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

Chapter 589 Boundless Aspirations for the Future

Danzo Shimura, who had been silently poking at the campfire with a twig, finally raised his head.

His face, flickering in the firelight, appeared exceptionally resolute.

"Whether it's transporting research equipment, distributing medical supplies, or publishing your books..."

He stood up, walked to an open space, and used the branch under his feet to draw a thick straight line on the soft mud, representing the Land of Fire.

Then, he extended several winding lines from this line, pointing in the directions of the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Thunder.

"road."

Danzo uttered a single word, each word resounding with conviction.

"A transportation network spanning the entire continent must be built. Standardized gauge and standards, all determined by Konoha. I want trains to depart from Konoha, reach the desert oasis of Sunagakure, and then travel to the foot of the mountains of Iwagakure."

In his eyes burned a flame known as the "infrastructure maniac," a grand ambition to incorporate the entire world into his blueprint.

"Only when our trains, carrying our goods, our technology, and our people, travel across every inch of the continent will our words become irrefutable rules."

"Only when all countries are tightly bound together by this network and become an inseparable whole can the so-called united system truly take root."

Danzo's words silenced everyone present.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement, Tsunade seemed thoughtful, and Jiraiya opened his mouth, realizing that his limited cultural output was indeed a bit small compared to Danzo's grand blueprint of "to get rich, build roads first."

At this moment, Sakumo Hatake, who had been listening quietly, also spoke up.

His voice was gentle, yet it added the warmest touch to Danzo's cold and hard blueprint.

"Wherever the roads are built, Konoha's shops should open there as well."

Sakumo said calmly, as if stating a very simple fact.

"A person who has eaten his fill and is looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast will not easily take up arms. We must connect their bodies with railways, and then completely conquer their stomachs and hearts with delicious food."

After he finished speaking, silence returned to the campfire.

But this time, a picture clearly emerged in everyone's mind.

The steel dragon (train) roared past on the brand-new tracks, passing through forests, deserts and mountains.

At each stop, the flags of Konoha fluttered, and the enticing aroma of food wafted from the cafeteria.

Merchants, scholars, and ordinary people from all over the world sat in a bright and clean restaurant, enjoying delicious and inexpensive food while discussing the latest technology and best-selling novels...

What a prosperous, stable, and... irresistible future it was.

Looking at his companions and disciples, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

A chief engineer, a god of agriculture, a chief scientist, a medical genius, a minister of culture...

A brand new era, a new era belonging to Konoha, armed with infrastructure, agriculture, technology, and culture, has begun its magnificent prelude right here beside this small campfire.

In the distance, at the boundary between night and dawn, the outline of a continuous stretch of lights is already faintly visible.

A young member of the ANBU following at the back of the group pushed his mask up, revealing a handsome yet resolute face.

Uchiha Shisui.

He heard every word of that conversation that had just taken place, a conversation that was enough to change the entire landscape of the ninja world.

His heart pounded wildly with an indescribable excitement.

So... this is the world as seen through the eyes of the Hokage and his predecessors?

What they were discussing was no longer the gains and losses of a single city or place, or the outcome of a war.

They are designing the future.

It is about using steel, railway sleepers, seeds, and words to build a completely new order for this war-torn world.

Shisui raised her head and looked at the figure walking at the front, not particularly tall, but seemingly able to hold up the entire sky.

He clenched his fists instinctively, and his dark eyes blazed with boundless longing and yearning for the future.

……

A few days later.

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group stepped into the area illuminated by the village lights, the two Chunin on night watch froze on the spot almost simultaneously.

They rubbed their eyes, initially thinking it was a hallucination caused by days of duty.

But the figure at the head, that all-too-familiar Hokage robe, and the faces behind him...

"It's...it's the Third Hokage!!"

After realizing what was happening, one of the Chunin used all his strength to let out a hoarse roar.

This roar, like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake, instantly shattered the tranquility of Konoha Village.

"What?!"

"The Hokage is back?!"

"Quick! Go out and see!"

With only a few seconds' delay, countless villagers, their faces still sleepy and bewildered, surged out of the once quiet street, forming an unstoppable torrent that rushed madly toward the village entrance.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi led everyone into the village, they were greeted by a frenzy that could shake the heavens and the earth.

"Sandaime-sama——!!!"

Welcome back!

"Hokage-sama!!"

The cheers mingled together, forming a primal and pure emotional storm that soared into the sky.