Everyone nodded. That much was true. Minato was barely twenty years old.
Torifu was over fifty. Thinking back, when Torifu was twenty, he also enjoyed slacking off just as much...
Actually, ever since Torifu became Hokage, he only kept up the act for a few days for Tobirama's sake, so the latter wouldn't nag him.
Then he just let loose, using all his Puppets and Clones.
Yet, this slacking-off and seemingly unprofessional Hokage became the one with the most distinguished achievements in Konoha, even surpassing Hashirama.
In the future, it was unlikely that any Hokage would be able to reach Torifu's height.
"Alright, enough with the nostalgia. Didn't you all come to celebrate? Where are the gifts?"
Since they were all so familiar, Torifu didn't beat around the bush and directly held out his hand to ask for them.
The others exchanged glances, thinking that the Hokage truly wasn't holding back.
However, they still laughed and brought out their gifts.
They were basically some rare items from their own countries, not directly given to Konoha, but all for Minato, which he could display at home.
They could also be used for the child who was about to be born.
It didn't matter what they gave; Torifu didn't care what they sent, as long as they sent something, as it was the thought that counted.
After accepting all the gifts, he properly thanked them.
They then started chatting about some everyday, domestic matters.
But with Getsuji present, they couldn't discuss the aquaculture in the Land of Rain, lest it seem like they were deliberately excluding Getsuji.
After an hour of somewhat awkward conversation, it finally ended. The former Kage each returned to their apartments to rest, and Torifu planned to go home himself.
The wrangling with these Kage had kept him from his lunch, and he wondered if Naori had saved him any food.
To avoid too many people on the street, Torifu instantly teleported home. He usually didn't use this move for fear of startling his family and revealing his strength.
So, he maintained his leisurely, carefree appearance within the village.
"Are you finished? Did everyone else leave?" Naori saw Torifu as he entered the courtyard.
"Yeah, Ōnoki and the others went back. Did you save me some food?"
Naori tapped Torifu's head. "Of course, I did. Would I let you go hungry?"
With that, Naori brought out the still-warm food. Torifu wasn't picky and immediately started eating.
He ate while looking at his phone.
Although the times had developed and technology had advanced, no one in Konoha had yet learned coding or programming.
All the apps on the phone were directly implanted by the System.
The villagers grew familiar with them and started using them.
They filmed various fresh and interesting videos and uploaded them to the app, giving everyone something to enjoy.
It quickly became popular throughout the Shinobi world, even more so than Jiraiya's Tales of a Gallant Hero.
Torifu quickly finished his meal in no time, then lay down on the rocking chair, looking at his phone.
Suddenly, a sound came from inside his head, like the sizzling of an electric current.
The sound was very faint, but it startled Torifu, giving him goosebumps. "I refuse to believe that the moment I retired, you, bastard, would wake up! I just retired!"
But the sizzling sound didn't weaken due to Torifu's cursing; in fact, it became clearer with each passing moment.
"Seven years! Do you know how I spent these seven years!"
Torifu had been constantly trying to predict when the System would awaken, but he was always wrong. The System had remained dormant.
Torifu thought that the System might have truly encountered an accident, which made him overjoyed.
As long as the other functions worked, the task-releasing part could die for all he cared—no one would mourn it.
But just when he had finally handed over the Hokage position and could relax and enjoy a peaceful life, this rotten System came knocking again!
No matter how much Torifu verbally attacked it, the System remained unaffected.
The sound became clearer, and it sounded like a phrase.
"...year...pair...soon...wake."
"What the hell! What are you saying! Go back to sleep! Don't wake up, you bastard!"
Torifu's string of shouts made Naori very confused. She opened the door, intending to ask Torifu what he was doing.
But when she came out, she found Torifu had vanished.
Torifu was currently high above Konoha. The System's repair was very fast, and he could now clearly hear what it was saying.
[Following seven years of dormant repair, the System has fully recovered and is about to awaken.]
As soon as this was said, Torifu's last shred of hope was shattered. The System was truly going to awaken, and he had no way to stop it.
He could only watch his retirement life slip through his fingers, bidding it farewell.
[Ding, the System has successfully awakened and all energy has been restored.]
What's the use of recovering? There's no update, no new features. It's completely useless except for releasing missions, Torifu inwardly grumbled. He now utterly despised the System. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had come back in a few days.
But reviving on the very day of his retirement? This was purely an act of malice!
[Sensing Host's malice. Host is advised to act wisely.]
"What do you mean? You grew wings after recovering? You dare to talk back to me?"
The System offered no reply. It seemed that Torifu's malicious thoughts were simply too strong, triggering the System's automatic protection feature.
The System was back, and Torifu's days of peace were gone.
Everything he had hoped for had turned to dust, and Torifu felt deeply miserable.
But the System didn't indulge his mood and immediately released a new Chaos Event.
[Ding - Chaos Event triggered: In the original world of Naruto, the mysterious masked man is initiating the Nine-Tails Rampage. (Mission start countdown: 48 hours)]
The Nine-Tails Rampage?
Torifu mused that, in terms of timing, this was indeed correct.
In this world, Minato became Hokage a year later—that was one change.
But the original world hadn't changed. That Minato had been Hokage for a year and was about to die soon.
The Nine-Tails Rampage marked the end of one protagonist and the rise of another.
Going to the original world of Naruto now to resolve the Nine-Tails Rampage would mean helping Minato kill Obito? Or just defeat him?
Would killing this world's Obito count?
[Host, please cease dangerous thoughts.]
"Hmph, I can't even think about it? As if I would actually want to kill Obito?"
The System remained silent. Sure enough, this thing wasn't an intelligent large language model (LLM).
But that was good, too, to avoid it constantly chattering in his head.
"I think I remember being able to send people over, right? Ah ha!"
Torifu had a bold idea: "If I send Minato to save Minato, what will the outcome be?"
What kind of reaction would the Minato of the original world have when he saw a Minato whose life trajectory was basically the same but whose experience was entirely different?
[T/N: Eh? I remember seeing a short animation where Naruto saves Minato and Kushina from Kurama. It was good.]