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

Chapter 159 White Fang Volunteers

"very good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out another scroll from his robes.

He didn't say much, but slowly pushed it to the other end of the conference table, in front of Orochimaru.

"This is a bonus gift that will help you complete your mission."

Gift?

All eyes were drawn to the scroll.

Orochimaru's fingers twitched slightly.

The scroll that was pushed in front of me felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

That was a map.

An incredibly detailed map of the Land of Lightning.

Mountains, rivers, towns... even the street layout inside Cloud Hidden Village is clearly visible.

But that wasn't what shocked him the most.

What truly took his breath away were the dozen or so tiny red dots on the map, precisely marked with bright red ink.

Next to each red dot is a name, an identity, and a short... code.

[Rayko Blacksmith Shop, Owner: Hijikata Ryuichi. Password: Last night's thunder woke up the sleepy cat.]

[Kumakushi Sewer Cleaning Team, Squad Leader 7, Ken Nakajima. Password: The water bill seems to have gone up again this week.]

[Raikage Building, Archives Administrator...]

......

These identities are so ordinary, so insignificant, like screws in a massive machine, scattered in every corner of the Hidden Cloud Village, utterly unremarkable.

But now, these screws have been silently connected by an invisible hand, using invisible threads.

They formed a net.

One name after another.

One identity after another permeates the Hidden Cloud Village.

A spy network that was quietly woven by Gen, who spent countless hours and effort on it.

Orochimaru suddenly raised his head, his gaze passing through the conference table and landing on the Third Hokage, who had picked up his teacup again with a leisurely posture.

At that moment, he understood.

His teacher, the man known as the Ninja Professor, was never one to passively wait for war to break out.

Perhaps, this game of chess, aimed at the entire ninja world, has already quietly begun.

Peace, construction, development...

Naruto Avenue, Hengwen Farm, Reservoir Dam...

All of this flourishing under the sun is merely the surface of the chessboard.

But unseen by all, beneath the deep, dark surface of the water, a hand that controls everything has already laid down countless deadly pieces.

They lie in wait, silently.

They're just waiting for the right opportunity.

We're just waiting for the enemy to bare their arrogant fangs.

A chilling aura emanating from the depths of his soul, mixed with a fanatical worship of the godlike premonition of the person before him, instantly overwhelmed Orochi Shimaru's entire mind.

The scroll in his hand was no longer filled with intelligence.

That's the script.

It's a death script with a pre-written ending.

"Hehehe..."

Orochimaru let out a hoarse whisper, stuck out his tongue, and slowly licked his dry lips, his whole body trembling slightly with excitement.

He stood up and bowed deeply to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was seated in the main seat.

That posture was one of utmost devotion.

"teacher."

"Please rest assured."

"When I arrive, Kumogakure will surely display its most magnificent and dazzling splendor in its history..."

Orochimaru paused for a moment, then a morbid and fanatical smile appeared on his face.

Fireworks.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him calmly and nodded slightly, as if he were just listening to a perfectly normal work report.

Orochimaru accepted the order and sat down. He carefully put the scroll away and placed it close to his body in his bosom, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure.

The others in the conference room felt a chill run down their spines as they watched the strange interaction between the master and apprentice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his gaze from Orochimaru back to the massive ninja world map on the wall.

His finger moved slowly across the map, tracing the long border between the western part of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

Then, they moved to the northwest, to that rugged mountainous region intersecting with the Land of Earth.

"The villages of Sunagakure and Iwagakure will surely hear about this chaotic battle."

His voice wasn't loud, but it made the atmosphere, which had just calmed down slightly, tense up again.

Yes.

The fact that Konoha was at war with Kumogakure and Kirigakure was such a huge commotion that it was impossible for the other two major powers to keep it from them.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Would they willingly watch Konoha climb to the top of prestige once again by stepping over the corpses of Kumogakure and Kirigakure?

Impossible.

Akimichi Torifu's newly stuffed piece of jerky suddenly lost its flavor. He stared nervously at the map, his face filled with worry.

"Lord Hokage, you mean... Sunagakure and Iwagakure, maybe..."

"It's not possible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi provided the answer for him, speaking calmly.

"Absolutely."

"Although they were at a disadvantage in the last war, ninjas have never had good memories."

"When they see us embroiled in a full-scale war with the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Mist Village, and when they see an opportunity to take advantage of it, they will definitely not miss this chance to stab us in the back."

"so……"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes sharpened.

"We must show them, from the very beginning of the war, the power to remind them of their fears."

"There must be a force, like a nail, firmly driven into the border, so that they dare not cross the line!"

The voice just fell.

A figure slowly rose from the end of the conference table.

Everyone present subconsciously looked over.

Hatake Sakumo.

He was still wearing that simple farm work uniform, which was a little dirty.

This outfit seemed completely out of place in the solemn and serious atmosphere of the conference room.

But the moment Sakumo Hatake stood up, the atmosphere in the entire conference room became much sharper.

It was a sharpness that had been restrained to the extreme.

He calmly looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in the main seat and slowly spoke.

"Lord Hokage."

"I request to go to the western border of the Land of Fire."

There were no unnecessary words, just a passionate and impassioned speech.

It was just a simple request to volunteer.

Indeed, looking across the entire Hidden Leaf Village, there is no one more suitable than the White Fang of Hidden Leaf Village to deter the enemy on the western front.

"The winter wheat for this year has already been planted."

A simple sentence, yet everyone present understood its profound meaning.

The farmer's work is done.

Next, it's the soldiers' turn.

Nara Shika lazily raised his eyelids, glanced at his old friend not far away, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

He knew it.

This guy couldn't sit still after all.

A knife is, after all, just a knife.

Even when used to peel potatoes, it is still a knife.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Sakumo Hatake and finally a relieved smile appeared on his face.

That's exactly what he was waiting for.

"it is good."

"Shuomao".

They didn't address White Fang or the Farm Manager by name.

I just called his name.

The trust implied in this was evident to everyone present.

"You are indeed the best candidate to deter those scorpions on the western front."

Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze to the other side.

Sitting there was a burly man with bulging muscles; he was none other than Inuzuka Tsubasa, the head of the Inuzuka clan.

At his feet lay a similarly robust ninja dog, his partner, Mokuyu.

"Inuzuka Tsubasa".

"Hokage-sama, I'm here!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa suddenly stood up, his voice booming like a bell. The ninja dog Mokuyu beside him also stood up, letting out a low growl, full of fighting spirit.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then looked at the Aburame clan chief sitting in the corner, a woman with a low profile who was completely shrouded in a trench coat.

After noticing the gaze, Shirin Aburame nodded silently.

"The Inuzuka and Aburame clans will select their most elite reconnaissance and tracking ninjas to accompany Sakumo and immediately proceed to the western front!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders were clear and decisive.

"I will name you the Eyes of the West!"

"I want your ninja dogs and parasitic insects to infest every inch of the western border! I want your eyes to become the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of Sunagakure!"

"Any scorpion that dares to set foot in the Land of Fire must be detected immediately, and then..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze returned to Sakumo Hatake.

"Remove the poisonous thorn!"

Sakumo Hatake nodded calmly.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Inuzuka Tsubasa excitedly punched his own solid chest, making a dull thud.

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission, Hokage-sama!"

"Woof!"

The ninja dog Mokuyu at his feet also barked, as if cheering for the upcoming hunt.

At this moment, stillness and movement, two completely different styles, were combined under the Hokage's command.