Konoha's reforms were definitely going to consume an enormous amount of energy. Natsuhiko understood that perfectly well himself.
That was why, although he cared deeply about the matter, he still intended to first see Nara Shikaku's proposed solutions.
As a leader, Natsuhiko had always maintained the same style—just like when he was on the battlefield. He focused only on the broader strategic direction.
As for the finer details, if he still had to personally exhaust himself despite having so many capable subordinates under him, that would simply be the stupidest way to handle things.
"If necessary, the Secretariat should also be established inside the Hokage Building. The same goes for my Internal Affairs Department."
The Secretariat and Internal Affairs Division he had created within the ANBU had already helped him solve countless problems. Even after becoming Hokage, he had no intention of getting rid of them.
Though by then, those two "divisions" would probably need to be upgraded into full-fledged departments.
Even with the Administrative Department handling political affairs and various operations for the Hokage, that department should be coordinating matters on a much broader scale.
For example, the recently proposed "Comprehensive Parliamentary System"—that stitched-together hybrid of a political framework—would require the Administrative Department's participation and coordination in the future.
Honestly, in Natsuhiko's eyes, Konoha's political structure was an absolute mess. Completely changing it would take a very long time.
"But fortunately, I really do have enough time to deal with all of this slowly."
Natsuhiko truly wasn't short on time. There was still a long stretch before the timeline of the original story even began.
By the time the Naruto era actually arrived, he might have already transformed Konoha into the model village of the entire shinobi world.
After leaving the office, chakra stirred faintly within Natsuhiko's body.
In the next instant, he appeared beside a newspaper stand somewhere inside Konoha.
Looking at the small toad standing before him with a kunai in hand, Natsuhiko showed no sign of surprise.
The reason he had left before finishing his discussion with Nara Shikaku was simple—he had sensed someone activating the Flying Thunder God Technique to summon him.
Besides, the existence of these toads wasn't strange at all.
They had remained in Konoha specifically to deliver newspapers back to Minato Namikaze.
Natsuhiko knew very well that Kakashi needed to pass information to Minato, so he had simply suggested sending newspapers over as well.
After hearing Natsuhiko's suggestion, Kakashi also felt it made perfect sense.
Unless it involved especially classified intelligence, most important information was already covered in the papers anyway.
And the results proved Natsuhiko's decision had been absolutely correct.
Minato Namikaze had become extremely fond of newspapers.
In fact, in order to avoid interfering with Kakashi's work, he had specifically asked several toads to regularly come to Konoha and buy the latest edition each day.
The little toad in front of Natsuhiko was one of those assigned to the task.
Though now, it had one additional mission.
"You're Senju Natsuhiko?" the toad asked the moment Natsuhiko appeared.
Still, there was barely any uncertainty in its tone. It was practically one hundred percent certain that this man was the Natsuhiko Minato had spoken about.
After all, the Flying Thunder God Technique was both incredibly mysterious and extremely difficult to learn.
And the way Natsuhiko had just appeared was unmistakably the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"That's me." Natsuhiko nodded lightly. "The Fourth Hokage wants to see me. So, how exactly am I supposed to meet him?"
"Come with me. I'll take you to Mount Myoboku," the little toad said, spreading its tiny hands helplessly. "Seriously, what a pain. Do they even know how much chakra it takes to bring a person to Mount Myoboku? And they still made me do it."
Hearing the little guy complain, Natsuhiko could not help but shake his head and chuckle softly.
Summoning beasts really were interesting creatures.
If his strength hadn't increased so rapidly over the past few years, he might still have needed Lizardmaru's assistance on a regular basis even now.
At this point, the smaller lizards from Lizardmaru's clan had basically all become Natsuhiko's personal couriers for delivering information and intelligence.
Sometimes, for the sake of convenience, Natsuhiko would even use the Flying Thunder God Technique himself and travel over directly.
Still, just because Lizardmaru currently had little opportunity to appear didn't mean that would remain the case forever.
After all, the Summoning Technique had a rather subtle characteristic—the summoner and the summoned beast both used chakra to sustain the contract.
In fact, summoned creatures could even rely on their summoner's chakra to maintain prolonged combat capability.
And just how monstrous Natsuhiko's chakra reserves were was obvious to anyone.
If Lizardmaru could properly utilize and channel Natsuhiko's chakra, then in the future, a lot of things might become very interesting.
Under the little toad's guidance, Natsuhiko followed it to a relatively secluded corner.
