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

Chapter 283 Welcome the Zhang Family

At the very front of the crowd, he saw that familiar figure.

Nara deer antlers.

The acting Hokage stood there with a look of utter despair, his supposedly strongest brain in Konoha seemingly rendered completely inoperable by the enormous sound waves.

He had dark circles under his eyes that were so thick they seemed impossible to remove, and he exuded an aura of relief that said, "Finally, I can go home from get off work."

Beside him, Koharu Utatane tried her best to maintain the dignity of an advisor elder, but her slightly reddened and constantly blinking eyes betrayed her inner excitement.

Hyuga Kaede, the head of the Hyuga clan, along with his eldest son Hyuga Hiashi, were using their Byakugan to vigilantly survey their surroundings, preventing any accidental stampede. Their expressions were meticulous, yet more reassuring than ever before.

Uchiha Yatsushiro, the vice-commander of the Uchiha Security Department, led a group of elites, including Uchiha Fugaku, to maintain the front line of the crowd. Their straight spines formed the most solid human wall.

Yamanaka Taichi, Akimichi Torifu, Inuzuka Tsubasa, Aburame Shirin... Representatives from all the clans of Konoha are standing here to welcome their Hokage and their families.

The army slowly approached.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi's young yet composed face became completely clear before everyone, the cheers from the crowd instantly reached their peak.

"Sandaime-sama——!!!"

"Hokage-sama!!!"

……

Nara Deer Antlers let out a long, long sigh.

That breath seemed to draw away all the fatigue he had accumulated over the past few months.

On his face, which was naturally etched with the word "trouble," he forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace as he walked towards the figure at the front.

"If you don't come back..."

Deer Antlers' voice was hoarse, as if it had been polished by countless documents and reports, exuding a quality that seemed ready to shatter at any moment.

"I'm going to die from overwork."

Looking at his old friend's haggard and almost unrecognizable appearance, and the dark circles under his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a warm feeling slowly flowing through his heart, mixed with a trace of guilt.

He stepped forward, without saying anything to comfort him, but simply reached out and patted Deer Antlers' shoulder heavily and forcefully.

Those firm hands carried the warmth and strength of someone returning from the battlefield.

"Thank you for your hard work, Antlers."

A simple "Thank you for your hard work" was like a key, instantly unlocking the taut strings of Nara Deer Antlers' heart.

All his complaints and exhaustion found an outlet with this one strike, and then vanished without a trace.

I relaxed completely and instinctively wanted to scratch my head, but found that I was too lazy to even lift my hand.

Deer Antlers waved his hand, and a much more genuine smile spread across his face.

"...Welcome home."

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed.

He looked past his acting Hokage, who was practically falling asleep standing up, and cast his gaze upon the endless sea of ​​people ahead, upon the villagers he knew best who were eagerly waiting.

He took a deep breath, and the air from the central plains of the Land of Fire, filled with the fragrance of earth and the fresh scent of grass and trees, filled his chest.

Then, he raised his right hand high.

In an instant, the cheers that had once shaken the heavens miraculously receded like a receding tide.

The whole world fell into an eerie silence.

All eyes, whether of ninjas or civilians, old or young, were focused on the returning Hokage.

They saw that their Hokage, the man who led Konoha to an unprecedented and great victory, did not have the arrogance and sharpness of a victor on his face.

He simply looked around at everyone calmly and gently, his gaze sweeping over familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Then, in a clear and forceful tone, loud enough for everyone to hear, he began to speak:

"We're back."

After a brief silence came cheers even more violent than a volcanic eruption, as if they were about to set the entire Hidden Leaf Village ablaze!

"Ooo ...

Heroes, you have officially entered the village.

The flowers and ribbons were no longer rain, but waterfalls, cascading down from the rooftops and windows on both sides of the street, almost completely submerging the road ahead.

Led by their parents, the children, like a flock of happy little sparrows, rushed out of the welcoming line and hung the flower garlands they had prepared, still smelling of fresh grass, around the necks of every ninja they could reach.

Inuzuka Tsubasa and his burly ninja dog, Mokuyu, were adorned with colorful flower wreaths around their necks, making this muscular man look somewhat comically cute.

Shirin Aburame was still wrapped up tightly, but a few mischievous parasites were peeking out from the collar of his trench coat, curiously touching a pink petal that had just landed on his shoulder with their tiny antennae.

Tsunade was almost overwhelmed with tears and hugs by a group of female ninjas from the medical department and the students she had personally taught.

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Waaaaah... You are our pride!"

Faced with the unreserved sincerity of her companions, Tsunade, who is usually as bold and straightforward as strong liquor, was at a loss for words. She could only smile and reach out to pat each of their heads, her eyes secretly reddening.

On the other side, Jiraiya was about to go over and show off his heroic return when a large, fan-like hand grabbed his neck.

"Jiraiya! You're finally back! I heard you took on some disciples this time?"

Akimichi Tokifumi's loud voice made people's ears ring.

Jiraiya immediately puffed out his chest, ready to embellish his story of how he debated with a group of scholars in the Land of Rain and bravely rescued two genius orphans. However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yahiko and Konan's bright eyes, which seemed to say that their master was a superhero.

He coughed heavily, and surprisingly, he restrained his frivolousness and became somewhat embarrassed.

"Haha, it's all fate, it's all destiny."

Sakumo Hatake walked in the group. Unlike the others, he wasn't surrounded by enthusiastic crowds. People seemed to subconsciously leave some space for the legendary White Fang of Konoha.

His steps remained as steady as ever, but his eyes, which had always been sharp enough to cut through everything, had long since lost their focus, and were now anxiously searching for something in the surging crowd.

Finally, he saw it.

At the edge of the crowd, under the shade of a large tree, a gentle woman was holding the hand of a tiny child with silver-white hair.

The child was wearing a small black mask exactly like his own, and was trying hard to stand on tiptoe, his small body straining forward as he looked in his direction.

It was his son, Kakashi Hatake.

Shuo Mao paused almost imperceptibly.

Just this once.

His face, which was as cold and stern on the battlefield, capable of instilling fear in the enemy, melted away in an instant. The ice and snow melted, and spring flowers bloomed, leaving only an extreme and overflowing tenderness.

Kakashi seemed to sense his father's gaze as well. He stopped looking around anxiously and simply stood there quietly, waving gently in his father's direction.