Third Hokage's hand.
The Third Hokage raised the Adamantine Staff high, and was just about to step forward to face the enemies when alarm sounds rose sharply all around. An Anbu appeared and reported: "Hokage-sama, enemies have appeared all around the village. Judging by their clothing—black cloaks with red clouds—they should be members of the Akatsuki Organization mentioned in the intelligence."
"What? More?"
The Third Hokage's heart jolted. He hurriedly withdrew the weapon and began assigning tasks.
If the number of enemies had been small, he would not have minded going to battle personally, displaying his divine might once to restore some of his image in the eyes of the villagers.
But now that the enemies had come in great numbers, he could not risk himself.
However, whether he wished to fight or not also depended on whether the enemies agreed.
Pain flew directly atop the Hokage Building, suspended high in the air. From above, he looked down indifferently and arrogantly, overlooking the ants below as if a God.
"Many ninjas of Konohagakure!"
"Have you felt pain?"
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