Fortunately, it was still working hours, so Konoha's streets were not especially crowded. Combined with the mask Natsuhiko wore, no one recognized him.
At this point, after the relentless bombardment of newspaper coverage, he had practically become a household name throughout Konoha.
Because of that, there were times he genuinely needed to wear a mask whenever he went out.
Otherwise, he would very likely end up surrounded by overly enthusiastic villagers.
His popularity now was on an entirely different level compared to the past.
Once they reached the corner, the little toad immediately pressed its palms together.
A familiar chakra fluctuation instantly emerged.
"Sage chakra?" Natsuhiko noticed the difference in the little toad's chakra immediately.
After all, Sage chakra was one of the powers he frequently used himself. Naturally, he was extremely sensitive to it.
Honestly, summoned beasts—or more accurately, the creatures from the Three Great Sage Regions—really did seem favored by the heavens.
The power they naturally wielded was something humans often could not learn no matter how hard they tried.
The mere number of people capable of using Senjutsu throughout the shinobi world already proved that point.
Of course, there were probably talented individuals who simply lacked the opportunity or method to learn it.
But in Natsuhiko's opinion, truly talented people were still rare.
After all, the threat of turning to stone alone was enough to make countless people give up in fear.
Not everyone could receive patient guidance like Naruto had.
And not everyone had a cheat-like advantage like Natsuhiko himself—something that allowed him to ignore prerequisites and even bypass the limitations of talent altogether.
"This is the Reverse Summoning Technique," the little toad explained after glancing at Natsuhiko. "Come on, I'll take you there."
"Alright." Natsuhiko nodded lightly and followed the little fellow into the summoning array.
The moment that strange chakra enveloped his entire body, Natsuhiko clearly sensed the vibrations of spatial power.
He was extremely familiar with this kind of force.
Still, although it shared the same essence as the Flying Thunder God Technique, there were significant differences between the two.
In the blink of an eye, Natsuhiko found himself standing within a vast forest.
Not far away, a blond man sat quietly waiting.
"Natsuhiko-kun, it's been a long time."
When the blond man saw him arrive, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Natsuhiko smiled as well and nodded toward him.
"It really has been a while, Hokage-sama."
...
Natsuhiko and Minato Namikaze spoke for a very long time. Only around dusk did Natsuhiko finally leave the meeting with a smile on his face.
During this meeting, he had obtained exactly what he wanted.
Although it was merely a promise, for Natsuhiko, that promise was more than enough—and more importantly, entirely realistic.
"So long as you can push forward the election for Konoha's new Hokage, I will support the proposal. After all, I no longer have any way to continue leading Konoha."
Those were Minato's exact words.
And those words gave full acknowledgment to everything Natsuhiko had been doing.
Even Natsuhiko himself could not fully understand the changes in Minato's mentality.
But ever since Minato learned everything Natsuhiko had done during the Night of the Nine-Tails, something within him seemed to have changed dramatically.
However, whether compared to the original story or the current timeline, those changes did not actually make much difference.
After all, in the original plot, Minato had already died long ago.
But now, everything had already been altered by Natsuhiko.
Clearly, the world would never return to its original course again.
Even if certain events still developed somewhat similarly to the canon timeline, Natsuhiko felt the chances of things unfolding the same way had already become very slim.
Take Konoha's major incidents, for example.
The Chunin Exams—the very arc that had completely drawn him into Naruto in his previous life—probably would not even happen the same way anymore.
With Natsuhiko's current strength and the reputation he had earned during the war between Kumogakure and Konoha, he simply did not believe Sunagakure would be stupid enough to provoke him.
Besides, there had been another major reason why Suna originally chose to mobilize against Konoha.
Orochimaru.
As for exactly how Orochimaru had manipulated Rasa in the original story, Natsuhiko genuinely had no idea. The manga itself had never explained it clearly.
But one thing was certain—Rasa had ultimately agreed and launched the invasion.
As for why Konoha, despite discovering Orochimaru's presence and realizing that Suna's Jinchuriki had entered the village, still failed to take stronger action...
That was actually fairly simple to understand.
Deterrence. And tempering the younger generation.
In the original timeline, Konoha's prestige had plummeted after the Kumogakure incident. It had been an almost catastrophic blow to the village's development and authority.
Konoha needed someone to become a stepping stone so it could reclaim its dominance within the shinobi world.
In that sense, Orochimaru and Sunagakure's attack had actually provided Konoha with the perfect opportunity.
