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

Chapter 314 The Ritual of Kirigakure

The rain tapped against the windowpane of the Hokage's office, fine and continuous, enveloping the entire Hidden Leaf Village in a hazy mist.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his brush and listened quietly to the sound of rain outside the window.

Upon their return from the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha was greeted by this long-awaited autumn rain, which washed away the clamor of the celebration and seemed to cleanse the last trace of dust left by the war.

The village appeared exceptionally peaceful in the rain. Pedestrians on the Naruto Avenue held various umbrellas and walked at a leisurely pace. Lanterns hanging under the eaves of the shops cast a warm glow, and everything was so serene it seemed unreal.

"Lord Hokage."

An undercover agent wearing a raccoon mask appeared in the office and knelt on one knee.

He presented a scroll wrapped in special oilcloth, which was branded with the three-wave emblem of Kirigakure.

Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out and took it, his fingertips able to feel the damp chill left on the oilcloth.

He untied the knot, unrolled the scroll, and a faint smell of the sea mingled with the fragrance of ink wafted out.

That was a shipping manifest.

The list is made of Samehada paper, a specialty of the Land of Water, which is tough and waterproof. The handwriting on it is neat and humble, detailing the supplies that will be shipped to the ports of the Land of Fire by sea.

Large amounts of gold and silver.

Strategic resources sufficient to support a medium-sized war.

There are also many rare products unique to the Water Country.

"Deep-sea silver ore can be used to forge ninja tools with extremely high chakra conduction efficiency."

"Mist Flower, the main ingredient that the Medical Department has been eagerly seeking to make advanced nerve paralysis drugs."

"And... aquatic products..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi read the list word by word; it was astonishingly long, and each item represented a huge fortune.

At the end of the scroll is the Third Mizukage's handwritten signature, along with a seal that reads "Eternal Alliance."

The office door was gently pushed open, and Nara Shikano walked in yawning, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.

"Lord Hokage, why did you call me over in this heavy rain?"

He complained, but his steps were steady as he casually placed a document on the corner of his desk.

"Take a look at this." Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over the list.

The deer lazily took it, and after just one glance, its drowsy state vanished without a trace.

His mind began to work at high speed, and each name on the list was quickly transformed into the value and strategic significance it represented.

"hiss……"

Nara Shikanobu gasped, repeatedly checking the signature and seal at the end. "Has Kirigakure... emptied their coffers? Or have they found some legendary treasure?"

"It's clearly written on the list,"

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his teacup, blew on the floating tea leaves, and said, "This is war reparations voluntarily paid by the Third Mizukage, who sincerely hopes to repair relations with Konoha."

"voluntary?"

Nara Shikano let out a sneer and slammed the scroll on the table. "No one would believe that. That old fox managed to get him to vomit up so cleanly..."

His analysis was clear and direct.

"That old man's methods are always so direct and effective." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly, not surprised at all.

Madara Uchiha kept his word. He said he would deliver a gift to Kirigakure, and it seems that Kirigakure accepted the gift and returned an even more generous gift in return.

"It's not just effective, it's a complete cure."

Nara Shikano rubbed his temples, feeling his head starting to ache again. "With this batch of supplies arriving, Kirigakure will probably have to tighten their belts. Moreover, their submissive posture is tantamount to declaring to the entire ninja world that Konoha's authority cannot be challenged. Killing two birds with one stone—no, this is practically taking down the entire nest with one arrow."

The deer paused for a moment, a complex expression of awe and headache appearing on its face.

"Sir, are you heading back to the village?"

"Um."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer was very affirmative: "Konoha has something he wants to see."

Deer Antlers sighed and stopped dwelling on the matter.

"Alright, since the things have been delivered, we should accept them."

Deer Horn picked up the list again and began to think from the perspective of an assistant: "The quantity of this batch of supplies is too huge. Warehousing, counting, cataloging... it will exhaust the logistics department."

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to be thinking about something else.

His finger lightly traced across the list, finally stopping at the items listed as "Mist Flower" and "Some Daily Necessities".

"Deer Antlers, go and draft a notice."

"announcement?"

"Um."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and said, "Tell them that to celebrate the peace treaty with Kirigakure, our ally has sent a batch of special products from the Land of Water as a gift."

Nara Deer Antlers was stunned.

"A gift? Not war reparations?"

"It's a gift from our allies."

Hiruzen Sarutobi repeated it, emphasizing his words.

Deer Antlers' brain raced, and he instantly understood the Hokage's intention.

By beautifying the reparations as a gift, Konoha not only saves face for Kirigakure but also demonstrates its magnanimity to the ninja world.

"Understood."

Deer Antlers nodded. "I'll handle it."

"besides,"

Hiruzen Sarutobi called out to Shikanobu, who was about to turn and leave, "Take all the marked items from the list."

He drew a large circle on the list with his finger, encircling most of the daily necessities, medicines, and some textiles, "to be distributed to the Vortex Clan in the name of gifts from allies."

A moment of silence fell over the office, broken only by the soft patter of rain outside the window.

Nara Shikaku stared blankly at Sarutobi Hiruzen for a long time before finding his voice.

"So many?"

That's no small sum; it's enough to make any large family instantly wealthy.

"Um."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer was unquestionable: "The Uzumaki clan abandoned their homeland and chose to believe in us. Now, they are family in Konoha."

His voice was calm, yet it possessed a power that could soothe the soul.

"Tell the ninjas in charge of distribution to prioritize the elderly and children. Use the sea cloud cotton on the list to make a new set of clothes for each child. Also, the warm wind snail, when ground into powder, is said to be good for rheumatism in the elderly; make sure every elderly person gets some."

The antlers fell silent.

He looked at the Third Hokage before him; the light emanating from him was almost blinding.

I thought of the Uzumaki clan members who had just integrated into Konoha. Their faces showed longing for their new life, but also a hint of restraint and unease.

They left their homes and are trying to adapt to everything here.

This batch of supplies, this gift presented as a donation, will finally soothe the last lingering emotions in their hearts.

This is not just material compensation, but also a heartfelt acceptance and respect.

It is a silent declaration: From now on, Konoha is your home.

"Um……"

Nara Shikaku muttered something under his breath, his face showing no disgust but rather a warm smile.

"I'll get right on it. Hokage-sama, you really are... good at giving me things to do."

After saying that, he took the heavy list, turned around, and walked out of the office.

The room returned to silence.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the window and looked at the village under the rain.

One can imagine the expressions on the faces of the Whirlpool Clan when those supplies were delivered to them.

He could see the happy smiles on the faces of children like Kushina and Nagato when they put on new clothes.

This is more satisfying than acquiring any amount of gold and silver.

Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze and took out another scroll from the bottom drawer of his desk.

This scroll is very simple; it has no emblem or seal, and is simply tied with a hemp rope.

He untied the hemp rope and slowly unfolded it.

On the snow-white paper, there were only two powerful and vigorous characters.

Madara Uchiha.

Outside the window, a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and slanted into the room, casting a bright patch of light on the two characters.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gently traced the words with his finger.

"That senior colleague..."

He murmured to himself.

"That's about right, it's time to come back."