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

Chapter 171 From now on, I'll leave it to you all.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo, who had been silent all along, showed a barely perceptible upward curve at the corner of his mouth on his unchanging, cold and hard face.

An almost non-existent arc.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over Uchiha Kagami, who was equally shocked beside him, and finally landing on Nara Naofuka.

There was no longer any scrutiny in those eyes, only pure approval.

"very good."

Danzo uttered two words.

The sound was not loud, but it weighed more than a thousand pounds.

"Nara Naofū, you did a great job."

Nara Naoka did more than just complete the mission.

He perfectly, even beyond, understood and executed his own will, as well as Hiruzen's.

At that moment, two pairs of Root ninjas, disguised as a fisherman couple, were busy on the flagship's deck, conducting final checks.

One person was inspecting the rudder base, while the other was carefully wiping the defensive spell nodes reserved on the ship's side.

Their movements were skillful and professional, each step was methodical, and their eyes showed no trace of the laxity of fishermen, but rather the competence of ninjas.

Upon seeing Danzo and his group appear, they merely glanced up before continuing with their own tasks.

Danzo took a step forward and was the first to walk towards the ship's ramp.

As his feet touched the flagship's deck, the cold, metallic feel emanated from beneath his feet, mixed with the distinctive odor of the anti-corrosion coating, adding to the ship's somber atmosphere.

A Root Technician ninja disguised as a fisherwoman bowed slightly to the two of them. Her voice was flat, as if she were stating a given fact.

"Lord Danzo, Lord Kagami."

"The power system, defensive spell nodes, and material reserves have all been verified."

Her "husband" immediately added, equally succinctly.

"Fresh water and food have also been checked, and nothing has been missed."

"We can set sail at any time."

Shimura Danzo did not speak, but nodded with a barely perceptible gesture.

His gaze swept across the deck, surveying the other nine warships anchored in the bay.

In the dim light, the black hulls resembled lurking giants, breathing silently and blending into the dark seawater.

Uchiha Kagami's gaze fell on the female ninja's hands.

Those hands had distinct knuckles, and the palms and fingertips were covered with thick calluses.

There are marks left by years of holding the kunai, and roughness from being worn by ropes and tools.

These hands can both accurately throw deadly weapons and skillfully repair complex ship machinery.

An indescribable feeling welled up in Uchiha Kagami's heart.

Under Hiruzen's guidance, the roots in our hands.

It has become a truly solid foundation that supports the great tree of Konoha as it takes root in the dark soil, integrating intelligence, infiltration, technology, and logistics.

They are ninjas, warriors, engineers, sailors, and the most reliable executors of the Hokage's will, extending to any field.

Just then, on the rocks at the entrance to the bay, an inconspicuous figure swung his fishing rod.

—The periphery is secure, and the time is ripe.

Uchiha Kagami snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the distant woods.

It was as if a switch had been pressed.

The once tranquil grove of trees on the edge instantly came to life.

One after another, black figures emerged silently from the shadows of the tree canopy and bushes, like black tides surging from the ground and converging on the beach.

They automatically split into ten columns.

Half of them, wearing a white mask devoid of any emotional fluctuation, that was the root.

The other half consists of various grotesque animal masks, belonging to the Anbu directly under the Hokage.

The two deepest dark forces of Konoha were now indistinguishable.

They simply stood there quietly, awaiting the order to board the ship. The chilling aura emanating from them seemed to dampen the sound of the surrounding waves.

The steady and restrained flow of chakra in these ninjas, and the explosive power contained beneath their taut muscle lines, enough to tear everything apart.

No one spoke, not even a superfluous glance exchanged.

Danzo's gaze swept over the ninjas and finally landed on the platform that had been prepared below the flagship.

"very good."

He spoke calmly.

"Boarding."

The sound spread instantly with a gust of wind.

On the beach, they strode forward at a steady pace, stepping onto the ship's ramps.

Throughout the entire process, the only sound was the uniform, dull thud of combat boots hitting the wooden planks.

They quickly found their place.

The man in charge of the sails went straight to the mast.

Those on guard duty silently dispersed to various corners of the ship, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Many of them may never have had any experience going to sea.

But they were ninjas.

They are elites whose learning and adaptability far exceed those of ordinary people.

Before setting off, the scrolls on ship handling and navigation provided by the root unit had already been memorized by each of them.

Theory and practice are perfectly combined at this moment.

"Ta-da!"

Just then, Nara Naokaze appeared from below and boarded the flagship.

He strode up to the two men, knelt on one knee once more, and presented them with a scroll tightly wrapped in oilcloth.

"Lord Danzo, Lord Kagami."

"After a final confirmation, this is the most accurate weather map of the waters near the Land of Whirlpools for the next 72 hours, as well as the navigation patterns of patrol vessels from surrounding countries, summarized by Root over many years."

Please take a look.

Uchiha Kagami stepped forward, took the scroll with both hands, and said solemnly.

"Naoka, thank you for your hard work."

Nara Naoka stood up, his gaze sweeping over the team about to set off, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes for a moment.

"I'll leave the rest to you all."

"......"

Danzo looked at him, reached out, and patted Nara Naofuka heavily on the shoulder.

"Um."

He turned and walked to the bow of the flagship.

Uchiha Kagami followed beside him.

No one speaks.

The entire bay was so quiet that the only sounds were the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the rocks and the low whistling of the sea breeze as it blew through the masts.

"This sea breeze is really something I'm not used to."

Uchiha Kagami suddenly spoke, breaking the extreme silence.

He raised his hand to tidy up his slightly disheveled black hair, a hint of helpless smile on his gentle face.

"By the time we get to the Land of Whirlpools, it will probably be in complete chaos."

Danzo's gaze did not leave the dark sea ahead; he simply uttered a single, emotionless syllable from his nose.

"Oh."

"Your hair is not within the scope of this mission."

That's one way of putting it.

A hint of amusement crept into Uchiha Kagami's voice.

"But a good image helps maintain a good mindset, Danzo."

"I don't want to go to see our allies with my hair all messy and disheveled."

Danzo finally turned his head and glanced at Uchiha Kagami.

There was a clear message in his eyes: "You're boring."

Uchiha Kagami, however, seemed not to notice and continued speaking to himself.

"Speaking of which, Hiruzen... he always grooms his beard carefully before every meeting, so I guess that's why."

"..."

Danzo's lips twitched. He turned back and refocused his gaze on the boundless sea.