Moreover, although Suna and Konoha were allies, that alliance had only been formed because Sunagakure lost the war and was forced to sign the treaty.
Naturally, Suna had never truly wanted to maintain that alliance.
Konoha also intended to suppress this unreliable ally that was clearly preparing to rebel, making further conflict practically inevitable.
Not to mention that Konoha had enjoyed peace for far too many years.
The younger generation of shinobi had never experienced war.
They could not understand the true value of peace, nor could they become genuine shinobi without hardship.
At their core, shinobi were weapons.
And once a weapon became dull, it lost its power.
Even if you had no intention of attacking others, keeping your weapon sharp was still absolutely necessary.
Using a war like this to temper the younger generation naturally had its own value.
Of course, Natsuhiko also could not help maliciously wondering whether this had simply been Sarutobi Hiruzen's helpless choice.
First of all, Hiruzen had no way of knowing whether the Fourth Kazekage was genuine or not.
And even if he had suspected something, he would never have been able to locate Rasa's corpse.
Under those circumstances, he naturally had no evidence to expose Orochimaru's disguise.
And even if he tried, Sunagakure would never have believed Konoha's claims anyway.
Secondly, even with a month to prepare, Hiruzen realistically could not arrange very much.
Orochimaru understood Konoha far too well.
If Hiruzen made any major movements, it would very likely alert Orochimaru immediately.
And before fully understanding Orochimaru's goals, someone as dangerous as him had to be handled with extreme caution.
On top of that, because of Danzo—and Hiruzen's own tacit approval regarding the destruction of the Uchiha Clan—his political position within Konoha had already become incredibly awkward.
It could be said that, at that point, Sarutobi Hiruzen had practically been cornered into a situation where he had no cards left to play.
There was almost nothing he could do except watch the war erupt.
Of course, these were merely thoughts Natsuhiko had recently come up with.
Whether that was truly the case or not, even he could not say for certain.
But one thing he did know was that this entire incident had effectively been cut off halfway.
As long as he remained in Konoha, it was impossible for things to unfold the same way.
Especially considering Orochimaru was, more or less, one of his people now.
"Still... how much longer Orochimaru can maintain his current state is a real question."
After traveling back through the summoning array, Natsuhiko once again returned to Konoha.
But this time, something interesting happened.
He discovered that he had appeared directly atop the Hokage Rock.
Standing at the summit of the Hokage Rock, Natsuhiko gazed out across the village below.
He had to admit—it really felt like he was standing above the entire world.
The feeling was completely different from when Natsuhiko stood atop a Wood Human and looked down upon his enemies.
Those people had been enemies.
But the people below him now… were Konoha's people.
At that moment, he finally seemed to understand why every Hokage liked standing here and gazing over the village.
From this vantage point, one could clearly see Konoha's prosperity and vitality.
And that prosperity was proof of their achievements.
Thinking of this, Natsuhiko stretched lazily.
Just as he was preparing to leave, the voice of the little Nine-Tails suddenly echoed in his mind.
"That guy just now… the Nine-Tails inside him seems to have noticed me."
"Oh?" Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow slightly.
The little Nine-Tails' words surprised him a bit, though he did not take it too seriously.
"It's fine if it noticed you," Natsuhiko said casually with a smile. "It's not like it's going to report you to Minato Namikaze or something."
"It hasn't fully noticed me yet. It probably only sensed my existence vaguely," the little Nine-Tails replied again within his mind. "But unfortunately, I have to tell you something else. He might be the same as you."
"The same as me?"
Natsuhiko froze for a moment.
But in the next second, his expression instantly turned serious.
The meaning behind the little Nine-Tails' words was obvious.
The only thing Minato could possibly have in common with him… was mastering the power of the Nine-Tails!
This revelation truly shocked Natsuhiko.
Sure, in the original story, Minato eventually gained control over the Nine-Tails' power.
But how many years later had that happened?
And now, Minato had already mastered it?
Especially considering the Nine-Tails had originally been split and sealed by Minato himself—how was that even possible?
Could it be that Minato had somehow mastered Naruto's legendary Talk-no-Jutsu too?
"You're sure you didn't sense it wrong?" Natsuhiko asked in a low voice, frowning deeply. "You're certain he can already use your power in battle?"
"I'm sure," the little Nine-Tails answered confidently. "I can feel my chakra inside his body. He's still training with it, but there's no mistake."
