Thick, heavy storm clouds slowly drifted across the pale, bright moon in the sky.
Across the vast, open earth, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a black, tight-fitting combat uniform, a helmet with the back of the neck protected by small, overlapping metal plates, and two long brown silk ribbons trailing from the helmet fluttering in the wind.
As the moonlight faded, his face—already marked with age spots—grew increasingly gloomy.
Ever since the death of Mito Uzumaki, the first Jinchuriki, no one had ever undermined Hiruzen Sarutobi's dignity quite like this.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not weak in strength!
Especially after inheriting the political and ninjutsu legacies of the Senju Clan, his power had multiplied exponentially.
He held absolute dominance among ordinary Kage-level fighters, and even when facing powerhouses of the super-Kage tier, he could still handle himself to some extent.
Yet everything feared comparison; goods compared with goods are thrown away, and men compared with men can die of shame!
Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was essentially a cheating player, and the sheer intensity of his power existed on a completely different dimension from his contemporaries.
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, was a brilliantly talented all-rounder who developed countless forbidden techniques and jutsu in his lifetime, and even built Konoha's political framework.
Compared to the first two Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength truly did not measure up; it was far too mediocre.
In a turbulent era surrounded by formidable enemies, mediocrity was the original sin for the supreme ruler of any faction.
Therefore, even though he had been personally designated by Tobirama Senju, he failed to smoothly succeed the position. Fortunately, he eventually won the support of Mito Uzumaki, while simultaneously securing the backing of the Uchiha Clan through his teammate, Setsuna Uchiha, successfully becoming the Third Hokage.
Yet because he still