Who is that man?

The overcast sky drizzled, and a long row of portraits of fallen soldiers was displayed in the mourning hall.

Everyone at the funeral wore black mourning clothes, their expressions grief-stricken, taking turns offering flowers in tribute.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, who should have been centrally placed, was nowhere to be seen in the mourning hall.

His death had not been announced.

And he was currently presiding over the funeral.

"Every deceased is a hero of our Konoha village, forever. They fought for Konoha, and desperately for the continuation of the Will of Fire."

"Because as long as the Will of Fire to protect the village remains steadfast, everyone living in the village is family! They sacrificed themselves for us!"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi" spoke passionately, the new scar on his face and the bandages wrapped around his body telling of the ferocity of the battle.

After his final sentence, he paused and turned, leading all funeral attendees in a bow to each portrait in the mourning hall.

As they were leaving, Naruto was called to a halt by "Hiruzen Sarutobi" and entered the Hokage Building.

A puff of smoke erupted, and the speaker dispelled the Transformation Technique, revealing an old man with bandages wrapped around his right eye and an "X" shaped scar on his jaw.

"I am Shimura Danzō, a classmate of the Third and the leader of Konoha's Anbu."

At the same time, an old man wearing oval glasses and an old woman adorned with earrings and hairpins emerged from a side door of the study, both with graying hair.

"We are Konoha's Advisors."

Naruto beamed, his smile as bright as the sun. "Greetings, the three of you. Do you need something from me?"

Shimura Danzō said, leaning on his cane, "From what we understand, you were the last person to see the Third and escort him home."

"That's right."

"We hope you will not spread the news of the Third's death until we have discussed with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and selected a new Hokage."

Naruto's face was filled with innocent confusion. "Why? And when will Third Grandpa's funeral be held?"

Danzō remained silent.

The male Advisor said, "We were all classmates of Hiruzen, and we want to hold a grand funeral for Hiruzen even more than you do. But Orochimaru is still eyeing Konoha, and we still need Hiruzen to be alive to deter Orochimaru."

Naruto felt a sense of unease, the way the three looked at him was like humans looking at animals.

And a strong sense of danger crawled over his skin; these three old geezers were probably all Kage-level combatants.

Were they all playing with snakes when Orochimaru invaded?

He had already added the three to his list of people to eliminate once he was in power.

"Okay, I understand." Naruto's expression was like a child who had suddenly grasped something.

Danzō asked again, "Did the Third leave you any last words before he died?"

Naruto shook his head. "Third Grandpa just asked me to bring him back, told me to take whatever I needed, and to treat myself better from now on. May I go now?"

The three exchanged glances and agreed.

Naruto walked out.

Danzō narrowed his long, thin left eye and said, "Are you really going to trust him? Perhaps Hiruzen told him everything."

The female Advisor: "Hiruzen is not that kind of person."

The male Advisor: "So what if he knows? What do you intend to do with the Jinchuriki now? Don't forget, Jiraiya is still in the village."

The female Advisor: "If Jiraiya agrees to succeed, we will nominate him as the next Hokage."

Danzō fell silent and sat at the Hokage's desk, closing his eyes and greedily savoring the seat that still did not belong to him.

He couldn't help but sigh at Naruto's good fortune; a life that should have been spent imprisoned and fed like an animal had been protected by one person after another, forcing freedom upon him.

He transformed back into Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Don't worry, I won't make any decisions arbitrarily. I will discuss everything with you first. Let's go."

The two Advisors left.

Konoha Hospital.

Haruno Sakura inserted the narcissus she held into a vase, sitting by Sasuke's bedside.

Yakushi Kabuto had been brutal; the muscle and tendons in both his legs had been completely severed. Even though they had healed, he still required a long period of rest and recovery.

"Where's Naruto? What's he been doing all day?" Sasuke sat up, leaning against the headboard.

"Training, eating."

Haruno Sakura thought of Naruto playing with beautiful women in swimsuits and fighting while holding Hinata, her expression growing a little dejected.

She wondered, Did Naruto get hurt by me, and is he deliberately acting this way to get revenge?

Sasuke's skin was naturally fair, and against the backdrop of the pure white hospital bed, his handsome face appeared even more sickly pale.

He rolled out of bed, but the moment his feet touched the ground, a sharp nerve pain shot through him, making his brow twitch. He couldn't stand steadily and slumped back down.

Her fists clenched the bedsheets.

Haruno Sakura panicked, her face filled with worry. "Sasuke, you just had surgery. You should rest for a week before getting out of bed."

"A week?" Sasuke gritted his teeth.

He saw a hallucination: Naruto running further and further up the mountain road, climbing higher and higher, about to disappear from sight. Yet, he was stuck at the foot of the mountain, sick, unable to chase after him.

Haruno Sakura knew Sasuke's thoughts all too well. Both boys were like her heart and soul, her left and right hands. Every day, she put all her effort into finding ways to balance them.

She also had to practice Genjutsu diligently, so she wouldn't be left behind by the two of them and become useless.

"A week will pass quickly. Resting well is for better training. Sasuke, you don't want to leave any hidden health issues, do you?"

Sasuke's eyes were vacant, his face seemingly covered in dark lines.

CLANG!

Naruto pushed the door open and entered.

The oppressive atmosphere made him uncomfortable.

"Damn it, you're the least injured, so why do you look the worst?"

He had just encountered Hinata, seen Neji with his severely injured arms, and visited Rock Lee's room, where he lay half-dead from serious injuries.

Sasuke didn't know how to face Naruto. His mental state was a complete mess, and he couldn't sort it out at all.

In the end, he let out a scoff, turned his head, and said, "I'm fine."

Naruto, his face cold, dragged a chair over and sat by the bedside. "If you have something to say, say it. Don't be a riddle."

Haruno Sakura tried to smooth things over. "Naruto, don't force Sasuke..."

"Am I talking to you? If you want to sit here and listen, fine. If not, get out." Naruto pointed his hand towards the door.

Haruno Sakura's eyes instantly welled up. She got up and took a few steps, but stopped at the doorway.

Be strong! Be strong!

You're the woman who has to win over both of them! You absolutely cannot be defeated by setbacks!

It's just a few harsh words. You used to say them often too!

She silently turned her head and sat back down in her chair.

Naruto was genuinely surprised. She wasn't leaving?

He had intended for Haruno Sakura to leave so he could have a private conversation with Sasuke, man to man.

The sunlight streamed in at that moment, illuminating the hospital room brightly.

The wind rustled the white gauze curtains, stirring the mottled green paint of the louvered window, making the narcissus flowers sway.

Seeing the conflict between the two, Sasuke forgot everything he had been thinking about. He even let out an involuntary smile, then quickly pursed his lips when he realized it.

"Answer me," Naruto said seriously. "I see you as my most cherished subordinate in the future. I want us to be able to be honest with each other."

He still remembered Sasuke, who, despite being terrified during the Chunin Exams when facing Orochimaru, had still saved him and stood in front of him.

Sasuke was a proud person. He raised his head and said, "I will make you my subordinate."

Naruto laughed, his smile extremely confident. "Okay! Very good! No problem! Just work towards that goal. As long as you're capable enough, what's wrong with me becoming your subordinate!"

Light sparked in Sasuke's eyes.

Outside the window, Kakashi, who was secretly protecting them, looked up at the clouds.

Haruno Sakura smiled beautifully. If the three of them could be together like this forever, she would be very happy.

At this moment, Naruto's tone shifted. "Tell me, when Teacher Kakashi asked about your ideals, you said you wanted to kill a man. Who was it?"