"Is that so…"
Natsuhiko nodded slowly, unable to deny that this discovery had genuinely caught him off guard.
When he met Minato earlier, he had already sensed the rich sage chakra flowing within him.
That alone proved Minato had been training seriously and diligently during this period, pushing his Sage Mode mastery to an impressive level.
And now, he had also gained access to the Nine-Tails' chakra.
At this rate, it was hard to say how long it would take before he unlocked Nine-Tails Chakra Mode as well.
For a brief moment, Natsuhiko could not help but wonder whether Minato had never sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto at all.
Instead, had he resealed it back into Kushina… only to accidentally steal Naruto's protagonist script in the process?
"Now that's interesting…"
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly.
But at that moment, raindrops suddenly began falling from the sky, causing him to glance upward.
"Rain, huh? Pretty fitting, honestly…"
Late at night, heavy rain poured over Konoha.
Thunder roared while lightning split the skies apart.
The storm perfectly reflected the tense and oppressive atmosphere currently enveloping the village, as though foreshadowing that Konoha itself would soon be swept into a violent tempest just like tonight.
Of course, that storm would only be directed at certain people.
For many others, once the rain passed, clear skies would follow.
BOOM—!
A massive bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, crashing into the earth below.
Its dazzling brilliance illuminated the pitch-black night sky for a fleeting instant, magnificent and awe-inspiring.
...
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat alone in the Hokage's office, deep in thought and utterly silent.
The room's lights were not turned on.
Everything remained shrouded in darkness.
Only when lightning flashed outside did the office suddenly brighten for a brief moment.
Then, as the light faded, darkness swallowed the room once again.
Light and shadow alternated endlessly.
With each flicker, Hiruzen's face shifted between brightness and gloom, making him appear strangely ominous.
A gust of wind drifted into the office.
The curtains, which had remained motionless the entire time, suddenly fluttered gently in the breeze.
In this storm-filled night, that small movement felt unnervingly conspicuous.
The breeze rose suddenly, then disappeared just as abruptly.
And in that brief moment between its arrival and departure, a black shadow had already appeared across from Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated opposite him with the desk between them.
Hiruzen seemed completely indifferent to the figure before him, still quietly lost in thought.
The shadow also remained silent, simply sitting there and waiting.
"…Sigh. It seems I really have gotten old. Even my mind wanders more easily now."
After a long while, the rain gradually weakened, and the wind calmed along with it.
Once the thunder and lightning finally ceased, Hiruzen slowly returned from his thoughts.
He let out a soft sigh, his aged appearance impossible to conceal.
"But I truly didn't expect that you hadn't placed a Flying Thunder God marker here. Is it because you disdain doing so… or because you already believe victory is certain?"
"Perhaps both," the shadow answered calmly, his voice utterly composed.
The moon slowly emerged from behind the clouds.
Pure silver moonlight poured down from the sky, illuminating the room.
And beneath that clear, pale glow, the shadow's face gradually became visible.
It was Natsuhiko.
At that moment, he silently watched the aged Sarutobi Hiruzen before him.
Looking at Hiruzen's frail appearance, Natsuhiko suddenly felt an indescribable wave of emotion surge within his chest.
Once upon a time, this man had been unrivaled.
The legendary "Professor" who had led an entire era.
A supreme figure whom almost no one in the shinobi world had dared challenge.
And yet somehow, without anyone truly noticing, time had reduced him to this state.
Was it because the pressure Natsuhiko had applied this time was too overwhelming?
Or was time itself simply that merciless?
For a brief instant, an absurd and strange thought surfaced in Natsuhiko's mind.
"Perhaps the First Hokage and the Second Hokage died at exactly the right time…"
After all, they never had to endure the endless erosion of age upon their bodies and minds.
Nor did they have to live long enough to face the judgment, criticism, and debates over their life's merits and failures.
They died during the most glorious period of their lives.
They perished in the most heroic and invincible manner—leaving behind only their strongest selves.
Their greatness had been carved deeply into history itself and etched forever into people's hearts.
They became tragic heroes immortalized for eternity.
They preserved the dignity and glory of being truly powerful, elevating it to an even greater realm.
Forever standing above the river of history, watching past heroes rise and fall while gazing down upon the future.
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly, pushing those thoughts aside.
In the end, they were merely idle reflections.
If a top-tier shinobi could maintain their peak condition forever, then naturally they would never need to fear the decline that came afterward.
But those capable of doing such a thing…
Strictly speaking, they could hardly even be considered human anymore.
