He himself, with a few Anbu guards, leisurely began his journey home.
Heading south, he didn't take a direct route, but took some detours, passing through a few small towns that had been affected by the war.
Some of the houses in the towns were still under repair, but the faces of the townspeople no longer held the panic and unease of wartime. Children chased each other in the streets and alleys, the cries of vendors rose and fell, and in the fields, farmers were working hard for the next year's harvest.
When they saw the Hokage passing by, people would spontaneously stop their work and bow from a distance. In their eyes, there was no fear, only heartfelt respect and gratitude.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched all this quietly.
On his face was the gentle and kind smile that a Hokage should have.
The tense strings in his heart only truly relaxed after seeing this land return to life.
It was worth it.
Transmigrating to this godforsaken place, living on tenterhooks every day, seeing all sorts of bad endings to the point of a nervous breakdown—it was all for the scene before him.
As long as he could let the people of this land experience less of the pain of war, and let himself... live a peaceful life to old age, then all this hard work was worth it.
When the familiar gate of Konoha came into view, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a little emotional.
Finally... he was home.
When the familiar and tall walls of Konoha finally appeared on the horizon, the setting sun had already dyed half the sky red.
When the gate guards saw the figure in plain clothes, whose unique aura could not be concealed, they were stunned at first, then they stood up straight, their faces filled with fervent reverence.
"Lord Hokage! You're back!"
"Lord Hokage is back!"
The news spread through the entire village in an instant, as if it had grown wings.
The villagers on both sides of the street spontaneously poured out. They looked at the man walking slowly towards them, the awe of their first meeting gone from their eyes, replaced by a heartfelt affection and love, as if they were looking at a family member.
"Lord Hokage, you've worked hard!"
"Welcome home, Lord Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and waved.
On his young but slightly tired face was a gentle smile, like a spring breeze, which made everyone who saw him feel at ease.
He passed through the cheering crowd and returned home.
Pushing open the familiar wooden door, a warm aroma of food instantly enveloped him.
From the kitchen came the faint sound of a spatula stir-frying.
"I'm back," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his voice tinged with fatigue as he changed his shoes in the entryway.
"You're back," Sarutobi Biwako peeked her head out of the kitchen, her apron on. Seeing her husband's figure, a smile immediately blossomed on her face.
She walked over quickly, naturally took the clothes from him, hung them on the coat rack, and then reached out to smooth the wrinkles on the collar.
"You're covered in dust. You must be exhausted from the journey, right? Dinner will be ready soon."
"Mm."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and walked into the washroom, wiping his face with a warm towel.
Looking at his own young face in the mirror, which already had a few fine lines at the corners of his eyes, he couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"I'm only in my early forties, but I look like I'm sixty. Being Hokage really ages you."
And in this moment of peace and warmth, the cold, mechanical voice sounded in his mind as expected.
[Detected that the Host has successfully achieved a complete victory in the initial phase of the Second Great Ninja War, establishing Konoha's absolute dominant position.]
[Mission Rating: Epic Perfect!]
[Distributing rewards...]
[Congratulations to the Host, your constitution and chakra recovery speed have been greatly enhanced!]
Boom!
A vast, pure life energy erupted from the deepest part of his body.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt as if every cell in his body was cheering and leaping for joy.
His body felt as if it were soaking in a warm spring. The fatigue from the high-intensity battles and mental exhaustion was swept away.
His total chakra amount had once again skyrocketed.
More importantly, he could feel that his body's self-healing ability had reached a whole new level.
The skin that had been scraped during the battle with the Third Raikage was now healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, without leaving a single scar.
————————————
The next morning, Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared in the Hokage's Office, refreshed and full of energy.
The improvement from yesterday was all-encompassing. He felt that even if he worked for three days and three nights straight now, he wouldn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue.
"Lord Hokage, you look to be in high spirits," an Anbu ninja appeared behind him and said respectfully.
"Mm, I slept well," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and sat down in the chair that symbolized the highest power in Konoha. "Speak. Has anything major happened in the village while I was away?"
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, all is well. It's just..." the Anbu ninja paused. "Lord Danzo..."
"What about him?"
"Lord Danzo... after he finished handling the aftermath at the fortress, he rushed back overnight and has been staying in his office ever since, seeing no one. He only asked his subordinates to inform you that he has compiled a detailed plan for post-war reconstruction and wants to report to you as soon as you return."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a little surprised to hear this.
He had thought Danzo would be upset about being left to clean up the mess, but he hadn't expected the guy to be so dedicated.
"Have him come see me," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a wave of his hand. "Also, notify Koharu, Homura, Kagami, and the heads of the major clans that a highest-level meeting will be held in an hour."
"Yes!"
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