Naruto: The hardworking model who realizes his dream is actually the white moonlight of the ninja wo

"This isn't a place where rookies like you can just come casually."

Before the first exam started, there were people causing trouble.

Even though he is still young, the scars on the troublemaker's face are real.

The lavender crystal ball was broadcasting a scene that Neji was all too familiar with.

Those who used illusions to prevent Genin from reaching the location of the first exam were not Genin who took the exam to eliminate their competitors.

Instead, he is a Chunin who uses ninjutsu to change his body shape.

"Are you going to take part in the Chunin Exams just like this?"

The squinting ninja pushed the green frog away and said, "This is not a place for little brats like you to come and play casually."

The green frog blinked its big, kazilan eyes and leaned softly in Tiantian's arms.

They say don't be too conspicuous, but in reality - how can this not be conspicuous?

Rock Lee's acting is still as bad as ever.

"This student is from Might Guy's class, right?"

"That person has always been steady and cautious..." Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Neji cautiously before continuing, "It's not uncommon for him to take part in the Chunin Exam a year later like now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was desperate.

The little purple crystal ball was never a secret to the three students.

And its use is by no means a secret in social circles.

cocoa...

He was indeed the first one to agree, but...but...

"Teacher, don't be too reserved. He treats everyone equally."

"Well~ Although this does not include Itachi and I."

Obviously, good students are empathetic but not completely empathetic.

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know what he did wrong.

He had obviously always been actively helping Tsunade and Uchiha Itachi - and secretly helping Hizashi vent his anger.

It doesn’t make sense!

It's impossible that you are bullying an old man!

Looking at the young man who was surrounded by students and their students' students, enjoying the best viewing seat and being served delicious food and drinks, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell into deep thought.

He didn't have much contact with Neji.

But as a ninja and as a student of Lord Tobirama, it is harder than climbing to the sky to have no impression of Hyuga Neji.

This is the person that Tobirama-sensei brought back personally that year.

He is called a wandering merchant - whether his identity is suspicious or not, it was given by Tobirama-sensei.

As people of Konoha and subordinates of the Hokage, they had no choice but to believe.

The half-grown boy, who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, seemed even younger than himself, especially compared to mature teenagers like him and Danzo.

But such a young man actually wanted to follow them to participate in the mission.

"That's all..."

"Just being alive is better than anything else."

The wandering merchant was somewhat mysterious, and Sarutobi Hiruzen at that time had no idea of ​​his true identity.

But he did something very excessive to Neji.

I thought I knew everything, and I made a choice that was only worthy of myself.

Only when he became the one in power did Sarutobi Hiruzen begin to understand everything.

It is not just the lives that are alive now that need to be considered, but also the lives that will be alive in the future.

The requirements to become a Hokage are naturally very strict.

This strictness is not only in the selection of personnel, but also in the training methods.

Tobirama chose a method that was not gentle.

Even so, it was much milder than some of the choices he was making now.

The second generation and the wandering merchants around him planted trees.

It grew taller and taller with hope and future, so much so that even the village changed its appearance - although the villagers were the happiest among them.

It seems that the people who care least about the deaths of the villagers are the villagers themselves.

"The plague is a natural and man-made disaster..."

After that, Sarutobi Hiruzen went to Hashito Village alone once. At that time, he was not yet the Third Hokage.

"The plague killed people in just one night - let alone such a strange plague."

The newly appointed village chief smiled shrewdly: "Without you, there will be no future for this village."

"Don't even mention the deaths of a few more people. Qiaotou Village may be a ruin now."

"No... maybe we can't even say if there are any ruins."

At that time, the tree had not yet fully grown, and Qiaotou Village still looked like a village.

They were busy rebuilding, feeling somewhat grateful for having survived the disaster.

No matter what purpose the people who rescued them had, just surviving was enough.

"Having said that..."

The village chief changed the subject: "Although I say this now, it's all talk for the future."

"If you had come here a month earlier, or half a year earlier, you would probably have seen a group of unruly people protesting."

The village chief poked Hiruzen with his cane, he didn't seem to be afraid of the ninja from Konoha.

"Come in, you are most likely the best candidate in Lord Tobirama's mind."

"Some things are inconvenient to tell others, but I always have to tell you."

"It can be regarded as a return gift to that adult."

For some reason, Sarutobi Hiruzen's intuition told him that the adult mentioned here was closely related to Hyuga Neji.

The village chief's house was the first to be rebuilt in the village. The village chief here is like the Hokage. Every new chief inherits the previous one's house.

Solid wood side tables, sofas covered with straw mats - everything oscillates between simplicity and luxury.

"Please take a seat, Sarutobi-sama."

This is a story that children from aristocratic families will never understand, it is a story that belongs only to the village.

The Sarutobi family is highly respected by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Before Konoha was fully established, he was already working for the daimyo.

It can be said that it was not Sarutobi who wanted to join Konoha, but it was a superficial win-win situation achieved after Konoha begged him to join and offered sufficient "sincerity".

"You know, this plague took away many people."

"These people can have lovers, children, parents..."

"Of course, you don't have to."

The village chief's words were incoherent, like a madman who had just come out of a mental hospital.

"What do you mean..."

He saw the village chief smiling and greeting people outside.

Just like the village chief you can see everywhere, gentle and kind.

"They were still making a fuss a while ago - of course, I didn't stop them."

"You know, in a village like ours, even if we want to cause trouble, there is no way or method."

"Living through life in silence has become the best solution for most people."

"But I don't think so..."

The village chief turned his cane and took out a photo from the drawer under the coffee table.

"The woman in this photo has lost her husband."

"She watched her husband go from having a glimmer of life to a cold, frozen corpse."

"She also lost her two babies that day."

Sarutobi Hiruzen has always been a soft-hearted person.

Just hearing such suffering makes my eyes well up.

This is their reason..

If at that time I could...

"I told her that as long as she cried loudly and stirred up everyone's emotions, those who ignored and turned a blind eye to us would get their comeuppance."

"She was a very obedient woman -- obedient to the point of being a little silly."

"Soon, the village began to become restless. They clamored to revolt and make the Hokage pay the price."

“But your rulers are also smart people.”

"They sent a large sum of money, as well as technical and knowledgeable intellectuals."

"Of course, they have now completed their mission and returned to where they should be."

The village chief's walking stick hit the ground, and the rotten wooden floor made a creaking sound.

There must be space below.

Perhaps this is also the secret of Qiaotou Village.

The secret of why the village chief has lived here for generations.

“It’s not hard to see that this is richer than any of the past episodes.”

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded uncontrollably.

When the money arrives, the wailing will naturally stop.

The happiness of a villager seems too insignificant when compared with the future of the village.

"I don't plan to be the village chief here for long."

"Maybe it will be these few days, or maybe it will be someone else tomorrow."

The village chief of this generation seems to be similar to me now.

After the death of the Fourth Hokage, he became Hokage once again.

We have to do better.

What would happen if we sacrifice one or two people for the future of the village?

That's what the village chief is like.

As the head of a village, the village does not end here.

Not only the first generation of Hokage, but also the second generation, the third generation, and even the sixth and seventh generations...

The tenth generation is only a matter of time.

He suddenly looked at Neji.

Those cloudy eyes were burning terribly, as if they had detached from the eyelids and were ready to burst out at any time.

"You knew it would turn out like this, into a world that you just wanted to avoid."

"Why do you go to so much trouble to make it happen?"

The only response to Sarutobi Hiruzen was a rapidly collapsing, lonely back.