"Look at those stars."
"Each and every one of those stars is actually just like the sun we see."
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the time was right, so he pointed at the stars in the sky and said.
Little Naruto looked up, "The sun?"
"You mean that big, blinding guy that comes out during the day?"
"That's right, this world is very big, it seems to have no end."
"Wow~!" Little Naruto's eyes lit up, "Old Man, you know so much~"
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a slightly proud smile.
Ōnoki: "Hehe, as expected of you, Third Hokage."
Mei Terumī: "I feel Uzumaki Naruto is different from other kids."
Senju Hashirama: Hahahaha~
Senju Tobirama: Big Brother, don't just speak carelessly yet.
"In front of this vast world, humans are actually very insignificant."
"And our insignificant worries, in front of this world, seem trivial."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. Little Naruto didn't understand these things, and no one had ever told him.
"Old Man, are humans really that insignificant?"
Looking at the starry sky, little Naruto's big eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "It's all the same, all insignificant, so why is it different for me?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe and took a puff.
"Old Man, I feel like you look familiar."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up.
"Hmm... it's just like the stones on top of the Village!"
"Hehe, you noticed that?" Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't keep his smile down.
"Do you know what kind of people get their faces carved into the Hokage Rock?"
Little Naruto naturally didn't know, he just shook his head blankly.
"Those carved up there are the great heroes who protect the Village."
"Where Konoha dances, fire will burn bright..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi began to instill the Will of Fire into little Naruto.
Little Naruto didn't understand, but he was impressed by the unknown.
Seeing the look of longing on little Naruto's face.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his mission was complete.
"I see, Old Man, you're amazing~!"
Looking at little Naruto's shining eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi lightly coughed twice.
Then slowly stood up.
Leaving little Naruto with his back, hands clasped behind him.
"It's getting late, I should go back."
Little Naruto immediately became dejected, but then, he asked expectantly, "Old Man, can I become Hokage?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head and gave little Naruto an affirmative smile.
"Of course, you don't become Hokage to get everyone's recognition."
"Instead, after you get everyone's recognition, you can become the great hero who protects the Village, the Hokage."
"I think, Naruto, you will definitely get everyone's recognition."
"Wow~!" Naruto exclaimed, then quickly asked: "Then, Old Man, are you the strongest person in the Village?"
"Hehe, of course, I'm the strongest one among those four~"
... The scene abruptly ended.
Everyone fell silent, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi in the stands with strange expressions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his face flush.
Orochimaru laughed unrestrainedly.
Sakura Haruno: "So that's it, no wonder Naruto's dream since childhood was to get everyone's recognition and become Hokage."
Ino Yamanaka: "Yeah, I always thought it was weird why Naruto kept shouting about becoming Hokage, turns out he was instilled with this idea when he was so young."
Nara Shikamaru: "Ahem, Ino!"
Shikamaru reminded her.
Ino Yamanaka, however, gave him a glare, but didn't say anything more.
Uchiha Sasuke: "That idiot!"
Uzumaki Naruto: "Sasuke! You're the idiot!"
Sasuke was speechless.
But then he thought, no wonder the dead last always unknowingly shouted about becoming Hokage.
The wily Ōnoki's statement appeared.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids twitched.
Ōnoki: "Yo~ The Will of Fire, yo~"
Ōnoki: "Third Hokage, quite the trick, eh~"
Fourth Raikage immediately joined in: "Tsk tsk tsk, what an amazing Third Hokage~!"
Fourth Raikage: "The strongest among the four... I remember, didn't the Third Hokage also have the title of god of shinobi?"
Senju Hashirama: Huh? god of shinobi?
Senju Hashirama: Amazing! Monkey, I didn't expect you to surpass me!
Senju Tobirama: Big Brother! Shut up!
If anyone else had said that, it might not have been as simple as the literal meaning.
But coming from his own Big Brother's mouth, it was absolutely literal.
However, Senju Tobirama quickly figured out the reason.
Konoha had lost Big Brother and himself, to prevent other Ninja Villages from targeting it simultaneously due to the loss of powerful combatants.
As a last resort, he was molded into the former god of shinobi.
Even if it was self-proclaimed, it could alleviate external pressure to a certain extent.
It's just... Senju Tobirama felt that in the previous scene, when Hiruzen Sarutobi said he was the strongest, he seemed serious.
It was fine to deceive others, but he shouldn't deceive himself.
Ultimately, out of consideration for Konoha.
Senju Tobirama still said against his conscience: "Monkey's actions are somewhat understandable, after all, it's all for Konoha, to give the Jinchuriki a sense of belonging to the Village..." He couldn't continue, Senju Tobirama felt his face burning, he couldn't make it up anymore.
Of course, from a politician's perspective, Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed a qualified politician.
It's just that using such methods on Naruto, who was the son of a hero, was too despicable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly spoke: "Yes, I strictly followed my teacher's Will, everything was for Konoha."
Senju Tobirama: ???
You bastard!
Fourth Raikage: "Hahaha~ I see, so it was all the meaning of Konoha's Second Hokage, no wonder~!"
Ōnoki didn't speak further this time.
After all, it concerned Konoha's Second Hokage.
He was also from that era.
Naturally, he knew what Konoha's First Hokage and Second Hokage were like.
But the Fourth Raikage was clearly not, and from what he'd seen in recent years, the Fourth Raikage wasn't afraid of Konoha, this constantly 'self-harming' paper tiger, at all.
In recent years, even during Kumogakure's most difficult times, they dared to come to Konoha to snatch people.
When caught red-handed, they thought they would have to pay a considerable price, but in the blink of an eye, Konoha 'ceded territory and paid reparations' first.
Uchiha Madara: As expected of master and disciple, as disgusting as ever.
Senju Hashirama: Madara, you can't say that.
Uchiha Madara: So? Just a mere Jinchuriki, yet they have to be so wary, even calculating to the point where he can't even afford ramen? Is this the Konoha of your ideals?
Senju Hashirama fell silent, Senju Tobirama was furious, but just now, for Konoha's stability, he spoke against his will to excuse Hiruzen Sarutobi, and now being rebutted by Uchiha Madara, he could only shut up. Was he going to retract his words now?
Uchiha Madara naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity.
He immediately began to constantly criticize Konoha.
He had long seen through this Village, and also through the Uchiha.
Uchiha Madara: So, until now, I haven't seen a single Uchiha, hehe, have they already been eliminated? Foolish.
Uchiha Izuna: onii-chan, I'm here, I'm here.
....
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