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

Chapter 613 Strolling Leisurely

"Bone Eater".

Yagura's voice was calm, as if he were reasoning with an ignorant junior—even though the other person was a full twelve years older than him, "Today is a diplomatic occasion, and Master Yuan's intention is—"

"Master?" Honebami interrupted him, his laughter growing louder. "That old bastard lying in bed waiting to die? He can't even control his own excrement, yet he wants to control the future of Kirigakure?"

Yagura's expression changed.

It wasn't anger, but a kind of embarrassment at having a sore spot touched. He truly couldn't refute this—the entire village had witnessed Yuan Shi's physical condition.

Honebami was clearly pleased with this reaction. He raised his hand, and a pale white bone spur slowly emerged from his fingertip, like a fragment of bone pulled from a wound, its tip so sharp it could reflect the faint light in the mist.

He pointed the bone spike at the steel behemoth at the end of the dock, his gaze sweeping over the ship's side and across the expressionless black figures on the deck.

Ultimately, the focus was on the bow of the ship.

It locked onto the two figures with silver-white hair.

"And you—" Honebami's voice suddenly rose, as if deliberately wanting everyone on the dock to hear, "Hozuki Kaigetsu! Hozuki Shio!"

Hozuki Shio's fingers tightened on the ninja tool pouch.

"Traitor!" Honebami swore, "Being captured by the enemy is bad enough, but you turned around and became their dog? You two have completely disgraced the Hozuki clan's reputation built up over hundreds of years!"

"Konoha's lackeys!"

The hundreds of followers behind him roared in unison, the sound waves surging from the crowd, making the rubble on the dock shake.

Hozuki Shio's chakra surged within her body.

The preparation for the water-based spell was completed in an instant; liquefied ripples appeared on the skin of her right hand. Just half a second more—

A hand was placed on her shoulder.

It wasn't very powerful, but it was steady.

"No." Haiyue's voice was colder than the sea breeze. "He's forcing you to take action. If you do, you'll confirm the 'traitor who struck first' label."

tide gritted her teeth and suppressed her chakra. Her fingers dug five holes in the fabric of her ninja tool pouch.

On the dock, Mei Terumi calmly pulled her right hand out of her sleeve.

Her five fingers were slightly spread apart, and almost invisible heat rose from between them. It was a sign that the Lava Release chakra was about to be released.

The dozens of ninjas behind Yagura turned pale, and some of them had already placed their hands on kunai.

Thirty or forty against three or four hundred.

It was a one-sided massacre no matter how you looked at it.

The air solidified at that moment.

Everyone at the Hidden Mist Wharf—from Yagura's side, Honebami's side, those watching, and those fearing—was waiting for the same thing.

What was the reaction of the person on the boat?

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze away from the dock.

He turned to look at Uchiha Shisui. Shisui stood there expressionless, his right hand hanging at his side, not a finger twitching.

"Shisui," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his tone exactly the same as when they were chatting on the ship.

"exist."

"You mean this fog," Hiruzen Sarutobi tilted his head, as if seriously sensing something, "is it colder than the fog on the hot springs of the Land of Fire?"

"..." Shisui paused for a moment, "Reporting to the Hokage, it is indeed colder. The humidity is also higher, with the water vapor content being about three times that of the inland areas of the Land of Fire."

"Three," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, looking thoughtful. "That would be perfect for growing mushrooms."

"...Growing mushrooms?" Hozuki Kaigetsu couldn't help but turn his head.

"Hmm." Hiruzen Sarutobi said seriously, "The mushroom production at Konoha Farm hasn't been great lately, and Sakumo has been looking for a more suitable environment. With this humidity and temperature, if we could build a temperature-controlled mushroom house—"

He talked while counting on his fingers and muttering incantations.

Hozuki Shio almost choked on her own saliva.

Below the dock, hundreds of men were drawing their swords and nocking their arrows, on the verge of a fight. And here this lord was, plotting to grow mushrooms?

However, this absurdly relaxed state was like a bucket of cold water poured on the fire in her and Haiyue's hearts.

Yeah, what's the rush?

Why are they panicking?

All those people below, even if you put them all together, probably wouldn't be enough for Shisui to warm up by himself.

Boneshi was still shouting on the dock.

He didn't get the reaction he expected, which annoyed him. According to his script, the people of Konoha should have been intimidated by this display of force, or at least angry—anger leads to impulsiveness, and impulsiveness leads to vulnerability.

But the people on the ship didn't even look at him.

The old man in the white scarf was actually discussing with the people around him what vegetables to plant.

"you--"

Bone Eater's patience had reached its limit. He took another step forward, bone spurs thrusting out from both shoulders simultaneously, like two curved ivory knives. He opened his mouth, preparing a string of harsh words he had been brewing for three whole days—

Then he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi move.

The old man dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, turned around, and walked toward the gangway.

The pace was very slow.

The wooden clogs tapped on the steel deck, "tap, tap, tap," with a steady rhythm like a metronome.

On the dock, everyone's eyes were fixed on that unhurried figure.

Yagura held his breath. Mei Terumi withdrew her fingers. Even Honebami's menacing subordinates fell silent for a moment, as if something invisible had pressed down on their throats.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked to the top of the gangway and stood still.

Looking down from his vantage point, his gaze swept over everyone on the dock, over the bone spikes and murderous intent, over the thick fog, and landed on the hazy outline of the village in the distance.

His expression was calm.

There was even that enigmatic smile on his lips.

Behind him, Uchiha Shisui followed silently. His dark eyes swept over everyone on the dock, as if looking at a group of ants who had already been sentenced to death, but who he was unaware of.

The wooden clogs were lifted up.

It stopped at the edge of the last step of the gangway.

Beneath my feet lies the scarred stone pavement of Kirigakure, the cracks seeping salty seawater. One step forward, and this land lies ahead.

This is the land that once sent the third Mizukage to the battlefield and then brought his remains back.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's feet were suspended in mid-air.

There were over four hundred pairs of eyes on the dock, and not a single one blinked.

Kaguya Honebami gripped her bone blade tightly, letting out a beast-like growl.

Yagura's hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves.

Hozuki Kaigetsu stopped breathing.

Then--

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around and waved to Shio Hozuki, who was still on the deck.

"tide."

"Huh?" Hozuki Shio was taken aback. "W-What's wrong, Hokage-sama?"

"Do you still have any of those spicy squid strips from Akimichi's shop in your bag? Give me a pack, it's a long way to go, and my mouth will get dry from walking."

"..."

The entire room fell silent.

Hozuki Shio mechanically pulled a bag of dried squid from her ninja tool pouch and mechanically threw it over.

Hiruzen Sarutobi caught it with one hand, tore open the bag, picked out a piece, and stuffed it into his mouth.

He chewed twice and nodded.

"It tastes good."