["Look at those stars."]
["Each and every one of them is actually just like the sun we see."]
[Sensing the timing is right, Hiruzen points at the stars.]
[Naruto looks up. "The sun?"]
["The big, bright thing that comes out during the day?"]
["That's right. This world is vast—so vast it seems endless."]
["Wow~!" Naruto's eyes light up. "Grandpa, you know so much!"]
[Hearing this, Hiruzen smiles smugly.]
Ōnoki: "Heh, just as expected of you, Third Hokage."
Mei Terumī: "I feel like Uzumaki Naruto is different from ordinary children."
Hashirama: "Hahaha~"
Tobirama: "Big brother, stop talking casually."
["Before such a vast world, humans are actually very small."]
["And the troubles in our hearts become insignificant in comparison."]
[Hiruzen shakes his head. Naruto doesn't really understand—no one has ever told him these things.]
["Grandpa… are humans really that small?"]
[Looking at the stars, Naruto's big eyes suddenly fill with tears. If everyone is small and the same… why am I treated differently?]
[Hiruzen takes out his pipe and takes a puff.]
["Grandpa, you look kind of familiar."]
["Oh? Why do you say that?" Hiruzen's eyes light up.]
["Um… you look like the stone faces above the village!"]
["Hehe, so you noticed?" Hiruzen can't suppress his smile.]
["Do you know who gets their faces carved on Hokage Rock?"]
[Naruto shakes his head blankly.]
["Those carved there are great heroes who protect the village."]
["Where the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn…"]
[Hiruzen begins instilling the Will of Fire.]
[Naruto doesn't understand, but it sounds impressive.]
[Seeing the longing on Naruto's small face, Hiruzen knows—his task is complete.]
["So that's how it is! Grandpa, you're amazing~!"]
[Seeing Naruto's shining eyes, Hiruzen coughs lightly.]
[Then slowly stands up.]
[Hands behind his back, leaving Naruto with a solitary silhouette.]
["It's late. I should be going."]
[Naruto immediately looks dejected, but then asks eagerly, "Grandpa, can I become Hokage?"]
[Hiruzen turns back and smiles kindly.]
["It's not that you become Hokage and then gain everyone's recognition."]
["It's that after gaining everyone's recognition, you become the great hero who protects the village—the Hokage."]
["I believe, Naruto, that you'll definitely gain everyone's recognition."]
["Wow—!" Naruto exclaims, then hurriedly asks, "Then Grandpa, are you the strongest person in the village?"]
["I'm the strongest among those four… at least, that's what people say~"]
…
The screen abruptly cuts off.
Silence falls.
Everyone stares at Sarutobi Hiruzen on the stands with strange expressions.
Hiruzen's face burns red.
Orochimaru laughs without restraint.
Sakura Haruno: "So that's why Naruto's dream since childhood was to gain recognition and become Hokage."
Ino Yamanaka: "Yeah. I always thought it was weird how Naruto kept shouting about becoming Hokage. Turns out he was indoctrinated this early."
Shikamaru Nara: "Cough—Ino!"
He tries to stop her.
Ino rolls her eyes and says nothing more.
Sasuke Uchiha: "That idiot!"
Naruto Uzumaki: "Sasuke! You're the idiot!"
Sasuke is speechless.
But thinking about it…
no wonder the dead last kept shouting about becoming Hokage without any self-awareness.
Ōnoki speaks again.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyelid twitches.
Ōnoki: "Oh~ the Will of Fire~"
Ōnoki: "Third Hokage, impressive methods~"
Fourth Raikage: "Tsk tsk tsk, amazing Third Hokage indeed~!"
Fourth Raikage: "I recall the Third Hokage was once called 'The Professor,' wasn't he?"
Hashirama: "Huh? God of Shinobi?"
Hashirama: "Amazing! Monkey, I didn't expect you to surpass me!"
Tobirama: "Big brother! Shut up!"
If anyone else said this, it might not be literal.
But coming from Hashirama—
it absolutely is.
Tobirama quickly figures it out.
With himself and his brother gone,
to avoid being targeted by other villages,
Konoha had no choice but to shape Hiruzen into the "God of Shinobi."
Even if self-proclaimed, it reduced external pressure.
But…
In that scene earlier, when Hiruzen said he was the strongest—
he seemed serious.
Fooling others is one thing.
Fooling yourself is another.
In the end, for Konoha's sake, TTobirama forces himself to say—at least, from a political standpoint
Tch… Monkey's actions are somewhat understandable. It was to give the Jinchūriki a sense of belonging to the village…
No.
He can't go on.
Tobirama's face feels hot.
From a political standpoint, Hiruzen is indeed a qualified politician.
But to use such methods on the son of a hero—
That's despicable.
Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly speaks up:
"Yes. I followed my teacher's will. Everything I did was for Konoha."
Tobirama: "???"
You bastard—!
Fourth Raikage: "Hahaha! So it was all the Second Hokage of Konoha's idea~ No wonder!"
Ōnoki doesn't continue this time.
After all, it involves the Second Hokage.
But the Fourth Raikage clearly doesn't care.
In recent years, Kumogakure dared to abduct people from Konoha even at its weakest.
When caught red-handed, they expected to pay dearly—
Only to have Konoha cede ground instead.
Uchiha Madara: "As expected of master and disciple—disgusting as ever."
Hashirama: "Madara, that's not fair—"
Madara: "So what? A mere Jinchūriki, guarded this heavily, schemed against to the point he can't even afford ramen. This is Konoha under your ideals?"
Hashirama falls silent.
Tobirama is furious—but after just excusing Hiruzen for Konoha's stability, he has no choice but to keep quiet.
Madara doesn't let the opportunity pass.
Madara: "So far, I haven't seen a single Uchiha. Heh—were they already eliminated? Foolish."
Uchiha Izuna: "Big brother… I'm here. I'm here."
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