Those monsters were members of the Otsutsuki Clan.
Hiruzen naturally had no idea what Natsuhiko was thinking.
He took a deep breath before slowly straightening his aged body.
And for some reason, in that single movement, all traces of his frailty vanished completely.
It was as though all the power time had stolen from him had suddenly returned.
In that instant, he once again became the "Professor" Natsuhiko remembered.
"So… you think you've already won this time?"
A deep, powerful voice burst forth—completely disproportionate to Hiruzen's thin and shriveled body.
An overwhelming pressure instantly surged toward Natsuhiko.
But that oppressive aura no longer affected him the way it once had years ago.
Gone was the suffocating feeling that had once made it difficult for him to even breathe.
In fact, it could not even force him to become slightly more serious anymore.
"…Sigh. Is the pressure finally getting to you?" Natsuhiko shook his head softly. "Or did your negotiations with the people behind you fall apart?"
"Perhaps." Hiruzen's expression did not relax in the slightest because of Natsuhiko's calm attitude. If anything, he seemed to grow even more intense. "But you should know this much—if things truly collapse, then I will absolutely move against you!"
"I can say with certainty that if you take power, every balance Konoha currently has will be completely shattered."
"I will not allow the balance Konoha painstakingly built over countless years to be destroyed overnight because of you!"
Natsuhiko calmly looked at the Third Hokage before him.
Listening to those words—words that sounded as though Hiruzen had already resolved himself to die—Natsuhiko could not help but laugh softly.
He had more or less guessed what the Third Hokage intended to do.
And at the same time, Natsuhiko also realized exactly how he should respond.
"It seems you really have grown old, Third Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly.
For once, an unusually cold expression appeared on his face.
"At this point, do those words of yours still have any meaning to us?
No matter what you think, no matter how firmly you oppose it, this matter has already become an unstoppable trend.
You no longer possess the ability to stop it.
Nor does Konoha itself still have the power to prevent it from happening.
I already stand above the clouds, looking down upon all of you.
What qualifications do you even have left to resist me?"
"Perhaps that's true," Hiruzen replied slowly, enunciating every word. His eyes burned with shocking determination and fighting spirit, while his slightly tensed body looked ready to unleash a lethal strike at any moment.
"But never underestimate the hearts of men."
"So you're still trying to win some concessions for the interest groups standing behind you." Natsuhiko shook his head softly before slowly rising to his feet.
The instant he stood up, his aura erupted completely.
At that very moment, the walls of the Hokage's office began trembling violently.
The windows and glass throughout the room rapidly filled with spiderweb-like cracks.
Those cracks spread continuously, and only a few breaths later, every pane shattered simultaneously.
Amid a chorus of sharp cracking sounds, broken glass rained down across the floor.
The Hokage's office became incomparably silent.
And unbearably oppressive.
Natsuhiko and Hiruzen stared directly at one another.
But both of them understood clearly—
In this clash of presence alone, Hiruzen had already fallen completely into the disadvantage.
Deep within his heart, Hiruzen could not help but sigh emotionally.
The pressure emanating from this young man had already reached the level he only remembered from the First Hokage and his own teacher.
That overwhelming sense of oppression was enough to make anyone despair.
And yet at the same time… it was strangely reassuring.
Suddenly, Hiruzen laughed.
It was an open and carefree laugh, filled with genuine ease.
He looked at Natsuhiko and spoke calmly.
"You're right. Your strength has already risen above the clouds. My current self is nowhere near your equal anymore.
If I fought you, perhaps I would not even have the slightest chance of victory.
I might not even be capable of dragging you down with me.
But some things… even if you know they cannot be accomplished, you still have to do them!"
As he spoke, an indescribable dignity and presence radiated from his body.
Even Natsuhiko could not help but feel moved by it.
For a brief moment, he genuinely thought the old man might attack.
But that feeling quickly disappeared.
Because Natsuhiko knew Hiruzen would not make a move.
It had nothing to do with cowardice, nor whether he was capable of winning.
Shaking his head softly, Natsuhiko gradually withdrew his own overwhelming aura.
In an instant, he once again seemed to become that gentle young man who always carried a warm smile.
"Third Hokage-sama, I think this is enough."
Natsuhiko slowly sat back down as moonlight once again fell upon him.
But compared to the eerie coldness from a few moments ago, he now seemed almost sacred beneath the pale silver glow.
