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

Chapter 614 One step, an insurmountable chasm!

"It tastes good."

The spiciness is just right, stimulating the taste buds without overpowering the natural sweetness of the squid. The Akimichi family's culinary skills are indeed improving every day, just like Konoha Village.

He picked up the second one, slowly put it in his mouth, and even closed his eyes to savor it.

"..."

The dock remained deathly silent.

But this deathly silence was subtly different from the deathly silence just now.

If the previous second was the calm before the storm, a tense moment when everyone held their breath, waiting to see a good show.

In that instant, hundreds of large question marks appeared in that deathly silence.

What is he doing?

Eating snacks?

At a time like this?

Kaguya Honebami's arrogant smile was starting to falter.

He had considered many possibilities.

The Hokage of Konoha might be too intimidated by his imposing presence to disembark, might utter a few harsh words in a show of bravado, or might angrily take direct action.

He had prepared a script to deal with each one.

But what he didn't expect was that the other party would completely ignore him.

They ignored him, ignored the hundreds of elite Kaguya clan members behind him, and ignored the display of power that would make any national leader's legs go weak.

Then, I started eating snacks.

This is no longer a provocation.

This is telling everyone on the dock in an almost absurd, performance art way—you are not worthy of my second glance.

"asshole……"

Kaguya Honebami squeezed out a few words through her teeth, and the bone spurs that had just sprouted on her body grew even longer because of her master's anger.

However, the man on the boat still didn't look at him.

After finishing his second strip of squid, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to feel a bit thirsty.

He casually stuffed the bag of dried squid into his wide sleeve, then turned around and walked down.

笃.

笃.

笃.

The wooden clogs struck the steel deck with a dull, rhythmic sound.

Each strike felt like a blow to everyone's heart.

On the dock, Yagura instinctively gripped the coral stick in his hand, his palms already covered in cold sweat.

Terumi Mei's slightly parted lips closed again, her emerald green eyes filled with disbelief.

Hozuki Kaigetsu stood a few steps behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching his unhurried back, and a sense of absurdity, even stronger than when facing Kagami Uchiha's Susanoo, welled up in his heart.

Is the Hokage really hungry?

Only Hozuki Shio, looking at the bag of squid strips tucked into her sleeve, muttered softly, "That's mine..."

I'm a little seasick.

"so,"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched his shoulders, and his neck made a series of soft cracking sounds that only he could hear. He was wearing an ordinary dark ninja outfit, and the white scarf around his neck swayed in the wind. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged man next door who was about to go for a walk.

He even had a gentle smile on his face. It didn't feel like he was there to face a rebellion, but rather like he was there to attend a lively temple fair.

"I want to get off the ship as soon as possible; it feels much better to be grounded."

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally turned his gaze to the dock.

The gaze was calm, sweeping over Yagura, over Mei Terumi, and finally landing on the man at the very front, whose body was covered in bone spurs, like a white hedgehog.

Kaguya Honebami met that gaze with her chest puffed out. She wanted to show this old man from Konoha that Kirigakure was not a place where they could run wild!

Then, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's right foot lift up.

The foot, clad in a wooden clog, left the boat under everyone's watchful eyes.

It was suspended in mid-air.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

The salty, damp mist that filled the air seemed to have solidified.

At the dock, hundreds of Hidden Mist ninja, whether they were fanatics of the Kaguya clan, officials under Yagura, or civilians trembling in a distant corner, all focused their attention on that foot.

step.

As long as this step is taken.

He then set foot on the land of Kirigakure.

He also stepped into the blood and bone trap that Kaguya Honebami had meticulously prepared for him.

Kaguya Honebami's lips curled into a cruel smile once more.

come on.

As long as you dare to come down...

Then, that foot landed.

It landed lightly, like a fallen leaf, on the weathered stone slabs of the Hidden Mist Village dock.

"Clatter".

A soft sound.

That's it.

Kaguya Honebami's smile froze.

All the harsh words, taunts, and follow-up actions he had prepared were stuck in his throat.

Because he sensed it.

A kind of... thing.

He had witnessed the most terrifying killing intent. During the graduation exam in the Blood Mist, he personally snapped the neck of his last companion and bathed in the blood of his opponent.

For him, murderous intent was nothing more than an appetizer.

But this wasn't murderous intent.

This is a weight.

It was as if, the instant his toes touched the ground, an invisible mountain descended upon him with a thunderous roar, centered on the man.

It wasn't pressing down on him.

It pressed down on every living creature in this space.

The light seemed to be distorted by this force, becoming dim.

breathe……

Kaguya Honebami suddenly realized that she could hardly breathe.

Every cell in his body stopped functioning under this terrifying pressure, including his lungs.

"Well……"

Behind him, the sounds of people collapsing to the ground came from all directions.

Those Kaguya clansmen who had followed him and shouted fervently, those warriors who considered themselves born for battle, now knelt down in droves, like harvested wheat.

The weaker ones couldn't even kneel; their eyes rolled back, they foamed at the mouth, and fainted.

The stronger ones also used their bone blades to support themselves on the ground, their whole bodies trembling like leaves, their bones groaning under the unbearable pressure, as if they would be crushed into powder by this invisible pressure in the next second.

"Wha...what happened...?"

The coral staff in Yagura's hand had its tip deeply embedded in the stone slab. He used all his strength to barely maintain his standing posture.

For the first time, fear appeared on his mature-beyond-his-years face.

I felt like I wasn't facing a single person.

He was facing a vast ocean, a deep, unfathomable ocean that could swallow him whole at any moment, an angry ocean!

Mei Terumi, who was standing next to him, was in no better condition.

She bit her lip hard to keep from screaming.

All that remained in my mind were the four words Elder Yuan had written in the letter with trembling handwriting.

It cannot be overpowered, nor can it be offended.

So this is what it means to be invincible.

This is no longer a question of whether or not we can win.

In this purgatory of fear and despair, there are more than twenty figures who are the only exceptions.

Uchiha Shisui, along with twenty Anbu members behind him, followed Hiruzen Sarutobi as they descended the gangway step by step.

They appeared calm and composed, their steps steady.

That terrifying aura, enough to suffocate even Jonin, blew over them as gently as a Valentine's Day evening breeze.

This extreme contrast is more impactful than any words or actions.

Hozuki Kaigetsu stared in horror at the scene, his entire body practically boiling with shock.

He finally understands now.

The things the Hokage said to them on the ship, the plans he showed them, even teaching them how to bake a cake…

How merciful all of that was!