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

Chapter 511 The best days are those when you can be woken up.

In the depths of the night, a faint sound came from a certain direction.

Intermittently, carried by the wind in segments, it sounded like someone talking to themselves, or like someone performing for thin air—

"—yo~ A flash of white teeth, and the moonlight dims~ Next time we spar, eight swords against a white blade—yeah~ This rhyme is perfect—bakayarō konoyarō—"

I choked again.

A small sip of tea gushed from his nose, landing precisely on the edge of the campfire.

With a hiss, a wisp of white smoke rose up, carrying the strange smell of burnt tea leaves.

"puff--"

Lin bent over, covered her mouth with one hand, and her shoulders trembled violently.

With his other hand still on Obito's back, the rhythm of his slapping was completely messed up.

Obito coughed and wiped his nose with his sleeve, tears welling up in his eyes.

"That...that guy..."

Pointing in the direction the sound came from, her voice hoarse, she asked, "Is he... always here...?"

He didn't finish speaking.

Because then another sound came from the air.

Yahiko's silhouette flickered in the firelight—he stood up, one hand still clutching something, his mouth bulging.

Her short orange hair was illuminated by the firelight, making it look like a cluster of dancing flames.

"We'll train early tomorrow too!"

It was mumbled and unclear, but full of energy.

As soon as he finished speaking, a fair hand reached out from the side and precisely patted the back of his head.

The force wasn't great, but the angle was tricky, carrying a sense of practiced skill.

"Swallow what's in your mouth before you speak."

Xiao Nan's voice was soft, calm, and even gentle.

But on the hand that was pulled back, a thin piece of paper was fluttering on its own without any wind, as if it were ready to be used again at any moment.

Yahiko covered the back of his head, chewed twice with a wronged expression, and swallowed.

Then it was repeated—

"Training early tomorrow!"

"I heard you."

Nagato, sitting between the two, had her head down, her long red hair hanging down and covering most of her face.

His shoulders twitched slightly.

The laughter was extremely soft.

So light it was almost drowned out by the night breeze, so light you would miss it if you weren't paying attention.

But it did exist—

After wiping his nose, Obito wiped his sleeve on his trouser leg.

He looked at the three people by the campfire. Yahiko was still gesturing about names, Konan's piece of paper was spinning silently between her fingers, and Nagato was sitting quietly, occasionally glancing up at his companions.

Then he looked at Lin beside him.

Nohara Rin had finished laughing and was wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes with the back of her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Tiny sparks were swept up by the wind, rising higher and higher, growing smaller and smaller, until they finally disappeared into the unseen heights.

After Obito finished the last sip of tea in his cup, he learned his lesson and sipped it slowly, avoiding burning himself.

He handed the empty cup back to Lin.

Thanks.

"Um."

Lin took the cup and tapped it lightly on the rim with her fingertip. "Go to sleep early. I'll wake you up at 5:20 tomorrow."

"Okay...wait, how did you know it was 5:30?"

"Just a guess."

Nohara Rin turned around and walked towards her tent.

He took two steps, then turned back, his brown eyes curving into crescents in the firelight—

Goodnight, Obito.

"……Good night."

He watched Lin's figure disappear behind the tent curtain.

Then, Obito Uchiha took one last look at the night sky.

It's black. I can't see anything.

But he knew someone was walking in that darkness.

Six people, two directions, their steps were more steady than anyone else's.

The campfire burned behind Odo, casting his shadow long and long, stretching all the way to the edge of the camp and into the places where the light and warmth did not reach.

Obito turned around and walked towards the tent.

He has to get up at 5:30 tomorrow.

The paper bag of dried fruit in his pocket was squeezed by the movement of his thigh, making a very slight rustling sound.

He didn't put his hand in.

Just walking.

One step, two steps, three steps.

The footsteps pounded on the gravel, neither fast nor slow.

It's similar to someone else's rhythm.

The lights were still on in the temporary command tent, halfway across the camp.

The tent flaps fluttered slightly in the wind, and the light filtering through the gaps cast a narrow, bright streak on the muddy ground outside.

Two ANBU ninjas stood guard outside the tent, motionless.

There are not many people left in the tent.

Minato Namikaze and his group were sent away by the Third Hokage a few hours earlier with the words "go back to sleep," including Shikaku Nara, who also wanted to sleep.

Now, only a long, low table remains in the tent, with several open documents and a pot of tea that has gone cold.

On one side of the table, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, his pipe beside him—unlit.

Across from him, the Fourth Raikage, A, leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

The man next to him, Toshiro, was meticulously reviewing the wording of the last document, his single eye scanning the paper at a measured pace, nodding slightly after each line.

At the other end of the table, Hanzo, the salamander, sat.

To be precise, it was Hanzo's body sitting there.

Those eyes hadn't moved much since he signed the document; they were fixed on the fingerprint he had just pressed on the table.

The vermilion ink residue on my fingertip hadn't dried completely and gleamed moistly in the candlelight.

Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze from Hanzo.

—This old man is doing calculations.

It's obvious without even guessing. Every decision Hanzo the Salamander made in his life involved a mental comparison of the potential benefits and risks.

Signing the document doesn't mean he's at ease; it just means he's done his calculations and thinks the deal isn't a bad one right now.

But the distance between "not losing out right now" and "genuine agreement" is probably as vast as the entire Land of Rain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no intention of breaking through this barrier.

No need.

What he wanted was never Hanzo's sincerity, but rather Hanzo's name printed on that piece of paper, in black and white, with a red seal as proof.

If they really dare to pull any tricks—the only option is to send Yahiko to Amegakure to take up his post.

"...The last one."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his index finger on the paper, his voice not loud, but it drew the attention of everyone in the tent.

"The fund's annual audit report must be made public to all three villages simultaneously. The destination of every grant and the care record of every orphan must be verifiable."

He raised his head, looking at Ai on his left and then at Hanzo on his right.

"No one should try to squeeze money out of the children. That's the bottom line."

The last four words were spoken very softly.

Ai's jaw tightened for a moment, then relaxed.

He wasn't stingy with money—Yunyin was aware of that much.

"……good."

He squeezed out a word through his nose.

Tsuchishiro bowed slightly and added on behalf of the Raikage, "Kumogakure has no objections. We will fully cooperate with the audit."

He always speaks with perfect tact and precision.

Hiruzen Sarutobi made a mental note of Tsuchishiro – this man was a sensible one.

Hanzo's side was even more straightforward.

A short, sharp sound came from behind the breathing mask; it was unclear whether it was a laugh or a sigh.

"agree."

Two words, not one more.

"it is good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to stand up, his chair leg scraping against the ground with a soft thud.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

"The framework agreement for the war orphans' compensation fund has been signed by all three parties."

As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi stacked the three documents on the table together, his movements unhurried, as if he were tidying up the letters on his own desk.

"The foundation's headquarters are located in Konoha, with branches in Kumogakure and Amegakure respectively."

"The management committee consists of two representatives from each of the three villages, but the chairman of the committee is Konoha."

Once this foundation building is erected in Kumogakure and Amegakure, it will be as if Konoha has driven a nail into the other's territory.

A nail coated in sugar, radiating kindness, and one that no one has any reason to pull out.

It is a matter of course to provide relief and compensation to war orphans.