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

Chapter 499: Ensure that they do not lose the future they deserve because of our hatred.

The rain, I don't know when, has become fine again.

It wasn't the kind of torrential rain that was mixed with killing and bloodshed, but rather a gentle, silent autumn rain with a chilling edge.

It washes away the bloodstains in the canyon that have not yet dried, and also soaks the memorial stone that was built by countless hands in the most devout and clumsy way.

Aina's large, bony hands, clenched tightly at her sides from excessive force, then slowly loosened.

It wasn't just the ice in my heart, forged from anger and hatred, that cracked.

He once thought that his father's death, the Cloud Village's crushing defeat, and all the hatred needed to be washed away with an even more devastating victory.

But the man before him, the Third Hokage of Konoha, used a method he had never imagined, or even could not understand, to gently, yet undeniably dissolve that heavy hatred.

Not by force, not by the posture of a victor, but by a kind of almost absurd...respect.

Respect every life that has passed away.

Killer Bee stood beside his brother, his eyes, which were always hidden in the shadows, now clearly reflecting the cold inscriptions on the memorial stone.

He could feel his brother's stiffness, and from that stiffness, something called sadness was slowly leaking out.

Tsuchishiro-senpai was right.

The true shadow, perhaps, carries more than just the glory and hatred of a village.

In the deathly silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a step forward.

He stood directly in front of the memorial monument, behind him a silent wall of ninjas from the three villages of Konoha, Kumogakure, and Amegakure.

Their headbands gleamed differently in the gloomy light, and the emblems that once symbolized an unyielding struggle now eerily converged under the same sky, all gazing in the same direction.

All attention was focused on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

They waited, waiting to see what the ultimate victor of the war would say.

Is it to proclaim Konoha's strength? Or to warn the defeated to submit?

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply glanced around calmly.

His gaze swept across faces, young or weathered, over the weariness, sadness, and confusion that lingered on them, and the faint hope hidden deep within.

"The war is over."

A statement so bland it lacked any emotional fluctuation.

"Today, we are here to bury the dead."

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, piercing through the continuous rain.

"But starting tomorrow, we must think about how... to take care of those who are still alive."

living people.

These four words made many ninjas instinctively straighten their backs.

"In a war, those who truly pay the heaviest price are never us ninjas standing here."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice suddenly became heavy, and that weight made everyone present feel a tightness in their chests.

"But those who live in the village, with a lamp lit, who will never see their father, husband, or son return home...family members."

"Those children who, from now on, will struggle to survive amidst hunger, cold, and scorn."

Obito's body trembled violently.

He instinctively clutched his chest. The drawing paper, which he had carefully folded and tucked into the Sand Village ninja's arms, now felt like a red-hot branding iron, burning hot in his mind.

"Dad, welcome home."

A chilling fear and sorrow gripped his throat once more.

"I hereby declare."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head, facing everyone directly.

"Konoha will take the lead in establishing a war orphan relief fund that spans multiple villages."

"The foundation has only one purpose—to ensure that the children of all the ninjas who sacrificed their lives in this war, regardless of which village they came from, will receive sufficient support until they reach adulthood."

"Make sure they have food to eat, clothes to wear, and access to education."

"Make sure they...don't lose the future they deserve because of our hatred."

"boom--!"

These words, no less powerful than a dust escape technique, exploded in everyone's minds.

Ai suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with utter shock and disbelief.

A pension fund?

Crossing villages?

He considered countless possibilities, including what kind of harsh postwar treaty Hiruzen Sarutobi would propose.

But I never imagined it would be like this.

What... what is this?

The Victor's Mercy?

Or... a more sophisticated way to win people's hearts?

Standing beside him, Tsuchishiro's body trembled slightly, unable to suppress it.

For the first time, fear appeared in his only remaining right eye.

That's terrifying...

This person is terrifying.

What he was after was not the gain or loss of a single city or place, nor the victory or defeat of a war.

What he wants is the future.

It's the hearts and minds of the entire ninja world!

On the other side, Hanzo the Salamander froze.

His suspicious mind raced, trying to uncover the conspiracy behind the proposal.

Is this Konoha's cultural infiltration? Is it an attempt to control the future of each village through economic aid?

but……

Faced with such a humanitarian proposal, could he refuse?

he can not.

If he refuses, Hanzo the Salamander, the "demigod" of Amegakure, will be seen by all his subordinates as a cold-blooded monster who wouldn't even protect an orphan.

Acceptance... would mean tacitly acknowledging Konoha's supreme moral leadership position in this post-war new order.

This is no longer an open conspiracy.

This is the right way.

It is with the purest benevolence and magnanimity that he constructs a completely new order that is impossible for him to calculate or resist.

"Lord Hokage..."

As Yahiko watched Hiruzen Sarutobi's retreating figure, his fiery eyes blazed with an unprecedented light. He trembled with excitement, muttering to himself.

"...A real bridge..."

"This foundation will be launched with funding from Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice continued, "At the same time, it is open to all villages. We don't force anyone, we just welcome them."

"We have already lost enough; we cannot let the next generation continue to pay for our mistakes."

He slowly withdrew his gaze from the crowd and turned it back to the cold memorial stone.

That's all I wanted to say.

After saying that, he took a step back and stood side by side with Ai and Hanzo beside him.

Then, to everyone's astonishment...

The Third Hokage of Konoha, a man known as the Professor of Ninja, bowed deeply before the stone monument engraved with countless names.

This is a 90-degree bow.

There was no reluctance whatsoever, no affectation whatsoever.

Only silent, solemn mourning and respect for all those who have passed away.