At this time, Sasuke, who had been watching coldly from the side, stepped forward and spoke in his usual indifferent tone, "Speak. Why did you start a war in Konoha?"
The three siblings all chose to remain silent.
Mamoru shook his head inwardly.
They don't even know their old man has been replaced.
"Otogakure and Sunagakure conspired to destroy Konoha." Mamoru answered for them.
Seeing everyone's gaze instantly gather on him, he waved his hand casually.
A square stone nearby was moved steadily to his feet under his Chakra control. He sat down leisurely, crossed his arms, and crossed his legs with quite a bit of flair.
Then, he continued unhurriedly, "In this day and age, anyone still thinking about war does so for only one reason—resources."
"I imagine Sunagakure hasn't had an easy time these past few years, right? Are there major problems with the finances?"
The three remained silent, but the silence itself was an admission.
"Since internal finances are hard to maintain, it also shows that 'business' is having problems."
Mamoru's finger tapped lightly on his arm. "Think about it, isn't the ninja world just a business? Everyone is just trying to survive, using every means possible... even unscrupulous ones."
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of faint mockery. "As the strongest, Konoha has long monopolized 'business', making it hard for other ninja villages to sustain themselves. This is a survival issue. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand it either. If you can't even survive, what else can you do? Pick up your weapons and fight them."
These remarks caused the few people present to look at him askance. Of course, given his position, saying these things was somewhat like 'the cat crying for the mouse'.
"The topic seems to have drifted."
Mamoru shrugged, "However, this war was ultimately won by Konoha. Although the village has been destroyed beyond recognition... these losses will naturally be paid for by the losing side."
Temari and Kankuro clenched their fists in unison, a deep sense of unease flashing in their eyes. As children of the Kazekage, they knew all too well the current plight of the village.
This battle was not only a crushing defeat, with heavy casualties, but the subsequent reparations would surely be immeasurable. Added to the series of unequal negotiations that would surely follow... this would undoubtedly make things even worse for Sunagakure.
But in Gaara's eyes, there were no longer the same sinister fluctuations as before. He just quietly looked at his sister and brother, then at the wisps of smoke rising from the distant Konoha, remaining silent like a statue made of sand.
...
Three days had passed since the riot in Konoha had been quelled.
Mamoru stepped out of his house, strolling lazily as he prepared to find something to eat.
With his stomach growling, he couldn't help but complain internally—Sasuke had disappeared again, leaving no one to cook a meal. If things continued like this, the household would truly fall apart.
Arriving at the nearest district, a scent mixed with wood and dust wafted toward him.
Bang... Bang...
The dense sound of hammering echoed from all directions, filling the entire street.
The villagers were busy repairing their homes. Some only had damaged roofs or walls that could be lived in after a quick fix, while others had been completely reduced to rubble and had to be torn down and rebuilt.
Because his and Sasuke's small house was in a remote location, it had luckily escaped the chaos unscathed.
"Yo, isn't this our little hero?" A hearty voice interrupted Mamoru's thoughts.
He couldn't help but stop and look up. He saw a middle-aged man standing by a ladder, firmly holding a long wooden board, with a simple and honest smile on his face.
Mamoru subconsciously looked left and right, confirming that the man was indeed speaking to him.
The middle-aged man held the board steady, his voice filled with admiration. "Mamoru, everyone knows now. You saved Hokage-sama from those Otogakure people and even repelled many invaders. You're truly amazing."
"Ah... oh." Mamoru replied vaguely, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.
Being praised so bluntly always felt a bit strange to him.
"Mamoru, the village's little hero!"
At that moment, a young man's head popped out from the eaves, shouting with a grin.
Mamoru's eye twitched slightly, and his cheeks heated up. He could only scratch his face unnaturally, his gaze drifting to the pile of neatly stacked long wooden boards in the corner.
"Do all of these... need to be carried up?" He asked, trying to change the subject.
"That's right, the roof needs some reinforcement." The man nodded and lifted the board in his hand a bit higher.
The young man on the eaves immediately reached out to grab it and pulled it up with effort.
Mamoru looked at the pile of heavy boards, remained silent for a moment, and then raised his right hand, slowly opening his fingers with his palm facing upward.
Following his subtle movements, the pile of wooden boards in the corner seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, rising steadily into the air. One by one, they flew toward the roof, spreading out neatly on both sides of the young man.
"This is..."
The man's eyes widened, and his movements came to a complete halt.
The young man on the roof also stared in astonishment at the automatically arranged boards, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.
"Is this okay?" Mamoru lowered his hand, his tone calm.
The man was dazed for several seconds before snapping out of it, his face showing a mix of surprise and joy. "Thank you, thank you so much."
Mamoru waved his hand dismissively and continued walking.
Just as he passed the middle-aged man, he was suddenly called back.
"Kid."
Mamoru paused and looked back in confusion.
The man pointed his thumb at the sign already hanging behind him—Hashimoto Sushi.
His smile was warm and sincere. "Next time you come to my shop, I'll treat you well."
Mamoru looked at the slightly old but clean wooden sign, the corners of his lips curling up slightly.
"Sure." He replied readily.
After saying that, he turned and continued on his way, but before he could go far, he was warmly pulled aside by an auntie wearing an apron.
While he was in a state of total confusion, the auntie rubbed his head and patted his shoulder, constantly muttering praises like "good boy" and "so brave."
Mamoru stood there stiffly, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.
From then on, similar scenes kept repeating.
Almost every few shops, someone would recognize him, greet him warmly, and praise him. Afterward, he would naturally help out with whatever he could—using Limitless to straighten tilted beams, carry heavy construction materials, or even help an old lady spread out her laundry neatly in the sun.
By the time he finally left that street under reconstruction, he began to realize what was happening.
The ordinary villagers were so enthusiastic toward him, and the news had spread so quickly. Someone was likely pushing this behind the scenes to build his image as a 'hero.'
The first person he thought of was Hiruzen.
It must have been his idea. But what was the intention behind it?
Could it be... nominating him to be the Hokage?
The moment the thought appeared, he dismissed it.
Whether in terms of prestige or experience, he was far from qualified. This single achievement wasn't enough to convince those at the core of power. He was just a newly emerging Genin, not even touching the edges of Konoha's power structure.
That left only one other possibility—to bind him firmly to the ship that was Konoha.
By making him feel the love and need of the villagers, he would naturally develop a sense of belonging and see this place as a home that must be protected.
From a certain perspective, it was also paving the way for his future—judging by this trend, Hiruzen would likely have new arrangements for him next.
Of course, these were just his wild guesses. Who's to say the higher-ups in Konoha hadn't had a momentary lapse in judgment and actually wanted to nominate him as Hokage?
At that thought, Mamoru unconsciously broke into a smile, even letting out a few light, frivolous "hehe" chuckles as his mind wandered—maybe it wouldn't be so bad?
Everyone likes me so much, so me becoming the Hokage would naturally be what everyone wants.
'When I become Hokage, I must arrange for two beautiful kunoichi as secretaries to protect me closely. Preferably the kind with... well, the kind with big chests about to burst out...'