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

Chapter 247 The Western Desert, the Farm Manager's Troubles

Xiao Nan ate in small bites, her movements much more refined, but the slight upturn of her lips revealed just how happy she was.

The warm rice balls and piping hot buckwheat tea dispelled the last chill of the morning.

Inside the tent, there was no somber atmosphere about war or the enemy; only the aroma of food and the satisfied sounds of everyone chewing filled the air, flowing gently in the peaceful moment.

Mitokado Homura looked at Yahiko, who was eating sips, and asked, "Can you understand the scroll I gave you?"

Yahiko immediately put down his rice ball and nodded vigorously: "Yeah! Although there are many parts I don't understand, Jiraiya-sensei said that when we return to Konoha, we'll go to the Ninja Academy and start from the basics!"

"Konoha..."

Mitokado Homura murmured the name, looking at the two children's hopeful faces. His heart, hardened by political affairs, softened once more.

After breakfast, Kurenai Yuhi went to deploy defenses again.

Jiraiya sat back down at the Go board, absentmindedly watching the endgame that had already been decided.

Mitomon Homura calmly reached out, picked up a white stone from the chess box, and precisely placed it in the center of the opening.

Kuroko's dragon was instantly severed, leaving him with no way out.

The outcome of the game on the chessboard has been decided.

Mitokado Homura didn't say "I won," but simply looked calmly at Jiraiya.

The latter scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.

"Oh dear, I've lost! Elder Yan's chess skills are superb, I concede!"

His words were flippant, but Mitokado Haru read another meaning in his reaction.

This guy...

Mitokado Yan shook his head helplessly. Although he had grown up a lot, his temperament was still just as troublesome as when he was young.

"Knock knock—"

Mitokado Yan's index finger tapped lightly on the edge of the chessboard, making a few soft sounds.

Then, he put the last chess piece back into the box and stopped looking at the chessboard.

Through the tent flap, my gaze fell upon the rugged mountains of the Land of Earth, bathed in the golden light of the rising sun.

The wind seemed a bit colder than before.

◆

The westernmost border of the Land of Fire.

This is the boundary between green and yellow.

On one side are endless forests, symbolizing abundance and life; on the other side is a boundless desert, scorched white by the blazing sun.

The air of the Land of Wind is dry, scorching, and carries the roughness of sand, stubbornly eroding the humid air of the Land of Fire.

A striking yellowish-brown ridge appeared on the flat sand surface. Immediately afterward, the sand slid down, and a tuft of distinctive silver-white hair emerged from beneath the sand.

Sakumo Hatake, his head covered in sand, stood up somewhat disheveled and patted off the green vest he wore, a symbol of his status as a Jonin of Konoha.

Grains of sand fluttered down from the gaps in the vest, quickly merging into the boundless golden ocean beneath their feet.

He was just simulating the stealth movements of sand scorpions, trying to determine the terrain where they are most likely to build their nests.

Unfortunately, aside from choking on a mouthful of sand, they gained nothing.

Not far away, atop a huge sand dune, a burly figure stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at him.

The man wore a large straw hat, and his muscular physique made his ninja outfit bulge.

He is the head of the Inuzuka clan, Inuzuka Tsubasa.

"Sakumo!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa had an extremely loud voice that echoed across the unobstructed desert, carrying a pent-up anger.

"Are you sure there are sand scorpions in this area? We've been searching for almost half an hour under this scorching sun!"

His shout startled several lizards that were dozing in the sand nearby. They quickly wiggled their limbs and disappeared under the sand in an instant.

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo raised his hand to wipe the mixture of sweat and sand from his face, and a rare, unnatural expression appeared on his usually stern face.

He coughed lightly twice, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I think... there probably is."

These three words, carried lightly by the wind, reached Inuzuka Tsubasa's ears.

The veins on Inuzuka Tsubasa's forehead bulged instantly.

"What do you mean by 'should'?!"

He rushed down the dune in two strides, each step sending sand flying, as if he wanted to unleash all his anger on this barren, desolate place.

"Sakumo! Are you just spouting nonsense?!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa rushed up to Sakumo, his massive shadow completely enveloping the latter, spitting everywhere.

"..."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Inuzuka Tsubasa plopped down on the scorching sand, feeling his blood pressure soaring.

"And another thing! You're so unfair!"

He slapped his thigh hard.

"A while ago, those guys from Sunagakure sent a few squads over... and what happened?"

"You, all by yourself, with just a knife, silently took care of them all!"

"Heads rolled like snow, blood flowed like rivers!"

Inuzuka Tsubasa became more and more excited as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere.

"Those were Sunagakure's elite! And you took them all by yourself! You didn't leave me a single hair!"

As Sakumo listened to Inuzuka Tsubame's rapid-fire accusations, the unnatural look on his face deepened.

"You had your fun killing spree! What about me? Did I come here to play in the sand and have a vacation?"

Inuzuka Tsubasa pointed to his own nose, his face full of grief and indignation.

"Since I came to the front lines, I've spent three days digging holes, two days burrowing tunnels, and the rest of the time battling wits and courage against sand scorpions!"

As he spoke, he glanced back at the camp in the distance, a hint of heartache on his face.

"Look at my wood oil."

Mokuyu is Tsubasa Inuzuka's most trusted ninja dog partner. It is a black giant dog with a size comparable to a calf, known for its ferocity and endurance.

"It worked tirelessly, digging holes and using its sense of smell to locate sand scorpions, all for the sand scorpion distribution map you drew a while ago! It even lost weight from the stress!"

"You bastard, you're exploiting labor!"

Faced with Inuzuka Tsubasa's series of accusations, Hatake Sakumo simply handed him a water bottle in silence.

"E, drink some water and calm down."

Then, he lowered his voice and explained with a hint of apology.

"Just a moment of itchiness, just a moment of itchiness."

"cough--"

Inuzuka Tsubasa almost spat out the mouthful of water he had just drunk.

Just a sudden urge to play?

They sliced ​​up several elite ninja squads from Sunagakure like carrots, and all they said was a casual "I just had a moment of itchiness"?

If these words were to get out, the ninjas of Sunagakure would probably be so angry that they would collectively commit seppuku.

He angrily gulped down another mouthful of water, feeling that the anger in his heart had finally subsided a little.

Tsubasa Inuzuka knew perfectly well that Sakumo wasn't showing off his strength; this guy's brain circuits were different from normal people's.

In his world, he discovers enemies and then eliminates them in the most efficient and concise way.

Just like eating and drinking, it's instinct.

He just... just felt helpless.

Back then, when he received the Hokage's order to guard the western border with Sakumo Hatake, Tsubasa Inuzuka was incredibly excited.

He thought he could fight alongside Konoha's White Fang.

Hatake Sakumo.

A man who wielded a short sword across the western front, striking fear into the hearts of countless ninjas.

As a result... reality dealt him a heavy blow.

A war did indeed take place.

However, the battle was over before he even saw the enemy's face.

On those occasions, the Aburame clan's parasitic insects had just detected the enemy's tracks when Sakumo returned, carrying a faint smell of blood, and would also draw an X on the map to indicate that the path had been cleared.

Over time, the ninjas of Sunagakure learned their lesson.

They finally understood that the commander sent by Konoha wasn't there to intimidate them; he was there to kill.

Anyone who dares to cross the line will die.

There was no negotiation, no warning, only a drawn dagger.

Thus, the western border region ushered in an unprecedented period of peace.

Peaceful to the point of being... outrageous.