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

Chapter 435 The Price of Peace, The Budding Form of a New Order in the Ninja World

For a long, long time.

Killer Bee exhaled slowly and heavily, as if that breath had taken away all his sharpness and cynicism.

He sat down again, but this time, his shoulders seemed to slump a little.

"I will convey Konoha's conditions to my elder brother, Lord Raikage, word for word, completely."

This decision almost drained all his strength.

Minato Namikaze's sharp expression gradually softened, and he returned to being the gentle young man he once was.

He nodded slightly to Kirabi.

"A wise choice."

A preliminary consensus was reached in a repressive and strange atmosphere.

Killer Bee seemed resigned to his fate, holding nothing back any longer. He pulled a scroll from his pocket and spread it out next to the map.

"This is all the intelligence we currently have regarding the Three Villages Alliance."

His finger quickly dotted the map.

"Onoki's main demolition force is assembled here. They resupply every six hours. The resupply points are here, here, and here... Their main target is our central fortress."

"The puppet troops of the Liemen are very difficult to track, and they change locations very secretly. We lost two squads just to barely confirm one of their locations..."

"These are their main logistical routes, guarded by Amegakure ninjas, and their defenses are relatively weak..."

"Furthermore, according to the latest intelligence from our spies in Iwagakure, an Iwagakure ninja is leading an Earth Release squad, seemingly searching for something, and their movements are elusive..."

"As for Hanzo the Salamander... Hmph, his troops were basically used as cannon fodder to wear down our traps and manpower..."

"..."

Killer Bee revealed all the information that Kumogakure had obtained at the cost of countless lives and blood, without reservation.

At this moment, he no longer thought about dignity and hatred; he only hoped that Konoha's peacekeeping force could truly bring peace as they said.

Minato listened quietly, his brain working like a high-speed precision instrument, integrating, analyzing, and deducing the information provided by Killer Bee with the information in his own mind.

Tactical ideas took shape rapidly in his mind, only to be quickly rejected and optimized.

The Konoha ninjas around them, watching Minato Namikaze intently analyzing the map and Killer Bee revealing his secrets, all felt a sense of unreality.

Just minutes ago, the two sides were at loggerheads.

Minutes later, they began sharing top-secret intelligence and cooperating in joint operations.

Is this the power of Minato-sensei?

No, perhaps it should be said that this is the power of Konoha under the rule of the Third Hokage.

A force powerful enough to make even the most sworn enemies set aside their hatred and pride and willingly come to their aid.

After an unknown amount of time, Killer Bee finally finished speaking.

Looking at the huge and complex map in front of him, the marks that represented enemies and death made him feel suffocated.

He looked up at Minato Namikaze, trying to see a hint of seriousness or difficulty on the young commander's face.

However, what he saw was a gentle, confident smile.

Minato Namikaze smiled gently yet confidently.

Her golden hair shimmered brilliantly in the firelight.

His fingers tapped lightly on the map.

"Very good, the intelligence is plentiful."

He raised his head, and a sharp glint flashed in his blue eyes that made even Killer Bee's heart tremble.

"So, what's next..."

The sound paused slightly.

"It's our turn to give them a surprise."

◆

Konoha, Hokage's office.

Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm dappled patterns on the gleaming wooden floor and illuminating the fine dust particles floating in the air.

The office was quiet, with only the slightly distorted hissing sound coming from some kind of special communication device after encryption, and the soft sound of Hiruzen Sarutobi chewing.

There were no piles of documents on the table, only a cup of still-steaming tea and a plate of exquisite chestnut yokan made by Biwako herself.

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

The sweet but not cloying aroma of chestnuts and the smooth texture of red bean paste melt on the taste buds, perfectly soothing the fatigue brought on by handling various war preparedness matters in recent days.

He squinted contentedly and leaned back in the large Hokage chair.

On one corner of the table, a communicator, specially made by the mountain tribe and inlaid with light blue crystal, stands quietly.

Inside the crystal, tiny specks of light shimmered, like a miniature starry sky.

On the other end of the communicator was Yamanaka Inoichi's calm and clear report.

He was recounting the entire process of Minato Namikaze's contact with Killer Bee of Kumogakure, including their conversation, the information shared by Kumogakure, and Minato's explanation of the new Konoha order, word for word.

Hearing Minato's domineering declaration of punishment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips curled into a faint smile.

Very good, Minato.

It was even better than he had expected.

What he needs is not just a tool that can perfectly execute orders, but a ninja who can deeply understand his intentions and creatively apply them.

He will use the restrained will to protect the village and the outward iron fist of order to interpret it. This is the path he has laid for Konoha to the next era.

"...That concludes the briefing from the front lines. Commander-in-Chief Minato has begun formulating the first phase of the operational plan based on intelligence from Kumogakure. Inoichi will maintain uninterrupted communication."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his teacup. "Especially logistics and supplies, there can be absolutely no mistakes."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

With communications cut off, the office returned to silence.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sip of tea and looked out the window.

The prosperous village, the bustling streets, and the figures working diligently on the towering wooden buildings in the distance—everything seemed so peaceful and full of life.

The shadow of war seemed to loom only over the distant borders, completely out of place with the peace and tranquility here.

And all he did was ensure that this peace was not broken.

"Bang!"

The heavy office door was suddenly pushed open, shattering the tranquility.

"Hiruzen!!"

The person arrived before the voice.