A smile once more appeared on his face, and even his voice softened considerably, no longer carrying that icy sharpness.
"The wheels of history only move forward. No one can stop that process, and no one can easily force history into reverse. Neither you nor I can do such a thing.
It's not that it's impossible…
It's that anyone who tries will die."
At this point, Natsuhiko let out a soft sigh.
There was something unreadable in his gaze as he looked at Hiruzen.
After gathering his thoughts slightly, he slowly continued.
"To be honest, I truly admire much of what the Third Hokage has done.
Because even if I were standing in your position, Third Hokage-sama, the choices I could make would probably be no different from yours.
Konoha is like a swamp.
And if you want to survive in that swamp, sometimes you have to be ruthless.
You managed to do that, which is why things developed into the situation we see today.
You controlled Konoha for decades because of it.
I don't blame the choices you made back then.
Because if it had been me, I probably would have acted even colder and crueler.
But just as I said before… times are changing.
And no one can stop the torrent of history, can they?"
After saying that, Natsuhiko fell silent and calmly looked at the old man before him.
That was enough.
Hiruzen's earlier behavior could probably be considered his final test—a final attempt to gauge exactly what kind of person Natsuhiko had become.
Although Natsuhiko found it somewhat pointless, he did not mind playing along.
Perhaps the old man really had considered attacking.
But he would never truly do it.
Because Natsuhiko becoming Hokage was already inevitable.
Just as Natsuhiko himself had said, it was no longer something anyone could stop.
"…Perhaps you're right."
Only after a long silence did Hiruzen finally sigh softly before sitting back down.
"The issue now is no longer just me. Or rather… it was never only me."
"I already visited the Fourth Hokage," Natsuhiko said calmly. "He gave me his promise. So long as Konoha decides to hold a Hokage election, he will support it."
"It seems you really have prepared everything thoroughly."
Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes.
After a long pause, he finally asked with obvious difficulty:
"And the others?"
"I'll deal with them personally, because I'm the one taking the position." Natsuhiko answered directly.
There was no reason to hide something like this.
"If they agree and accept my arrangements, then everything can proceed peacefully.
If they refuse and reject them, then I'll use standard methods.
And if they dare resist…"
Natsuhiko's voice remained calm, but his words carried terrifying killing intent beneath that composure.
"I'll send them to the Pure Land to reunite with their old friends. And if necessary, I'll wipe them out completely."
Natsuhiko spoke calmly.
But Hiruzen understood perfectly well just how much bloodshed was hidden beneath those tranquil words.
Yet Hiruzen also knew he had absolutely no way to stop it.
Because he himself had done similar things before.
And he had been equally ruthless when doing so.
Besides, Natsuhiko had already offered them a path to survive.
The only question was whether they would accept it.
After all, profit and self-interest had always been the most terrifying things in existence.
And also the easiest things to corrupt human hearts.
Then there was power.
Once people had tasted the sweetness of authority, forcing them to relinquish it became unimaginably difficult.
Suddenly, Hiruzen felt bitter amusement rise within his heart.
Once, he had hoped Natsuhiko would avoid a massacre.
But now, he instead found himself praying that the people who had followed him for more than a decade—some even for several decades—would not force Natsuhiko into slaughter because they refused to let go of power and self-interest.
After sighing softly, Hiruzen nodded.
He said nothing more.
Because he already understood that everything that needed to be said had been said.
"Oh, right."
Seeing Hiruzen's defeated expression, Natsuhiko suddenly smiled.
"With the Third Hokage's abilities, I think retiring would actually be a waste. I still have plenty of things around me that require your help."
"You—"
The moment Hiruzen heard those words, he immediately glared furiously at Natsuhiko.
"What exactly do you mean by this? You want me to raise the butcher's blade against those people?"
"That thought crossed my mind, but that's not the whole reason."
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly.
"We're enemies in terms of political stance. Keeping you around would ensure I never become careless. And besides…"
At this point, the smile on Natsuhiko's face suddenly became dazzlingly bright.
Under Hiruzen's furious glare, he spoke each word slowly and clearly.
"And besides, letting you personally witness Konoha rise through my methods…"
"Wouldn't that be far more interesting?"
"What do you think, Third Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen continued glaring at Natsuhiko.
At that moment, his fury seemed to have reached its absolute peak.
But he had no ability to reject it. Nor any strength left to resist.
After a very long silence, he finally nodded.
Almost grinding his teeth together, he answered:
"…Yes, Hokage-sama."