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

Chapter 232 Destruction and Protection, Iron Fist and Benevolent Governance

Hiruzen Sarutobi neither directly admitted nor denied it.

He simply raised his hand and pointed to the churning sea not far away, and further away, to the sky stained red by the flames of war and the light of ninjutsu.

"Lord Ban, you have dedicated your life to the pursuit of true peace."

"When someone presents you with the nascent form of peace in a different way, wouldn't you be curious and come to see it for yourself?"

These words caused Madara Uchiha to unconsciously tighten his arms around himself.

For the first time, a genuine ripple appeared deep within his Rinnegan.

Yes.

He was curious.

Once, when I saw the Eye of the Moon Plan on the Uchiha stone tablet, I thought it was a special way out.

Until Konoha welcomed the Third Hokage...

Konoha did not weaken because of the Second Hokage's death.

The Uchiha clan did not perish because of vigilance and estrangement.

On the contrary, the young man chosen by Tobirama, in a way that neither he nor Hashirama had ever imagined, united the entire village into an unprecedented and unbreakable force.

He had even heard of the absurd yet realistic name, the Uchiha Barbecue Team.

He heard that the head of the Uchiha clan had become the Hokage's most trusted right-hand man.

When Madara Uchiha learned that Konoha had mobilized a large army to fight against the two major ninja villages simultaneously for the sake of the Land of Whirlpools, and was displaying an overwhelming advantage, Madara Uchiha finally couldn't sit still.

He decided to come and see for himself.

Let's see where this village, which he and Hashirama created with their own hands, has been led by this person named Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, surprisingly, revealed his deepest motive in a single sentence.

This young man sees things too clearly.

"snort."

Madara Uchiha snorted coldly, which was taken as tacit agreement with Hiruzen Sarutobi's statement.

He stopped dwelling on how the other person knew of his existence and instead steered the conversation toward something he was more interested in.

"I saw your methods; swift and decisive, leaving no room for compromise. In that respect, you are far better than that soft-hearted fool, Hashirama."

"But I also saw your kindness. You protected the Land of Whirlpools, and you made everyone in the village live in peace and prosperity. In this respect, you are very much like him."

Madara Uchiha narrowed his Rinnegan slightly, as if he wanted to see through Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul.

"Destruction and protection, iron fist and benevolence... You have fused these two completely contradictory things together."

"Tell me, Hiruzen Sarutobi, what exactly is your Will of Fire?"

This question gets straight to the heart of the matter.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that this was Madara Uchiha's ultimate test for him.

His answer will determine whether this ninja world's demon is an enemy or a friend.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

On the distant battlefield, the cheers of the Konoha fleet still roared like thunder, while the Allied Fleet began to crumble in despair.

He withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked back at Uchiha Madara, speaking each word clearly and firmly.

"The Will of Fire is to protect."

"To protect everyone who calls Konoha their home, so that they can live with dignity and hope. For this, as Hokage, I can become the most compassionate village chief."

At this point, his tone suddenly changed, and a chilling killing intent flashed across his face.

"But as for any enemy who dares to threaten this peace..."

"The Will of Fire is also the karmic fire that burns everything. I will burn them, along with their ambitions, to ashes, turning them into nourishment for the new leaves of Konoha."

"Therefore, as the Hokage, I can also become the most ruthless killer."

"Compassionate heart, ruthless methods. This is my Will of Fire."

His words were powerful and resounding.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Madara Uchiha listened quietly, the turmoil in his Rinnegan growing ever more intense.

Compassionate heart...

Brilliant methods...

He thought of Hashirama, and then he thought of himself.

The Hokage before me…

They accomplished what neither of them could.

These two extreme powers are perfectly integrated into one.

"Ha ha……"

"Hahahaha!"

Madara Uchiha suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, the sound of which pierced through the clouds and shattered rocks, overwhelming the ocean waves.

In that laughter, there was relief, appreciation, and even more so, a sense of relief that...the work has been passed on.

"Excellent! What a compassionate heart and ruthless methods!"

He stopped laughing, his Rinnegan eyes fixed intently on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, you have surpassed Hashirama, and you have surpassed me."

"You've found... a better path."

This is the highest praise that Madara Uchiha, the only opponent of the God of Shinobi, could give.

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief.

Bet right.

Deep down, Madara Uchiha still held onto a final hope for this village and for this world.

He did not become the madman who was completely bewitched by Black Zetsu and only wanted to unleash the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

He is still the same Madara Uchiha.

"Well, Madara-sama."

Hiruzen Sarutobi then asked, "What brings you here today?"

Madara Uchiha suppressed all his imposing aura and reverted to being just an ordinary old man who appeared somewhat dignified.

He crossed his arms again, gazing at the distant naval battle with an almost scrutinizing air.

"I've come to see the end of a war."

"Let's also witness the beginning of a new era."

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood perfectly.

"Konoha welcomes your return at any time."

"return?"

Madara Uchiha chuckled and shook his head. "This world no longer needs Madara Uchiha. The future of Konoha is not in my hands."

His Rinnegan, traversing a vast distance, seemed to land on the fluttering Uchiha fan banners of the Konoha fleet.

"but……"

His aged voice carried a hint of expectation that he himself was unaware of.

"Perhaps Konoha can still accommodate an unknown old man, so he can come back and see... see how those newly sprouted leaves are growing strong."

Hiruzen Sarutobi made up his mind.

It became.

Through twenty years of hard work, he proved to him that peace does not require false illusions.

Just then, Madara Uchiha suddenly turned his head and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a strange expression.

"By the way, I heard... my people are quite good at grilling meat now?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, almost losing his composure.

"Cough, it's not barbecue..."

He cleared his throat and answered seriously, "That's a high-precision heat treatment using Fire Release ninjutsu, an indispensable part of chakra concrete technology, and it has made outstanding contributions to Konoha's infrastructure development."

Madara Uchiha remained silent.

He seemed to be digesting the unfamiliar terms "high-precision heat treatment" and "chakra concrete technology".

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"...That sounds quite interesting."

interesting.

The fact that this word came from Madara Uchiha's mouth is interesting enough in itself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded seriously: "Yes, very interesting. It turns out that the Uchiha flames can not only bring destruction, but also forge eternity."

These words, like an invisible needle, gently pierced Madara Uchiha's heart.

It doesn't hurt, but it's a little sore.

Yes, his descendants are building a home with fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi

Madara Uchiha suddenly spoke, interrupting the aftershocks of the naval battle that were coming from afar.

"Um?"

"You've won the war. What's your next step?"

This question isn't about the naval battle in the Land of Whirlpools, but about the more distant and grander future.

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and looked at the sky, which was a chaotic mess of firelight and water vapor. It was as if he could see the entire map of the ninja world through the clouds.

"Um...."

"I will continue to transform the village. When Konoha becomes a beacon for everyone, then my mission will be half accomplished."

What a magnificent, and what a... captivating idea!

"...I'll wait and see."

After a long silence, Madara Uchiha uttered these five words.